The Hyannis Harbor Hawks took an 11-1 loss to the Cotuit Kettleers in seven innings. This unusually unproductive night on offense for the Harbor Hawks (8-5-2, 5-2 West Division) could be tied to having to battle the Kettleers’ (5-9-1, 3-2 West Division) early momentum.
“It’s tough when you’re giving up runs on the other side,” Hyannis manager Mitch Karraker said. “You feel like you have to play catch-up a little bit more.”
When the Harbor Hawks let their opponent score first, their record is 0-3-1. Though the expectation to win consistently when initially trailing is unjust, these performances could call Hyannis’ offensive continuity and defensive clutch into question.
Cotuit found its scoring touch in the first inning, putting a pair of runs on the board before the Harbor Hawks got their first chance on offense. Jaxon Willits responded with a solo shot into left-center field, the beginning and end of Hyannis’ scoring output on the night.
Other than this blast, no Harbor Hawk advanced past first base against the Kettleers, making this the fourth game of the season where Hyannis has only scored in one inning.
“Five hits is good in seven innings, but stringing hits together is important to be able to score runs,” Karraker said. “We sprayed a couple of hits here and there, but we didn’t have anybody follow it up with another hit to kind of keep the offense moving.”
The only time the Harbor Hawks had two hits in the same inning came in the bottom of the third. Jason Walk led off with a single, but was caught stealing one pitch later. Matthew Miura got a two-out single later in the inning, but ultimately couldn’t make an impact on the basepaths.
In addition to their contact woes, Hyannis struck out six times without drawing a walk through seven frames. The Harbor Hawks have a league-best 1.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio on offense, making this game stand out as a stark break in their offensive routine.
With only one run scored, Hyannis tied its lowest mark of the season. Previously, the Harbor Hawks took a 6-1 loss to the Brewster Whitecaps on June 25. In that game, the Whitecaps jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning and expanded later in the game while the Hyannis offense seemed stunned.
Conversely, in losses against the Chatham Anglers and Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, the Harbor Hawks’ defense couldn’t put a cap on their comeback efforts. Against the Anglers, Hyannis went down 5-0 after two frames, but made a miraculous comeback and took a 7-6 lead in the 10th inning.
With a save on the line, Ryan Speshyock walked the first batter on four pitches, then saw an error load the bases. Daniel Jackson tied the game with a single into center before Speshyock set down three straight batters with the bases juiced, allowing the Harbor Hawks to escape with a tie.
Facing the Red Sox at Red Wilson Field, Hyannis jumped ahead of the East Division leaders 4-3 in the top of the eighth. Speshyock set down the first batter in the bottom of the ninth, but afterwards allowed a walk and a double to put two runners in scoring position.
After an intentional walk to load the bases, Avery Ortiz ended the game with a two-run single into center.
Even as the Harbor Hawks have struggled to successfully rally throughout the season, their success otherwise has made them the top team in the West Division. With as strong a start to the season as they’ve had, Hyannis fans have reason to believe this team can uproot its negative trends.
The Harbor Hawks look to get back in the win column against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox on July 3 at 6 p.m. in McKeon Park.
Tymothy Brown can be reached at tymbrown12@gmail.com or followed on X @tym_brown1
