Y-D Loses Slugfest to Brewster

(Photos Courtesy of Zach Foley)

By Kieran Wilson

Pitching was in short supply as Y-D’s two-game win streak came to an abrupt end on Tuesday against Brewster. The Whitecaps thrashed Red Sox pitching, tallying 15 runs on 19 hits. They scored runs in each of the first seven innings, and never gave Red Sox pitching a chance to catch their collective breath.

Brewster got to Y-D’s starter, Gavin Bruni, quickly in the first inning. James Tibbs reached on a walk, and cleanup hitter, Josh Pearson, hit a gapper into right field that scored Tibbs from first, giving the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead.

Bruni had trouble again in the second after giving up three straight hits to start the inning. Will Turner and Ike Irish both hit sharp singles to the outfield, before Jaime Ferrer hit a double into right-center field, driving home Turner and putting Irish at third. Mason White grounder into a fielder’s choice that allowed Irish to score, and extended the Brewster lead to 3-0.

Brewster’s offense continued to add to their lead in the third. Pearson walked and advanced to third on a double by Davis Diaz. Turner grounded a ball to Brady Day at second, but it was weak enough to score Pearson and put the Whitecaps up 4-0.

In their half of the third, the Red Sox finally recorded their first hit on a Dub Gleed double. He moved over to third on a groundout by RJ Austin, and then scored after a wild pitch got past the Brewster catcher, making the score 4-1.

To start the fourth, Jaime Ferrer shot a ball down the third base line and past a diving Zander Darby for his second double of the game. Mason White grounded out to Theo Hardy at shortstop, but Ferrer advanced to third with only one out in the inning. Tibbs made the score 5-1 by lining a single to center for Brewster’s seventh hit of the game.

Two-way sensation, Braden Montgomery from Stanford, started the Sox’s fourth inning with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. A Hunter Hines groundout sent Montgomery to third, bringing up Ryan Stafford. He lined a single to the outfield that brought the Red Sox a bit closer, 5-2. Brady Day doubled to left field to put runners on second and third with one out.

Zander Darby drew a walk to load the bases for Casey Cook, who drove in two runs with a hit to the outfield. Cook also advanced to second base on the relay throw to the plate, again putting runners at second and third with one out and the score now 5-4. Then, Gleed tied the game up with a groundout that drove home Darby. Cook moved to third on a grounder, and RJ Austin drew a walk with two outs. Another wild pitch allowed Cook to score and gave Y-D their first lead of the game, 6-5.

Unfortunately that lead would not last long, as newcomer, Ryan Delgado entered the game in relief in the fifth inning for Y-D and gave up a solo home run to the first batter of the inning, David Diaz. An infield single by Dylan Leach and an error by Brady Day at second gave the Whitecaps runners at first and second with one out. The next batter, Mason White, lined a single to left field that drove in Leach and allowed Brewster a 7-6 lead. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, giving James Tibbs another RBI opportunity. He did not waste it, as he belted a pitched over the center field fence for a three-run home run. Y-D finally escaped the inning by retiring Brock Tibbitts, but Brewster now led 10-6.

The Red Sox managed to get back on the board in the sixth, despite not recording a hit. Hines walked, Stafford was hit by a pitch, and a fielder’s choice put runners at first and third with one out. Darby grounded into another fielder’s choice, but Hines scored from third, moving Y-D to within three runs. 

Brewster continued to pour it on in the sixth inning. They started with two singles, and a fielder’s choice that gave the Whitecaps runners at first and third. Mason White recorded two more RBIs with a single to center to put Brewster up five runs, 12-7. They plated another run in the seventh after Turner hit a double over Braden Montgomery’s head in center to score Tibbitts. 

Y-D also scored a run in the seventh after Stafford singled and Darby doubled to send him home, but the score was still 13-8.

On a lighter note, in the eighth inning, Y-D brought in shortstop, Max Viera, to pitch in mop-up duty to the cheers of his teammates. In his first appearance all season, he held the Brewster bats in check, recording the first scoreless inning of the day for Y-D pitching. He was back on the mound in the ninth, but gave up two runs on two fielder’s choices after loading the bases. He also recorded his first strike out after retiring Tibbs to end the ninth inning, with the score at 15-8.

Y-D drops to 17-13-1, still good enough for first place in the East, as they hold a five point lead over Harwich. Field manager Scott Pickler remained upbeat after the game saying, “[Tomorrow] is a new day. Let’s go, let’s go play.” The Red Sox’s next contest will come on Wednesday as they face off against Hyannis at “Red” Wilson Field.