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Chatham continues hot offensive stretch, still falls to Falmouth 9-7
FALMOUTH, Mass. — The fifth-inning fog at Veterans Field works in mysterious ways. So much so that it directly altered Chatham’s pitching plans against Falmouth a day later.
The Anglers used six arms on Sunday. Manager Dennis Cook says that was always the plan, because Chatham’s fog-shortened five-inning victory over Brewster Saturday made it so he and pitching coach Jay Powell “had to get” certain guys in Sunday’s game.
“(The fog) kind of threw everything off a bit,” Cook said.
With the same domineering presence as the fog, Falmouth’s offense reigned over Chatham’s bullpen Sunday at Guv Fuller Field. Left-hander Charlie Foster (Mississippi State) allowed four runs in the fifth inning, and righty Mason Bixby (TCU/transfer) gave up another four-spot in the sixth. Even after southpaw Ethan Calder (Baylor) and righty Duke Stone (Mississippi State) began with three scoreless innings, the Anglers stuck to their plan of making up for lost innings.
It was those bullpen struggles that cost Chatham (4-6-3, East) in a 9-7 loss to Falmouth (6-7, West), ending its two-game win streak. Two straight innings where the Commodores plated four runs proved too much for the A’s to overcome. Though the Anglers continued their hot streak on offense, tallying 10 hits and exploding for five runs in the fifth inning, it’s tough to match a nine-run output from the opposition.
“Good hitters make you pay,” Cook said.
The good news for Chatham? It has plenty of its own sluggers.
The Anglers entered Sunday on a 2-0-2 run over their previous four games. In that span, the A’s ignited for 24 runs and 39 hits despite a fog-shortened five-inning win over Brewster Saturday. Even in that contest, Chatham plated a pair of first-inning runs which, in hindsight, effectively sealed its 2-1 victory.
No early run production occurred against Falmouth, though. Though he hadn’t registered a start, right-hander Trever Baumler came into the game with a Cape League-best 0.00 earned run average. He promptly dominated his first-ever CCBL start versus Chatham, tossing three scoreless frames with one hit allowed and three Ks.
A’s hitters struggled to keep up with Baumler’s fastball — which flirted with the high-90s — and a batter struck out looking in each of the opening three innings.
Cook didn’t waver from his message during Chatham’s early-season offensive lull. He yearned for calculated at-bats and execution with runners in scoring position; Cook misses his playing days where moving a runner over was seen as a positive, instead of merely an out.
His team is now fulfilling his wishes. Thirty-one runs in their last five games proves it.
“We’re just getting good pitches to hit and squaring them up,” Cook said. “We weren’t doing that early. They’re swinging great, I just wanna stay right where we’re at.”
Chatham’s top of the fifth inning Sunday was its highest-scoring frame this summer. The A’s batted around their order with catcher Chase Fralick (Auburn) beginning the inning with a walk, and closing it with a groundout. In between that was nothing but a run-scoring circus.
Chatham right fielder Jackson Freeman reaches third base on Jake Hanley's ground-rule double. Freeman notched two hits in the A's 9-7 loss to Falmouth. Photograph by Ella Tovey
Against Falmouth reliever Robby Porco, Chatham’s first five hitters of the half-inning reached base. A two-run double from first baseman Jake Hanley (Indiana) put the Anglers on the board before shortstop Isaiah Lane (San Diego) tallied an RBI sacrifice fly to extend their lead to 3-1. Then, with two outs, second baseman Ethan Mendoza (Texas) ripped an opposite-field two-run single to make it 5-1 Anglers.
Porco left the contest with no outs in the top of the fifth after giving up five earned runs. He was replaced by Jackson Vanesko, who efficiently got out of the half inning. At that time, the Anglers were living large with a commanding four-run lead. And with a reliable left-hander in Foster on the mound, what could go wrong?
A lot, it turns out.
After giving up a solo homer to Falmouth first baseman Kent Schmidt, Foster appeared to be settling in. That wasn’t the case. In the fifth frame, the Commodores unloaded four runs off four hits, including a three-run long ball that CCBL home-run leader Maika Niu pummeled into the dusk sky. Chatham’s lead evaporated in a blink of an eye; it headed into the sixth inning tied 5-5 with Falmouth.
Chatham punished Vanesko by tacking on two runs in the top of the sixth, in which the Anglers materialized five baserunners. RBI singles from Lane and Henry Ford (Tennessee) kept the A’s bats hot after their gaudy fifth-inning production.
With Chatham up 7-5, Bixby entered in the bottom of the sixth frame. His first relief outing this summer came against Cotuit on June 19 at Veterans Field, where the 6-foot-7 right-hander blitzed the Kettleers for three scoreless, four-strikeout innings. Versus Falmouth, he couldn’t regain that same touch, as he allowed three hits and issued three walks.
Cook pulled Bixby aside postgame, a conversation he said revolved around him reminding the transfer pitcher that one game doesn’t define his worth.
“I just want him to realize how good he is,” Cook said. “I don’t want him to doubt himself because he’s a talented kid, and he needs to know that. But I can tell him until I’m blue in the face — he’s got to believe it in his own heart.”
The Anglers made a few threats in the last three innings, yet they ultimately couldn’t respond to Falmouth’s final blow.
Chatham’s offense has been streaky at times in 2025, alternating massive offensive totals with plenty of scoreless innings. Though four straight zeroes preceded the Anglers’ five-run fifth and two-run sixth against Falmouth, the A’s displayed how borderline unconscious they can become at the dish when they’re seeing the ball well.
