For the first time in 2026, Y-D has a losing streak.
The first two meetings against Harwich were a breeze, but the Red Sox couldn't make it 3-0 against the Mariners, falling 9-3 on Sunday.
Y-D scored three runs in the first inning, which isn't all that usual for a Red Sox lineup that’s made a habit of breaking games open late. Phoenix Call (UCLA) ripped a leadoff single, Brock Ketelsen (Stanford) walked and Jake Souders (Mississippi State) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Harwich recorded the first out of the inning against the next batter, but Lucas Franco drove in two runs with a single up the middle. Mateo Serna (Alabama) added another with a sacrifice fly as Y-D jumped out to an early lead, but the final eight innings belonged to Harwich.
Ty Mainolfi (Boston College) made his first start at third base Sunday, and his limited experience there this summer contributed to two Y-D errors: a misplayed ground ball that allowed a Mariner to score in the second inning and a grounder that skipped between Mainolfi's legs in the third as Harwich tied the game at 3-3.
Ty Brooks (Indiana State) made his first start for Y-D and lasted 2 1/3 innings, striking out four while allowing just one earned run. Nolan Bernard (Cincinnati) continued his strong summer, relieving Brooks with 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball. The pitching staff didn't get much support from the offense after the opening inning, as Y-D finished with six hits and struck out looking four times. The Red Sox haven't recorded more than eight hits in a game since July 3, but the club still owns a league-best 19-4-1 record and a .725 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
“It ain't about hits, it's about scoring runs. There’s many different ways to score runs, and we get caught up in hits sometimes,” Y-D assistant coach Craig Gianinno said after Sunday's loss. “Hits are fun and they help. But we didn't get our outs in the field on time tonight. We made too many errors at the end of the day.”
Zach Robinson (UMBC) allowed four runs over two innings, surrendering three in the sixth and another in the eighth. Y-D didn't generate much traffic on the bases, and one of its hottest hitters, Tommy Goodin, grounded into two double plays. Cameron Teper (California Baptist) allowed Harwich's ninth and final run in the eighth after replacing Robinson.
Y-D will use Monday's off day to reset before the final stretch of the regular season.
“This is where the mental side of it comes into play, right? Nobody's ever going to feel like they did when they came into the season,” Gianinno said. “There's new guys coming, and guys leaving. You're gonna find out who really loves playing this game. A lot of these dudes that come up here are boys. When they leave, we hope that they've become a man. That's what these next two weeks will bring.”
The Red Sox will look to end their two-game skid when they travel to Chatham for a 7 p.m. game Tuesday.
