Wareham, Mass.一 Wareham is still searching for its first offensive breakthrough of the summer. The Cape League usually requires an adjustment period to both the caliber of opposing pitchers and the switch to wood bats. The Gatemen are still in adjustment mode, recording just five hits on the night. Wareham couldn’t get a run across and left six men on base in the night.
Things didn’t go the Gatemen’s way. They repeatedly grounded into double plays and flew out just before the wall. Wareham wasn’t able to put the ball in play with runners in scoring position, and the squandered chances continued to mount.
Wareham’s lone offensive bright spot was shortstop Chris Ramirez (Transfer Portal). The Gatemen’s batting average leader from 2025 currently leads them in hits, and was Wareham’s lone multi-hit player. He made strong contact and consistently put the ball in play to challenge a Hyannis field that otherwise had a quiet night. Ramirez starred in his leadoff role, but his efforts didn’t turn into production on the scoreboard. He was sent back to the dugout after two of his hits, in the first and eighth innings, were erased due to double plays.
“Chris was doing well, he was getting on base. Our job now is to find a way to get him in,” Gatemen manager Ryan Smyth said. “Obviously, we haven't done that in the first two games, but we have had a lot of guys on base, which is good. Now it's just about finding ways to bring those guys in.”
The rest of the Gatemen’s lineup is certainly capable of posting averages north of .300 and producing multi-hit nights, and a slow start is par for the course against top CCBL pitching like Hyannis’ starter, Kyle Alivo (Iowa), who allowed just two hits and one walk on the night. Wareham fans saw a similar offensive start last season with just five runs in its first three games. The good news? The Gatemen ended 2025 as the CCBL’s best offense.
“I think it just takes one big hit and one big moment like that, right? Once we get that first run across the board, everyone will start relaxing and probably not try to do too much in the moment,” Smyth said. “And then I think the offense will really start rolling.”
It seems Wareham’s pitching staff has begun to overcome that adjustment period. After a five-run first frame with a home run, two singles and a fielding error, the Gatemen shut down the Harbor Hawks. Starter Wade Walton (High Point) ended his outing on a high note with two scoreless innings and the bullpen followed suit. Jackson Hoyt (Florida), Ethan Baiotto (Tennessee), and Finn Edwards (Arizona State) combined for six shutout innings. Hoyt and Baiotto, two SEC sophomores, were as advertised with five combined strikeouts in their CCBL debuts. Baiotto stunned batters by painting corners and edges with the fastball and Hoyt’s swing-and-miss arsenal was on full display. That opening tally doesn't look strong, but Wareham fully contained Hyannis for eight innings, most of those frames coming on quick and stress-free defensive stands.
“It (Hyannis’ early barrage) all happened with two outs, and it happened real quick. But other than that, he (Walton) dominated the rest of the way,” Smyth said. "He got out of a second and third jam, three punch-outs, and then those guys coming in held it down and gave our offense a chance to come back.”
Similar to the defense struggles on Cape League Opening Day, it just takes time to wake up the bats. Wareham has an ideal opportunity to get its offense back on track against Chatham on Monday. Not only do the Gatemen have home-field advantage for the second straight night, they face an Anglers team that has allowed nine earned runs on the season. Both teams come to Spillane with 0-2 records, but talented rosters that just need to break through.
