YARMOUTH, Mass. — After suffering a brutal 17-2 loss to Chatham just one day earlier, Cotuit sought redemption against Yarmouth-Dennis. The Kettleers knew it wouldn’t be easy, as the Red Sox had yet to lose a game, boasting a 5-0 record.
After a competitive affair that featured two home runs from Jake Hanley (Indiana), Cotuit handed Y-D its first loss of the season, winning 4-3 on Friday in Yarmouth, Massachusetts.
“It feels great,” Hanley said. “Having a team that’s able to bounce back and get some runs up on the board and put together at-bats is really important. You can’t dwell on the past, and I think we had a great mindset today.”
With Cotuit trailing 3-2 in the ninth inning, it was do-or-die time. Pinch hitter Seojun Oh (transfer portal) stepped up to bat, and in a critical moment, he singled to bring in not just one, but two runs as the Kettleers reclaimed a 4-3 lead.
Oh revealed that he didn’t feel pressure during the moment, choosing to take a relaxed approach.
“I was going to have fun,” he said. “Whenever I come in the box, I see the ball, and I hit the ball. That’s it.”
“I can’t tell you how excited I was. I was just happy we won. It was (Y-D's) first loss of the season, so even better.”
The game was competitive throughout, as the Red Sox scored two runs in the eighth to take a 3-2 lead. Pinch-hitter Phoenix Call (UCLA) singled, driving in Ty Mainolfi (Boston College) to tie the game before Call came in himself as a result of a single from Kevin Takeuchi (USC).
Both of Cotuit’s first two runs came courtesy of homers from Hanley. He notched the first in the fourth inning, whacking one to center field. It marked his first homer of the season and tied the game at one run apiece.
“I got an advantage count and sat fastball,” Hanley said. “(The pitcher) gave me one up, and (I) just went bat to ball. The park helped a little bit, being a little tinier, but put the barrel on the ball and good things happen.”
The second long ball occurred in a huge moment with the game tied in the eighth inning. Hanley blasted one on a line drive to right field, giving Cotuit a 2-1 advantage.
He said he has hit multiple home runs in one game a “couple of times” during his freshman year of college, but it was still an exciting moment.
“It’s been a while, so it felt good to finally do that again,” Hanley said.
Cotuit pitcher Jonathan Adelmann (Bucknell) set the tone early with a three-up, three-down inning, but the Red Sox struck first in the second inning after Tommy Goodin (Vanderbilt) grounded out. This allowed Takeuchi to score and give Y-D a 1-0 lead.
Undeterred, Adelmann continued to play, and he came up with a crucial moment in the third inning. After he sailed a wild pitch that put a Red Sox player on third base, Adelmann threw back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
Cotuit made a pitching change in the fifth, putting Adam McKelvey (Georgia Tech) into the game. Adelmann looked good in his outing, allowing just two hits and one run. He walked two and logged six strikeouts.
“It feels great being able to go out there and help the team win,” Adelmann said. “The goal was to take it one pitch at a time and try to hang some zeros for the boys.”
McKelvey left the game in the eighth inning, and Luke McGrath (James Madison) entered to pitch. McKelvey tossed 3.1 innings, allowing one hit and one run. He added five strikeouts, while McGrath received credit for the win and logged a strikeout as well.
The Kettleers return to action Saturday. They are set to face Hyannis at 4:30 p.m. EDT in Cotuit, Massachusetts.
