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Chatham overcomes 3-run deficit to defeat Brewster 5-4
CHATHAM, Mass. — Dennis Cook tried to downplay it. “It’s just two wins,” the Chatham manager said.
Indeed, they were just two wins. But they were two wins his Anglers squad so desperately needed after starting the season 0-4 for the first time in over 25 years. Two wins where they looked nearly unrecognizable after being outscored by 14 in their first four contests.
Yet, standing near the third base dugout at Veterans Field, Cook implied that his expectations are far higher than the sliver of success his Anglers team has enjoyed over the past two nights. But it’s nonetheless an important indication of growth.
The Anglers (2-4, East) showed signs of consistency in their 5-4 win over Brewster (3-3, East) Friday. Chatham got six solid innings of work from starter Gavin Guidry (LSU) and another three in relief from Josh Swink (Liberty), overcoming an early three-run deficit to pick up its second win of the year. Cooper Neville (Alabama) led the A’s offensively with two hits and three RBIs to lift Chatham to its first winning streak of the year.
“We're swinging the bats a lot better,” Cook said postgame. “The pitching was outstanding today, and if we can do that — and we didn't run the bases great today, but we pitched and we swung the bats decent. If we do that, we got a chance to win.”
Chatham didn’t have too many games early on where it did both of those things well. The A’s scored two runs or less in three of their first four games. In the one game they put up a solid offensive game, they couldn’t keep Wareham’s offense off the board in a 7-6 loss.
Initially, it looked like Friday’s contest might follow suit. Brewster picked up an early run after Owen Jenkins (Texas Tech) doubled into left field and promptly scored on a Guidry wild pitch. Chatham put two runners on in the first inning, but couldn’t plate any runs.
Even after a leadoff double by Rob Rispoli (UConn) in the third, the A’s ran into a double play on the basepaths when Rispoli got caught between third and home and Connor Shouse (Texas Tech/Transfer) was thrown out at second.
The Whitecaps turned that into some momentum on the other end. Jacob Lee (VCU) popped a fly ball into right field that snuck over the wall, doubling the Brewster lead. Jenkins then drew a walk before scoring on a double down the right field line by Petey Craska (North Alabama).
Trailing 3-0, Chatham had an answer in the fourth.
Bino Watters (LSU) led off the frame with a single through the right side, before Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) reached on a fielder’s choice. Another single from Nolan Traeger (TCU/Transfer) set the table for Neville with one out.
“He lengthens our lineup,” Cook said of Neville. "He's starting to get comfortable at the plate and swinging the wood bat and comfortable with the environment. He's just starting to get his feet back under him a little bit.”
With some run support, Guidry settled down after the fourth inning, and didn’t give up another hit. He even struck out the side in the sixth before Cook went to the bullpen in the seventh.
Through five games in 2026, that’s typically been when things get a bit hairy for the A’s. Cook said his bullpen simply has “gotta be better” following a 4-1 loss to Yarmouth-Dennis on Tuesday. But on Friday, the Chatham bullpen — led by Swink — had one of its best outings of the campaign. Brewster threatened in the seventh with a triple, but Swink worked out of the jam with two strikeouts.
“Swink was outstanding,” Cook said. “He was really good for us last year and he's going to do himself some good, I think, in the draft by being up here.”
Meanwhile, Chatham continued to chip away offensively, but couldn’t find the clutch hit to plate a go-ahead run. The A’s put a runner on base in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
But in the eighth, the Anglers finally found the breakthrough. Hovater got things started with a one-out walk before Kaiden Dossa (Yale) — pinch hitting for Korbin Reynolds (Vanderbilt) — roped a double into right. Neville then drove home Hovater with a line drive that deflected off the glove of shortstop Jamie Laskofski (William and Mary). It gave Chatham a narrow 4-3 lead.
Some miscommunication in the outfield afforded the A’s some insurance right after. Fraser hit a towering pop up into left, which Adam Magpoc (San Diego State) completely lost in the sky. It dropped onto the outfield grass and scored Dossa from third. Chatham stranded the bases loaded to end the frame, but took a monumental two-run advantage.
That extra run proved even more important when the Whitecaps got to Swink with their backs against the wall in the ninth. Strayer crushed a fly ball to right that Dossa nearly robbed at the wall, but it fell out of his glove as he collided with the wall and ended up over the fence. But Swink forced the Whitecaps into two groundouts and a flyout to right secure the win.
