CHATHAM, Mass. — In the Disney XD show, “Zeke and Luther,” there is an episode aptly named, “Ice Heist, Baby,” in which the protagonists attempt to combat a heat wave that has recently struck their hometown of Gilroy, California.

The duo attempts to purchase ice from a local convenience store, but after finding its supply has run out, they’re forced to deal with Mr. Montoya, the owner of the Gilroy Ice Company. Attempting to capitalize on a suddenly massive increase in demand, he has spiked prices to an unreasonable $20 a bag, and they start to look at alternative methods to cool off.

Whenever the Anglers have rolled into town, it’s started to feel like Gilroy, California, for opposing teams. Combining for 28 runs in its last three games, Chatham has essentially been a walking heat wave, leading the Cape Cod Baseball League with 78 runs to cement its status as the hottest offense on the Cape.

But in that case, Orleans must be the Gilroy Ice Company. Because the Anglers’ red-hot bats cooled off as soon the Firebirds stepped onto Veterans Field.

After scoring seven runs in the first inning of its 10-6 win over Brewster, Chatham’s (6-7-3, East) offense was nowhere to be found in its 4-0 home loss to Orleans (7-9, East) Thursday. The Anglers mustered just two hits, failing to get any substantive offense going against Orleans starter JT Raab. As lightning struck above Veterans Field, the game was ruled final prior to the top of the sixth inning.

In his second start of the year, Nate Taylor (Georgia/transfer) got off to an identical start as he did in his first, striking out two in a flawless first inning. He couldn’t keep Orleans off the bases in the second, but Luke Nixon’s hit by pitch didn’t come close to threatening the A’s righty.


Unfortunately for Chatham, its offense essentially emulated Orleans’ early on. Singles from Ethan Mendoza (Texas) and Daniel Jackson (Georgia) represented the only signs of life from the Anglers bats through two innings.

Then matters got even worse.

Once they got into the third, the Firebirds’ offense roared back to life. Leading off the frame, it took Orleans catcher Cashel Dugger just four pitches to find an offering he liked. He unleashed on it, giving the Firebirds an early lead with a solo homer into right field.

Though Taylor found his first out by getting Jaden Bastian to pop out, a walk to Anthony Potestio and a Michael O’Shaughnessy single suddenly put Taylor in a jam. With Orleans shortstop Elijah Ickes — who entered with a team-high .870 OPS — due up at the plate, it seemed inevitable that the Firebirds would continue to add on to their freshly-acquired advantage.

It wasn’t Ickes, in fact, who broke through for Orleans. He worked Taylor to a full count, then ultimately struck out swinging on an elevated fastball.

But Firebirds left fielder Robbie Lavey made sure their runners wouldn’t be stranded, lining a single into left to plate Potestio. Orleans starter Raab suddenly had a two-run cushion in his Cape League debut, and it didn’t seem like he’d even need it.

Whenever Chatham put bat to ball, it always managed to find a Firebird mitt. After leading off the game by smacking a deep warning track flyout to left, Henry Ford (Tennessee) demolished a ball in the third which appeared to be a surefire extra-base hit.

Yet, it found another outfield mitt, this time Bastian, who caught the ball just steps away from the center field fence for Raab’s second out.

Gavin Gallaher’s (North Carolina) subsequent liner looked like a hit off the bat as well. Then Ickes made a Herculean diving grab to end the inning, and it was clear that it simply wouldn’t be Chatham’s day.

Taylor didn’t make it into the fourth, as he was replaced by Josh Swink (Liberty) after three innings of work. But things snowballed for Chatham, and its deficit only kept increasing.

With one out, Ryan Kucherak reached on a hit by a pitch. Dugger moved him over soon after, doubling into left to put runners on second and third. While Bastian’s subsequent ground ball to third should’ve been a sign of hope for Swink, Gallaher stumbled as he read the bounce, scoring Kucherak and ensuring that everyone would reach safely. After Potestio drove in Dugger by lining a single into right, Orleans’ lead had suddenly swelled to 4-0.

Once Swink finally escaped the fourth, Chatham was in desperate need of a response in the bottom of the frame. With two outs and runners on the corners after walks to Chase Fralick (Auburn) and Jackson, it appeared it had finally found one.

Raab was finally out of the game, and with Ethan Foley coming out of the bullpen, the Anglers had a prime chance to pounce on Orleans’ reliever.

Then Jake Hanley (Indiana) struck out swinging. And suddenly, the rally was over just as soon as it had started.