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Chatham Sunk by the Whitecaps in Brewster
by Mike Morris
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
The momentum did not translate from Tuesday's victory, as Chatham dropped a game in Brewster by a score of 7-2. Winning pitcher Max Garner (Baylor) improved to 1-1 with an impressive six-inning outing for the Whitecaps.
Brewster came into Wednesday night's contest in the midst of a brutal 17-game stretch without the privilege of an off-day, due to multiple rainouts early in the season.
Chatham has committed more errors than any other CCBL squad. And against the team with the league's highest total batting average, every mistake is magnified.
For Chatham starter Buck Farmer (Georgia Tech), who carried in a 0-0 record and an 11.25 ERA in the game, the fourth inning was a perfect storm of mistakes.
Entering the fourth, the Anglers had already spotted Brewster a 1-0 lead courtesy of an error that let Taylor Ard (Washington State) reach base in the third. He was driven home by fellow Cougar Jason Monda on a triple later in the inning.
The next time Brewster came to bat, the 6'3" Farmer drilled Taylor Davis (Morehead State) in the left bicep with a fastball. Another walk and a sacrifice bunt put Farmer in a precarious situation: runners on second and third with one out.
Whitecap Tanner Nivins (Stony Brook) then delivered the death blow for Brewster. He ripped a single into the outfield, driving home one. Farmer then cut off the rely to the plate, electing instead to try to nab Nivins, who was on his way to second base.
Farmer's throw went wide right and rolled all the way into right-center field. Before the errant ball could be tracked down, Nivins had circled the bases.
4-0 Whitecaps.
A solo homer by Trace Tam Sing (Washington State) to left padded the lead for Brewster.
The result of the mental and physical mistakes by Chatham was that after four innings, Brewster enjoyed a 5-0 lead.
"We're our own worst enemy," said moustache-less Anglers' manager John Schiffner. "If we play good defense, we have a really good chance of winning the baseball game. "
As is often the case, though, the defense did not deserve all of the blame.
One of Chatham's hottest bats, Stephen Perez (Miami), did not play for the first time since he arrived to the 2011 Anglers on June 24. His much-deserved day off meant that the hits had to come from elsewhere Wednesday night.
Brewster's starter Max Garner (Baylor) had something to say about that. Aided by a devastating curveball, the righty held Chatham scoreless through his first five innings of work.
In the top of the sixth, the Anglers finally got on the scoreboard. A Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) single followed by a Richie Shaffer (Clemson) double made it second and third with no outs.
Kris Bryant (San Diego) reached on an error at third, scoring Phillips to make it 5-1. Alex Calbick (Maine) made it 5-2 when the Whitecaps exchanged an out for a run. Garner plugged the leak by retiring the next two Chatham batters.
Brewster scored again in the seventh. This time, Anglers' reliever Cody Penny (UNC) was victimized. With runners on the corners and one out, JJ Altobelli (Oregon) laid down a bunt, bringing home a run.
An inning-ending double play that was initiated by Pat Blair (Wake Forest) at shortstop bailed the Anglers out of further trouble.
Tucker Healy (Ithaca) allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.
The 7-2 score would not change, as Chatham went quietly in the ninth.
"The effort was there," said Schiffner in his postmortem evaluation. " We just need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. We need a couple more clutch base hits, and we're right there. "
After an off-day Thursday, Chatham gets back to the diamond against Cotuit Friday night at Veterans Field. First pitch at 7 p.m. ET.
Brewster came into Wednesday night's contest in the midst of a brutal 17-game stretch without the privilege of an off-day, due to multiple rainouts early in the season.
Chatham has committed more errors than any other CCBL squad. And against the team with the league's highest total batting average, every mistake is magnified.
For Chatham starter Buck Farmer (Georgia Tech), who carried in a 0-0 record and an 11.25 ERA in the game, the fourth inning was a perfect storm of mistakes.
Entering the fourth, the Anglers had already spotted Brewster a 1-0 lead courtesy of an error that let Taylor Ard (Washington State) reach base in the third. He was driven home by fellow Cougar Jason Monda on a triple later in the inning.
The next time Brewster came to bat, the 6'3" Farmer drilled Taylor Davis (Morehead State) in the left bicep with a fastball. Another walk and a sacrifice bunt put Farmer in a precarious situation: runners on second and third with one out.
Whitecap Tanner Nivins (Stony Brook) then delivered the death blow for Brewster. He ripped a single into the outfield, driving home one. Farmer then cut off the rely to the plate, electing instead to try to nab Nivins, who was on his way to second base.
Farmer's throw went wide right and rolled all the way into right-center field. Before the errant ball could be tracked down, Nivins had circled the bases.
4-0 Whitecaps.
A solo homer by Trace Tam Sing (Washington State) to left padded the lead for Brewster.
The result of the mental and physical mistakes by Chatham was that after four innings, Brewster enjoyed a 5-0 lead.
"We're our own worst enemy," said moustache-less Anglers' manager John Schiffner. "If we play good defense, we have a really good chance of winning the baseball game. "
As is often the case, though, the defense did not deserve all of the blame.
One of Chatham's hottest bats, Stephen Perez (Miami), did not play for the first time since he arrived to the 2011 Anglers on June 24. His much-deserved day off meant that the hits had to come from elsewhere Wednesday night.
Brewster's starter Max Garner (Baylor) had something to say about that. Aided by a devastating curveball, the righty held Chatham scoreless through his first five innings of work.
In the top of the sixth, the Anglers finally got on the scoreboard. A Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) single followed by a Richie Shaffer (Clemson) double made it second and third with no outs.
Kris Bryant (San Diego) reached on an error at third, scoring Phillips to make it 5-1. Alex Calbick (Maine) made it 5-2 when the Whitecaps exchanged an out for a run. Garner plugged the leak by retiring the next two Chatham batters.
Brewster scored again in the seventh. This time, Anglers' reliever Cody Penny (UNC) was victimized. With runners on the corners and one out, JJ Altobelli (Oregon) laid down a bunt, bringing home a run.
An inning-ending double play that was initiated by Pat Blair (Wake Forest) at shortstop bailed the Anglers out of further trouble.
Tucker Healy (Ithaca) allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.
The 7-2 score would not change, as Chatham went quietly in the ninth.
"The effort was there," said Schiffner in his postmortem evaluation. " We just need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. We need a couple more clutch base hits, and we're right there. "
After an off-day Thursday, Chatham gets back to the diamond against Cotuit Friday night at Veterans Field. First pitch at 7 p.m. ET.
