Game one of the Annual Independence Day Series between Chatham and Orleans went the way of the Anglers Sunday night, taking the contest by a score of 5-1. Marc Zecchino (Va. Tech) earned the win, his first decision of the 2010 season, throwing five scoreless innings, allowing five hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Orleans starter Andrew Kittredge (Washington) was saddled with the loss, his first, after allowing all five runs (only three earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts. The Anglers remain in third place behind Yarmouth-Dennis and Brewster in the Eastern Division with an 11-6-1 record. Orleans falls to 7-12, fifth best in the Eastern Division.

Chatham got on the board first in the top of the inning after a leadoff single by Brian Humphries (Pepperdine). With shortstop Stephen Perez (Miami) at the plate in the next at-bat, Humphries stole second, his first swipe of the season. He would then advance to third on a single by Perez. With men on the corners and no outs Rick Oropesa (USC) stepped in and blasted a sacrifice fly to center to score Humphries and put the Anglers up 1-0.

Zecchino allowed a single and a walk in the bottom half of the frame, but pitched well through his five innings of work, retiring the side in order in the second and the fifth.

Chatham first baseman Aaron Westlake (Vanderbilt) scorched a ground rule double to lead off the second, and advanced to third in the next at-bat after Peter Verdin (Georgia) reached on a fielding error by Orleans third baseman Jayce Boyd (Florida St.). After second baseman Dan Paolini (Pepperdine) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, returning Angler Phil Pohl (Clemson) smacked a three-run double in his first at-bat of the 2010 season to put Chatham up 4-0. Humphries would bring home one more run two batters later on a sacrifice fly to right.

Orleans would finally get one on the board in the sixth after reliever Phil Schreiber (Iowa) came on for Zecchino and hit leadoff batter Riccio Torrez (Arizona St.). After walking Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) and Will Piwnica-Worms (Duke) to load the bases, Schreiber hit Kevin Muno (San Diego) with a pitch to bring home a run, cutting the Chatham lead to four. No other runs would come across, with the Anglers pulling out the 5-1 victory.

Chatham's half of the home and home series is scheduled for Monday night with a 7pm start. Tune in to the broadcast starting at 6:40pm with the Anglers Extra Pregame Show at www.chathamanglers.com, or dial into the TRZ Teamline at 1-800-846-4700 and enter the team code 3841.

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www.flickr.com Chatham Anglers' Game 18 at Orleans, 7/4/10 photoset