FALMOUTH, Mass. – In the bottom of the ninth, with the game tied, Kris Armstrong walked to the plate with a chance to win it. On a 2-2 count, the Florida Gator absolutely crushed a changeup deep into the Falmouth night, giving the Commodores a 5-4 walk-off win over the Chatham Anglers.
The thrilling victory extends Falmouth’s winning streak to four games, as the club maintains its position in second place in the West Division. Manager Jeff Trundy said that he has enjoyed watching the team get into a rhythm over this recent stretch.
“It’s nice to be able to see the kids having some fun, they’ve continued to work,” Trundy said. “You can kind of get the vibe that they’re having a good time together and really enjoying [it]. Let’s just see where it takes us.”
Chatham put on a show for the crowd at Guv Fuller Field, swapping the lead five times in a rollercoaster of a game.
The ‘Dores had a solid night at the plate, scoring five runs on 10 hits. Armstrong stole the show, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, including the walk-off dinger. Anthony Hall also had a big night, knocking in a run in a 2-for-4 performance.
Falmouth’s pitching staff also got the job done, allowing just four runs. Lucas Gordon was outstanding out of the bullpen, striking out six batters in two scoreless innings of work.
The Commodores didn’t waste any time getting on the board in this one, taking a 1-0 against the Anglers in the bottom of the first inning. Taylor Smith drove home the first run of the game, plating Casey Harford by lacing an RBI double to left field.
The Anglers answered back in the third inning, taking a 2-1 lead against the ‘Dores. Matt Hogan lined a two-run rocket over the right field wall, putting Chatham ahead.
Hall showcased his opposite-field power in the bottom half of the frame, tying the game at 2-2 by launching an RBI double to left-center field. The knock dropped just over the center fielder Caeden Trenkle’s head, allowing Jace Bohrofen to cross the dish.
The Anglers reclaimed the lead in the fourth inning, as Lyle Miller-Green put the club up 3-2 by powering an RBI double that fell just in front of the center field wall.
The Commodores took back the game in the bottom of the fourth, plating a pair of runs to take a 4-3 lead. Bohrofen showed off his speed by cranking an RBI standup triple to deep center field, driving home Kodie Kolden. Armstrong then blasted an RBI double off the center field fence, scoring Bohrofen to put the ‘Dores back in the lead.
Chatham continued to battle in the fifth inning, tying the contest at 4-4 on Max Romero’s RBI single up the middle.
The clubs would then trade zeros until the bottom of the ninth, when Armstrong would win the ballgame with a walk-off laser that got over the right field wall in an eye blink.
Armstrong said that he was expecting a changeup in his game-winning at-bat.
“It was a tough, tough battle, to be honest,” Armstrong said. “He was trying to blow fast balls by me, and I was fouling them off, fouling them off. And, I had a feeling he was going to come with a changeup. So, I just kind of sat back a little bit and threw my hands at it.”
The win improves Falmouth’s record to 12-13-2 on the season. The Commodores will take on the Anglers again on Monday at 7 p.m., from Veteran’s Field.
Click here for Sunday night’s box score.
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Click here for the 2021 Falmouth Commodores schedule.
Tommy Mumau can be reached at tmumau@ithaca.edu. Follow him on Twitter @tommymumau13.
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