FALMOUTH, Mass. — It was do-or-die time for the Cotuit Kettleers when they entered Guv Fuller Field for the final regular-season game of the 2025 season. The Ketts were hanging onto a playoff spot by a thread, but a loss and a Hyannis win would knock them out.
The ballgame was a tight one that even went into extra innings, but after two runs in the top of the 10th inning, Cotuit put out the fire in the bottom of the inning for a 6-5 win over Falmouth.
Cotuit was powered by its newcomers, who combined for six hits, three RBIs and four innings of one-run ball.
The Ketts clinched the No. 3 seed in the West Division and will face the Wareham Gatemen in the first round starting Tuesday.
“It sounds great [to be in the postseason]. We used everybody today, seriously. Every available guy played or pitched today,” Cotuit manager Loren Hibbs said. “I’m really proud of our guys and their effort.”
Cotuit came out swinging in the top of the first. Cam Johnson (Oklahoma) led off with a single, then came around to score on an RBI groundout. While there were two outs, the Ketts strung together three straight singles to load the bases for Landon Beaver (Alabama-Birmingham).
He batted toughly but struck out on five pitches to end what could’ve been a big inning.
The Ketts tacked on more in the top of the fourth when Beaver led off with a double before coming into score two batters later on a Luke Matthews (Kent State) RBI single.
Ryan Buckler (Florida Atlantic) turned in a solid three-inning start before being pulled for Chase Carson (Charlotte) in the fourth, who was stifled. The 49er tossed two innings, where he surrendered three runs to give Falmouth a 3-2 lead heading into the sixth.
That’s when the Cotuit bats rallied and collected three consecutive singles, one plating a run to tie things at three apiece before both teams traded runs the next inning to tie it, 4-4.
Things were getting tense in the ninth with the two teams fighting for the final playoff spot. Both offenses went down quietly, and of course, we were headed to extra innings in the most important game of the regular season.
Beaver and Matthews recorded outs to begin the frame before Luke Lavin (Stanford) was intentionally walked for Sean Martinez (Boston College).
The newly acquired Kettleer had struggled in his first four games with the Script C, recording no hits and striking out five times in 11 at-bats. It seemed like an easy out for Falmouth, but it wasn’t.
Martinez ripped the first pitch into left field for his first hit as a Kett and scored Jack Natili (Cincinnati) in the process to give Cotuit the lead.
“I was looking for a heater. [The pitcher] came at me early with a heater in my first at-bat, so I figured he would do the same thing again. I just needed to get that heater, then get a barrel on it,” Martinez said.
Ryne Farber (Auburn) stepped up to the plate looking to move the line and did just that. The War Eagle singled into shallow right field to plate Lavin and put the Kettleers up 6-4.
The Commodores scored a run in the bottom of the frame, but that was all as Luke Deschenes (Seton Hill) put out the fire to clinch a 6-5 victory. That win sealed the deal for Cotuit, which will play the Wareham Gatemen in a three-game series starting Tuesday.
Notes
The win on Sunday clinched Cotuit’s eighth consecutive trip to the postseason.
The middle of the Kettleers' order was excellent against Falmouth, combining for nine hits, four runs scored and two RBIs.
Deschenes made his Kettleers debut against the Falmouth Commodores, going two full innings with no earned runs allowed and one strikeout.
Looking ahead
The Ketts are back in the postseason and will play Game 1 of the first round at Wareham. The first pitch from Spillane Field is TBD, but it will likely be at 6 p.m.