Cook knows the back-to-back victories were just a small step toward the ultimate goal. But it’s a step in the right direction for the A’s after a slow start.
Indeed, they were just two wins. But they were two wins his Anglers squad so desperately needed after starting the season 0-4 for the first time in over 25 years. Two wins where they looked nearly unrecognizable after being outscored by 14 in their first four contests.
Yet, standing near the third base dugout at Veterans Field, Cook implied that his expectations are far higher than the sliver of success his Anglers team has enjoyed over the past two nights. But it’s nonetheless an important indication of growth.
The Anglers (2-4, East) showed signs of consistency in their 5-4 win over Brewster (3-3, East) Friday. Chatham got six solid innings of work from starter Gavin Guidry (LSU) and another three in relief from Josh Swink (Liberty), overcoming an early three-run deficit to pick up its second win of the year. Cooper Neville (Alabama) led the A’s offensively with two hits and three RBIs to lift Chatham to its first winning streak of the year.
“We're swinging the bats a lot better,” Cook said postgame. “The pitching was outstanding today, and if we can do that — and we didn't run the bases great today, but we pitched and we swung the bats decent. If we do that, we got a chance to win.”
Chatham didn’t have too many games early on where it did both of those things well. The A’s scored two runs or less in three of their first four games. In the one game they put up a solid offensive game, they couldn’t keep Wareham’s offense off the board in a 7-6 loss.
Initially, it looked like Friday’s contest might follow suit. Brewster picked up an early run after Owen Jenkins (Texas Tech) doubled into left field and promptly scored on a Guidry wild pitch. Chatham put two runners on in the first inning, but couldn’t plate any runs.
Even after a leadoff double by Rob Rispoli (UConn) in the third, the A’s ran into a double play on the basepaths when Rispoli got caught between third and home and Connor Shouse (Texas Tech/Transfer) was thrown out at second.
The Whitecaps turned that into some momentum on the other end. Jacob Lee (VCU) popped a fly ball into right field that snuck over the wall, doubling the Brewster lead. Jenkins then drew a walk before scoring on a double down the right field line by Petey Craska (North Alabama).
Trailing 3-0, Chatham had an answer in the fourth.
Bino Watters (LSU) led off the frame with a single through the right side, before Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) reached on a fielder’s choice. Another single from Nolan Traeger (TCU/Transfer) set the table for Neville with one out.
“He lengthens our lineup,” Cook said of Neville. "He's starting to get comfortable at the plate and swinging the wood bat and comfortable with the environment. He's just starting to get his feet back under him a little bit.”
With some run support, Guidry settled down after the fourth inning, and didn’t give up another hit. He even struck out the side in the sixth before Cook went to the bullpen in the seventh.
Through five games in 2026, that’s typically been when things get a bit hairy for the A’s. Cook said his bullpen simply has “gotta be better” following a 4-1 loss to Yarmouth-Dennis on Tuesday. But on Friday, the Chatham bullpen — led by Swink — had one of its best outings of the campaign. Brewster threatened in the seventh with a triple, but Swink worked out of the jam with two strikeouts.
“Swink was outstanding,” Cook said. “He was really good for us last year and he's going to do himself some good, I think, in the draft by being up here.”
Meanwhile, Chatham continued to chip away offensively, but couldn’t find the clutch hit to plate a go-ahead run. The A’s put a runner on base in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
But in the eighth, the Anglers finally found the breakthrough. Hovater got things started with a one-out walk before Kaiden Dossa (Yale) — pinch hitting for Korbin Reynolds (Vanderbilt) — roped a double into right. Neville then drove home Hovater with a line drive that deflected off the glove of shortstop Jamie Laskofski (William and Mary). It gave Chatham a narrow 4-3 lead.
Some miscommunication in the outfield afforded the A’s some insurance right after. Fraser hit a towering pop up into left, which Adam Magpoc (San Diego State) completely lost in the sky. It dropped onto the outfield grass and scored Dossa from third. Chatham stranded the bases loaded to end the frame, but took a monumental two-run advantage.
That extra run proved even more important when the Whitecaps got to Swink with their backs against the wall in the ninth. Strayer crushed a fly ball to right that Dossa nearly robbed at the wall, but it fell out of his glove as he collided with the wall and ended up over the fence. But Swink forced the Whitecaps into two groundouts and a flyout to right secure the win.
Cook knows the back-to-back victories were just a small step toward the ultimate goal. But it’s a step in the right direction for the A’s after a slow start.
