One split-second decision at first base changed everything for Y-D on Monday night.
With no outs in the eighth inning, Armando Briseno (Cal State Fullerton) stood on first and Brock Ketelsen (Stanford) represented the tying run on second. Mateo Serna (Alabama), one of Y-D's top hitters, squared to bunt and never pulled it back.
The bunt popped softly into the air, prompting both runners to freeze. Hyannis’ First baseman Andrew Lamb (USC) let the ball drop, then quickly fielded it and doubled off both runners before either could react.
The heads-up play erased Y-D's best scoring opportunity, and the Red Sox couldn't recover, falling 5-4 to the Harbor Hawks in the Cape Cod Baseball League's lone Monday game.
Y-D manager Scott Pickler put the blame squarely on himself after the game.
"The base runners did exactly what they were supposed to do," Pickler said. "I had a guy on the bench that was a better bunter (Reid Howard), and it was all on me."
As frustrating as the play was, the decision wasn't as simple as it appeared. Pinch-hitting Howard for Serna would have forced Cole Hansen (Cal Baptist) behind the plate, leaving Y-D without a designated hitter for the remainder of the game. Even so, Pickler still wishes he had made the move.
"I had a really good hitter on deck with no outs," Pickler said. "I should have gone to Howard even to let him hit. He's a natural right-handed hitter."
The ending was dramatic, but the Harbor Hawks built the lead much earlier.
Dimitri Angelakos (Georgia Tech) turned in a solid start, allowing one earned run over four innings while striking out four. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Y-D unraveled defensively. Kevin Takeuchi (USC), normally steady at third base, committed back-to-back errors that led to three unearned runs, and the Harbor Hawks quickly stretched the lead to 5-0.
Those three unearned runs ultimately proved to be the difference.
Y-D managed just two hits through the first six innings before mounting its rally in the seventh.
Serna singled home Briseno, and two batters later Hansen launched a two-run homer to center field to cut the deficit to 5-3. Dante Vachini (Cal Poly) and Phoenix Call (UCLA) followed with hits before Jayce Tharnish (Kentucky) drove in Vachini with a sacrifice fly, bringing Y-D within one.
The eighth-inning double play ended the Red Sox's best chance to tie the game, and Y-D went down in order in the ninth.
"We didn't play well enough," assistant coach Craig Gianinno said. "It was great to see the guys battle back and have that inning, but even in that inning we didn't play clean."
With five games remaining, Y-D sits just two points ahead of Brewster in the race for the CCBL regular-season title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Gianinno believes the team's postseason outlook will depend less on talent than on staying connected.
"The core group of guys is as special as I've ever been around, and they've brought the new guys in and acclimated them well, really quickly," Gianinno said. "I think that is a huge benefit to our group. We can continue to stick together. This doesn't taste real good right now, but you've got to learn from your success and you've got to learn from your setbacks. You have to make it about learning and continue to get back to where we were."
Y-D looks to bounce back against Harwich at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Whitehouse field.
