By Brandon Ball
HYANNIS – Jeff Trundy and the West Division leading Commodores entered McKeon Park for the 3rd and final time of the regular season to face off against the last place Hyannis in a win or go home game for the ‘Hawks. If the Harbor Hawks lost this game, they would be eliminated from the playoff race in the West.
Behind 10 hits, clutch pitching, and good defense, the Commodores ended the playoff hopes for the Hyannis in a close 7-6 win for Falmouth.
The Commodores (23-19-1) began the night against Blake Sanderson (FAU), who was making his first appearance of the season for the Harbor Hawks (16-24-3).
Trevor Larnach (Oregon St) got the night started for the ‘Dores with a two-out double and was driven in by Josh Breaux (McLennan CC) just a batter later, delivering the second straight double for the first run of the game.
Luke Corbin (Samford) made his first start of the summer for Falmouth. He finished the night with no outs in the fourth, allowing five runs on seven hits, two walks and no strikeouts.
In the second, Falmouth gained some insurance with a hit by pitch followed by two doubles from Hunter Steinmetz (Missouri St) and Clayton Daniel (Jacksonville St) to jump ahead 3-1.
Corbin entered the bottom of the second with a three-run lead and faced the middle of the Hyannis line-up. He ended up allowing a run to come home on an RBI-single from Ryan Oleneka and then loaded the bases with no-outs thereafter but left them stranded.
Falmouth added to the lead in the 4th after Austin Langworthy (Florida) blooped an RBI single into right-center to score Cam O’Neill (Holy Cross) from second.
The first four batters for the ‘Hawks all reached base and came around to score in the home half of the fourth thanks to a two-run double and a two-run homer. The homer gave Hyannis a brief 5-4 lead.
Jack Pabich (Cal St. Fullerton) came in of relief of Luke Corbin with no outs in the fourth. He retired three of the four he saw to get the ‘Dores out of the frame.
Falmouth bounced right back in the fifth with a Josh Breaux single and an error that pushed the runners to second and third with no outs.
After a groundout, Marty Bechina (Michigan St.) stepped up and drilled a fly ball into center field. The ball had home-run height, but not the distance, as it dropped in front of the wall and allowed both runners to score. Marty slid into a one-out, two-ru triple. Cam O’Neill came up right after and lifted a fly ball into center to record a sac-fly and his second RBI of the night. After four and a half innings, the Commodores had the lead once again, 7-5.
In the fifth, Hyannis cut the lead down to one with Ford Proctor’s RBI single. The single brought the tying run to third with two outs. Will Ethridge (Ole Miss) relieved Pabich.
A batter later, Hyannis would try to steal that seventh run to tie the game by utilizing the delayed steal. But Clayton Daniel’s soft hands and hard throw home were good enough to gun down the runner at home, keeping the game at 7-6.
Ethridge pitched 1.1 scoreless innings and gave way to Derrick Adams (Jacksonville St.) in the seventh, making his 14th appearance out of the ‘pen for Falmouth. He ran into some trouble in the eighth, after three straight singles loaded the bases with one out. Adams left the bases stranded with a clutch strikeout and then a ground out to the first basemen, Cam O’Neill, to end the threat.
That did it for Adams, as Falmouth brought their closer to the mound in Ryan Zeferjahn (Kansas) looking for his 6th save of the season. He did just that in a 1-2-3 inning that earned the ‘Dores their 23rd win of the season.
‘Dores tidbits:
- Falmouth stays in first place, have an opportunity to clinch the Western Division title tomorrow night at The Guv.
- The Commodores scored seven runs, making it 19 in the last two games, after scoring just 5 through the previous 5.
- The Falmouth bullpen has allowed one run or less in six straight outings.
The Commodores Corner 