When your team is on a hot streak, you find different ways to win. After slugging thirteen runs against Wareham, it was the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox pitching that was the difference in the 3-1 victory over the Harwich Mariners.

Tied 1-1 going into the ninth inning, the Red Sox rallied against reliever Ryan Reich.

Y-D pulled a page of out the Mariners playbook in the ninth. Chris Hacopian drew a walk against pitcher Ryan Reich. Standing at first base with two outs, Hacopian advanced to third after Reich threw the ball past first baseman Kyle Wolff. The very same play a day before that allowed Harwich to tie the game against Chatham.

The Red Sox took the lead on a bloop single to left that dropped in front of a diving Jake Koonin.

Y-D tacked on an insurance run before Reich got a flyout to end the inning.

Reich typically a starter, made his first appearance out of the bullpen all year.

“He did give two strong innings,” pitching coach Hunter Dilworth said. “That last inning he had a couple slip-ups. He fought back and made a good pitch on 3-1, before that little blooper hurt us. He fought hard, which is all you can ask for.”

After facing the team with the worst batting average (Chatham), the Mariners held their own against the team with the best average.

Harwich scored its first, and only, run in the third. Catcher Ethan Swidler reached first after Y-D pitcher Carson Ballard, dropped a grounder back to the mound to lead off the inning. A Tre Broussard single and Bristol Carter walk loaded the bases with no outs.

Aiden Robbins, a returner from 2024 championship team, making his season debut, hit into a double play that brought Swidler home.

While Harwich sported the league’s best ERA, Y-D was right behind them with the second lowest. The Red Sox held the Mariners to a season-low three hits.

The Red Sox came into the game on a five-game win-streak.

McNeillie unhittable

The league’s best offense could not get a hit to drop against Luke McNeillie. The rightly from Florida threw four no-hit innings against the Red Sox.

“Attacking hitters first pitch, landing sliders when I needed to,” said McNeillie on what allowed him to be successful in his second start on the Cape

McNeille struck out five guys as he lowered his ERA to 1.29. His only blemish was one walk on the night.

Defense making plays

While the Mariner pitching staff kept the Red Sox bats quiet, the team’s defense played a crucial role keeping the game tied.

While Y-D scored a run off pitcher Gianni Gambardella, the Maine pitcher induced a groundball to third baseman Dee Kennedy with men on the corners. Kennedy looked the runner back to third and fired to second base to turn the double play and keep the score tied.

“Coming out of the bullpen takes a few hitters to settle in,” Gambardella said. “That double play was huge from Dee to get out of that inning with one run.”

In the seventh, Gambardella got the assistance of back-to-back defensive gems. With one out, Y-D’s Garrett Wright hit a liner that shortstop Maddox Molony leaped to prevent the hit.

For a moment, it looked like the Oregon Duck made the play of the game.

Then one batter later, Yomar Cerraras hit a deep fly ball to left field. Koonin, turned around and laid out to end the inning.

“I was hoping he was going to catch it,” Gambardella said. “And he did. He made a great play.”

Up Next

Harwich gets an off day tomorrow before heading to Falmouth on Friday. The Mariners beat the Commodores 6-0 in their first matchup of the season. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m.