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Eddie Marshall’s go-ahead, 2-run homer lifts Chatham to 5-3 win over Wareham
CHATHAM, Mass. — Relax.
Eddie Marshall’s heard it plenty of times before, from his dad and a lot of his coaches. He tends to get a bit uptight in big at-bats. Boy, did he get one on Tuesday.
With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh, the soon-to-be Florida catcher stepped into the righty batters’ box at Veterans Field. The A’s had led by three over Wareham since the second inning, but just gave up the advantage in the top of the seventh. Marshall — who was 0-for-2 at that point — fell behind in the count 1-2. At that point, he said he just wanted a single to give the Anglers the lead.
He got a lot more than he bargained for. On the fourth pitch from Wareham reliever Logan Scholl (Marist), Marshall got a breaking ball over the heart of the plate. Marshall crushed it over the wall in left-center, falling into the trees beyond the fence. As quick as the Anglers lost the lead, Marshall gave it right back.
It proved to be all Chatham needed to secure the win. The Anglers (15-17-3, East) beat Wareham (11-24, West) 5-3 at Veterans Field Tuesday for their fourth straight victory. A’s starter Oliver Pudvar (UConn) tossed five shutout innings and recorded a single-game season-high seven strikeouts, but the A’s bullpen let it slip in the seventh. Marshall’s go-ahead two-run homer lifted Chatham to its first four-game winning streak since the second week of the season.
“We're having some timely hitting,” A’s manager Dennis Cook said. “We're driving the ball, hitting the ball with guys in scoring position. We weren't doing that earlier.”
Marshall wasn’t doing much of that earlier, either. Before his seventh-inning at-bat, Chatham’s catcher had struck out in seven of his last eight at-bats. He had one home run on the campaign, which came a few nights earlier on July 24 against Yarmouth-Dennis. After that game, Marshall said he “finally felt (his) groove.”
But in that same game against Y-D, he took a pitch to the face, which caused him to exit the game in the sixth inning. He’d never been hit in the face his entire baseball career. On the night in which Marshall finally had a breakthrough, he also was dealt a major setback.
“I felt super uncomfortable in the box,” Marshall said.
While the rest of Chatham’s bats were heating up as the A’s embarked on a three-game winning streak, Marshall couldn’t really keep up. During his two appearances across those three contests, he was hitting just 1-for-6.
“I think that's kind of what you're gonna get with Eddie,” Cook said. “He's gonna have some swings and misses in there, but he's got some power, too.”
Through the early innings on Wednesday, Marshall’s teammates did most of the heavy lifting. In the first, Armani Guzman (West Virginia) worked a two-out walk and scored on a single from Jack Bell (Texas A&M). Ty Peeples (Florida State) then lined a ground ball toward second base that deflected off RJ Hamilton (Duke) and dribbled into center. The knock scored Bell from third to make it 2-0 A’s.
In the second, Jacob Driver (Meridian CC) — who pinch-hit for Cole Johnson (Georgia) mid-at-bat after Johnson fouled a ball off himself — worked a walk to lead off the frame. Jamie Palmese (Kansas) then drew a walk before Watters ripped a single into left to score Driver.
The Anglers held on to that through seven innings, but once Noah Allen (Alabama) allowed Wareham to load the bases in the seventh, things unraveled.
A wild pitch from Justice de Jong (NC State) scored a run from third, then Hamilton blooped a ball into shallow left, which scored two runs — including the game-tying one — and allowed Hamilton to roll into second with a double. De Jong ultimately got Levi Clark (Tennessee) to strike out and end the inning, but the game was suddenly knotted at three.
Guzman reached and advanced to third with one out. Then Marshall stepped in.
He struck out in two of his first three at bats Wednesday. He’d be lying if he said that wasn’t on his mind when he dug into the right-hand batters’ box. He took a hack at Scholl’s first offering, a high fastball. Another heater caught the corner on the third pitch.
Two strikes on him once more. Here we go again.
Marshall said he’s always cherished the opportunity to rise to the occasion. He grew up with siblings. Something about competition — especially when the expectations are higher — always made him want to meet them.
”When it comes down to the line like that, like, ‘You really gotta get this thing done,’” Marshall began, “I think I kind of just relax.”
It's an apt reminder for a Chatham team in the thick of the East Division’s playoff race. Marshall’s homer lifted the A’s nine points clear of fifth-place Orleans. A win tomorrow clinches a playoff spot.
Had they lost Tuesday, the conversation might be a bit different. But Marshall settled down and rose to the occasion. Watch the tape. Marshall said you can physically see his body relax before he steps back into the box.
