Anglers News« Back to 2026 News |
Chatham falters late in 6-6 darkness-shortened tie to Yarmouth-Dennis
SOUTH YARMOUTH, Mass. — Tuesday began as inconspicuously as Monday.
Both matchups were contested between two East Division rivals. Both featured Chatham as a road team. Both contests began with an early, second-inning offensive spurt from the A’s: six runs in Brewster, four in Yarmouth-Dennis. Both featured strong A’s starting pitching performances: six one-run innings from Colin Fisher (Arkansas) against Brewster, five from Jack Ohman (Yale) against Y-D.
And both featured devastating collapses from the Chatham bullpen, where sizable leads of more than five runs withered into nothing as the daylight disappeared.
“I mean, there's no magic word,” Cook said postgame, alluding to his bullpen’s woes. “They're just not getting outs, and they gotta get outs.”
Except this time, it wasn’t a loss. A tie would have to do. After eight innings of play, the darkness-shortened game ended with Chatham (7-6-2, East) and Yarmouth-Dennis (13-1-1, East) even at 6-6. The A’s had 11 hits, another encouraging offensive performance, but it wasn’t enough for Chatham to escape with a win.
There isn’t an Angler who is hotter at the plate than Rob Rispoli (UConn) right now, so it wasn’t a shock to see the A’s second baseman lead off the game with a single up the middle. But Y-D’s second baseman, Ethan Ball (Virginia Tech), stole his thunder with the glove, making a diving play on a groundout from Bino Watters (LSU) for Chatham’s first out.
“The leadoff guy, we want him to compete and see pitches,” Cook said, referring to Rispoli. “So, he's the perfect guy for us.”
The A’s loaded the bases soon after, but couldn’t cross the plate in the first. From there, it was up to Jack Ohman (Yale) to keep it scoreless in his final start for Chatham. He struck out Kevin Takeuchi (USC) and Brock Ketelsen (Stanford) to begin his start for the A’s, and forced a groundout from Avery Ortiz (Oklahoma State) to end the first inning.
Nate Isler (Dartmouth) wasn’t nearly as comfortable. Once again, he loaded the bases in the top of the second, and Yarmouth-Dennis manager Scott Pickler ended up replacing him after he walked Armani Guzman (West Virginia).
The next at bat, Chatham broke through. Rispoli dropped a single into center to score Tyler Lichtenberger (Clemson), making it a 1-0 game. Watters came through, too, lining a single into left to tack on two runs to the A’s lead. Nolan Traeger (Arkansas) couldn’t add to the hit parade, but his fielder’s choice made it a 4-0 game shortly after.
Once the inning ended, and Ohman was sent back out to the bump, the Red Sox couldn’t make that lead any smaller. Three quick second-inning groundouts made sure of that. Phoenix Call (UCLA) was able to challenge him slightly in the third with a double into center, but a strikeout of Takeuchi and a Ketelsen flyout stranded him in scoring position.
Ohman didn’t intend on letting up, either. After the A’s scored a fifth run, his fourth inning was just as straightforward as the first, with a Tommy Goodin (Vanderbilt) flyout being sandwiched by two strikeouts. He walked to the dugout at inning’s end, gave his fellow Anglers fistbumps, and exited the second to last inning of his Chatham A’s career.
The last one wasn’t as great. Reid Howard (Western Kentucky) began it with a double to left, and he moved to third on a wild pitch from Ohman. Howard eventually broke Y-D’s scoring drought on a fielder’s choice from Call, where he was hit with a throw from Lichtenberger as he crossed the plate to make it a 5-1 game.
Nothing else would score, though. Ohman escaped the frame with a flyout from Ketelsen, and finished his night with a five-inning, one-run performance.
“I felt like I was in the zone a little bit more,” Ohman said. “Especially with my off-speed pitches.”
But then it got to the bullpen and, just like it did a night ago, Chatham’s lead began to get smaller and smaller. Chatham reliever Justice de Jong (Auburn/Transfer) had been sharp all summer, allowing just one hit in his three appearances before Tuesday, but gave up a two-run homer to Mateo Serna (Missouri) upon his arrival in the sixth.
Cooper Neville (Alabama) was there to add a sixth run after a Cole Johnson (Georgia) sac fly in the top of the seventh, but Yarmouth-Dennis was determined to cut that lead back down — if not to zero, then at least to two. The Red Sox began their seventh-inning rally with a two-out single from Takeuchi and a double from Ketelsen. Ortiz walked soon after to load the bases. After that, A’s pitching coach Jay Powell walked out to the mound to have a word with Chatham lefty Josh Swink (Liberty).
His visit didn’t help the outcome. Facing Goodin — the reigning CCBL Player of The Week — Swink gave up a single into center, plating two runners and making it a 6-5 game. The next batter, Serna, singled into left to drive in Ortiz, tying the contest up at 6-6.
“I think he's tired from the season,” Cook said of Swink. “I don't think he's as fresh as he was last summer.”
It was as if Ohman’s efforts never mattered at all.
Pickler’s squad had worked hard to get this game even, so Y-D’s manager didn’t have much of a desire to wait around for Chatham to reclaim a lead. Rhett Vaughn (Florida State) entered the game for a grand total of two batters, and was replaced by Andrew Wright (Cal State Fullerton) as soon as he walked Guzman in the eighth.
Rispoli singled into right off Wright, and Guzman — the speedster — attempted to dart for home on the play. But he was cut down at the plate, and Chatham would never get that close to scoring again.
The darkness made sure of that.
