Baseball is a game of momentum. It can be gained or lost quickly. Sometimes, all it takes is one swing of the bat, strikeout or stolen base to turn the tide of a game. On Monday, however, the Gatemen traded momentum with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks and eventually came out on the losing side.

The Gatemen (20-14-1) fell to the Harbor Hawks (20-13-1), 15-8, at home in a shootout on Monday. The game started with the Gatemen behind early, giving up five runs in the second inning. They would respond with five runs of their own in the fourth inning to tie things up and create a whole new ballgame. However, after that point it was all Hyannis, which scored five runs in the sixth, four runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth, outscoring the Gatemen 10-3 after the fourth inning.

“We didn't have it. We took it back, and then we gave it away. It is as simple as that,” Gatemen manager Ryan Smyth said about the momentum of the game.

The lost momentum had the Gatemen spiral down into uncharted territory. For the first time in 2024, the Gatemen have lost three straight games. This losing streak also bounced them from their second-place position in the West Division, stepping outside of the division’s top two spots for the first time since the third game of the season.

On Monday, the issues laid with the defense, which gave up 12 hits on the night and recorded two errors. On top of that, the Gatemen had a rough time on the mound, with their eight pitchers giving up a combined eight walks, giving the Harbor Hawks more ammunition to take control of the fight.

“We just put ourselves in a hole that we couldn't come out of. It was eight or nine walks and, you know, a couple of errors at the wrong time. Just gave them life, and they took it from there,” Smyth said.

Despite the negatives defensively, there were still plenty of positives. Out of the eight pitchers who dealt from the rubber, Hudson Rowan (Florida State) stood out above the rest. The 19-year-old left-hander made his first appearance in a Gatemen uniform count when coming in for relief. He pitched 3 ⅔ scoreless innings, retiring 11 batters in a row, and only gave up one hit.

“I wasn't really expecting to throw tonight. It was my first game here, I got in two nights ago. But, Coach called my number and I was ready to go. I think I prepared well during the whole eight days from being in Virginia to being here. So I think I've been feeling good, I've been working hard, and I think it showed a little bit tonight,” Rowan said.

Rowan’s talent shined and gave the team the boost it needed to climb back into the game early on.

“It was fantastic. He put up a couple zeros there when we really needed it. You know, the last two guys got on that he faced. But, you know, to come in, and kind of take the momentum back for us a little bit there, and give us an opportunity to tie the thing up, which we did, was huge,” Smyth said about Rowan’s performance.

Smyth’s decision to give Rowan a chance gave him and the rest of his team a glimpse at a great arm they can lean on from the bullpen for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

On top of Rowan’s performance, the offense was clicking. At first, the Gatemen bats were quiet, but they screamed in the fourth and sixth innings, when the Gatemen scored all eight of their runs. The bat of Yohann Dessureault (Stetson) was especially hot as he went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run. His hits were responsible for half of the runs scored, grabbing four RBI.

The All-Star, who enjoyed representing his team on the big stage, carried the momentum he had during the West Division’s comeback over to the plate Monday as he continued to see the ball effectively and got good swings on the ball.

“It was a great experience. I loved it. And you know my approach remains the same whether it's an All-Star Game or here, so, I mean, it just translated here to a good at-bat,” he said about the All-Star Game and Monday.

Unfortunately, the offensive effort was not enough, as the Harbor Hawks controlled the game. Now the Gatemen have a steeper hill to climb to secure a home playoff game and less sand in the hourglass to do it, with only five regular-season games remaining. Tuesday is a day off for the team, its last one of the regular season. It is a great opportunity for the team to rest up and recharge before five games in five days to close out the summer.

“At this point in the year, it comes down to the teams that want to be here,” Smyth said about the postseason push.

The Gatemen aim to be one of those teams and have a home playoff game in their sights. To do that, and ride into the postseason with some momentum, they will need to first win their next game on the road at Doran Park against the Bourne Braves. First pitch is slated for Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Doran Park in Bourne.

Top photo caption: Hudson Rowan makes his Gatemen debut in Wareham's 15-8 loss vs Hyannis on July 29, 2024. Photo by Kyler Armstrong.