The last time the 2024 Wareham Gatemen lost a game in a run rule, they came back the next day with fresh mindsets and walked away with their first win of the season. They looked all the part of a team who had all the right pieces and all the right attitudes to find continued victory, and their three-game winning streak served as evidence.
Thursday night in Brewster, that streak was snapped and Wareham faltered against the Whitecaps, losing 15-4 in a game that was completely dominated by the home team from the beginning. Pitching couldn’t hold down the Whitecaps’ bats and the Gatemen were unable to bounce back from a 6-run first inning and 5-run second inning.
They’ll have to bounce back Friday, though, as the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox come into town. Y-D sits at first place in the East Division with a 4-1 record — and two-game win streak, — coming off a 10-7 victory over the Falmouth Commodores. Wareham’s Thursday night loss put the team at 3-2 on the season, and thanks to other losses around the Cape Wareham is still in second place in the West Division.
Starting Pitchers
A.J. Colarusso (Boston College) will toe the rubber for the second time this summer for the Gatemen, as his first start came on Opening Day. Colarusso threw three innings in Wareham’s 11-1 loss to Chatham, allowing five runs on eight hits. He allowed one walk and struck out one batter, and earned the loss. He’ll look to find a better groove against a Y-D group that is hitting .233 as a team.
Wareham will face Red Sox starting pitcher Dylan Vigue (Michigan) as the right-hander takes the bump for the first time in his Cape League career. In Vigue’s freshman campaign in the maize and blue, he posted a 8.20 ERA across 56 innings of work, allowing 46 walks to 41 strikeouts. Opponents batted an average of .304 against the Massachusetts native.
Players to Watch
After starting the summer 0-for-10 at the plate, Bobby Boser (transfer portal) notched the first hit of his 2024 Cape League campaign Thursday against Brewster, lacing a single to left field. Boser also walked and came around to score in the loss. The utility player’s start to the summer has been similar to that of last year, when he went 0-for-9 before finding his groove. But once Boser recorded those first few hits, he settled in and started playing so well that he earned a spot in the 2023 CCBL All-Star Game. Friday’s matchup appears to favor Boser, as he led the league in walks (31) last summer and Vigue allowed a significant amount of walks during the 2024 collegiate season.
Michael Lippe (Louisville) was one of the other Gatemen who managed to reach base — and score — against Brewster Thursday night, and he did so in a big way. On a hard-hit ball to right field, Lippe scampered around the bases to record his first triple of the summer, driving in a run in the process. Lippe is batting .214 with two RBI for the Gatemen so far. The sophomore outfielder finished the 2024 collegiate season batting .345 with three doubles and a home run.
Y-D’s Easton Carmichael (Oklahoma) headlines the Red Sox roster, as the catcher is slashing .438/.625/.526 across five games. He has seven hits — three of which are doubles — and three walks in 16 plate appearances. In his 2024 season with the Sooners, Carmichael batted .366 with 64 RBI, 19 doubles and seven home runs.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Spillane Field. The game will be broadcast on Cape League TV.
Top Photo Credit: Bobby Boser stands at the plate during Wareham's 11-1 loss to Chatham, June 15 2024 at Spillane Field. Photo by Kyler Armstrong.
