In a battle of Cape Cod Baseball League juggernauts, the Hyannis Harbor Hawks bested the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox 3-2 in eight innings Thursday. The Harbor Hawks (9-5-2, 5-2 West Division) evened the season series against the Red Sox (10-4-2, 7-2-1), narrowly beating out Mother Nature to secure the victory.
The East and West Division leaders stood at a 2-2 stalemate from the third to the seventh inning before Ryan McKay revived the Hyannis offense. The Michigan State infielder hammered a double into deep left-center field to start the bottom of the eighth.
With the go-ahead run in scoring position, Jaxon Willits sparked the first pitch he saw into left field, slicing the ball underneath the glove of a diving AJ Soldra. As the ball caromed to the left-field fence, McKay jogged home with ease, and Willits pulled into second.
Gabe Camacho then knocked a slow grounder to Yarmouth-Dennis pitcher Michael Catalano, who fumbled the roller, letting the Hyannis first baseman reach safely. With runners on the corners and no outs, the Harbor Hawks threatened to break the game wide open.
Flashes suddenly crossed the skies at McKeon Park as the umpiring crew called for a stoppage. As lightning continued to swarm the area, the game was called off, providing an electric end that neither team expected.
Prior to this eighth-inning strike from the home squad, the only other scoring in the game came from a back-and-forth second inning.
The Red Sox got to Hyannis starter Richie Roman in the top of the inning as Will Baker got their first hit with a double down the left-field line. Dean Carpentier continued the visitors’ power trip with a two-run blast to left-center.
The Harbor Hawks responded immediately, breaking the seal against Yarmouth-Dennis’ Hunter Watkins in the bottom of the second. Gabe Camacho wore a pitch to start the effort, then took second on a wild pitch two outs later.
With no room for error, Jeff Lougee pulled a double down the right-field line, swapping places with Camacho. Hayden Federico followed this with a single softly nestled into right-center field, tying the game as Lougee crossed home.
After this trade of scores, both squads put forward outstanding pitching efforts to keep the score knotted through the next five innings. Roman refocused to get through three more innings for Hyannis. After allowing the two-run homer early, the Houston right-hander allowed just one hit in the rest of his outing.
Chandler Dorsey and Zach Edwards dazzled out of the Harbor Hawks' bullpen, racking up five strikeouts without allowing a hit or walk in a combined three innings of work.
Catalano had six strikeouts through 3 1/3 innings before allowing the winning run to score in the eighth. The Oklahoma right-hander escaped a dangerous situation against the Hyannis offense due to the game’s abrupt end.
The Harbor Hawks look to take the offensive momentum they left on the table into Red Wilson Field as they take on the Red Sox at 5 p.m. on July Fourth.
Tymothy Brown can be reached at *[tymbrown12@gmail.com](mailto:tymbrown12@gmail.com)\*\ or followed on X @tym_brown1*
