Article By: Joseph McLaughlin

Monday afternoon in Yarmouth showcased the Gatemen’s poise during high-pressure situations. After many heartbreaking losses early in the season, the Gatemen have become a battle-tested group that has found multiple ways to win games.

On Monday, their offense got rolling early, getting out to a 5-0 lead. The lead quickly shrank to a 5-4 lead after the Y-D Red Sox clawed back with a four-run third inning. Instead of folding, however, the Gatemen were calm and shut down the Red Sox offense to secure a crucial 6-5 win. 

Now, Wareham holds a three-point lead atop the West Division standings as they head to Chatham to face the Anglers. Chatham, who find themselves at the bottom of a stacked East Division, defeated the Cotuit Kettleers on the road 6-4 on Monday. 

They have momentum of their own and have seen success against the Gatemen this season. Chatham is 2-0 against Wareham this season, defeating them 9-2 on June 16 and 11-6 on July 1. The Gatemen, however, are a much different team than their previous matchup with the Anglers, and look to continue their momentum into the final quarter of the season.

Starting Pitchers

The Gatemen will give the starting privileges to Cooper Consiglio (NC State). The Wolfpack southpaw holds a 3.20 ERA after five starts. He pitched 19 ⅓ innings in that span with 16 hits, 10 runs (seven earned), seven walks, and 15 strikeouts. 

His last start on July 13 against the Falmouth Commodores was dominant. He pitched four scoreless innings, allowed three hits, a walk, and struck out four batters. He will need to dictate the pace against a Chatham lineup that has scored the second-most runs in the league with 142.

The Anglers will start right-hander Jacob Turner (Bowling Green). Turner has made only one appearance this summer. 

On July 15 against the Cotuit Kettleers, the righty pitched two innings with two hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and two strikeouts before being charged with the loss. He will need to be sharp against Wareham’s aggressive lineup, which loves to get off to early leads. 

Players to Watch 

For Wareham:

• Caden McDonald (Florida) has been a solid hitter and pitcher for the Gatemen this summer. The two-way player was named Cape Cod Baseball League Player of the Week on Monday, after recording a hit in every game from July 12 through July 18. 
• Chris McHugh (NC State) also had a great night against Y-D on Monday. He went two-for-three with three RBIs and two runs scored. 

For Chatham:

• Duke Stone (Mississippi State) was named CCBL Pitcher of the Week from July 12 through July 18. He holds a 0.62 WHIP and an 11.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio, both lead the Cape League. Look for him to potentially make an appearance from the bullpen. 
• Daniel Jackson (Georgia) also had a great night against Cotuit on Monday. He went two-for-five with two runs scored, increasing his batting average to .306 on the summer.

First pitch for tonight’s game will be at 7:00 p.m. at Veterans Field in Chatham. It is a special day for the CCBL as ESPN’s SportsCenter will be there covering the game as part of their 50 States in 50 Days campaign. ESPN Reporter Molly McGrath, a Boston College Alum, will be there as the studio anchor and will be available to talk to media interns before the game. 

There will also be prizes and giveaways from ESPN for fans who get to the game early, so be on the lookout for that. You can attend the game for free, but if you cannot make it, do not worry. There will be a radio broadcast live at first pitch with Cory Miller, Josh Richardson, and Rayna Maggelet on the call. You can tune in by clicking HERE.