Photo credit: Sophia Soropoulos
The third time was the charm on Wednesday night, with Mother Nature finally providing playable conditions for the Kettleers twice-postponed visit to Eldredge Park.
For the Firebirds, the matchup with the league-leading Ketts' was well worth the wait, as they did something no other team has managed to do all summer: shutout the high-powered Cotuit offense.
Itsuki Takemoto (Hawaii), continued to do what he's done all summer, making hitters look like a shell of themselves at the plate, all while radiating an unbreakable confidence.
"I have confidence in everything I do," said Takemoto. "If something isn't working, I just say so what, and keep throwing."
Takemoto's scoreless performance through six brings his ERA down to .71 through 25 1/3 innings pitched, an ERA that's good for by far the lowest in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Mike Mancini (Vanderbilt), who drove in the Birds first run of the night, always has a little less stress on his shoulders when he sees Takemoto in the starting lineup.
"When we see Itsuki's pitching, we can all take a breath," said Mancini.
"It definitely relieves a little stress when he's back there, we know if we can put runs on the board he's going to do his thing."
Like Mancini, Takemoto has been with the Birds since day one, along with eight other arms in the Orleans bullpen.
Day one or not, manager Kelly Nicholson knows his pitching staff is special, and is capable of making some noise heading into the season's final stretch.
"It all starts on the mound, and that's why I think we can surprise some people," said Nicholson.
"We have fifteen good arms, whether their starters or coming out of the pen, and normally your going to see that defense and pitching winds up winning."
Heading into the season's pivotal final four games, two matchups against teams the Birds are chasing in the East Division playoff picture highlight the stretch. Thursday night, they head to Brewster in hopes of extending their lead over the Whitecaps in the standings, followed by a Friday night matchup with the Mariners which could be a battle for the East's third seed.
No matter the outcome, Mike Mancini admits he couldn't have written the ending any better himself.
"I think it was all mapped out perfectly," said Mancini. "All the teams fighting for a spot are seeing each other at the end, so it'll be fun to see who comes out on top."
The Birds will look to build on the win and their masterful pitching, as their quick ride up 6A to Stonybrook Field will play a large factor in their plans after this weekend's play.
Win, and the Birds remain in a playoff spot. A loss, and they'll be sent back to the basement of the East Division.
Another day one Firebird, Brennan Seiber (Vanderbilt) will start on the mound in the high-stakes game in Brewster. His first pitch is scheduled for 4:00 PM.
