FALMOUTH, Mass. – The Falmouth Commodores were swept by the Orleans Firebirds in Sunday’s doubleheader, from Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field. The ’Dores dropped game one 3–2 and fell 3–1 in the second contest.
Pitching was the story of the day, as the hurlers from both clubs managed to limit the opposition to no more than three runs in either game. The pitching staffs from Falmouth and Orleans also combined to record 32 strikeouts over the two games.
It is important to note that during doubleheaders in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, each game is seven innings.
Game One: Orleans 3 – Falmouth 2
The Commodores’ pitching staff was solid in game one, yielding just three runs on five hits. Ben Hess started the contest for the ’Dores, striking out four batters while giving up a run in four innings of work. Reliever Levi Wells picked up the loss, as he allowed the game-tying and game-winning runs during a pair of frames on the mound.
Falmouth’s bats struggled to receive timely hitting in this one, scoring just two runs on five hits. The team left five runners on base and struck out a total of nine times. Assistant coach Brett Becker said he believes the team is still adjusting to using wood bats and that the team needs to remain persistent as it goes through these struggles.
“It’s just about working at our craft and continuing to get better,” Becker said. “And, learning from the adversity and just continuing to try to put one foot in front of the other when it’s not going [our] way.”
Despite the club’s quiet game at the plate, catcher Jack Payton impressed during his season debut by going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The Commodores struck first this afternoon, taking an early 1–0 lead in the bottom of the first. Payton came through in his first at-bat with the club, dropping an RBI single into shallow left field to score shortstop Alex Mooney.
Hess got into a jam in the top of the second inning but managed to escape the frame and keep the score at 1–0. The Alabama product gave up singles to the first two batters of the frame, and then the runners advanced to second and third base on a passed ball by Payton. With no outs in the inning, Hess induced a groundout to third base and a pair of fly outs to center to get out of trouble.
The Commodores extended their lead in the bottom of the third inning, plating a run to take a 2–0 lead against the Firebirds. Mooney advanced from second to third base on a wild pitch, and then came home to score after an errant throw by Firebird’s catcher Garret Guillemette.
Orleans then got on the board in the top of the fourth, trimming its deficit to 2–1. Left fielder Jacob Stinson brought home third baseman Jacob Wilson on a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Firebirds then plated a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning, rallying to take a 3–2 lead over the Commodores. Second baseman Nate Furman hit a two-run double that just dropped in fair down the left field line, scoring Jake Cunningham and Guillemette.
Falmouth got a pair of runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but the club was ultimately held scoreless. Mooney ended the contest by flying out just in front of the left field wall.
Click here for game one’s box score.
Game Two: Orleans 3 – Falmouth 1
The Commodores’ offense had another difficult game, scoring one run on four hits. The team also struck out seven times during game two. However, center fielder Andrew Pinckney had a solid night at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Pinckney said he believes the team needs to make adjustments in the batter’s box to get back on track.
“I think we just need to simplify our approach,” Pinckney said. “As we get some more at-bats and get our timing down, the runs will start coming.”
Falmouth’s pitching was once again productive on the mound, yielding just three runs on five hits. Juaron Watts-Brown started the game for the ’Dores, and allowed only two runs and struck out four batters. Southpaw Drew Sommers posted a dominant relief outing in his team debut, striking out two batters in two hitless innings.
The Firebirds opened the scoring in game two, plating a pair of runs in the top of the third to take a 2–0 lead over the ’Dores. Center fielder Travis Honeyman hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring third baseman Diego Baqueiro. Shortstop Jacob Wilson then drove a solo homer over the wall in left field.
Falmouth got one of these runs back in the bottom of the fourth, trimming its deficit to 2–1 against Orleans. Right fielder Anthony Mackenzie drove an RBI double to right-center field, as the ball just got past the diving attempt of Firebird’s right fielder Garrett Pennington. Mackenzie’s first hit of the second game drove in Pinckney.
Orleans tacked on an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning, taking a 3–1 advantage against Falmouth. First baseman Kevin Sim extended the club’s lead by crushing a solo home run over the left-center field fence.
This would hold as the final score, as the teams traded zeros for the remainder of the game. The losses drop Falmouth’s record to 2–6-0 on the season. Pinckney said that despite getting swept in the doubleheader, he is confident that the team will improve moving forward.
“[We] definitely didn’t get the result that we wanted, but it’s a long summer,” Pinckney said. “Once the bats get rolling, the pitchers are doing great, we’ll start throwing some wins together.”
The Commodores will return to action at 7 p.m. June 21, as the club will travel to take on the Chatham Anglers at Veterans Field.
Click here for game two’s box score.
Note: Featured image by Meghan Murphy.
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Click here for the 2022 Falmouth Commodores schedule.
Tommy Mumau can be reached at tmumau@ithaca.edu. Follow him on Twitter @tommymumau13.
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