BREWSTER, Mass. — The Gatemen got off the bus and stepped onto Stony Brook Field for the first time this summer. It was a familiar place for many of the Gatemen coaching staff, especially field manager Ryan Smyth, who had spent six years coaching there.

“This was home for my first six years on the Cape,” Smyth said. "We won two championships together and had a third championship appearance. I've met so many great people in Brewster and have made some really close friends that I'm still in touch with, almost weekly. This place is special.”

The homecoming allowed the chance for Smyth and his Keystone colleagues, like Brewster manager Jamie Shevchik, to see one another again and catch up on things before the game; however, once the first pitch was thrown, there was some extra motivation to win with bragging rights on the line.

“It's always special being back here, win or loss, but the wins are obviously a little bit better,” Smyth said.

The Gatemen players understood how special this game was to Smyth and came to play for their manager. They defeated the Brewster Whitecaps, 2-1, in a gritty defensive contest Friday.

The win lifted the Gatemen out of a three-game losing streak and put them back in the win column, improving their season record to 5-6. The Whitecaps fell to 7-4, now losing four of their last five games.

It was a game from the start for the Gatemen. Starting pitcher Daniel Powell (Kennesaw State) set the tone early, delivering four innings of work, only allowing one run on four hits, one walk and one strikeout.

“I felt good. It's probably the best I've felt all summer so far. Didn't get as many first batters out as I would have liked, but defense picked me up, and we made some good plays, so it was nice,” Powell said.

Powell made his third start of the season Friday and has settled into the head of the starting rotation. It is a position he was not as familiar with in college, being mainly a reliever, but he has embraced the opportunities being a starter presents.

“I've just been getting used to being the opener of the game. You have to come out ready and set the pace, so starting to get more used to that, trying to get more first batters out. I get to control the whole game, I got the opportunity to put us in a good spot and I did my job tonight, and we got the win,” Powell said.

The Gatemen’s defense helped Powell out of some jams, which set a solid foundation for their offense to score. In the top of the second inning, designated hitter Chris McHugh (NC State) blasted a home run 353 feet to left field to put the Gatemen on the board.

The home run was McHugh’s second of the summer and one of two hits he would have on the afternoon. He went 2 for 4, having two of the Gatemen’s five hits.

Despite the game being tied in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI double from Collin Priest (Clemson), the Gatemen looked comfortable and later took the lead back.

In the top of the fifth, catcher Hunter Carns (Florida State) singled on a short grounder down the third base side. He was able to beat the throw because of his speed, which he would use to advance to third on a wild pick-off attempt to first base. He then scored to put the Gatemen up 2-1.

“It felt great to get this win,” Carns said. “It meant a little bit more to coach, so it felt great to be able to win this one for him.”

Carns, in only his fourth day on the Cape, is still adjusting to living with his host family but is getting much closer with the team, especially the different pitchers he has to catch for.

“It's really important, because every guy's different, so you can't call the game the same for every guy, and getting to know them, getting their trust, really helps them in the end,” Carns said.

“I think it's really hard being a catcher out here. You don't know these guys, the arms, that is, until you catch everyone the first time, and he hasn't even caught everyone yet. So being a catcher, coming in and getting thrown back there, having to work with it. He's done a phenomenal job of that,” Smyth said.

Carns’ run in the fifth was the difference in the game. The Whitecaps did have a chance to tie in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on second base, but pitcher Caden McDonald (Florida) successfully picked off the runner at second base to get the second out of the inning, paving the way to a Gatemen victory.

The win was sweet, being able to end a three-game losing streak, but it is something that the Gatemen hope to take with them into the rest of the weekend.

“It's just one day at a time out here. Win or lose today, we still have a game tomorrow. We're looking forward to that, and we’ll try to ride momentum into another one,” Smyth said.

“We really wanted to win against Smyth’s former team, and his former coach, so it was very important to get this win. We're gonna try and keep it rolling into tomorrow,” Powell said.

The Gatemen return to Spillane Field on Saturday to face the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox for the third time this season. The Red Sox are still the hottest team on the Cape, winning their seventh straight Friday against the Cotuit Kettleers, 5-1.

First pitch will be at 6 p.m. in Wareham.