THRILLING BATTLE ENDS IN A DRAW AS RED SOX CANNOT OUT WIT COTUIT
After three full innings, the game between the YD Red Sox (14-17-4) and the Cotuit Kettleers (12-20-3) began to look like another ugly loss for the Sox. Then after eight full, the tides shifted and a YD rally resurrected the fans in hopes of pulling off an unexpected win. After nine innings, the mood was high but not soaring like it could have been. One inning of extras saw heads sink then rise back up again. The wild ride of a 7-7 draw between the Red Sox and the Kettleers proved to be one of the most exciting games of the summer.
Amazingly, for a game so enjoyable, YD never actually possessed the lead. The Red Sox did, however, play an extraordinary game of catch up that featured hitters coming alive with runners in scoring position, taking advantage of the opportunities given. Finding themselves in a 5-0 hole after three innings, the Red Sox never surrendered and pulled off a draw that at one point felt like a win but decisively concluded with a feeling of what could have been.
Daniel Gibson started on the mound for the Red Sox. Looking sharp through 2 1/3 innings (5 K’s), Gibson fell apart after recording the first out in the top of the third. He allowed eight straight batters to reach base via a hit, the only out during that streak coming on a caught stealing. Two doubles by Micah Johnson and Kyle Wren scored the first run for Cotuit, and after a single by Alex Yarbrough, hitting phenom Victor Roache launched a three-run home run over the right center field fence. It was Roache’s sixth home run of the year, placing him in a tie with Ben Waldrip of Orleans for the most home runs in the league and securing his spot atop the three Triple Crown categories.
Four singles followed by the Kettleers three through six hitters to bring in one more run and give Cotuit the 5-0 lead after two and a half innings.
The action settled down in the middle innings thanks to good pitching by Red Sox relief man Joey Denato, who threw 2 1/3 innings allowing only two hits and no runs. Chris Beck was the starting pitcher for the Kettleers and delivered a gem of a game. Beck threw seven innings of five hit, one run baseball before getting into some trouble in the bottom of the eighth.
A 6-1 game entering the bottom of the eighth inning (YD grabbed a run in the fifth and Cotuit tacked on an additional run in the seventh), the Red Sox offense exploded for four runs in the inning. James Ramsey began the action with a leadoff solo home run, his fifth of the year, to right center field to cut the Kettleer lead to four. Matt Reynolds (4-6, 2 RBIs) followed with a single up the middle and Stephen Piscotty laced a double to right field to place runners on second and third with no outs.
Brian Johnson continued the threat by singling in Reynolds from third. With runners on the corners, a wild pitch allowed Piscotty to score from third and moved Johnson up to second base, lowering the YD deficit to just two runs. After Chris Taylor reached on an error by the first baseman that moved Johnson over to third, pinch hitter Mason Katz hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Johnson. The inning ended with a runner in scoring position and the Red Sox trailing the Kettleers 6-5.
Entering the bottom of the ninth still down by one run, pinch hitter Tyler Hanover walked to begin the frame. After a Ramsey strike out, hot hitting Matt Reynolds smashed a double to right center field to score Hanover from first and tie the game at six. Now standing on second base, Reynolds committed a base running blunder on a Piscotty grounder to the shortstop who threw out Reynolds attempting to move to third.
After Piscotty moved to second on a wild pitch, Johnson was intentionally walked, and Taylor walked to load the bases with two outs, Cody Keefer struck out swinging, leaving the winning run 90 feet away.
There was enough daylight for one inning of extras. Cotuit agonizingly was able to score a run in the top of the tenth on a sacrifice fly by catcher Kevin Roundtree that drove in pinch runner Logan Vick from third base.
Searching for more magic in the tenth, the Red Sox found it in the five foot six inch frame of Tyler Hanover. After a sacrifice bunt by Jacob Lamb placed Katz, who had walked, at second base, Hanover stepped to the plate. On a 2-1 count, he crushed a double over the center fielder’s head to score Katz and tie the game 7-7. Ramsey was then intentionally walked, but unfortunately, with darkness falling, Reynolds could not produce his fifth hit of the game and instead grounded into a game ending double play. Although Reynolds looked safe at first and it can be assumed that the umpires wanted to end the game, nothing can be for certain.
The game was a hard fought tie for the Red Sox and the result was better than one would have presumed after the early innings. YD continues tomorrow, Saturday, at home against the last-place Chatham Anglers who sit just five points back of the Red Sox. First pitch is at 5 PM.
