Brewster outlasts Cotuit in 3-0 pitcher’s duel

By: Koki Riley

​BREWSTER, M.A. – There haven’t been too many pitching duels for the Brewster Whitecaps (15-19-1) this season.
 
With just eight combined hits in six and a half frames, Wednesday night’s ballgame against the Cotuit Kettleers (17-15-4) was played at an oddly fast and furious pace.
 
“The walks didn’t hurt us, the hit batsmen didn’t come around and score,” Whitecaps head coach Jamie Shevchik said. “If it wasn’t for good starting pitching we would have started to heat up the bats down a couple runs.”
 
But after a lead-off single in the top of the seventh, up to the plate came T.J. Collett (Kentucky). 
 
Tied for second in the Cape League in home runs, Collett’s ability to drive in runs has kept the Whitecaps within the playoff race in the Eastern Division.
 
So, after falling behind in the count to Cotuit reliever Richard Brereton (Emory) Collett did what he does best. Hit dingers.
 
The Indiana natives opposite field two-run bomb gave Brewster the lead and placed the first runs of the game for either side in the Whitecaps eventual 3-0 win over the Kettleers.
 
“Once I learned that I can hit a home run in any part of the field it really just allowed me to wait on the ball to get to me and then still be able to hit for power the other way,” Collett said. 
 
Besides hitting four batters in five plus innings of work, Mason Black (Lehigh) was superb with no runs allowed and five strikeouts against Cotuit’s lineup.
 
And his counterpart Trey Holland (Sewanee South) was arguably even better, surrendering just four hits while striking out seven Whitecaps in five scoreless frames.
 
But the most impressive outing of the night came from Brewster reliever Sean Fisher (Maryland) who in four innings pitched allowed just one hit while striking out four Kettleers.
 
The lefties earned run average is now at a microscopic 1.26 in 21.1 innings thrown this summer.
 
“Arguably our two best arms on this team came in and pitched today,” Shevchik said. “If I can use those two guys on Friday and Saturday and Sunday we’ve got a shot to get into the playoffs.”
 
With Harwich winning the first game of a two-game double header, the Whitecaps deficit in the division will at the very least remain at three points.
 
Brewster has tomorrow off but on Friday head to Hyannis to face off against the Harbor Hawks. First pitch is at 6:00 p.m.

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