Shevchik Earns 50th Career Win in 7-3 Offensive Clinic Over Mariners

J.R. McDermott picked up his second win as a Whitecap and lowered his ERA to 2.01 on Wednesday (c) Marielle McLoughlin 2017

By: Koki Riley

​​BREWSTER, MA- In the final game of a stretch in which the Brewster Whitecaps played 17 games in 16 days, Brewster put together arguably its most complete offensive performance of the season on Wednesday night. The Whitecaps took down the visiting Harwich Mariners 7-3, completing a home-and-home sweep of the last-place Mariners.
 
It was truly a complete offensive performance, as every hitter in the Brewster lineup collected at least one hit. Perhaps what was most incredible was that all twelve of the team’s hits were singles and seven of the nine hitters scored a run.
 
“It’s contagious. There’s a lot of confidence out there playing today,” said Whitecaps coach Jamie Shevchik. “There was just a different vibe in the dugout today.”
 
“It’s huge,” said Brewster outfielder Darius Hill (West Virginia). “Before these last couple games against Harwich we were really struggling offensively. Just to get going offensively against these guys will help us going into the rest of the season.”
 
After each team scored a run in the first inning, Shevchik got production from the bottom of his lineup, with Hill really getting the offense going in the bottom of the second with a two-run single to center, giving the Whitecaps a lead they would never relent.
 
“When there’s guys that are in scoring position I just put my mind to it and I say I need to get this guy in and get some runs on the board and help us win the game,” said Hill.
 
Hill would later score on a single from Kyle Datres (UNC), extending the Brewster lead to 4-2.
 
Mickey Gasper (Bryant) brought home another run in the bottom of the second on a single to center, making it 5-2 Whitecaps through two innings.
 
Then, the very next inning, Christian Molfetta (Stanford) scored Nick Dunn (Maryland) from second for his fourth RBI of the season.
 
In what Shevchik called his second-to-last appearance this summer due to an innings limit, Whitecaps starter J.R. McDermott (Colorado-Mesa) was stellar once again, picking up his second win of the season and lowering his ERA to 2.01, which ranks fourth-best in the Cape League this season.
 
McDermott finished his day after five innings, surrendering two runs (one earned), while striking out three.
 
“He’s been great. He’s a Division II kid. He’s the underdog and he came out here with something to prove, pitched with a bit of a chip on his shoulder,” said Shevchik on McDermott. “It’s going to be tough to see him go. Hopefully we can get one more good start out of him and he can leave here with probably one of the best experiences of his life.”
 
Following McDermott, the Brewster bullpen held a struggling Mariners offense to just two hits and one run over four innings. Will Tribucher (Michigan), Joe Molettiere (Monmouth), Ryan Avidano (Georgia), and Sam Bordner (Louisville) combined for four innings of just two-hit ball, while striking out three to secure Brewster’s tenth victory of the season.
 
“Can’t wait for the day off tomorrow. I need a day off tomorrow, I know our guys need a day off tomorrow,” said Shevchik. “It gives us a chance to kind of reset and rebuild our bullpen. We’ve got two guys who are coming in here in the next couple of days, two more arms, so it’s going to be a relief. For us it’s going to feel like a fresh season come Friday.”
 
Shevchik said he plans on spending his off day at the beach, while Hill also has a nautical idea.
 
“I’m going out on the boat with my host family,” Hill said. “I can’t wait, I’m so excited.”
 
Julian Infante (Vanderbilt) brought in Brewster’s first run of the game with an RBI-single, tying the game at one in the bottom of the first.
 
On the bump for the Mariners was righty Christopher Gau (Jacksonville) who kept with what has been a common theme for a Harwich team that ranks eighth in the league in ERA, giving up six runs in just four innings of work.
 
The win was also a special one for Shevchik, as the Brewster manager picked up his 50th career victory as the Whitecaps’ coach. The 2017 season is Shevchik’s third as head coach of the Whitecaps.
 
“It’s been awesome,” Shevchik said, smiling. “Anybody asks me and I say it’s one of the greatest jobs in the world.”
 
WHAT’S NEXT: The Whitecaps have a day off on Thursday before traveling to Spillane Field in Wareham on Friday to take on the second-place Gatemen. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.