And with one swing, he let the Anglers do the same.
Eddie Marshall’s heard it plenty of times before, from his dad and a lot of his coaches. He tends to get a bit uptight in big at-bats. Boy, did he get one on Tuesday.
With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh, the soon-to-be Florida catcher stepped into the righty batters’ box at Veterans Field. The A’s had led by three over Wareham since the second inning, but just gave up the advantage in the top of the seventh. Marshall — who was 0-for-2 at that point — fell behind in the count 1-2. At that point, he said he just wanted a single to give the Anglers the lead.
He got a lot more than he bargained for. On the fourth pitch from Wareham reliever Logan Scholl (Marist), Marshall got a breaking ball over the heart of the plate. Marshall crushed it over the wall in left-center, falling into the trees beyond the fence. As quick as the Anglers lost the lead, Marshall gave it right back.
It proved to be all Chatham needed to secure the win. The Anglers (15-17-3, East) beat Wareham (11-24, West) 5-3 at Veterans Field Tuesday for their fourth straight victory. A’s starter Oliver Pudvar (UConn) tossed five shutout innings and recorded a single-game season-high seven strikeouts, but the A’s bullpen let it slip in the seventh. Marshall’s go-ahead two-run homer lifted Chatham to its first four-game winning streak since the second week of the season.
“We're having some timely hitting,” A’s manager Dennis Cook said. “We're driving the ball, hitting the ball with guys in scoring position. We weren't doing that earlier.”
Marshall wasn’t doing much of that earlier, either. Before his seventh-inning at-bat, Chatham’s catcher had struck out in seven of his last eight at-bats. He had one home run on the campaign, which came a few nights earlier on July 24 against Yarmouth-Dennis. After that game, Marshall said he “finally felt (his) groove.”
But in that same game against Y-D, he took a pitch to the face, which caused him to exit the game in the sixth inning. He’d never been hit in the face his entire baseball career. On the night in which Marshall finally had a breakthrough, he also was dealt a major setback.
“I felt super uncomfortable in the box,” Marshall said.
While the rest of Chatham’s bats were heating up as the A’s embarked on a three-game winning streak, Marshall couldn’t really keep up. During his two appearances across those three contests, he was hitting just 1-for-6.
“I think that's kind of what you're gonna get with Eddie,” Cook said. “He's gonna have some swings and misses in there, but he's got some power, too.”
Through the early innings on Wednesday, Marshall’s teammates did most of the heavy lifting. In the first, Armani Guzman (West Virginia) worked a two-out walk and scored on a single from Jack Bell (Texas A&M). Ty Peeples (Florida State) then lined a ground ball toward second base that deflected off RJ Hamilton (Duke) and dribbled into center. The knock scored Bell from third to make it 2-0 A’s.
In the second, Jacob Driver (Meridian CC) — who pinch-hit for Cole Johnson (Georgia) mid-at-bat after Johnson fouled a ball off himself — worked a walk to lead off the frame. Jamie Palmese (Kansas) then drew a walk before Watters ripped a single into left to score Driver.
The Anglers held on to that through seven innings, but once Noah Allen (Alabama) allowed Wareham to load the bases in the seventh, things unraveled.
A wild pitch from Justice de Jong (NC State) scored a run from third, then Hamilton blooped a ball into shallow left, which scored two runs — including the game-tying one — and allowed Hamilton to roll into second with a double. De Jong ultimately got Levi Clark (Tennessee) to strike out and end the inning, but the game was suddenly knotted at three.
Guzman reached and advanced to third with one out. Then Marshall stepped in.
He struck out in two of his first three at bats Wednesday. He’d be lying if he said that wasn’t on his mind when he dug into the right-hand batters’ box. He took a hack at Scholl’s first offering, a high fastball. Another heater caught the corner on the third pitch.
Two strikes on him once more. Here we go again.
Marshall said he’s always cherished the opportunity to rise to the occasion. He grew up with siblings. Something about competition — especially when the expectations are higher — always made him want to meet them.
”When it comes down to the line like that, like, ‘You really gotta get this thing done,’” Marshall began, “I think I kind of just relax.”
It's an apt reminder for a Chatham team in the thick of the East Division’s playoff race. Marshall’s homer lifted the A’s nine points clear of fifth-place Orleans. A win tomorrow clinches a playoff spot.
Had they lost Tuesday, the conversation might be a bit different. But Marshall settled down and rose to the occasion. Watch the tape. Marshall said you can physically see his body relax before he steps back into the box.
And with one swing, he let the Anglers do the same.