“I mean, we scored eight yesterday and six today,” Cook said postgame. “If we score that many runs, we should win.”
Both matchups were contested between two East Division rivals. Both featured Chatham as a road team. Both contests began with an early, second-inning offensive spurt from the A’s: six runs in Brewster, four in Yarmouth-Dennis. Both featured strong A’s starting pitching performances: six one-run innings from Colin Fisher (Arkansas) against Brewster, five from Jack Ohman (Yale) against Y-D.
And both featured devastating collapses from the Chatham bullpen, where sizable leads of more than five runs withered into nothing as the daylight disappeared.
“I mean, there's no magic word,” Cook said postgame, alluding to his bullpen’s woes. “They're just not getting outs, and they gotta get outs.”
Except this time, it wasn’t a loss. A tie would have to do. After eight innings of play, the darkness-shortened game ended with Chatham (7-6-2, East) and Yarmouth-Dennis (13-1-1, East) even at 6-6. The A’s had 11 hits, another encouraging offensive performance, but it wasn’t enough for Chatham to escape with a win.
There isn’t an Angler who is hotter at the plate than Rob Rispoli (UConn) right now, so it wasn’t a shock to see the A’s second baseman lead off the game with a single up the middle. But Y-D’s second baseman, Ethan Ball (Virginia Tech), stole his thunder with the glove, making a diving play on a groundout from Bino Watters (LSU) for Chatham’s first out.
“The leadoff guy, we want him to compete and see pitches,” Cook said, referring to Rispoli. “So, he's the perfect guy for us.”
The A’s loaded the bases soon after, but couldn’t cross the plate in the first. From there, it was up to Jack Ohman (Yale) to keep it scoreless in his final start for Chatham. He struck out Kevin Takeuchi (USC) and Brock Ketelsen (Stanford) to begin his start for the A’s, and forced a groundout from Avery Ortiz (Oklahoma State) to end the first inning.
Nate Isler (Dartmouth) wasn’t nearly as comfortable. Once again, he loaded the bases in the top of the second, and Yarmouth-Dennis manager Scott Pickler ended up replacing him after he walked Armani Guzman (West Virginia).
The next at bat, Chatham broke through. Rispoli dropped a single into center to score Tyler Lichtenberger (Clemson), making it a 1-0 game. Watters came through, too, lining a single into left to tack on two runs to the A’s lead. Nolan Traeger (Arkansas) couldn’t add to the hit parade, but his fielder’s choice made it a 4-0 game shortly after.
Once the inning ended, and Ohman was sent back out to the bump, the Red Sox couldn’t make that lead any smaller. Three quick second-inning groundouts made sure of that. Phoenix Call (UCLA) was able to challenge him slightly in the third with a double into center, but a strikeout of Takeuchi and a Ketelsen flyout stranded him in scoring position.
Ohman didn’t intend on letting up, either. After the A’s scored a fifth run, his fourth inning was just as straightforward as the first, with a Tommy Goodin (Vanderbilt) flyout being sandwiched by two strikeouts. He walked to the dugout at inning’s end, gave his fellow Anglers fistbumps, and exited the second to last inning of his Chatham A’s career.
The last one wasn’t as great. Reid Howard (Western Kentucky) began it with a double to left, and he moved to third on a wild pitch from Ohman. Howard eventually broke Y-D’s scoring drought on a fielder’s choice from Call, where he was hit with a throw from Lichtenberger as he crossed the plate to make it a 5-1 game.
Nothing else would score, though. Ohman escaped the frame with a flyout from Ketelsen, and finished his night with a five-inning, one-run performance.
“I felt like I was in the zone a little bit more,” Ohman said. “Especially with my off-speed pitches.”
But then it got to the bullpen and, just like it did a night ago, Chatham’s lead began to get smaller and smaller. Chatham reliever Justice de Jong (Auburn/Transfer) had been sharp all summer, allowing just one hit in his three appearances before Tuesday, but gave up a two-run homer to Mateo Serna (Missouri) upon his arrival in the sixth.
Cooper Neville (Alabama) was there to add a sixth run after a Cole Johnson (Georgia) sac fly in the top of the seventh, but Yarmouth-Dennis was determined to cut that lead back down — if not to zero, then at least to two. The Red Sox began their seventh-inning rally with a two-out single from Takeuchi and a double from Ketelsen. Ortiz walked soon after to load the bases. After that, A’s pitching coach Jay Powell walked out to the mound to have a word with Chatham lefty Josh Swink (Liberty).
His visit didn’t help the outcome. Facing Goodin — the reigning CCBL Player of The Week — Swink gave up a single into center, plating two runners and making it a 6-5 game. The next batter, Serna, singled into left to drive in Ortiz, tying the contest up at 6-6.
“I think he's tired from the season,” Cook said of Swink. “I don't think he's as fresh as he was last summer.”
It was as if Ohman’s efforts never mattered at all.
Pickler’s squad had worked hard to get this game even, so Y-D’s manager didn’t have much of a desire to wait around for Chatham to reclaim a lead. Rhett Vaughn (Florida State) entered the game for a grand total of two batters, and was replaced by Andrew Wright (Cal State Fullerton) as soon as he walked Guzman in the eighth.
Rispoli singled into right off Wright, and Guzman — the speedster — attempted to dart for home on the play. But he was cut down at the plate, and Chatham would never get that close to scoring again.
The darkness made sure of that.
“I mean, we scored eight yesterday and six today,” Cook said postgame. “If we score that many runs, we should win.”
