Cotuit cruises past Red Sox, 7-1, dropping third straight

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox fell to the Cotuit Kettleers, 7-1, losing their third straight.

The Red Sox hung in with the league’s best for most of the game, but a crooked number hangs on the scoreboard following a late-inning falter. Cotuit has won all three matchups with Y-D this year.

“We’ve had new guys come in; it’s going to take some time to adjust again,” field manager Scott Pickler said. “We’ll find out more tomorrow. It’s our job to get them ready to play.”

Cotuit, the league’s top offense, put up four runs in the seventh inning following Y-D starter Smith Pinson’s departure.

Pinson turned in another respectable outing, but only four Y-D hits couldn’t cut it.

“We’ve had good starting pitching recently,” Pickler said. “We haven’t put up any runs for them.”

Offensive firepower, coupled with dominant pitching from Janzen Keisel and Aidan Hunter, cruised the Kettleers by the East Division leaders.

 Keisel’s first inning provided an instant spark, striking out all three Y-D hitters looking.

Pinson’s leadoff walk meant no trouble for him, as he promptly induced an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Grant Norris struck for the first time in the bottom of the second, crushing a leadoff solo shot that hit off the fence’s top and bounced out.

Enzo Apodaca notched a one-out base hit in the third for Y-D’s first hit. He then advanced to scoring position on an errant pickoff attempt.

In his second at-bat as a Red Sox, Theo Hardy blooped in a run-scoring single to end a 14-inning scoreless streak and tie the game.

“We need to score more early,” Pickler said. “Hitting is contagious in the right way.”

The Kettleers stuck right back in the bottom half. Carter Mathison snuck a single through on the right side, bringing in the go-ahead run.

“This is some adversity we need to fight through,” Pickler said. 

Caleb Lomavita recently solidified himself as one the league’s hottest hitters and collected his 18th RBI with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly. Up two runs, Cotuit still threatened. Pinson, however, turned an athletic 3-6-1 double play to end the inning.

Double plays and Pinson went well together all afternoon. In the bottom of the sixth, Cotuit threatened again. With runners on first and second, a liner into left brought normal infielder Max Viera a long way in to make the grab.

Viera alertly noticed the Kettleers baserunner floating too far off the bag and fired a bullet to second, completing a fourth inning-ending double play.

The double play ended Pinson’s second six-inning performance of the summer. 

Pinson pitched to contact effectively, only striking out three and walking one. He got into trouble in a few innings but excelled under pressure with the four double plays.

Maxwell Banks took over for Y-D, and the two-run deficit immediately became three thanks to Norris’ second blast of the evening.

Jacob Tobias added to the damage with a run-scoring double two batters later. 

Cotuit’s top-tier offense added insult to injury, as knocks from Mathison and Cole Mathis made it the eventual 7-1 final.

Pickler said his message after the game was the team needs to be ready to play every day.

“They have to be able to play every day and make these adjustments if they want to play pro,” Pickler said.

The Red Sox host Falmouth tomorrow for a chance to end a tough week on a positive note.

“If they can’t get through a 44-game season without having some failure, they won’t be able to right the ship. We’ve got a third left of the season to figure it out.”