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Chatham musters 2 hits in 3rd straight defeat, lose 2-1 to Falmouth
CHATHAM, Mass. — It had been a week since the Anglers last felt the jubilation of a win. A week since Junior Lauaki (Georgia) touched all the bases at Veterans Field after a walk-off blast to beat Bourne on July 16.
Those seven days weren’t all that kind to Chatham. They started fairly well, with a tie against Brewster on Friday before four A’s appeared in the shortened Cape Cod League All-Star game on Saturday.
Since then, though, the A’s lost to Hyannis, had a contest against Cotuit postponed and lost to Falmouth Wednesday. Lauaki’s gone now, and Chatham hasn’t found too many answers offensively. That was the case again Thursday in its third straight loss.
In a game that was scoreless through seven innings, the Anglers (11-16-3, East) fell to Falmouth (13-16-2, West) 2-1. In his final start for Chatham, Max Luzarraga (Dallas Baptist) gave the A’s 4.1 scoreless innings of work, but the A’s mustered just two hits — both of which came from Bino Watters (LSU). Chatham has now won just one of its last nine contests.
“We’re not swinging the bat good,” A’s manager Dennis Cook said postgame. “We had opportunities to score some runs early, and just couldn't find a way to get it across the plate.”
Early offense has been one of few consistencies for the A’s over the past few weeks, and that looked like it might continue Thursday. Bino Watters (LSU) — who had three hits Wednesday against the Commodores — singled up the middle with one out, then Armani Guzman (West Virginia) was hit by a pitch. But a strikeout and a flyout on four pitches ended the early threat.
Luzarraga, one of the A’s three All-Star hurlers, got the start — his last before he departs the Cape. It was a welcome sight for a pitching staff that had allowed a combined 17 runs over its past two games. He looked the part in the first inning, retiring three of the first four batters he faced, including his first strikeout.
No baserunners got past second base through his first three innings of work. Unfortunately for the A’s, the same was true on the other end. Watters was hit by a pitch in the third and promptly picked off, but that was the only other baserunner Chatham had in the first three frames.
Falmouth nearly broke the deadlock in the fourth. Gavin Greger (Bryant) led off with a single into right, then Luzarraga walked Mark Gialluisi (Villanova) and allowed a perfectly-placed bunt single to Fabio Peralta (Miami), which spun along the third-base foul line.
A strikeout of Austin Mallee (Mount Union) was Luzarraga’s final act before Tate Carey (Michigan) took over with the bases loaded and one away.
“He did great. He had a great summer,” Cook said of Luzarraga. “He's definitely going to go back to Dallas Baptist a lot better than when he came to us, so that's the goal for us.”
Carey worked a Houdini act to get out of the jam, inducing two groundouts to the right side of the infield, and Chatham came close to rewarding him in the fifth. Cam Pruitt (Missouri) led off the frame with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout.
But the A’s couldn’t push him home, after Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) flew out and Jamie Palmese (Kansas) struck out. Carey preserved the shutout by pitching a spotless sixth, nabbing two hard-hit ground balls that were headed up the middle.
He got some help from his defense in the seventh. Greger smashed a fly ball into the gap in right-center, but Palmese made a leaping snag near the warning track to take a hit away, prompting Greger to tip his hat.
The A’s again came knocking in the seventh after Pruitt and Ty Peeples (Florida State) walked. Hovater struck out before Rob Rispoli (UConn) — who was previously scratched from the lineup pregame — knocked a hard groundout to second base. Again, the A’s came up empty.
“I just think their approach needs to change,” Cook said of his offense’s struggles.
They take way too many fastballs. I'd like to see them start hunting the fastball a little bit more and be ready to hit.”
In the top of the eighth, Falmouth finally made them pay. Oliver Pudvar (UConn) took the hill in the eighth and gave up singles on the first two pitches he threw. With runners on first and second, Tommy Harrison (Miami-Ohio) roped a line drive into right. Brayden Jefferis (Michigan) slowed down as he rounded third, but Palmese let the ball trickle past him in right.
It allowed Jefferis to trot home for the game’s first run.
Collins Black (NC State) took over right after, and gave up a sacrifice fly to Mathew Farner (North Florida), doubling the Falmouth lead. But he helped the A’s escape the frame, getting Gialluisi to ground out. Palmese reached and advanced to third on a throwing error to begin the inning, and Watters drove him home with an infield single to cut the lead in half.
