Harwich, Mass. 一 The Gatemen’s first matchup of the summer with the Mariners didn't disappoint with a Coen Niclai (Arizona State) walk-off grand slam.
Although Wareham ended up on the losing side of the rematch, it was a wire-to-wire contest right from the first pitch.
The Gatemen ended their struggles in the early parts of games by warming up the bats immediately with production in the top of the first inning: two hits and a run from RJ Hamiltom (Duke). Wareham came out of the gate attacking, but also showed an elevated sense of plate discipline with five and six pitch counts.
This fast start一combined with an equally strong 1,2,3 inning from starter Peyton Lee (Arkansas)一was the payoff of what seemed like the final step Wareham needed for consistent baseball. The offense and pitching have clearly developed over the first quarter of the season, it was time for them to do it from the jump.
“That was awesome to see, right? And it was kind of a misplayed ball on their part, but putting baseballs in play, making things happen, it was something we did in the first inning,” Smyth said. “We stole a couple bags, played an exciting game, which is what I want to see.”
The fast, momentum-snatching first inning goes down as a win in Smyth’s book. The Gatemen’s 10-5 win in the hit column, with base knocks in five different frames, goes down as another small victory. Four different Wareham batters notched multiple hits on the night: Jason Wachs (LSU), Hamilton, Niclai and Henry DiGiorgio (Northeastern).
The Gatemen racked up just five hits in the first seven innings last time against the Mariners, and tonight was a more balanced offensive showcase in what has been a week of strong outings at the plate. Wareham totaled its third double-digit hit performance of the summer and now has offensive production from the top to the bottom of the order.
“The hits were there tonight, again we had a couple runners in scoring position, and probably didn't cash in on those, but again the hits are going to be what they are,” Smyth said. “If we can't keep runs off the scoreboard, whether it be pitching or defense, that's going to hurt us. You need to win in two out of the three aspects out here, and we haven't done that a whole lot.”
Evident from the action at Whitehouse Field, the puzzle pieces are certainly there and there is plenty of time for that sustained success to come to fruition with 30 games, 75% of the CCBL season, left in the balance. Lee tossed his best performance of the season and didn’t allow a single earned run: the Gatemen’s bullpen backed him up with similar strong outings up until the Mariners’ late rally.
Wednesday’s action is tallied as a loss into the standings, but this past stretch of games leading into the third off-day of the Cape League calendar has only strengthened Wareham’s inner-belief.
“I still think this is a team that can go on a run, and with our division where it's at right now, you're two or three wins away from being in first place,” Smyth said. “So, by no means are we out of this whatsoever. Just got to clean some stuff up, play a little bit better baseball. If we go on a run like we're very well capable of, then we'll be right in the hunt again. We’ll be right where we want to be.”
The Gatemen now rest before defending Spillane Field against the Commodores, a West Division opponent, on Friday.
