The count was 3-2. It was the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Runners took their leads off second and third base, ready to take off. The Wareham Gatemen were chanting “battle” and hitting the railing at the top of the visitors' dugout.
Even though there was only one out, it was the top of the seventh inning and they were eager to cross the plate and extend their one-run lead. Gatemen pitching had held down the fort the entire night, holding the Mariners to three hits through six innings.
It was only fitting, then, that the one person constantly supporting the Wareham pitchers through every single pitch was the one to get the scoring started.
On the eighth pitch of his at-bat in the seventh inning, Gio Cueto (Stetson) chopped a ground ball up the middle to the Mariners’ shortstop, who chose to fire the ball to home plate in an attempt to get the lead runner out. Colby Turner (Michigan) turned the jets on and maneuvered around the tag, however, and Cueto recorded his first RBI as a Gateman as Wareham took a 2-0 lead.
“That’s the best feeling,” Cueto said. “I know what those guys go through, their mindset, I’ve dealt with them a lot. So it’s good when they have a cushion; they can pitch a little more free, let their stuff work. So I think that helped for sure.”
All four Wareham pitchers that toed the rubber dealt their best pitches throughout Tuesday night’s game en route to Wareham’s 4-0 victory over Harwich. It was the first nine-inning shutout recorded by the Gatemen since July 6, 2022, in a 1-0 win over the Orleans Firebirds, and the first Gatemen win at Whitehouse Field since June 22, 2022.
Darin Horn (Coastal Carolina), in his first game in a Gatemen uniform, set the tone as he pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five batters. The Mariners were held hitless until the third inning, and even when they began reaching base, the Gatemen defense was always able to get out of the innings.
“Starting pitching is how games are won and lost,” Brendan Summerhill (Arizona) said. “It all starts on the mound. They’ve done an unbelievable job to start the summer and we kind of go out there and expect them to just deal.”
Horn’s strong outing was followed by an inning of relief from Heath Andrews (NC State), two innings from Lucas Mahlstedt (Clemson) and two innings from closer Jake Faherty (Arkansas) to seal the game. Mahlstedt struck out three of the six batters he faced and Faherty also faced the minimum and struck out two Mariners. Harwich didn’t record a hit after the fourth inning.
“It’s kind of a blessing,” Summerhill said about the team’s dominant pitching. “That’s rare when you get to expect that.”
Summerhill was one of the other main contributors in the seventh inning, beginning by encouraging Cueto from the on-deck circle and following it up with an RBI double to bring home Wareham’s third run of the night. As the powerful lefty known for his clutch hitting came up to the plate with runners on first and third, his track record spoke for itself; Harwich elected to change pitchers.
The Mariners chose to bring out a left-handed pitcher to take on Summerhill, but their plan didn’t come to fruition when the outfielder took hold of a pitch right in the center of the zone.
“I have a pretty good approach against lefties, I think that’s why I’ve found a lot of success against them,” Summerhill said. “I think when they bring a lefty in they think it’s a disadvantage, but I like to think of facing a lefty as the same as facing a righty.”
Another Gateman who didn’t have any issues facing a left-handed pitcher Tuesday night was Max Williams (Florida State); the right fielder launched his first Cape Cod Baseball League home run on the second pitch he saw, putting Wareham up 1-0 in the top of the first inning. While his solo shot didn’t necessarily ignite the Gatemen offense, it certainly gave the pitchers an immediate cushion that only served to help them stay confident in their pitches.
“All the guys were throwing strikes,” Cueto said. “Everything was working for every single pitcher that came in.”
With the win, the team’s ERA dropped from 4.67 to 4.31 as the Gatemen became the second team in the league to reach 10 wins. Their 10-4 record also puts them in sole possession of first place in the Cape League West Division once again.
Top photo credit: Darin Horn pitches during Wareham's 4-0 shutout over the Harwich Mariners, July 2, 2024, at Whitehouse Field. Photo by Keegan Maloney.