But Guzman flew out and Jack Bell (Texas A&M) grounded into a double play to end it. The next inning, Cole Johnson and Pruitt grounded out to lead off the ninth, and Peeples went down swinging to end the game where it started: with few signs of life from the A’s offense.
Those seven days weren’t all that kind to Chatham. They started fairly well, with a tie against Brewster on Friday before four A’s appeared in the shortened Cape Cod League All-Star game on Saturday.
Since then, though, the A’s lost to Hyannis, had a contest against Cotuit postponed and lost to Falmouth Wednesday. Lauaki’s gone now, and Chatham hasn’t found too many answers offensively. That was the case again Thursday in its third straight loss.
In a game that was scoreless through seven innings, the Anglers (11-16-3, East) fell to Falmouth (13-16-2, West) 2-1. In his final start for Chatham, Max Luzarraga (Dallas Baptist) gave the A’s 4.1 scoreless innings of work, but the A’s mustered just two hits — both of which came from Bino Watters (LSU). Chatham has now won just one of its last nine contests.
“We’re not swinging the bat good,” A’s manager Dennis Cook said postgame. “We had opportunities to score some runs early, and just couldn't find a way to get it across the plate.”
Early offense has been one of few consistencies for the A’s over the past few weeks, and that looked like it might continue Thursday. Bino Watters (LSU) — who had three hits Wednesday against the Commodores — singled up the middle with one out, then Armani Guzman (West Virginia) was hit by a pitch. But a strikeout and a flyout on four pitches ended the early threat.
Luzarraga, one of the A’s three All-Star hurlers, got the start — his last before he departs the Cape. It was a welcome sight for a pitching staff that had allowed a combined 17 runs over its past two games. He looked the part in the first inning, retiring three of the first four batters he faced, including his first strikeout.
No baserunners got past second base through his first three innings of work. Unfortunately for the A’s, the same was true on the other end. Watters was hit by a pitch in the third and promptly picked off, but that was the only other baserunner Chatham had in the first three frames.
Falmouth nearly broke the deadlock in the fourth. Gavin Greger (Bryant) led off with a single into right, then Luzarraga walked Mark Gialluisi (Villanova) and allowed a perfectly-placed bunt single to Fabio Peralta (Miami), which spun along the third-base foul line.
A strikeout of Austin Mallee (Mount Union) was Luzarraga’s final act before Tate Carey (Michigan) took over with the bases loaded and one away.
“He did great. He had a great summer,” Cook said of Luzarraga. “He's definitely going to go back to Dallas Baptist a lot better than when he came to us, so that's the goal for us.”
Carey worked a Houdini act to get out of the jam, inducing two groundouts to the right side of the infield, and Chatham came close to rewarding him in the fifth. Cam Pruitt (Missouri) led off the frame with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout.
But the A’s couldn’t push him home, after Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) flew out and Jamie Palmese (Kansas) struck out. Carey preserved the shutout by pitching a spotless sixth, nabbing two hard-hit ground balls that were headed up the middle.
He got some help from his defense in the seventh. Greger smashed a fly ball into the gap in right-center, but Palmese made a leaping snag near the warning track to take a hit away, prompting Greger to tip his hat.
The A’s again came knocking in the seventh after Pruitt and Ty Peeples (Florida State) walked. Hovater struck out before Rob Rispoli (UConn) — who was previously scratched from the lineup pregame — knocked a hard groundout to second base. Again, the A’s came up empty.
“I just think their approach needs to change,” Cook said of his offense’s struggles.
They take way too many fastballs. I'd like to see them start hunting the fastball a little bit more and be ready to hit.”
In the top of the eighth, Falmouth finally made them pay. Oliver Pudvar (UConn) took the hill in the eighth and gave up singles on the first two pitches he threw. With runners on first and second, Tommy Harrison (Miami-Ohio) roped a line drive into right. Brayden Jefferis (Michigan) slowed down as he rounded third, but Palmese let the ball trickle past him in right.
It allowed Jefferis to trot home for the game’s first run.
Collins Black (NC State) took over right after, and gave up a sacrifice fly to Mathew Farner (North Florida), doubling the Falmouth lead. But he helped the A’s escape the frame, getting Gialluisi to ground out. Palmese reached and advanced to third on a throwing error to begin the inning, and Watters drove him home with an infield single to cut the lead in half.
But Guzman flew out and Jack Bell (Texas A&M) grounded into a double play to end it. The next inning, Cole Johnson and Pruitt grounded out to lead off the ninth, and Peeples went down swinging to end the game where it started: with few signs of life from the A’s offense.
