FALMOUTH, Mass. — In Falmouth and Chatham’s first matchup this season, pitching stole the show. The Commodores couldn’t get anything done offensively, pushing across one measly run.

But they still won. Kaden Echeman, Connor Linn and Joe Sabbath held the Anglers scoreless to claim the 1-0 victory. That game didn’t showcase either team’s real abilities. It was a cold, windy night, and players were still adjusting to wooden bats.

Sunday’s rematch was the complete opposite. Sixteen combined runs. Twenty-two combined hits. Sixteen combined walks. If one team scored, the other immediately responded.

But one thing was constant — Falmouth came out on top. In the seesawing contest, the Commodores had the final say, defeating Chatham, 9-7, on Sunday. Despite their bullpen keeping the Anglers in the game, Falmouth’s offense exploded for its most runs since June 17 at Orleans, allowing it to move to just one game under .500.

“ This one was more of a grind,” Falmouth manager Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. “They haven't hit their stride yet, so it's gonna be pretty dangerous when they do.”

Despite its victory, Falmouth (6-7) entered in a tricky position. On Saturday, it fell to Hyannis, 5-1, after fog ended the game through five innings. But before that, the Commodores had rallied off two straight wins over Bourne and Harwich.

Sunday was a mix of both. Falmouth’s bullpen wilted. But its batters flourished.

Chatham, despite taking time to heat up, entered on a two-game win streak and showcased its offensive talent Sunday. Still, Trever Baumler (TCU) initially snuffed out its blaze.

After two scoreless relief outings, he was stellar in his first start Sunday. The Anglers came out aggressively, which worked to Baumler’s favor. He threw 11 pitches in both the first and second innings, only allowing a leadoff single in the second to Chase Fralick.

Like with Echeman in the season opener, Chatham (4-6-3) couldn’t solve Baumler. He finished his day by forcing Isaiah Lane to ground into a double play.

Baumler had spun another gem. But Falmouth couldn’t capitalize instantly.

After producing just three hits Saturday, the 'Dores shuffled their lineup around, giving Justin Osterhouse and Antonio Morales days off and slotting Carl Schmidt into the leadoff spot. The changes worked.

“A couple guys were bumped up a little bit today, but that just shows how deep our lineup is,” Saltalamacchia said of the successful lineup swaps.

The Commodores foreshadowed their offensive burst early, with an Adrian Lopez first-inning single and Kent Schmidt leadoff double in the second. But Chatham starter Ethan Calder (Baylor) escaped both jams without allowing any hard contact. The 'Dores looked to have broken through in the third, but an interference call on Maika Niu erased a run.

The Commodores’ previous issues with runners in scoring position had resurfaced. And it looked like they’d continue, as Charlie Foster, who stifled the 'Dores in the season opener, assumed the mound in the fourth.

Kent Schmidt took matters into his own hands. After a no-doubt homer at Hyannis, he continued to heat up, lining a solo shot to right to open the score, 1-0.

Through four innings, the game was mirroring the last matchup. Chatham scoreless. An early run for Falmouth. But everything changed in the fifth. Chatham kick-started an avalanche.

To open the scoring run, Jake Hanley grounded a two-run ground-rule double down the left-field line, immediately flipping the matchup in the Anglers’ favor. They added three more runs to make it a five-run frame, with Ethan Mendoza delivering the big blow on a two-run double to right-center.

Falmouth looked to be inching toward another loss. Chatham had all the momentum. But Saltalamacchia had one message for his team.

“Stay with it. Don't worry about it. Just keep doing us, and it's all gonna work out,” Kent said.

The Commodores took his advice to heart. Niu — who entered tied with the most homers in the league (three) — launched his fourth, this time a three-run shot to left. The Commodores then tied the game, 5-5, on a Landon Moran RBI double, catapulting them right back into the game.

The 'Dores had newfound life. But their bullpen let them down again, shifting the momentum back to the Anglers. After Deven Sheerin entered for Jackson Vanesko with runners on the corners in the sixth, Lane and Henry Ford pushed Chatham back ahead, 7-5, with dueling RBI singles.

Falmouth, again, didn’t give in. Against Chatham’s Mason Bixby, the 'Dores exploded. This time, it was a singles parade. Niu, Kent and Mark Quatrani came through, giving the Commodores their first advantage of the game, 9-7.

With the game seesawing back and forth, the question became who could hold a lead. The 'Dores took theirs and ran. Carson Estridge (West Virginia) was responsible. In his first appearance for Falmouth, he fanned Daniel Jackson and Jackson Freeman for a scoreless seventh. He sent the game to the ninth with Falmouth still up after working out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.

Chatham’s Josh Swink matched Estridge, striking out two in the seventh, then working around Niu reaching second in the eighth.

All the pressure was on Falmouth closer Kaden Humphrey (Alabama). But he finished the job, putting the final stamp on its win with a scoreless ninth.

Last time the Commodores faced Chatham, runs were at a premium. On Sunday, it felt like they were on sale. But to the players, no deficit loomed large, leading to Falmouth’s come-from-behind victory.

“We knew we were coming back,” Kent said.

Noah Nussbaum is the beat reporter for the Falmouth Commodores. You can read all of his articles on the Commodores here.