Still, it’s difficult to overcome blowup innings on the mound.
The Anglers used six arms on Sunday. Manager Dennis Cook says that was always the plan, because Chatham’s fog-shortened five-inning victory over Brewster Saturday made it so he and pitching coach Jay Powell “had to get” certain guys in Sunday’s game.
“(The fog) kind of threw everything off a bit,” Cook said.
With the same domineering presence as the fog, Falmouth’s offense reigned over Chatham’s bullpen Sunday at Guv Fuller Field. Left-hander Charlie Foster (Mississippi State) allowed four runs in the fifth inning, and righty Mason Bixby (TCU/transfer) gave up another four-spot in the sixth. Even after southpaw Ethan Calder (Baylor) and righty Duke Stone (Mississippi State) began with three scoreless innings, the Anglers stuck to their plan of making up for lost innings.
It was those bullpen struggles that cost Chatham (4-6-3, East) in a 9-7 loss to Falmouth (6-7, West), ending its two-game win streak. Two straight innings where the Commodores plated four runs proved too much for the A’s to overcome. Though the Anglers continued their hot streak on offense, tallying 10 hits and exploding for five runs in the fifth inning, it’s tough to match a nine-run output from the opposition.
“Good hitters make you pay,” Cook said.
The good news for Chatham? It has plenty of its own sluggers.
The Anglers entered Sunday on a 2-0-2 run over their previous four games. In that span, the A’s ignited for 24 runs and 39 hits despite a fog-shortened five-inning win over Brewster Saturday. Even in that contest, Chatham plated a pair of first-inning runs which, in hindsight, effectively sealed its 2-1 victory.
No early run production occurred against Falmouth, though. Though he hadn’t registered a start, right-hander Trever Baumler came into the game with a Cape League-best 0.00 earned run average. He promptly dominated his first-ever CCBL start versus Chatham, tossing three scoreless frames with one hit allowed and three Ks.
A’s hitters struggled to keep up with Baumler’s fastball — which flirted with the high-90s — and a batter struck out looking in each of the opening three innings.
Cook didn’t waver from his message during Chatham’s early-season offensive lull. He yearned for calculated at-bats and execution with runners in scoring position; Cook misses his playing days where moving a runner over was seen as a positive, instead of merely an out.
His team is now fulfilling his wishes. Thirty-one runs in their last five games proves it.
“We’re just getting good pitches to hit and squaring them up,” Cook said. “We weren’t doing that early. They’re swinging great, I just wanna stay right where we’re at.”
Chatham’s top of the fifth inning Sunday was its highest-scoring frame this summer. The A’s batted around their order with catcher Chase Fralick (Auburn) beginning the inning with a walk, and closing it with a groundout. In between that was nothing but a run-scoring circus.
Chatham right fielder Jackson Freeman reaches third base on Jake Hanley's ground-rule double. Freeman notched two hits in the A's 9-7 loss to Falmouth. Photograph by Ella Tovey
Against Falmouth reliever Robby Porco, Chatham’s first five hitters of the half-inning reached base. A two-run double from first baseman Jake Hanley (Indiana) put the Anglers on the board before shortstop Isaiah Lane (San Diego) tallied an RBI sacrifice fly to extend their lead to 3-1. Then, with two outs, second baseman Ethan Mendoza (Texas) ripped an opposite-field two-run single to make it 5-1 Anglers.
Porco left the contest with no outs in the top of the fifth after giving up five earned runs. He was replaced by Jackson Vanesko, who efficiently got out of the half inning. At that time, the Anglers were living large with a commanding four-run lead. And with a reliable left-hander in Foster on the mound, what could go wrong?
A lot, it turns out.
After giving up a solo homer to Falmouth first baseman Kent Schmidt, Foster appeared to be settling in. That wasn’t the case. In the fifth frame, the Commodores unloaded four runs off four hits, including a three-run long ball that CCBL home-run leader Maika Niu pummeled into the dusk sky. Chatham’s lead evaporated in a blink of an eye; it headed into the sixth inning tied 5-5 with Falmouth.
Chatham punished Vanesko by tacking on two runs in the top of the sixth, in which the Anglers materialized five baserunners. RBI singles from Lane and Henry Ford (Tennessee) kept the A’s bats hot after their gaudy fifth-inning production.
With Chatham up 7-5, Bixby entered in the bottom of the sixth frame. His first relief outing this summer came against Cotuit on June 19 at Veterans Field, where the 6-foot-7 right-hander blitzed the Kettleers for three scoreless, four-strikeout innings. Versus Falmouth, he couldn’t regain that same touch, as he allowed three hits and issued three walks.
Cook pulled Bixby aside postgame, a conversation he said revolved around him reminding the transfer pitcher that one game doesn’t define his worth.
“I just want him to realize how good he is,” Cook said. “I don’t want him to doubt himself because he’s a talented kid, and he needs to know that. But I can tell him until I’m blue in the face — he’s got to believe it in his own heart.”
The Anglers made a few threats in the last three innings, yet they ultimately couldn’t respond to Falmouth’s final blow.
Chatham’s offense has been streaky at times in 2025, alternating massive offensive totals with plenty of scoreless innings. Though four straight zeroes preceded the Anglers’ five-run fifth and two-run sixth against Falmouth, the A’s displayed how borderline unconscious they can become at the dish when they’re seeing the ball well.
Still, it’s difficult to overcome blowup innings on the mound.
