The Y-D pitching staff held the Harwich Mariners to one run on Sunday as Y-D advanced to the CCBL Championship with a 7-1 victory at Whitehouse Field.
Evan Mobley made his Y-D debut against Harwich in the biggest game of the year, with both teams facing elimination. Mobley spent the summer with the Bluefield Ridge Runners in the Appalachian League, where he logged 23 innings and posted a 1.391 WHIP. His best outing came in the Championship Game, where he earned the Championship Game Most Valuable Player award. Mobley threw six shutout innings against the Kingsport Axmen, leading his team to an 11-3 victory.
He got off to a strong start with Y-D, tossing 3.2 innings of one-run ball. He allowed three hits, all singles, and threw 63 pitches, giving Y-D the length it needed to open a crucial Game 3. Though it was his first outing on the Cape, he settled in quickly and delivered exactly what the team needed: several quality innings.
“I know myself. I know that I can come out here and compete with anybody. Nobody at the plate is better than I am,” Mobley said after the game on Sunday. “I wasn’t perfect, but I did the job for what I needed to go. We got Landry in the game to come and dominate them.”
After the game, Mobley emphasized the importance of his cutter in his success. He recorded one strikeout, pitching to contact and relying on the strong Y-D defense behind him.
“I’ve always liked my cutter. My cutter is my go-to pitch,” Mobley said. “I struggled a little bit when it came to getting ahead, but I was able to get some outs for us.”
When Mobley ran into trouble in the fourth inning, Scott Pickler turned to tall left-hander Josh Landry. Landry made four appearances during the regular season, throwing 14.0 innings with a 1.07 WHIP. He allowed six runs and recorded 16 strikeouts.
Landry promptly escaped the fourth-inning jam, retiring Niko Brini on a groundout to first base. He allowed just two hits on the night, both of them singles.
“I’m having a lot of fun with the guys this summer. It’s a really good group. Everyone pulls for each other,” said Landry. "When my name gets called, I want to be able to go out there and do my job.”
Landry threw 5.1 scoreless innings, the only other pitcher Y-D needed in relief of Mobley. The two combined for just two strikeouts, instead pitching to contact and keeping pitch counts low, which allowed both to extend their outings. Pitching coach Eric Beattie has praised his staff’s efficiency in recent weeks, and Sunday was no exception. As a result, the bullpen will be well rested once again for Game 1 of the Championship on Monday.
Dominant pitching defined the series for Y-D. Their first win, also at Whitehouse Field, came behind Clay Hendry’s seven-inning masterclass. The offense supported both strong outings in Harwich, outscoring the Mariners 12-1 across the two victories.
The Y-D Red Sox will travel to Doran Park to face the Bourne Braves on Monday, with first pitch of the CCBL Championship scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
