Long Ball Dooms Whitecaps in Loss to Commodores

Kyle Datres drove in Brewster's only run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the third inning (c) Marielle McLoughlin 2017

By: Carter Woodiel

The Falmouth Commodores entered Tuesday night's game with the Brewster Whitecaps with the most home runs in the Cape Cod League. When the game got started, they showed everyone why. 

​Falmouth (7-7) tagged Whitecaps pitching for four homers in their 7-1 win over Brewster (6-6-1) before 1,093 fans at Arnie Allen Diamond. 

Marty Bechina (Michigan State) hit two of the Commodores' homers, extending his league-leading home run total to six. He finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI.

Whitecaps starter J.R. McDermott (Colorado Mesa) gave up two of the Commodores' home runs. Shortstop Logan Davidson (Clemson) hit a two-run shot in the second inning, and Bechina hit a solo home run in the third.

McDermott (1-1) took the loss for Brewster, giving up four runs (three earned) over seven innings of work while walking one and striking out five. He did not allow a run during his final four innings.

"I just got back to my fastball," McDermott said when asked about the four scoreless frames. "I made two mistakes that really hurt me ... I just kind of got back to the basics."

​Whitecaps head coach Jamie Shevchik had originally planned for McDermott to only go six innings, but after a 1-2-3 sixth his starter told him he wanted the ball. McDermott allowed two hits in the seventh, but did not give up a run.

Andy Pagnozzi (Ole Miss) relieved McDermott in the eighth inning, giving up a two-run home run to Bechina and a solo home run to Willie Burger (Penn State). It was Burger's first home run of the season.

Scott Politz (Yale) got the win for Falmouth, giving up one run on four hits over 6 innings. He walked one and struck out two.

The Whitecaps scored their only run of the game in the third inning, when Kyle Datres (North Carolina) hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Christian Molfetta (Stanford). It was Datres' first RBI of the season for Brewster. 

​The loss is the Whitecaps' second in a row, with the first quarter of the Cape Cod League season nearly over. Shevchik said he and his staff have done their best to spread around playing time, but added they'll soon make decisions on a more regular rotation.

"Eventually roles are going to have to be defined." he said. "Some guys are going to be bench guys, some guys are going to be a pinch runner -- we're going to have to win." 

The Whitecaps' next game is at home vs. Chatham at 5 p.m. Eastern. Fans can watch the game on Lower Cape TV channel 99 and on the Whitecaps' YouTube channel.