Jaime Ferrer is all smiles after scoring. The Whitecaps used a five-run seventh inning to secure a win in a shortened game Wednesday evening. Photo credit Sadie Parker.
by Eamonn Ryan
COTUIT—They say the West is wild, but the Brewster Whitecaps found it to be more wacky than anything else in their 6-2 win over the Cotuit Kettleers (3-1-0) Wednesday evening at Lowell Park.
The Whitecaps (3-1-1) overcame a Cotuit team that had only committed one error prior to their three-error performance Wednesday, the 2022 Cape League Reliever of the Year in Cam Schuelke and even a lightning storm that halted play after the seventh inning.
“Today was a complete game for us. We played really good defense,” said Whitecaps manager Jamie Shevchik. “And we put up numbers offensively…We did everything right.”
Brewster needed the seventh inning, too, as they came into it down 2-1. The Caps recorded hits all game but struggled to piece them together, stranding eight runners in the first six innings. It wasn’t until Trevor Austin (Missouri) laced a double over the center fielder’s head to score Payton Green (NC State) and Dylan Leach (Missouri) that the Whitecaps were able to secure a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh.
“It’s nice, especially when you strike out in the inning before that when there’s runners in scoring position,” Austin said.
Austin had himself the best day of this young season, as he also doubled to lead off the second inning and scored two batters later after Joe Stella’s (Barry) fielder’s choice was compiled with an error by the Kettleers. Twos were wild for the second baseman as he finished his day 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI.
“I know he’s got a little bit of juice in there, and today he really came out, so we’re happy to see it,” Shevchik said.
Prior to Austin’s double, Jaime Ferrer (Florida State) sent a rocket to the Kettleers’ third baseman, who had to dive to stop the ball from reaching the outfield grass, allowing James Tibbs (Florida State) to tie the game at two apiece. Then after two more runs came across, Patrick Forbes (Louisville) hit a ball to the second baseman, and thanks to heads-up baserunning, Ferrer dove past the tag at home plate to make it 5-2.
The final run of the inning, and ultimately the contest, came off a wild pitch, as Austin scrambled home as Cotuit pitcher Ben Grable spiked a 58-foot changeup past his own catcher.
While the offense was key to Brewster’s victory Wednesday evening , the pitching was solid for the second game in a row, with Jake Marshall (Rutgers) getting the nod to start the game. He went four innings, allowing three hits and giving up two runs while striking out three.
The rest of the game was guided by lefty Joey DeChiaro (Old Dominion) and Josh Timmerman (Ohio State). They combined to allow zero runs on zero hits in three innings of work. DeChiaro shouldered 2.1 innings of work, delivering his second scoreless appearance.
“[DeChiaro] just comes in, he throws strikes, he’s really tough on left handers and he just competes,” Shevchik said.
DeChiaro allowed no baserunners in the fifth, then surrendered just one walk in the sixth before punching out Rodney Green Jr. and giving way to Timmerman.
“I felt pretty good, the slider was working really well,” DeChiaro said. “Fastball played up and left a couple middle-middle but overall I felt really good and the defense had my back so I was really proud of us. This was definitely a team win.”
After Timmerman shut the door, Green and Leach singled in the eighth before nature intervened, causing play to stop after lightning was spotted over Lowell Park. With about an hour of daylight left, the two managers — in anticlimactic fashion — shook hands at home plate to confirm a second straight win for Brewster.
The Whitecaps were also assisted by impressive defense from catcher Julian Brock (Louisiana-Lafayette) and Ferrer. Brock threw out two runners trying to steal second and Ferrer caught two runners trying to stretch singles into doubles with a cannon of an arm.
“Good win,” Shevchik said. “Good win against a very good team.”
Brewster returns home to Stony Brook Friday, as they welcome the Falmouth Commodores into town for a 5 p.m. first pitch.