The Harbor Hawks earned their second win of the season Friday night with a 4-1 victory over the Wareham Gatemen.
Both of Hyannis’s victories this summer have come against Wareham. The Harbor Hawks are now 2-4 on the season.
Leading the offensive charge was second baseman Charlie Bates (Stanford), who turned in a perfect night at the plate. Bates went 2-for-2 with a triple, home run, walk, and hit-by-pitch, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances.
The Stanford product credits his offensive success to a subtle adjustment that improved his pitch recognition early in the count.
“I just wanted to get my load started a little early tonight so I could start catching the ball in front and get a little more loft on it in the air, and that’s exactly what happened tonight,” Bates said. “I was able to recognize pitches out of hand a lot earlier, which I think just helped overall.”
Karsten Sweum (Gonzaga) got the start for Hyannis, striking out six batters over three scoreless innings.
The left-hander worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third to keep Wareham off the board before turning the game over to the bullpen. The Gatemen threatened with bases loaded again in the seventh, but Hyannis escaped trouble once more. Wareham finished the night 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Hyannis manager Mitch Karraker praised his pitching staff’s ability to stay composed and make big pitches in crucial moments.
“I thought tonight was really good for our pitchers,” Karraker said. “It’s easy when everything is going well, but when it’s not, can you make the pitches you need to make? We did that in those two innings. It was good to see those guys have some success, and being able to put up zeros after we score runs is always important.”
The Hawks opened the scoring in the second inning thanks to Bates’ triple to center field. After sliding safely into third, Bates capitalized on an errant throw from Wareham shortstop Kade Elam that sailed over the head of third baseman Nate Novitske, allowing him to spring to his feet and give the Hawks an early 1-0 lead.
The Gatemen answered in the top of the fourth when catcher Drew Rogers launched a solo home run to center field, tying the game at 1-1. The blast was Rogers’ first hit of the season and highlighted a strong night at the plate, as he finished 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and single. Rogers was the only Wareham player to record multiple hits.
At the bottom of the same inning, Bates put the Hawks back on top courtesy of a solo home run to right field. Bates’ second home run of the season proved to be the difference in the game.
Hyannis added two insurance runs in the fifth inning. Henry Zenor (South Carolina Upstate) led off the frame with a line-drive double to right field before catcher Jon Embury (Florida Gulf Coast) moved him to third with a single. On the throw back into the infield, an error from Gatemen catcher Drew Rogers allowed Zenor to score and extend the Hawks’ lead.
Two batters later, designated hitter Trey Hawsey (Ole Miss) brought Embury home with an RBI double down the left-field line, giving Hyannis a 4-1 advantage. Hawsey currently leads the Hawks in RBIs with three.
The Hawks will look to win consecutive games for the first time this season when they travel to Cotuit to take on the Kettleers. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
“It’s simple: follow the same recipe we had tonight. Pound the zone, let the defense work, and swing the bat. If we can stick to those three things, we’ll be alright,” Karraker said ahead of the team’s first matchup with the Kettleers this season.
