A Disastrous Fifth Inning Dooms the Whitecaps in 12-7 Loss

By: Koki Riley

FALMOUTH, M.A. – It was 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning between the Brewster Whitecaps (8-8-1) and the Falmouth Commodores (6-7-1). The Whitecaps had blown a 3-0 first inning lead, but had finally broken through offensively in the first after Marcos Castanon’s (UC Santa Barbara) three-run homer.
 
But then disaster struck.
 
Defensive miscues, a plethora of base hits and poor Whitecaps pitching resulted in nine Commodores runs that resulted in a 12-3 scored by the start of the sixth inning.
 
“Our pitchers were not good enough against their hitters,” Whitecaps head coach Jamie Shevchik said after the loss. “We just didn’t have anything to get them out.
 
“Those two-innings buried us.”
 
Daniel Harper (Kentucky) was ineffective in his second start as a Whitecap, allowing three earned runs in 3.1 innings pitched, but Harper’s struggles were compounded even further into the ground by Sean Hunley (Tennessee).
 
In his first relief appearance for Brewster, the big righty allowed five runs (three earned) in 0.2 innings pitched. This included six hits in the eight batters that the Tennessee native faced.
 
In his time with Brewster, Hunley has never been able to find his footing on the Cape. In 7.2 innings pitched, Hunley has surrendered seven earned runs and 16 hits, resulting in a. 8.21 earned run average this season.
 
His move to the bullpen from the rotation was inevitable, but, so far, the switch has only made matters worse for Hunley.
 
“He’s got to do a better job at holding runners and minimizing the damage,” Shevchik said. “I think that goes with a handful of our guys.”
 
But Tuesday night’s matchup wasn’t all doom and gloom for the visitors.
 
In the top of the eighth inning, the Whitecaps scored four runs, including home runs from the bats of Eric Foggo (Stetson) and Justin Vought (Maryland). Despite being down by nearly double digits, Brewster showed the type of spirit and effort that has kept them at, or above, a .500 record all season.
 
“They kind of just kept battling,” Shevchik said. “The guys that came in off the bench took it seriously and worked a couple good at bats.”
 
For the Whitecaps, the next two games are crucial in their quest to reach a third straight playoff appearance. 
 
A home and home series against the last place Harwich Mariners comes at a time where the Whitecaps lead the Mariners by just four points. Two wins or two losses could determine whether or not Brewster gets a chance at playing August baseball on the Cape.
 
As mentioned above the Whitecaps host the first of a two-game set on Wednesday against the Mariners from Stony Brook Field. First pitch is at 5 p.m.