Cotuit, Mass. 一 Wareham took its second and final trip to Lowell Park of the 2026, its first since Cape Cod Baseball League Opening Day back on June 13.
The Gatemen came into the matchup just two points behind the Kettleers in the West Division standings, with Wareham and Cotuit as the fifth and fourth place teams respectively: only four squads from each division qualify for the Cape League postseason.
Cotuit used home advantage early, scoring in the first two frames of the ballgame. The Kettleers put up a single run in the first, then a pair of singles and a walk gave them a three-spot in the bottom of the second inning.
From that point on, Wareham had to fight back in a crucial divisional game. The Gatemen still had seven frames to make a comeback, but needed an initial spark.
Like so many other times this summer, that juice came from Coen Niclai (Oregon State). In the top of the fourth inning, he launched a two-run home run for his fifth longball of the season. He leads the Gatemen in homers and also ranks fourth-best in the entire Cape League.
It wasn’t just the home run that gave Wareham life, it was the significance and spot. Niclai came up to the plate with two outs already through in the frame and Dylan Dubovik (Miami) standing on first hoping that someone could hit him home and help Wareham tally a crooked number on the scoreboard.
“He (Niclai) is just a confident guy. He stays within himself, knows his abilities, doesn't try to do too much, and just kind of takes what everyone gives him,” Gatemen manager Ryan Smyth said. “Big strong guy like that. Normally, people aren't going to want to come in on him, and he's made a living out here this summer on hitting the ball backside and with some authority behind it too.”
The Gatemen used Niclai’s moonshot to chip even further into the Kettleers’ lead. Wareham plated a run in the seventh and eighth innings, creating just a one run deficit heading into the top of the ninth. Cotuit earned its fifth run in the six inning, but Wareham’s offense was firing on all cylinders.
Niclai reached in Wareham’s final frame after being hit by a pitch, bringing the tying run to the plate. But with just two outs left in the inning, Cotuit shut the door and stranded Wareham’s final leg of its comeback bid.
“Being down four, cutting in half, and then fighting to come back: it was a good fight. These guys knew what this one meant,” Smyth said. “And to see that was really good from our offense, we just had to pitch it better tonight, and we didn't do that.”
