SOUTH YARMOUTH, Mass. — As early as the bottom of the first inning Friday, there were signs that it was simply not going to be the Anglers’ game.

With Tate Carey (Michigan) making his Cape Cod Baseball League debut, there were only reasons for optimism early on against Yarmouth-Dennis. Carey, a freshman right-hander, was one of Chatham’s most highly-touted prospects, registering a remarkable 3.63 earned run average over 57 innings in his debut collegiate season.

He was expected to be a fixture in the A’s rotation from the outset. After inducing a weak pop out to left from Brayden Dowd to start his outing, it seemed those expectations had been validated. It should’ve been Carey’s first out in the CCBL, a strong start to what could’ve been an impressive debut.

But then the ball glanced off of Ace Reese’s (Mississippi State) mitt in left. And everything snowballed from there.

While Reese’s error didn’t lead to any runs in that first frame, it was a microcosm of a game full of miscues for the A’s. On the diamond, the Anglers had two critical errors which led to an unearned run. On the mound, they conceded a season-high 11 hits and three home runs. And at the plate, Chatham (2-3-1, East) struck out looking a season-worst nine times, with all three facets leading to its 9-2 defeat to Yarmouth-Dennis (3-2-1, East) Friday.

“Lazy, lackadaisical, uninspired baseball,” Cook said when asked about the A’s performance.

Immediately after Reese’s error, Y-D designated hitter Will Baker hit a fly ball to left-center. As it hung in the air, an exasperated A’s manager Dennis Cook implored his outfielders to catch it. Fortunately for him, Henry Ford (Virginia/transfer) snagged the ball for the first out of Carey’s CCBL career.

Initially, Carey didn’t let the miscue affect him. After Ford’s grab, star third baseman Chris Hacopian hit a single into left for Y-D’s first hit. But Chatham’s starter promptly escaped the jam by inducing a double-play from Alex Hernandez.

Yet, the defensive mistakes continued into the next frame. Though Yarmouth-Dennis second baseman Cody Miller giftwrapped a bunt right to Carey, the righty’s errant throw allowed Miller to advance all the way to third. Nobody had to lift a bat to hand Y-D its first lead, as a wild pitch scored Miller from third with little issue.

As the game progressed, the Red Sox continued to attack. Dean Carpentier led off the third with a double to center, and he quickly advanced to third on a wild pitch. He then tacked on a second run to Yarmouth-Dennis’ lead, crossing home on a sacrifice grounder from Baker.

On the offensive end, it was an absolute drought for Chatham. Watkins had faced the minimum through three, striking out six and preventing any Anglers from reaching base.


But baseball is a fickle sport. One swing can change the entire complexion of a game.

Leading off the fourth, Ethan Mendoza (Texas) gave Chatham its first base runner with a line drive single, bringing up Ford with a chance to produce some crucial runs. On the sixth pitch he faced, Ford demolished his first home run of the season into right field.

With the game knotted at 2-2, the Anglers had been given a new lease on life. They had been thoroughly outhit. Yet, it was still anyone’s ballgame. As long as Chatham’s pitching staff could shut down the Red Sox, it still had as good a chance as anyone to steal the road win.

However, Carey couldn’t limit Yarmouth-Dennis’ offense. After giving up a fourth-inning home run to Miller, the Wolverine suddenly found himself pitching with a 3-2 deficit. Though he eventually finished the frame, the damage was already done.

“Jay (Powell)’s working with (Carey) … Maybe I can help him a little bit, too,” Cook said. “It’s just a combined effort trying to make him better.”

It didn’t get much better for the Anglers. Duke Stone (Mississippi State) relieved Carey in the fifth, and he started to struggle once the sixth rolled around.

Consecutive doubles to Hernandez and Nolan Traeger only put him in a world of trouble. After getting Miller to pop out, he had a realistic possibility at escaping the inning unscathed. Soldra was the last thing that stood between Stone and a scoreless outing.

With Soldra amid a 2-2 performance, A’s pitching coach Jay Powell took a mound visit with Stone heading into the pivotal plate appearance. Whatever he said, it didn’t work.

Soldra mashed a three-run homer to put Y-D up 6-2 in the sixth, and Hernandez followed with a three-run blast of his own off of Preston Barr (Michigan) in the subsequent inning.

“This ballpark is a little bit tough to pitch in, especially with the wind blowing out,” Cook said. “I just want them to be more competitive in the strike zone.”

Meanwhile, the Anglers offense was anemic. Chatham notched just two hits after Ford’s home run, striking out 14 times on the day.

After the Anglers struck out looking twice in the ninth, Cook held a team meeting near the pitcher’s mound, where he expressed his dissatisfaction with how the team performed. It extended for several minutes. And while the coaches and the players will forever be privy to the nature of that conversation, Cook only needed four words to summarize what was discussed.

Lazy, lackadaisical, uninspired baseball.