From worst to first, down but not out, David beats Goliath; insert whatever cliche you want to use to describe the Harwich Mariners 5-1 defeat of the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox Thursday night. From the depths of the Cape Cod Baseball League standings, the Mariners have caught fire, and will now advance to the 2024 CCBL Championship series.
The story of Thursday night's game begins and ends with Harwich starter Donovan Burke (JMU), who shut out one of the CCBL’s most potent offenses for eight innings.
Heading into the ninth with a 5-0 lead and a chance to become the first pitcher to throw a complete game in the CCBL this season, Harwich manager Steve Englert gave Burke the green light to try to finish his own shutout.
Burke ran into his first trouble of the day however, hitting the first batter and subsequently allowing two singles, the latter of which drove in the Red Sox first run of the day.
That’s when Englert made the decision to turn to his closer, Kevin Zarnoch (UMass Lowell). Zarnoch trotted to the mound from the bullpen as Burke walked off the field to a standing ovation from his teammates and the fans, the loudest Whitehouse Field has gotten this season.
Zarnoch came in and slammed the door shut, picking up the final three outs in order.
After three strong starts in the regular season, Burke brought his game to a whole new level in his first playoff start. The JMU product allowed just three hits through his first eight innings, forcing just about every batter in the Y-D lineup to make weak contact. He spotted the ball all night long and the movement on his breaking balls gave Red Sox hitters trouble all night.
“Last collegiate outing man, we just rode him like a rented mule,” Englert said of Burke’s outing. “What an outstanding effort, I can’t say enough good things about that kid. What an effort out of him, he didn’t want to come out of that game, he talked me into letting him stay. I wish he could have finished, but we got the win and that's all that matters.”
Macon Winslow (Duke) delivered the biggest offensive gut punch of the evening in the fourth inning. After picking up a run in the first inning, the Harwich offense quieted down in the second and third, putting more pressure on Burke to keep the Red Sox off the board.
Winslow, who had been a healthy scratch for the first two games of the playoffs, stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and smoked a ball down the left field line past the outstretched glove of Y-D third baseman Ryan Sprock. The ball trickled all the way down past the Mariners bullpen, allowing all three baserunners to come around and score.
The hit made the game 4-0 and took any wind out of the sails the Red Sox may have had.
“That was a huge hit from Macon,” Englert said. “That kid works hard every day and he just goes about his business, he’s had a really good summer.”
The Mariners held what was the second best offense in the CCBL in the regular season to just three runs on nine hits through two games.
Despite a lackluster year from the pitching staff, Englert knew when the moment was called upon, that his pitchers had what it took to duel with even the best of the best.
“They’re dangerous 1-9, they have like eight or nine all-stars over there, but you know what, I’ll take effort over talent every day and these kids proved it all year and they just kept plugging away, I’m just so proud of them,” Englert said.
Harwich now advances to the CCBL Championship series, which will kick off on Saturday. The Mariners will have an off day tomorrow as they await their opponent, either the Cotuit Kettleers or the Bourne Braves, who will play game three of their series on Friday night.
“This team, they just show up and play and compete every day,” Englert said. “I keep saying it over and over but I love this group, I really do, they’re great kids and everybody contributes, when they get called on they just do their job.”
