Gatemen get monkey off back snapping 3 game losing streak

The Gatemen offense has been in a slight slump the last 4 games but looked ready to go in the first inning. Braiden Ward (Washington) got on with a single and advanced to 2ndon a steal. Darren Baker (Cal Berkeley) hit a single of his own putting runners on the corners with no outs. Ward scored on a wild pitch making it 1-0 Gatemen.

The Gatemen jumped out to early leads in both games in the double header against Falmouth but that backfired. Wareham squandered a 1-0 and 3-0 lead yesterday. Matt McLain (UCLA) stretched the lead to 2-0 sending home Baker on a line drive single into left field for his 19thRBI of the summer.

Coy Cobb (Texas) didn’t get off to the start he would have wanted against a Bourne team who has struggled on offense this season. The Braves have the 2ndworst team batting average in the CCBL but they got to Cobb in the first inning. After 2 straight singles Jimmy Glowenke (Dallas Baptist) roped a double into the right field corner cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Things only got worse for Cobb as a walk loaded up the bases with only 1 out. Kyle Hess (Pitt) tied the game on a sacrifice groundout. It took Cobb 28 pitches but he limited the damage to 2 runs.

Christopher Mauloni (Jacksonville) pulled a rabbit out of a hat in his Wareham Gatemen debut. Mauloni relieved Cobb in the 2ndinning and allowed 3 walks in the first 4 batters he faced. Mauloni forced 2 straight putouts to end the inning unscathed.

Pitching coach Jim Lawler originally planned to use Cobb for 2 innings but plans changed. Cobb finished with a line of 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO. Lucas Veinbergs (Missouri) came in for the Gatemen in the 3rdinning. Mauloni posted a final line of 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB.

Jake Mackenzie (Fordham) hit an RBI single right down the middle in the 3rdinning giving the Braves a 3-2 lead. Benjamin Sems (Kansas) completed a double play to keep it a 1 run game.

Sems and Matt Rudick (San Diego State) hit back to back singles in the 4thinning. Ward sent Sems home on an RBI double hit into right field knotting the game up at 3. Baker has been a Braves killer this season.

Baker improved to 3-3 on the night and 9-13 on the season against the Braves sending home 2 runs on a single giving the Gatemen a 5-3 lead. Jacob Teter (Florida Southern) opened the flood gates getting his 22ndRBI of the season sending Baker home on a double extending the lead to 6-3. The Gatemen hit 4 straight RBI as Adrian Del Castillo (Miami) made it 7-3 on a single into center field.

“I was frustrated about how things went against Falmouth. I came up with a chance to win and I couldn’t get it done so I was very focused about playing well tonight” Ward said. “I got my first hit last year against the Braves at this ball park so I guess I have extra confidence against Bourne.”

After the Mackenzie single Veinbergs found his groove on the mound retiring 9 straight batters. That streak was ended in the 6thinning as a single and a Jud Fabian (Florida) double made the score 7-4. The Gatemen went down 1-2-3 in both the 6thand 7thinning.

Veinbergs worked himself into a jam in the 8thinning. 2 singles and an error loaded the bases for the Braves with 1 out. Fabian cut Wareham’s lead to 7-5 on a sacrifice fly to center field. Veinbergs recorded Wareham’s 2ndstrikeout of the game to end the inning.

Trey Dillard (Missouri) came in to close out the game for the Gatemen in the 9thinning. Dillard did his job and did it well only allowing 1 hit sealing up a 7-5 victory for the Gatemen. Veinbergs earned the win and Culliver earned the loss.

Baker was 3-5 with 2 RBI, Sems was 2-3, Rudick was 2-3, and Ward was 2-5 with 1 RBI. Fabian was the standout performer for the Braves going 2-3 with 2 RBI.

With the win the Gatemen improved to 18-15-1 and create a 3 way tie for first place in the West Division with Falmouth and Cotuit. All 3 teams have 37 points but Falmouth has 2 games in hand. Bourne fell to 13-19 still holding on to 4thplace in the West Division.

The Gatemen are back in action Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. against the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. The game is hosted by the Hartford Yard Goats at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford, Connecticut.

Today 8 Wareham Gatemen players will represent the West Division in the CCBL All-Star Game. Dallas Beaver (South Carolina), Teter, Ward, and Ian Bedell (Missouri) are all starters. Trent Palmer (Jacksonville), Baker, Sems, and McLain are in the reserves. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Eldredge Park in Orleans.

“I think we knew the off day was coming up so we emptied the tank tonight and left it all on the field” Baker said. “Last year I was there watching the All-Star game so I am very excited to be a part of it this year.”

Photography: Kristin Ostrowski