FALMOUTH, Mass. – The Falmouth Commodores attracted a crowd to Guv Fuller Field to take on the Wareham Gatemen in their home opener. The Commodores fell to the Gatemen, 4-2.
“To see the community come out and show their support really meant a lot to us,” right fielder Donovan LaSalle said.
Starting pitcher Hayden Frank (Lipscomb) opened up with a quick three outs. Frank got back-to-back strikeouts on Bobby Boser (transfer portal) and Jace Rinehart (USC Upstate). Following Rinehart, LaSalle (Oklahoma State) brought in the flyout to send Murf Gray (Fresno State) back to the dugout.
LaSalle came up to the bat in the bottom of the first and hit it to left field to pick up a double. Blake Cavill (Western Kentucky) was next up to the plate and drew a walk, helping pick up some momentum for the Commodores, who were still seeking their first run of the season.
“I was trying to put the bat to the ball and help my team win in any way,” LaSalle said.
The momentum LaSalle and Cavill got wasn’t enough for Falmouth to pick up a run in the first.
Frank continued striking out hitters in the top of the second. He struck out Colby Turner (Michigan), Eli Putnam (Davidson) and Michael Lippe (Louisville).
The Commodores' offensive troubles continued into the bottom of the second as Gatemen starter Cole Leaman (Lehigh) responded with three consecutive strikeouts.
Wareham picked up its first hit of the night with a single from Hunter Dobbins (Ball State). The Falmouth defense regained control of the inning by picking up a groundout, lineout and strikeout to close out the top of the third still scoreless.
The third and fourth innings weren’t much different. Leaman and Frank each picked up another strikeout in the third, and Frank gave up his first walk in the top of the fourth to Gray.
In the top of the fifth, the Commodores had a pitching change. Riley Stanford (Georgia Tech) checked in and recorded two strikeouts and Dylan Carey (Nebraska) caught a flyout from Dobbins.
Chase Spencer (Air Force) saw his first action of the season. In the bottom of the fifth, he sent a ball to left field and raced to first base, but Rinehart caught the ball right against the fence to make Spencer the third out for the Commodores.
“I thought I was going to, first game of the season, hit a home run,” Spencer said. “It was cool to be able to get that one out of the way and go from there.”
The Gatemen broke the scoring drought in the top of the sixth when a single from Gray scored Rinehart to put Wareham ahead 1-0. After the run, Falmouth had a pitching change to Francis Ferguson (Eastern Nazarene).
After an error and a wild pitch scored another run in the top of the sixth, the Commodores defense rallied to prevent any more runs. After the top of the sixth, the Gatemen led 2-0.
Wareham had a pitching change to Christian Foutch (Arkansas) in the bottom of the sixth. Foutch was able to pick up one strikeout on Cavill. Falmouth’s hitting and run troubles continued to follow them through the sixth and into the seventh.
In the eighth, Ethan Phillips (Indiana) entered to pitch for the Commodores. He allowed a triple and a single, making it 3-0 Wareham. Phillips also picked up a strikeout on Yohann Dessureault (Stetson).
In the ninth, Phillips collected two strikeouts but allowed an RBI double to make it 4-0.
Falmouth picked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth on a two-run homer from Henry Cooke (Virginia Tech), but Wareham outlasted Falmouth in the end.
“It felt really good to finally get a hit again,” Cooke said. “I’ve been waiting for it.”
Up next, Falmouth will travel to face the Orleans Firebirds at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
