The first seven at-bats of the summer didn't go as planned for Tommy Goodin (Vanderbilt). An 0-for-7 start wasn't in the cards, but by his eighth trip to the plate, those struggles were behind him.
With Brock Ketelsen (Stanford) on second and Wes Alig (Kennesaw State) on third in the bottom of the eighth inning, Goodin waited on his pitch. The rising junior slapped a 3-1 pitch through the right side, driving in both the tying and eventual game-winning runs as Y-D snuck past Falmouth 3-2 on Monday night.
“I wasn’t trying to do too much. I just wanted to find a pitch in my zone that I could hit and execute my plan. I knew we had speed on the bases so it wouldn’t have happened without them,” Goodin told Y-D sideline reporter Olivia Lambert. “Honestly, it was great [getting my first hit]. The first hit is always the hardest hit.”
After Cotuit played to a tie, Y-D stands alone as the CCBL's sole 3-0 team. The undefeated start is fueled by the league's best strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.67), a 0.87 WHIP with runners in scoring position, and the Cape's second-best slugging percentage. It's also because of the team's composure — the Red Sox have trailed for only four of their 27 innings this season and responded quickly both times.
“I think our team really does a really good job of playing loose, and we just are all out here having fun,” Goodin told Lambert. “The team chemistry on this team is amazing, and we all play for one another. We have a ton of encouragement within each other, knowing the other guy is gonna get the job done.”
Assistant coach Craig Giannino was proud of Goodin for coming through in a crucial moment.
“I really like the fact that he actually struggled a little bit and had to face adversity, but his attitude has been great,” Giannino said. “He's trying to find his rhythm, find his timing, and no better time than that spot right there. That was pretty clutch, and it says a lot about the kid.”
Nate Isler (Dartmouth) got the nod for Y-D on the bump and threw two impressive innings before command issues rocketed his pitch count. John Beverley (Auburn) got Y-D on the scoreboard with a two-strike, two-out RBI single that put the Red Sox in front after two innings. Beverley had a breakout season as a sophomore at Georgia State this spring before announcing his commitment to the Tigers, and has continued his success with the Red Sox, hitting .500 through 12 at-bats.
“I tried to be mechanical my freshman year, but through playing a bunch of summer ball games last year, I realized I just had to be more athletic in the box,” Beverley said. “I feel like I'm still growing but just being loose and letting my athleticism work has been the real reason why I took off a little bit.”
Ethan Sutton (USF) followed Isler with a bulk relief appearance and allowed a two-run home run, but otherwise looked solid across 3.1 innings. Andrew Wright (Cal State Fullerton) entered in the sixth inning and was outstanding. The senior closed the game out, going 3.2 innings while punching out five and allowing one hit. He went 1-2-3 in the final frame, boosting Y-D to yet another win.
“We just have to keep stacking days, keep playing loose and keep having fun,” Goodin told Lambert. “That's all we're gonna do. Go out here and just compete every single day.”
Y-D looks to make it four straight when it travels to face Chatham on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
