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Chatham claws back from early deficit, but falls to Cotuit 4-2 in 10 innings
CHATHAM, Mass. — Going toe-to-toe with the hottest team in the Cape League usually means it’s all hands on deck. Yet, as the Anglers geared up to host Cotuit Tuesday, first-year manager Dennis Cook opted to sit Daniel Jackson (Georgia), Chatham’s OPS leader (.928).
There’s no one better at finding the basepaths than Jackson, who ranks first in the CCBL with a vicious .473 on-base percentage. A trained eye with a powerful bat, there’s little reason to sit him. Everyone needs opportunities, though, and Cook knows that. However, his decision to shake up the lineup came with repercussions: the A’s entered Tuesday’s contest without their top hitter against a Kettleers’ team that sported the CCBL’s best run differential (+22).
For Chatham — a streaky offensive team, often following gaudy performances with dry spells — not having Jackson meant losing its beacon of consistency. The Anglers evidently struggled against the Kettleers; no Jackson, more problems.
But because of a solid start from right-hander Tate Carey (Michigan) and a dominant shutout long relief outing from southpaw Josh Swink (Liberty), the A’s had margin for error. So, in a bases loaded situation with the game on the line in the ninth, Cook pinch-hit Jackson, opting against his previous choice of giving him a rest day. Yet, Jackson struck out swinging.
A moment that could’ve been electric turned into disappointment. For the Anglers, that was the epitome of Tuesday’s result after getting outscored 2-0 in a winner-take-all extra inning.
Chatham (10-12-3, East) slowly inched back from an early 2-0 deficit to even Cotuit (11-12-2, West) late, but it ultimately fell 4-2 in 10 innings. The A’s got held to pedestrian offensive totals by the Kettleers’ bullpen. After Chatham first baseman Reed Stallman (Mississippi State) led off the second inning by hammering a solo homer above the right-field wall onto Depot Road, vibes were high at Veterans Field. They quickly dissipated once the Anglers were shut out across the contest’s final six innings, though.
Even with the loss, Cook took pride in Stallman’s performance. The Mississippi State first baseman finished the night 1-for-2 with three bases on balls, including an intentional walk issued by Cotuit in the 10th when Stallman had a chance to tie the game with a homer. Just three games into his Chatham career, Stallman struck fear into the hearts of his opponent.
“I’m hoping that he can continue to swing it well and maybe lengthen our lineup,” Cook said of Stallman postgame. “He’s done a good job since he’s been here.”
Reed Stallman celebrates in the dugout after his second-inning solo home run against Cotuit. Photograph by Ella Tovey
The way the second inning ended in a deafening thud — with Chatham second baseman Gavin Gallaher (North Carolina) whiffing on a 3-2 pitch with baserunners on second and third — foreshadowed the A’s fate. Chatham batted 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. There wasn’t enough execution to properly aid another step in the right direction for Anglers’ pitching.
Carey, who Cook previously praised for his willingness to stick around in Chatham for the entire summer, made some strides of improvement Tuesday. He allowed two runs across 3.1 innings pitched with three strikeouts, piecing together a solid outing to further establish himself as one of the A’s better remaining arms.
In relief, Swink then delivered a scintillating shutout with five Ks in 4.2 innings. It still wasn’t enough for a Chatham victory. Right-hander Jacob Turner came onto the mound in the ninth and blanked the Kettleers in his debut inning, but Cotuit right fielder Nolan Stevens tallied a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th. Turner let another run cross off an RBI bunt single by Kettleers’ second baseman Luke Matthews, sealing a rough 10th inning for the A’s.
Like Chatham, Cotuit got off to a slow start in 2025. The Kettleers were a CCBL-worst 1-7 through their first eight games, not too far behind the Anglers’ 2-5-1 record. But both teams turned their seasons around. They each entered Tuesday boasting top-four scoring offenses on the Cape. Being slow out of the gate, though, means Chatham and Cotuit reside in precarious playoff positioning, albeit with a few weeks left in the regular season.
