Hawks' Late Inning Heroics Fall Short in 5-4 Loss to Yarmouth-Dennis
By: Ben Pope
The ninth-inning magic for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks fell just short Wednesday night, as they fell to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox 5-4.
Hyannis (10-10-1) sent seven batters to the plate in the eventful ninth inning, with Cam Smith stepping to the plate with the bases loaded and the go-ahead runs in scoring position. The Florida State third baseman lined the first pitch he saw to the warning track in right, ending the night.
The Harbor Hawks grabbed an early lead in the third, with Nick Mitchell reaching on an error by Red Sox (12-8-1) shortstop Max Viera and scoring on a throwing error by third baseman Zander Darby. The lead did not last, however, as Yarmouth-Dennis added two in the fifth inning on a Hunter Hines groundout and a Will King RBI single.
The Red Sox added runs in the seventh and eighth to extend their lead. The Hawks were still within reach, thanks to two Austin Kelly RBIs in the sixth and eighth innings respectively. Head coach Eric Beattie gave props to the Yarmouth-Dennis hitters postgame. “[The bullpen] pitched themselves into a lot of trouble, we almost pitched out of it too. [The Red Sox] seemed to get big swings when they needed them.
Yarmouth-Dennis received the length they needed from starter Eric Yost and reliever Cole Hillier, combining for eight frames of three-run ball.
The Hyannis bullpen was tested early and often, as starter Hayden Frank only lasted two innings in his outing. Cade Obermueller and Ethan Lanthier both struggled, allowing multiple runs each. “Guys just need to get better whenever there are hitters on, and make quality pitches in those tough situations,” Beattie said.
One bright spot for the Harbor Hawks continues to be the emergence of outfielder Nick Mitchell, who had three hits and three runs scored on the night. Mitchell, who previously played for the Red Sox earlier this season, now has recorded a hit in each of his last five games. “He’s seeing the ball really well,” Beattie said of Mitchell, “…seems like he’s finding barrel every time he swings right now.”
The Harbor Hawks will have the day off Thursday, July 6 before traveling to Cotuit for a matchup with the first-place Kettleers on Friday, July 7. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
Ben Pope can be reached at bpope9202@gmail.com or be found on Twitter @bope016.
