No Win, No Loss; Cotuit Ties Chatham
By: James Middleton | West Chester University
Cotuit, MA — One out in the top of the eighth. Tie Game. Chatham has the winning run ninety feet away, and the game gets called due to darkness. That is how the Ketts finished the contest with Chatham Wednesday, as they walked away with a 12-12 tie against the Anglers.
“I don’t think so. I mean, that’s definitely a weird situation. I’ve never had a game end like that,” said Grant Norris. “I don’t think I’ve played on a field without lights. That’s a first for me,” said James McCoy on the game being called.
On the mound for Cotuit was the 2023 All-Star Game starting pitcher Camron Hill (Georgia Tech). The southpaw ran into some trouble in the first as Chatham was able to score on a sacrifice fly after Hill balked to put runners in scoring position. Hill settled down after the first, as he only allowed two base runners before he was relieved in the fourth.
“That was just a one-time thing; I knew I was going to keep executing my pitches, and my defense was going to make the plays. That was just the point of emphasis today: keep throwing my game and executing my pitches,” said Hill.
The Ketts responded quickly as they put up four runs of their own in the bottom half of the first. A single by Carter Mathison (Indiana) and a walk by James McCoy (Kentucky) brought Daniel Corona Jr. (Missouri) up to the plate. Corona Jr. singled up the middle to score Mathison. A walk to Trotter Harlan (Charleston) loaded the bases, where Trey Yunger (Georgia Tech) also earned a free pass bringing home another run. The final tallies in the first came on an error by the Chatham third baseman as he sailed a ball over the head of the first baseman to score two.
The three-run lead wasn’t enough, as Cotuit put up five runs over the next two innings. In the second, Cole Mathis (Charleston) and Mathison hit back-to-back singles, and then Grant Norris would notch his first double of the night, bringing home Mathis. Norris and Mathison were then brought home on a double down the right-field line by McCoy. The shortstop, Norris, came up big again in the third hitting his second double into the right-center gap, scoring two and stretching the lead to eight.
“I’ve been seeing the ball, seeing the ball pretty well, and just looking for pitches in the heart of the zone. I think just trying to avoid two strikes as much as I can and try to get into good counts, and it’s been working out,” said Norris.
Chatham put up one run in the top half of the fourth, but Cotuit responded again, scoring three in their turn at the plate. Back-to-back singles by Yunger, and Dylan Johnson (Charleston), brought up Brock Wills (UNC-Wilmington), who singled up the middle to score one. Mathis followed the Wills single with a double to left to clear the bases. This would end up being the final run for Cotuit of the night, as they were held scoreless in the final three frames.
After Hill Cotuit used a plethora of arms, sending six more pitchers to the mound. Chatham put up a two-spot in the fifth inning, the Ketts still maintaining a 12-4 lead. In the bottom half of the fifth, the Kettleers posted their first zero of the night, bringing the Anglers back up to the plate. The Angler bats came alive in the sixth and seventh, scoring four in back-to-back innings to tie the game back up at twelve. Chatham scored eleven unanswered and threatened to score more before the game was called in the eighth.
All hope isn’t lost as Cotuit walked away with a point in the contest, bringing their total to 45, still leading the entire Cape League. Thursday night, the Ketts will travel to take on the Harwich Mariners for the final time this regular season. The Mariners are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Falmouth Commodores. Game time is scheduled for 4:45 at Whitehouse Field.