CHATHAM ? After a scheduled day off on Monday and a rainout on Tuesday, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox traveled to Veterans Field Wednesday night to take on the Chatham Anglers for the second time in five days. A 2-2 performance at the plate by Austin Wells (Arizona) and RBIs off the bats of Riley Tirotta (Dayton) and Andrew Eyster (South Carolina) gave the Red Sox a quick 2-0 lead over Chatham. However, after three and a half innings, the game was called due to fog.
The last time the two teams played ? Saturday, June 15th ? the Chatham pitching staff racked up 12 strikeouts and no-hit Y-D through six innings. A five-run fifth inning propelled the Anglers to a 7-3 win. The No. 3 Red Sox looked determined to achieve a different outcome against the No. 4 Anglers this time.
Chatham added a pair of sluggers to its lineup with the arrivals of Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) and Alex Toral (Miami). Torkelson smacked 22 home runs and collected 65 RBIs in his first year at ASU, while Toral hit 24 home runs and knocked in 67 runs in his sophomore season at Miami. Y-D starting pitcher John Beller (USC) had no trouble keeping the strong Chatham offense off the board, giving up just one hit and one walk in three innings of work.
Chatham starting pitcher Zarion Sharpe (UNC Wilmington) pounded the outside corner in the top of the first inning, managing to retire the first two batters of the game. Wells ? the Cape League Player of the Week after smacking three home runs and collecting six RBIs in a doubleheader against the Cotuit Kettleers Sunday ? had a phenomenal at-bat to get the Red Sox offense rolling. After working the count full and fouling off a number of pitches he couldn?t do anything with, Wells roped a double off of the right-center wall. On the very next pitch, Riley Tirotta (Dayton), took an outside pitch into right field to score Wells.
Beller retired the first two hitters of the bottom of the first inning, but in the next at-bat, Torkelson pulled an off-speed pitch on the outside corner of the plate into left field for a base hit ? his first of the summer. The next batter, Jamal OGuinn (USC), drew a 3-2 walk as Beller missed down low. Beller then got Brady Smith (Florida) to swing at a breaking ball in the dirt to end the threat.
Beller demonstrated remarkable composure a second time in the bottom of the third inning, when Chatham worked men into scoring position once again. With two outs, Torkelson hit a slow grounder to the Y-D third baseman, who spiked the ball into right field, allowing Torkelson to get into scoring position for OGuinn ? who came into the game with .391 batting clip. Beller got a huge strikeout against his college teammate, getting him to chase a 3-2 curveball up and out.
The Red Sox got a second run across in the top of the fourth inning off of Cole Ayers (State Col. of Florida). Wells recorded his second hit of the day, this time a bleeder into the grass right behind third base. He then took second on a passed ball by the Chatham catcher. With two outs and a 2-0 count, Eyster hit a rocket to the right-center wall.
?After Eyster?s at-bat, the umpires waved the Chatham defense off the field and called a 30-minute fog delay. Once it became evident that the fog would not clear out, both managers agreed to suspend the game.
Depending on the weather, the Red Sox will be back in action tomorrow at Eldredge Park to take on the 4-3-1 Orleans Firebirds. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
By Alexis Dill
