Chatham, Mass. —Patrick Mathis’s RBI triple in the eighth inning plated two runs, including the game winner, as the Anglers bested rival Orleans 3-2 at Veterans Field on Sunday night. After Matt Vernon walked to put men on first and second, Mathis slapped Zach Logue’s 1-0 pitch into left field past the outstretched glove of Logan Sowers.

“He stayed behind the ball, went opposite field, and hit a screaming line drive at the left fielder. That ball was crushed,” said Schiffner. “[Logue] put the ball a little bit away and [Mathis] just sat on it, and ripped it. Good piece of hitting.”

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With the exception of the Mathis three-bagger, pitching was the story of the game as both Chatham’s Tanner Chock and Orleans’ Joe Ryan threw five complete innings. Chock faced the minimum amount through the first three innings and ended his night with four strikeouts, three hits, and one unearned run.

The right-hander from Presbyterian College credited his success to his approach on the mound.

“[I was] staying through the ball, commanding a fastball early, switching the counts up,” Chock said. “Just attacking the strike zone, letting my fielders back me up and play the game.”

In three innings of relief, Issac Mattson sat down three Firebirds and allowed one hit while Mike Fitzgerald earned the save for the Anglers.

Both pitchers did run into trouble in the late innings but were able to rebound. Mattson struck out two Firebirds in a row to leave the bases loaded in the eighth.

On his first pitch of the ninth, Fitzgerald allowed a wall-ball double to Chris Triano before giving up a single and a walk to load the bases. A 4-6-3 double play allowed a run to score but a chopping groundout to first sealed the win for the Anglers.

Chatham struck first when catcher Joe Freiday hit a second-inning gap shot to right-center, scoring Joe Tietjen from second.

Freiday played a key role for the Anglers earlier in the game when he cut down Riley Mahan as the infielder tried stealing second.

In the fifth, Alex LeFevre replaced Freiday in the field, due to an injury to the catcher from Virginia Tech.

“Joe’s back is tweaked a little bit,” said Schiffner. “We’ll rest him and see how it goes, but it doesn’t seem like it’s something that’s long term.” 

The Anglers head to Brewster tomorrow for a date with the Whitecaps (1-1). North Carolina’s Trevor Gay will be on the mound for Chatham while Ryan Feltner is slanted to take the ball for Brewster. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. Tune in at 4:40 for the Anglers Extra Pregame Show on the Cape Cod Baseball Network.