Harwich defeats Orleans 3-2 in Opening Day victory
by Liam Flaherty, Harwich Mariners @_LiamFlaherty, 6/12/18 12:00 AM
HARWICH Harwich defeated Orleans 3-2 at Whitehouse Field on Tuesday to kick off its 2018 Cape Cod Baseball League schedule, thanks in large part to the early success of its rotation on the hill.
Garrett Stallings, the RHP out of Tennessee, got the start in the seasons first of 44 games and went six innings, allowing just two runs on four hits before he was relieved by Christian Santana and Andrew Misiaszek who shut the door on any chance of a late Firebird (0-1) comeback.
At the plate, Gabe Rivera registered three singles to lead the Mariners (1-0) to their first win of the season, while Tanner Morris and Andre Lipcius each put up RBIs to cushion the lead throughout the game.
Harwich was first to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Raymond Gil sent a double into the gap that was followed by an eventual sacrifice fly from Morris to score a run with the bases loaded.
In the top of the sixth, the Firebirds jumped on the board with force off a towering home run from catcher Jaxx Groshans that soared over the fence and out of the field in deep left/center.
The Mariners were quick to respond however, as Lipcius shot a double into the gap a half inning later that allowed Danny Casals to score and tie the game at two heading into the seventh.
Santana (3 Ks) came in to relieve Stallings to start the seventh. With the game tied and no outs, the righty from Florida International was quick to find himself in a jam.
When Rivera was unable to come up with a diving play in right field that gave an Orleans runner second base with one out, Santana followed with a pass ball that moved the runner up to third.
Following both of their miscues however, Santana buckled down and got out of the inning unscaved.
Rivera was quick to make up for his mistake in the bottom half of the inning as well. He notched his third single of the night to start the rally which eventually led to the bases-loaded pass ball that earned Harwich its late 3-2 lead.
After a scoreless eighth and back-to-back strikeouts from Santana, things got interesting for the Mariners when Andrew Misiaszek came into the game to close out the top of the ninth and clinch the first save of the year.
After surrendering a leadoff single and hitting an Orleans batter in the inning's first two at-bats, putting runners on second and third following a sacrifice bunt, Misiaszek found his groove and got out of the jam on the heels of back to back strikeouts to close out the night and solidify Harwich its Opening Day victory at home.
The Mariners are back in action Wednesday night when they travel to Wareham to take on the Gatemen.
First pitch is set for 6:30 pm at Clem Spillane Field.
