COTUIT, Mass. — Falmouth’s offense had never been hotter entering Thursday’s battle with Cotuit. Twenty-six runs in its last three games. That included a 9-9 tie with the Cape Cod Baseball League’s hottest team, Yarmouth-Dennis.

The one problem? The 'Dores’ pitching was struggling at the same time. Despite strong starting pitching over its first eight games, Falmouth surrendered 22 runs in its last three before Thursday. Against Y-D, the Commodores continuously tied the game, just to immediately fall behind afterward.

On Thursday, despite Falmouth being walked-off by Cotuit 3-2 at Lowell Park, its pitching improved. Kaden Echeman (Kentucky) and TJ Coats (Nebraska/transfer portal) combined for 8 2/3 innings and allowed three runs. Though Falmouth’s offense fell back down to earth, leading to its loss, the pitching dominance was a positive sign in the defeat.

Still, despite shining for over eight innings, Falmouth’s pitching slipped in the ninth. Coats started the inning and got two quick outs.

It looked like the game was destined for a tie, with darkness quickly setting in. But then, Coats hit Nolan Stevens on the foot with a pitch. That gave Cotuit (6-9-1) newfound life. Case Sanderson responded by singling into right-center, sending Stevens to third.

Cotuit had unsheathed the dagger. Jarren Advincula delivered the final blow. Falmouth manager Jarrod Saltalamacchia replaced Coats with Zach Johnston (Wake Forest), trying to get the final out. But Advincula responded by squibbing a ball down the left-field line. All third baseman Justin Osterhouse could do was heave the ball to first base, but his throw was well late.

The Kettleers mobbed Advincula while Falmouth walked off in dismay.

Despite the crushing defeat, for the first seven innings, Cotuit was stifled by the Commodores’ pitchers.

Echeman set the standard. Through his first four starts with Falmouth (7-8-1), he was the definition of consistent — four innings in each with three total runs allowed. In what could be his final start for the 'Dores before the MLB Draft, he again threw four innings, allowing one run and three hits versus Cotuit.

The Kettleers entered winning three of their last four games. Though he faced more trouble than usual, Echeman wasn’t fazed. Despite a brief scare with a Dean West warning-track flyout, he worked a 14-pitch, 1-2-3 first, then used his looping curveball and mid-90s fastball to allow no runs after two straight two-out baserunners in the second.

With Echeman’s strong start, Falmouth could’ve blown away the Kettleers. But after fireworks Wednesday, the Commodores were quiet.

Still, they showcased their firepower to start. Unlike Wednesday, when it didn’t hold the lead once, Falmouth began by doing so Thursday. Carl Schmidt stayed hot after his four-hit night versus Y-D by lining a first-inning single into right off Cotuit’s Kenton Deverman. He later scored to make it 1-0 after Advincula booted a slow grounder at second.

Falmouth had Deverman (Evansville) on the ropes after he threw 25 pitches in the frame. But it let him off scot-free. He didn’t allow a run across the second and third innings, forcing Schmidt into a double play to escape a two-on, one-out jam in the second.

The 'Dores’ offensive woes preceded Echeman’s lone blemish in the third. After Advincula and West reached base to begin the frame, Ryne Farber tied the game 1-1 by bashing a single into right-center.

Though from there, Falmouth’s pitching settled in. Echeman finished another stellar day by getting Stevens to ground into an inning-ending double play. Then, Coats entered and matched him. After allowing one run over five innings his last time out versus Harwich, he followed Echeman by striking out Advincula and West in the fifth.

Echeman and Coats were throwing gems. The Commodores needed to respond.

But after all Falmouth did was fight back against Y-D on Wednesday, it took some time Thursday. In both the fourth and fifth, the Commodores couldn’t score with a runner in scoring position. Reliever Wyatt Halvorson used two pitches, inducing two grounders to third, to get out of trouble in the fourth. He followed with two quick outs in the fifth after Chris Newstrom reached second on a balk.

Falmouth’s offense was wilting at the worst time. It craved a revival. Maika Niu, its top threat, briefly came to the rescue. Entering with a CCBL-leading five dingers, he demolished his sixth — a 390-foot moonshot to left — to lead off the sixth inning, handing Falmouth a 2-1 advantage.

With the lead back in the Commodores’ corner, the pressure was squarely on Coats. He delivered. Coats produced a scoreless sixth by picking off Caden Bogenpohl at second to stall Cotuit’s surge. He followed with another 1-2-3 frame in the seventh, highlighted by getting Stanford phenom Rintaro Sasaki to pop out.

Meanwhile, Cotuit kept its deficit at one. Halvorson rebounded after Niu’s blast, forcing Falmouth into two groundouts in the seventh. Reliever Charlie Walker did the same, despite Lopez reaching third in the eighth with two down.

Their success was pivotal; it allowed the Kettleers to pull out the win. First, Farber came through again. This time, he launched a solo homer to right off Coats, tying the score 2-2 and completely killing the 'Dores momentum.

That led to Advincula’s walk-off, spoiling the Commodores’ strong pitching effort.

Still, Falmouth entered Thursday’s matchup with a clear weakness as of late — its pitching. Despite the final result, those issues were put to rest versus Cotuit, providing optimism going forward.

Noah Nussbaum is the beat reporter for the Falmouth Commodores. You can read all of his articles on the Commodores here.