Wareham, Mass. — The Gatemen returned to Spillane Field for the first time since Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. They hoped to right the ship after their 11-6 loss to the Chatham Anglers on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the Gatemen found themselves in a 9-0 deficit, yet fought back to make things competitive before officially conceding their eighth loss of the season. They welcomed the Harwich Mariners to Spillane Field for the first time in 2025, looking to bounce back into the win column.
However, that would not be the case as, once again, the ninth inning haunted them. The Gatemen (6-9) lost to the Harwich Mariners (7-6-2) in extra innings after a two-run lead slipped through their fingers with 2 outs in the top of the ninth.
The loss is their third straight home defeat and second straight ending in heartbreaking fashion in the final innings of the game, with the Gatemen losing in a very similar way to Y-D on Saturday.
Unlike Tuesday, the game started quickly for the Gatemen. Despite allowing a run in each of the first three innings, the Gatemen responded with two runs in the home half of the second. Gatemen starting pitcher and designated hitter Caden McDonald (Florida) drove in second baseman Kyuss Gargett (Kentucky) to put the Gatemen on the board.
McDonald would then score thanks to an RBI ground out from Vance Sheahan (Miami) to give the Gatemen a 2-1 lead. He also started the game as the pitcher for the Gatemen, making his first start as a pitcher.
“It felt great. I just wanted the opportunity. That was the talk when I would come out here and build myself up the first few weeks, and then try to get myself into a starting role and see how I do there,” said McDonald.
He turned in a solid first start, going 3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 earned runs, and striking out a batter, but provided his own run support at the plate in the home half of the game. He also went against his college teammate Luke McNeillie (Florida), who started for the Mariners, which was a cool experience for him.
“Luke is a really good friend of mine. So it was pretty cool to face him,” said McDonald. It's always great to go up against those guys, where you spend so long watching them pitch all the time. Spending these past couple of years with guys like that. It's better that I get to hit off him too and then pitch against his team.”
The Gatemen then had a great couple of innings in the fourth and fifth. In the fourth, right fielder Andrew Cain (Arizona) lined a single into right field to score center fielder Chase Krewson (UCF). Then in the fifth, Vance Sheahan tripled into right field to score catcher Hunter Carns (Florida State) to make it 5-3 Gatemen.
The game would remain that way until the top of the ninth, where Mariners pinch hitter Shintaro Inoue (Kansas State) became the hero for Harwich, striking a single into center field to tie the game at five with two outs.
The Gatemen would get the last out to force a walk-off chance, but could not capitalize. The bats seemed to cool off completely, a drastic difference from the beginning of the game.
Harwich then scored in the top half of the tenth as the Gatemen walked in Cooper Harrington (Liberty) to make it 6-5. The score would remain that way after the Gatemen’s bats stayed on ice, handing Wareham its fifth home loss of the season.
The loss was heartbreaking, but the Gatemen do not have long to think about it as they travel to Doran Park to face the Bourne Braves for the first time this summer on Thursday. First pitch for that game will be Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at Doran Park in Bourne.
