WAREHAM, Mass. — Vibes were high in the Wareham dugout ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Yarmouth Dennis Red Sox despite their three consecutive losses to start the season.
The team was feeling good, smiling, and joking with one another during batting practice. The positive energy was a sign that the team was getting even closer to each other and forming their own unique bonds.
They brought this positivity onto the field and showed it in the result. The Gatemen (1-3) defeated the Y-D Red Sox (1-2-1) 3-2 on Tuesday. The win marks the Gatemen’s first of the season, snapping their three-game losing streak.
The game started with the Red Sox threatening with the bases loaded with one out; however, Gatemen starter Logan Baisley (Florida Gulf Coast) fielded a ground ball right at him, making a 1-2-3 double play to get out of the jam.
His effort set the tone for the rest of the game, firing up the rest of the team, including bullpen pitcher Kaleb Applebey (Austin Peay State).
“He's a really great pitcher, really great guy. He's my busmate on the road. So he's really good, and he looked really good today. Just having a guy come in there and shove and pound the zone and just set you the next guy up is huge,” said Applebey on Baisley’s start.
Applebey also had a great outing in relief, pitching 3 scoreless innings without giving up a hit, and striking out 3 batters in the process. His effort earned him the win, his first of the season.
The offense also felt more lively. Something that plagued the Gatemen in their first three games was a lack of hits. They had 13 hits combined in their first three games, which was the second-worst in the league entering the game.
Tonight, they had 5 hits and finally got the spark they needed thanks to Vance Sheahan (South Carolina-Upstate). He drove a shot to deep left field for a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning to put the Gatemen on the board.
The home run was the first one for the team this summer, and the energy in the dugout surged.
“It felt amazing. You know, it's happy to be here, and then just to get the first home run, first hit out of the way, it felt great,” said Sheahan. “I fought off a couple of pitches. Got a 3-2 count, got a cutter and a good pitch I could handle, and I was able to put a good swing on it.”
The home run gave the Gatemen a lead early in the game, something they had not experienced this year, but with their pitching executing, it gave them command of the game.
“To get out for a lead with how our pitchers have been throwing, and even through tonight, that boost of confidence we needed,” said Gatemen Field Manager Ryan Smyth.
The Gatemen held a 1-0 lead for a majority of the game, then built off of it in the later innings. In the seventh, right-fielder Chase Krewson (Central Florida) struck an RBI-double to score center-fielder Hayden Yost (Florida), making it 2-0.
Then in the eighth, left fielder Kollin Ritchie (Oklahoma State) also struck a double to score Shamaar McDuffie (Kennesaw State) to make it 3-0 Gatemen.
Despite the Red Sox putting up two runs in the ninth, the Gatemen were able to close it out and secure their first win, which meant a lot to the team.
“These guys can breathe a little bit now. I’ve been through good seasons, bad seasons out here in the Cape, and have seen how that goes, but for these guys to kind of just breathe a little bit, I think that's kind of the momentum we needed,” said Smyth.
Players are also starting to feel a lot closer, being able to bond over a win.
“It means a lot to us. We keep getting closer and closer every single day, and we're becoming best friends out there, so it's good to get to know everybody and get that feeling of Brotherhood,” said Applebey.
The Gatemen take this win into their first off day of the season. However, Wednesday is less of an off day and more of an experience as the team joins the rest of the Cape Cod Baseball League for their annual Fenway Day workout, something both coaches and players are excited to experience.
Wareham returns to regular season play on Thursday when they hit the road to face the defending champion Harwich Mariners at 6:30 p.m. at Whitehouse Field.