The Kettleers were the first to strike Tuesday, piling on two runs in the second frame after second baseman Luke Matthews roped a two-RBI single off Carey. Carey settled in, but by the time Anglers’ pitching coach Jay Powell swapped him for the lefty Swink in the fourth inning, they only had one tally on the scoreboard — Stallman’s first-career CCBL home run.
Swink escaped a jam to seal a scoreless fourth, then the Anglers quickly spoiled Buckler’s start. Stallman and Chase Fralick (Auburn) drew walks, forcing Cotuit to substitute Buckler with right-handed reliever Gavin Jones, and Jake Hanley (Indiana) drove Stallman in via a sacrifice fly. Buckler ended his night with 3.0 frames of two-run ball.
Still, the A’s will have regrets about leaving four runners stranded on the basepaths while Buckler was on the bump. Detonating for big innings has been a common occurrence for Chatham’s offense in 2025. Not on Tuesday, though.
A scoreless fifth preceded a missed opportunity in the sixth — Stallman drew a walk and advanced to third, but with two outs, Hanley grounded out to first base.
By the start of the eighth inning, Chatham had failed to register a hit outside of the second frame, as Cotuit relievers Jones and Kyle Remington allowed one baserunner across 5.0 combined innings. The A’s drought continued into the ninth frame, though Swink’s dominance kept the game locked at 2-2 as he matched the Kettleers’ bullpen.
“Josh did a good job tonight throwing strikes and keeping his pitch count low,” Cook said. “He mixes well, he throws strikes and that’s it. There’s not a silver bullet about him.”
Though the Anglers juiced the bags in the ninth versus Cotuit righty Jonathan Adelmann, Cade Arrambide (LSU) and Jackson struck out before an Ashton Larson (Texas) fielder’s choice groundout ended their chance at a walk-off in regulation. The two runs the Kettleers unleashed in the 10th against Turner proved too much for Chatham to overcome.
Putting Jackson in the lineup from the start could’ve helped. He has fresh legs after all; he entered Tuesday’s game following a CCBL-mandated off day. All that can be drawn now are hypotheticals, the kind that guesses whether or not Jackson could’ve come through in the clutch if he hadn’t come out of the dugout cold.
There’s no one better at finding the basepaths than Jackson, who ranks first in the CCBL with a vicious .473 on-base percentage. A trained eye with a powerful bat, there’s little reason to sit him. Everyone needs opportunities, though, and Cook knows that. However, his decision to shake up the lineup came with repercussions: the A’s entered Tuesday’s contest without their top hitter against a Kettleers’ team that sported the CCBL’s best run differential (+22).
For Chatham — a streaky offensive team, often following gaudy performances with dry spells — not having Jackson meant losing its beacon of consistency. The Anglers evidently struggled against the Kettleers; no Jackson, more problems.
But because of a solid start from right-hander Tate Carey (Michigan) and a dominant shutout long relief outing from southpaw Josh Swink (Liberty), the A’s had margin for error. So, in a bases loaded situation with the game on the line in the ninth, Cook pinch-hit Jackson, opting against his previous choice of giving him a rest day. Yet, Jackson struck out swinging.
A moment that could’ve been electric turned into disappointment. For the Anglers, that was the epitome of Tuesday’s result after getting outscored 2-0 in a winner-take-all extra inning.
Chatham (10-12-3, East) slowly inched back from an early 2-0 deficit to even Cotuit (11-12-2, West) late, but it ultimately fell 4-2 in 10 innings. The A’s got held to pedestrian offensive totals by the Kettleers’ bullpen. After Chatham first baseman Reed Stallman (Mississippi State) led off the second inning by hammering a solo homer above the right-field wall onto Depot Road, vibes were high at Veterans Field. They quickly dissipated once the Anglers were shut out across the contest’s final six innings, though.
Even with the loss, Cook took pride in Stallman’s performance. The Mississippi State first baseman finished the night 1-for-2 with three bases on balls, including an intentional walk issued by Cotuit in the 10th when Stallman had a chance to tie the game with a homer. Just three games into his Chatham career, Stallman struck fear into the hearts of his opponent.
