Anglers Take First Game, Tie Cotuit in Double Header
by Anglers Media Team Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Anglers took the first game of a doubleheader from the Cotuit Kettleers at Lowell Park and the teams played to a 4-4 tie in the second game. In the first game, catcher Joe Pavone (Connecticut) broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the seventh with a run-scoring single, leading the Anglers to a 2-1 win. Each team scored a run in the first inning, but had been held scoreless until Pavone's hit. Pitcher Derek Self (Louisville) picked up the win for Chatham going six strong innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out four. Kevin Vance (Connecticut) picked up his second save of the season pitching a scoreless inning of relief.
Game Two of the Saturday afternoon doubleheader in Cotuit went, yet again, to extra innings with regulation ending in a 4-4 tie. That score would hold through the end of the ninth before the game was called due to a Cape League rule that states that no game of a doubleheader can last more than nine innings. The game ended in a 4-4 tie. No win or loss was awarded to any pitcher of either staff. The Anglers' record now stands at 4-1-1 with the tie and the opening game victory.
The Kettleers struck first with a score after Zach Cone (Georgia) kicked off the bottom half of the first with a walk off of Anglers starter Mark Zecchino (Virginia Tech). He was advanced to second on a groundout by Kevin Patterson (Auburn), and over to third on a single by Paul Hoilman (East Tenn. St.). He would then score on an RBI groundout by Levi Hyams (Georgia).
Cotuit starter Nick Tropeano (Stony Brook) was dominant through his first four innings of work, allowing five base runners on two walks, two singles and a double, while striking out eight batters, including a string of five straight punchouts to end the second and lead off the third. C.J. Cron (Utah) would tack on to the Kettleers' lead in the fourth with a solo home run off of Zecchino to make it 2-0 in favor of Cotuit.
The fifth inning would not be as kind to Tropeano. After inducing a fly out to right off the bat of Jason Martin (San Jose St.), he then gave up consecutive singles to Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) and Peter Verdin (Georgia). A routine ground ball to second by Dan Paolini (Siena) was then botched on the relay to Cotuit shortstop Taylor Black (Kentucky) covering the bag, allowing Humphries to score, Verdin to advance to third, and Paolini to pull up safe at first. With the score 2-1 in favor of Cotuit, Rick Oropesa stepped in on the ensuing at-bat and ripped a three-run blast over the right field wall to give the Anglers a 4-2 lead. Zack Jones (San Jose St.) was called on in relief in the fifth, and allowed two runs in the sixth after a single by Kyle McMillen (Kent State) and a double off the bat of James Foster (Wofford) to tie the score at 4-4.
The Kettleers threatened in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with just one out, but Jones, in his third inning of work, induced a pop out to second and a line out to short to work out of the jam. Phil Schreiber (Iowa) closed out the final two innings for the Anglers, with Cotuit reliever Matt Devine (VMI) pitching a scoreless eighth, and Brooks Pinckard (Baylor) retiring the side in order in the ninth, with his fastball being clocked as high as 97 on the scoreboard radar gun. The game was then called a draw due to the aforementioned Cape League rule.
The Anglers return home Sunday afternoon for just the second game at Veteran's Field of the 2010 season with a 5:30pm start against the Falmouth Commodores who bring in a 4-2 record. Tune in to the Anglers Extra pregame show starting at 5:10pm by listening live at chathamanglers.com, or by dialing in to TRZ Teamline at 1-800-846-4700, and entering the team code 3841.