After defeating the Bourne Braves earlier in the day, the Hyannis Harbor Hawks claimed an 8-2 victory over the Harwich Mariners at McKeon Park on Friday night to overtake the Braves as first place in the west division.
With the Harbor Hawks adding the two victories to their record and with the Braves losing to the Wareham Gatemen that night, the Harbor Hawks are currently in the position to claim the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
Despite the team being at the field all day for the double header–thanks to several postponed games–Hyannis manager Mitch Karraker said they handled the change in pace very well.
“It’s a long day. It starts early in the morning, and these guys did a really good job with the pregame,” Karraker said. “I thought they came in ready to go.”
Starting pitcher Raymond Olivas set the tone for the game, pitching back-to-back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to start. Olivas threw seven strikeouts, no walks, and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. Olivas said that the stellar performances by the offense and the defense made his job easy.
“I got a great defense behind me, and the bats were going crazy today, so today was pretty easy.” Olivas said.
Olivas was taken off the mound after five innings, and two new pitchers–Richie Kerstetter and Parker Gutherie–got to show what they could do in the sixth and seventh innings respectively. They would not disappoint, as both pitchers were able to keep the Mariners off the board. Olivas said that he told the new pitchers to utilize the defense much like he did in the first couple innings.
“They just came out throwing strikes, and I told them, ‘Throw it and use your defense’,” Olivas said. “‘Don’t be afraid to throw them in the strike zone’, so they did just that and it worked out great.”
On the offense, Olivas said it best with “the bats were going crazy today”, as every player in the lineup contributed to at least one of the 12 hits for the night. Second baseman Charlie Bates had two hits, and left fielder Nick Dromboski had three.
Scoring started right away in the first inning after a leadoff single by shortstop Matt Ineich, and an additional single by Bates to put him in scoring position. A ground out to second base by first baseman Caden Miller drove Ineich home. In the third inning, Ineich was able to get on base once again on a walk. Then, right fielder Jax Gimenez sent a triple just short of the fences to send Ineich home. A sacrifice fly from Bates allowed Gimenez to score, and the Harbor Hawks were up 3-0.
With Olivas completely shutting down the Mariners offense, the Harbor Hawks extended their lead even further in the fifth inning.
For a third time, Ineich was able to get on base on a walk and Bates was walked on a hit-by-pitch. Then Caden Miller came up to bat. With Miller having the most RBIs on the team, he was likely the last person the Mariners wanted in the batter’s box in this one out situation. Miller would show exactly why, as he drilled a three-run homer to left field, adding four RBIs to his season total and three runs to the score.
“I felt good. To square up a ball and watch it leave the yard is always a good feeling,” Miller said smiling ear to ear. “It’s a great experience to be out here, no matter the results. Definitely a learning experience and I’m having so much fun.”
The Harbor Hawks decided 6-0 wasn't enough, as they looked to secure their victory. In the seventh inning, with Bates and designated hitter Andrew Lamb in scoring position, a line drive single by center fielder Henry Zenor allowed Bates to score. Then, another line drive by Dromboski sent Lamb home, leaving the score 8-0.
It seemed like a shutout win was in the Harbor Hawks’ future, but the Mariners weren’t going down without a fight. With one last chance in the ninth, left fielder Paul Jones II hit a desperation home run to give the Mariners their first score of the game. Right fielder Niko Brini would follow with a single and a stolen base to put himself in scoring position. A single by shortstop Tyler Smolinski was enough to send Brini home.
With the score now 8-2, Harbor Hawks’ closing pitcher Trey Swygart and the defense decided two runs was enough for the Mariners. A double play led by the strong arm of third baseman JC Davis–who had several on-point fielding plays in the game–put the game away and sealed a Harbor Hawks win.
With the playoffs now only three games away, and another double header on the horizon, winning is crucial for the Harbor Hawks if they want to clinch the No. 1 seed. Miller said all the team needs to do is continue to play their same game.
“We’re throwing strikes, we’re batting in the box, we’re putting it all together, playing solid defense,” Miller said. “Just playing Harbor Hawks’ baseball. We just go out there, play our game and see what happens. And lately, here you can see it’s working out well for us.”
The Harbor Hawks are back at home for another double header on Saturday, where they will face the Falmouth Commodores in a 1 p.m. game, and the Cotuit Kettleers in a 6 p.m. game.
“We need to get some rest, we’re gonna do it again tomorrow,” Karraker said.
