Wareham, MA — It was a sunny day in Wareham as the Gatemen returned to Spillane Field. The Gatemen were looking to bounce back after their heartbreaking walk-off loss to Cotuit, where both teams went nine innings scoreless before Cotuit won in the bottom of the tenth.

Tonight, they welcomed the Anglers for the first time this season. Both teams entered the night 0-2, looking for their first win of the season. Unfortunately for the Gatemen, things did not go their way.

The Gatemen were defeated by the Chatham Anglers 9-2 on Monday, resulting in the team’s third consecutive loss to start the season.

The game started just as the previous two games had: a tight defensive duel with both teams’ starting pitchers being the main event. The first few innings ended up scoreless on both sides as a result.

Gatemen starting pitcher Cooper Consiglio (NC State) started the game well. Despite Chatham threatening in the first and third innings, he managed to get out of jams, only giving up 2 hits while striking out 2 batters in that span. However, he was outshone by Anglers starting pitcher Nate Taylor.

The Georgia Bulldog had an unbelievable outing, pitching 4 scoreless innings, giving up no hits, and striking out 10 Gatemen. Taylor struck out the side twice in both the first and third innings, leaving the Gatemen with no answers at the plate.

“We just didn't see a whole lot from the bats. Out here, when the other pitcher had like 15 punch outs, you’re not going to win many games. Credit to their starter, he threw really well,” said Gatemen Field Manager Ryan Smyth.

Taylor, with great command of his pitches, left the Gatemen batters stunned at the plate, especially with his fastball, which consistently rested in the mid to upper 90s in velocity.

“He had good life on the fastball. He kept it up in the zone, and we just weren't pushing him down. That’s what made him tough to face,” said left-fielder Ty Dalley (Clemson) about facing Taylor.

Taylor gave the Anglers a good foundation to build a lead, and they delivered in the fourth inning, where they scored 7 runs on 3 hits, 3 walks, a hit-by-pitch, and an error. For the Gatemen defense, it was a rough inning, similar to the eighth inning against Hyannis on Opening Day, where they gave up 6 runs.

The Gatemen needed some offense, and they got some once they faced the Chatham bullpen. The Gatemen’s first hit came off the bat of Ty Dalley, who doubled down the left field line in the bottom of the fifth. He then would score off a hit by Chase Krewson (Central Florida), who reached second on an error by the first baseman, putting the Gatemen on the board.

“It was big. It's just all about getting base runners up here in the Cape. I mean, the more base runners you get, obviously, the more you're gonna produce runs,” said Dalley about his lead-off double in the fifth.

Dalley’s hit gave the Gatemen offense some life, but they would not crack the scoreboard again until the bottom of the eighth, where Brayden Randle (Ole Miss) hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Rylan Lujo (Dayton) to give the Gatemen their second run. Unfortunately, it was not enough to eclipse Chatham’s 9-run night.

Dalley had impacted not only the offense but also the defense, making a spectacular diving catch to his right in left field, an effort that impressed the fans, his teammates, and coaches.

“A guy like that, down seven, laying out for a ball in the outfield, that's the effort we want to see. Guys laying out for balls no matter what the score is. They're out here to showcase their skills. That was the first time he's been out in the outfield for us, and to see him go after that, it tells me what I need to know about the kid. And he wants to be here and play,” said Smyth.

Dalley, who had played first base for the first couple of games, found himself playing in the outfield tonight, showcasing his versatility, something highly valuable in the Cape League.

“I think versatility out here is huge. You never know when someone's bat gets going, and keeping them in a lineup and still being able to work other guys in, it's huge. I love versatility,” said Smyth.

Versatile players like Dalley give the Gatemen a lot of flexibility; however, the Gatemen’s bats continued to struggle. The Gatemen only collected 5 hits on the night, and 13 on the season thus far. In comparison, Chatham had 10 hits in tonight’s game alone. However, a late surge showed optimism and a foundation to build on.

“I give our hitters some credit as well. Towards the end there, you know, I challenged them to value every at-bat out here, regardless of the score. That's kind of the mark of a professional,” said Gatemen Hitting Coach Mike Mobbs.

Players are also adjusting to wooden bats after using BB COR metal bats during their college season. On top of that, players are adjusting to their new team, whom they have met less than a week ago, and the atmosphere of playing on the Cape.

‘It is a bit of an adjustment, I think, early on in the summer, right now, with guys maybe just coming off a few week break, the pitchers are a little bit ahead of the hitters, but I think we're going to continue to work at it, and we'll start catching up,” said Mobbs.

Even though the Gatemen understand the need to take it one game at a time, and that it is still very early in the season, they are still hungry for that first win, and know they are capable of getting it done.

“We just need to get one. Hopefully, we can get that tomorrow and then have a nice, fun day at Fenway,” said Smyth.

The Gatemen will have a chance to get that one win tomorrow night against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox before their Fenway Day team workout on Wednesday. First pitch for Wednesday’s game is set for 6:00 p.m. at Spillane Field in Wareham.