Michigan’s Jonathan Kim hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning, and Yarmouth-Dennis outlasted Brewster 2-1 in the season-opener on Saturday at Red Wilson Field.
It was a pitcher’s duel throughout the opening day contest as Y-D and Brewster combined for 29 strikeouts. Whitecaps starter and Louisville product Patrick Forbes dazzled with nine strikeouts over four scoreless innings and was matched by Y-D starter Kellan Montgomery who allowed just one unearned run in four innings.
Neither team was able to capitalize with runners in scoring position until Kim’s game-winning single off Grant Cunningham brought home Cameron Kim as the Red Sox hit 3-for-13 and Brewster recorded a 0-for-13 mark in those situations.
The Red Sox posted a threat in the bottom of the second inning as the first three hitters loaded the bases with no one out. Forbes escaped the damage with a pair of strikeouts and an inning-ending groundout.
Oklahoma State’s Nolan Schubart was the first Whitecap to record a hit in the top of the fourth inning and later scored the first run of the game after a sharply hit ground ball from Ryder Helfrick glanced off the chest of third baseman Cade McGee.
Y-D was silenced until the bottom of the sixth when a third strike wild pitch allowed Drew Burress to reach first followed by a single from Cade McGee and a walk from Jackson Chirello loaded the bases again for the Red Sox. Wehiwa Aloy evened the contest at 1-1 after a sacrifice fly scored Burress.
Westmont College right-hander Bryan Peck followed Montgomery and pitched four scoreless innings in relief with seven strikeouts and just two hits. The Division II product pounded the strike zone with over 60 percent of his pitches being strikes.
Peck allowed back-to-back singles to start the top of the seventh from J.D. Rogers and Chase Mora who later landed on second and third base with two outs in the inning. Peck kept the score knotted at 1-1 after striking out Andrew Fischer to end the frame.
Wake Forest’s Luke Schmolke was equally as effective for Brewster and allowed one run over 3 ⅔ innings with five strikeouts. Taking advantage of three Y-D base runners being thrown out on the bases, Schmolke was able to evade further runs despite allowing a man on base in three of his four innings.
In the top of the 10th and the instituted runner on second rule, Northeastern right-hander Aiven Cabral struck out Miami slugger Daniel Cuvet to hold the runner at third and keep the score 1-1. Cabral got the win and it set the stage for Kim’s game-winning hit.
Photo by Sophie Solarino
