COTUIT, Mass. — The 2025 Cape Cod Baseball League season is getting closer and closer. Players arrived in Cotuit earlier in the week for a few practices, then scrimmaged against the Lexington Blue Sox on Sunday to prepare for next week's season opener. The Kettleer bats provided great run support, and the pitching staff tossed a near shutout game. In 10 innings, the Ketts dismantled the Blue Sox, 14-2.
After a quiet first inning, the Kettleer bats began to find their rhythm in the bottom of the second when Ryne Farber (Auburn) singled into shallow left field. That was followed by an Anderson French (Virginia Tech) single to put Farber at third base. Ethan Swidler (transfer portal) was due up next and hit a ball deep into left field that was caught at the warning track. However, it was deep enough to score a run and put Cotuit up, 1-0.
Ryan Jaros (transfer portal) struck out to end the inning, but the Ketts struck first in the Sunday scrimmage.
Jarren Advincula (transfer portal) singled into left field to begin the bottom of the third inning, and Camden Johnson (transfer portal) picked up an infield single. PJ Moutzouridis (California) flew out to deep center field, but it advanced both runners into scoring position. Max Knight (Missouri State) drove in Advincula a few pitches later on an RBI groundout.
Another run scored in the next at-bat as Farber picked up his second hit of the day, an RBI double, extending the lead to 3-0.
The Cotuit offense got busy again in the fourth after Jaros blooped a standup double into left field, then Advincula drove him in on his two-bagger. That's all the Ketts could get, but after three consecutive scoring innings, the home side led, 4-0.
"It's awesome (getting to play as a team). This is a great group of guys. I'm excited to play with them this summer and get the first game out of the way," Advincula said. "You're always a little nervous, but it's exciting."
Lexington picked up its first hit of the game in the fifth, followed by an infield single to put runners at first and second. New Kettleer arm Jackson Decker (Saginaw Valley State) rebounded nicely with three straight outs to end the frame.
Swidler drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth, then advanced to second and third base. He wouldn't have to stand on base for long, as Jaros ripped a single into right field, plating the fifth Cotuit run.
After a scoreless seventh inning from Kettleer hurler Dylan Scudder (Bryant), Cotuit's offense came back up looking to extend the lead. Moutzouridis collected a leadoff single to start the bottom of the inning. Knight approached the dish looking for his first hit of the afternoon. He did just that, and more, with a two-run home run over the left-center field wall.
After several singles and walks, Cotuit loaded the bases with one out. A passed ball allowed French to stroll in from third base, extending the lead to 8-0. Johnson kept the offense going with a solo shot before Lexington got the third out of the inning.
Scudder returned for the eighth, but it didn’t go as smoothly as his previous inning. After a couple of baserunners reached with two outs, the right-handed pitcher surrendered a two-run double to give the Blue Sox their first two runs of the game. He then bounced back and picked up the third out of the frame, sending the game into the bottom of the eighth.
Johnson struck again with an RBI single into right field, then Advincula came in to score on an RBI groundout. Another run came across on a wild pitch to put Cotuit up 12-2 heading into the 10th.
Cotuit plated two more runs in the final frame and then shut down the Blue Sox lineup to walk away with a 14-2 victory in its lone preseason scrimmage.
Looking ahead
The Ketts dominated the Sunday scrimmage but will now prepare for the season opener on Saturday against the Orleans Firebirds. While Sunday showed plenty of good, Cotuit coach Loren Hibbs will undoubtedly look to clean up things this week at practice.
