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Veterans Field, Chatham, MA

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Anglers Cash in on Wareham Miscues, Rout Struggling Gatemen

by Chris Jones
Friday, July 05, 2013

Anglers Cash in on Wareham Miscues, Rout Struggling Gatemen
Coming into the game against Wareham (3-16) on Friday night at Veterans Field, Manager John Schiffner emphasized not overlooking the struggling Gatemen.

"It's the Cape League, any team can beat any team here. There are great players on every team, so you can't overlook anyone. You have to come out ready to win," Mitchell Gunsolus (Gonzaga) said.

The Anglers (12-6-1) made sure they did just that.

Box Score

Game 19: Chatham 8, Wareham 2

"We did not overlook them. We came in and scored the runs we needed to," Schiffner said.

Chatham took the lead right off the bat, as the first three men reached for the Anglers, resulting in two runs in the first inning off of a wild-pitch and a sacrifice fly from J.D Davis (Cal State Fullerton).

The Anglers continued to score early and often against the struggling Gatemen pitching staff, piling up all of their eight runs in the first four innings.

The top half of the order did the majority of the damage against Wareham, as leadoff hitter Blake Butera (Boston College) had two hits and scored two runs, Dante Flores (USC) had two hits and scored three runs, Connor Joe (San Diego) collected two hits and two RBI, and Davis had two RBI on two sacrifice-fly balls.

The Anglers capitalized on many Wareham miscues, and scored many of their runs with situational hitting, both of which are qualities that Schiffner is impressed with with this team.

"Our situational hitting has been one of the keys to our success," Schiffner said. "Guys are getting runners over, driving in runs, not trying to hit a homerun every at-bat. That is going to win you a lot of ballgames."

The eight runs from the offense gave Chatham starter Lukas Schiraldi (Texas) plenty of room to work with, making his job easier on the mound.

"When you have a lead like that, it really relaxes you on the mound," Schiraldi said. "All you have to do then is go out, throw strikes, and let the defense play behind you."

Schiraldi picked up his first win as an Angler in his fourth start of the season. In five innings pitched, Schiraldi surrendered only two runs while striking out four batters. For Schiraldi, it was a weight off of his shoulder to get his first win finally under his belt.

"It felt really good," Schiraldi said. "It felt good to finally get that first win."

photo by Chelsea Capwell/Chatham Anglers
Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) struck out two
in his inning of relief on Friday.

The Chatham bullpen continued to shut down opponents, and further showcased their depth on Friday night.

Kenny Koplove (Duke), normally a shortstop for Chatham, made his second relief appearance, throwing two scoreless innings with a strikeout.

Making his second appearance for the Anglers, Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) provided an inning of scoreless relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

Jimmy Litchfield (UC Irvine) closed out the game, striking out two more Gatemen in the ninth inning.

"We already have such great depth in the bullpen, and now having Kenny (Koplove) come in and pitch well just adds to that," Schiffner said.

The win was especially sweet for the Anglers, as they donned their special red jerseys as a part of a national show of support for our troops. With the 4th of July festivities yesterday, this "Red Shirt Friday" was particularly meaningful.

"I have family who served in the military, so it is definitely a special feeling wearing the red jerseys to support the troops," Gunsolus said. "Definitely a cool experience."

With the win, the Anglers maintained their three-point lead in the Eastern Division, and will face the second-place Harwich Mariners (11-8) on Saturday night at Whitehouse Field. The game will be nationally-televised on Fox College Sports network.