The Hyannis Harbor Hawks dropped their matchup with the Brewster Whitecaps 6-3 at Stony Brook Field on Sunday night.
The Harbor Hawks were unable to put a hit on the board until the sixth inning as the Whitecaps’ bullpen limited scoring opportunities throughout the game.
“Offensively, we couldn’t get anything going,” Hyannis manager Mitch Karraker said. “They pitched really well, the zone was tough. We just didn’t compete enough on that front.”
The Whitecaps’ pitching staff had 10 strikeouts total–half coming from starting pitcher Mavrick Rizy–and put Harbor Hawks’ batters away fast with four 1-2-3 innings.
“We’ve got to find different ways to get on base, whether it’s a walk, a hit-by-pitch, maybe lay a bunt down, something different to try and break them out of their rhythm a little bit.” Karraker said.
The Harbor Hawks would do just that in the first inning, with Rizy not yet finding his rhythm.
The first run for the Harbor Hawks was scored by left fielder Liam Barrett after a flurry of walks and wild pitches by Rizy. Then with center fielder Jax Gimenez in scoring position, third baseman Jordan Lodise grounded into a double play at second and first base and drove him home, putting the Harbor Hawks up 2-0.
With Harbor Hawks starting pitcher Michael Meckna on the mound in his debut, the Whitecaps’ offense responded quickly with three hits and two runs of their own.
Meckna recorded three strikeouts on the night before being retired for another debuting Harbor Hawk–Kevin Landry Farr–who recorded one strikeout. The Harbor Hawks’ pitching staff walked six runners in total and four resulted in runs being scored. Karraker said the debuting pitchers have potential, but need to sharpen up their execution on the mound.
After Rizy’s rough start in the first inning, he got to work in the second and third, throwing five strikeouts in a row against the Harbor Hawks between the two innings. Sebastian Santos-Olson came in to continue the strikeout streak for the Whitecaps, retiring three more runners and keeping the Harbor Hawks hitless and unable to add to their score.
In the sixth inning, the Harbor Hawks were able to put up their first hit of the game with a single on a line drive to center field by Gimenez. Nothing would come of it, however, as the Whitecaps’ defense turned a double play to keep the Harbor Hawks at bay. The Whitecaps’ defense turned two other double plays on the night, denying any scoring opportunities for the Harbor Hawks.
The Whitecaps steadily added to their score throughout the game, leaving the win further and further from the Harbor Hawks’ reach. Eventually, the Harbor Hawks were able to put up one more run in the seventh inning courtesy of an RBI single by shortstop Taylor Kirk with right fielder Henry Zenor in scoring position.
With the score left at 6-3 in the eighth inning, the Harbor Hawks’ offense saw a chance to take the lead with the bases loaded. However, Whitecaps' pitcher Finbar O’Brian silenced the Harbor Hawks with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning, and the remainder of the game.
Zenor said the Harbor Hawks look forward to their off day on Monday, and plan to regain their confidence in time for their rematch against the Whitecaps at home on Tuesday.
“We’re gonna be playing with more of a chip on our shoulder, playing with a little more energy, a little more urgency to get it done,” Zenor said. “We had a chance there at the end with bases loaded, but ideally you have those chances earlier in the game, and on Tuesday we’ll come out with that kind of energy.”
The Harbor Hawks rematch with the Whitecaps is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at McKeon Park.