“I’m hoping that he can continue to swing it well and maybe lengthen our lineup,” Cook said of Stallman postgame. “He’s done a good job since he’s been here.”
Reed Stallman celebrates in the dugout after his second-inning solo home run against Cotuit. Photograph by Ella Tovey
The way the second inning ended in a deafening thud — with Chatham second baseman Gavin Gallaher (North Carolina) whiffing on a 3-2 pitch with baserunners on second and third — foreshadowed the A’s fate. Chatham batted 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. There wasn’t enough execution to properly aid another step in the right direction for Anglers’ pitching.
Carey, who Cook previously praised for his willingness to stick around in Chatham for the entire summer, made some strides of improvement Tuesday. He allowed two runs across 3.1 innings pitched with three strikeouts, piecing together a solid outing to further establish himself as one of the A’s better remaining arms.
In relief, Swink then delivered a scintillating shutout with five Ks in 4.2 innings. It still wasn’t enough for a Chatham victory. Right-hander Jacob Turner came onto the mound in the ninth and blanked the Kettleers in his debut inning, but Cotuit right fielder Nolan Stevens tallied a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th. Turner let another run cross off an RBI bunt single by Kettleers’ second baseman Luke Matthews, sealing a rough 10th inning for the A’s.
Like Chatham, Cotuit got off to a slow start in 2025. The Kettleers were a CCBL-worst 1-7 through their first eight games, not too far behind the Anglers’ 2-5-1 record. But both teams turned their seasons around. They each entered Tuesday boasting top-four scoring offenses on the Cape. Being slow out of the gate, though, means Chatham and Cotuit reside in precarious playoff positioning, albeit with a few weeks left in the regular season.
The Kettleers were the first to strike Tuesday, piling on two runs in the second frame after second baseman Luke Matthews roped a two-RBI single off Carey. Carey settled in, but by the time Anglers’ pitching coach Jay Powell swapped him for the lefty Swink in the fourth inning, they only had one tally on the scoreboard — Stallman’s first-career CCBL home run.
Swink escaped a jam to seal a scoreless fourth, then the Anglers quickly spoiled Buckler’s start. Stallman and Chase Fralick (Auburn) drew walks, forcing Cotuit to substitute Buckler with right-handed reliever Gavin Jones, and Jake Hanley (Indiana) drove Stallman in via a sacrifice fly. Buckler ended his night with 3.0 frames of two-run ball.
Still, the A’s will have regrets about leaving four runners stranded on the basepaths while Buckler was on the bump. Detonating for big innings has been a common occurrence for Chatham’s offense in 2025. Not on Tuesday, though.
A scoreless fifth preceded a missed opportunity in the sixth — Stallman drew a walk and advanced to third, but with two outs, Hanley grounded out to first base.
By the start of the eighth inning, Chatham had failed to register a hit outside of the second frame, as Cotuit relievers Jones and Kyle Remington allowed one baserunner across 5.0 combined innings. The A’s drought continued into the ninth frame, though Swink’s dominance kept the game locked at 2-2 as he matched the Kettleers’ bullpen.
“Josh did a good job tonight throwing strikes and keeping his pitch count low,” Cook said. “He mixes well, he throws strikes and that’s it. There’s not a silver bullet about him.”
Though the Anglers juiced the bags in the ninth versus Cotuit righty Jonathan Adelmann, Cade Arrambide (LSU) and Jackson struck out before an Ashton Larson (Texas) fielder’s choice groundout ended their chance at a walk-off in regulation. The two runs the Kettleers unleashed in the 10th against Turner proved too much for Chatham to overcome.
Putting Jackson in the lineup from the start could’ve helped. He has fresh legs after all; he entered Tuesday’s game following a CCBL-mandated off day. All that can be drawn now are hypotheticals, the kind that guesses whether or not Jackson could’ve come through in the clutch if he hadn’t come out of the dugout cold.
