Wareham used five pitchers to escape a hectic eighth inning with the lead and eventually defeated Chatham 6-4 Monday night at Spillane Field.
Wareham, leading 6-2, started the top of the eighth inning with starter Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas) on the mound. After Zach Putnam (Michigan) doubled with one out, Keuchel was pulled after 7 and 1/3 terrific innings. Up to that point, the Razorback had allowed only two runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out five.
That line was tarnished a bit when reliever Collin McHugh (Berry College) walked Tim Federowicz (UNC) and gave up an RBI double to Allan Dykstra (Wake Forest). With the Wareham lead now 6-3, in came Jeff Dietz (Brown), who promptly gave up a run scoring single to Jeremy Synen (N.C. State), the only batter he would face.
The hit was the first of the season for Synen. He joined the A's two nights ago in a roster spot available due to the departure of Gavin Brooks (UCLA).
The new pitcher for the Gatemen was Matt Bashore (Indiana), who walked the only batter he faced, Kyle Seager (UNC), to load the bases.
Closer Chris Hicks (Georgia Tech), Wareham's fifth pitcher of the inning, then came in and said enough was enough. Hicks got Andrew Crisp (South Carolina) swinging and a lineout from Addison Johnson (Clemson) to preserve a 6-4 Gatemen lead.
Hicks pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his sixth save of the season.
The scoring started for Wareham in the second when Dominic de la Osa (Vanderbilt) tripled to plate two runs. De la Osa eventually scored on a Mike Demperio (Texas) fielders choice groundout to give Wareham a 3-0 lead off Chatham starter Ryan Hinson (Clemson).
Chatham responded with two in the top of the third, but could have had much more. Scott Lyons (Arkansas) doubled to score Trey Watten (Abilene Christian) and Crisp to bring the A's within one. Already two runs in, Chatham had runners on second and third with nobody out but could not push another run across. Keuchel retired Jermaine Curtis (UCLA), Putnam and Federowicz to limit the damage.
Luke Murton (Georgia Tech) gave Wareham two critical insurance runs with a two-run blast in the fifth. Murton finished the day 3-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
After an off day Tuesday, Chatham is back in action Wednesday at 7pm in Harwich. Josh Zeid (Vanderbilt) goes for the Mariners against Nathan Moreau (Georgia).
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