Chatham’s (6-6-1) game at Yarmouth-Dennis (4-9) was shortened to eight innings due to darkness on Tuesday night, and the Anglers edged the Red Sox 16-14. It’s hard to quantify both pitching and hitting success in a game that holds 30 runs, 31 hits and 10 arms. Of the 18 players that started for both Chatham and Y-D, only one didn’t score a run. All of the 10 pitchers that threw gave up a run, either earned or unearned. After a scoreless first inning, the Red Sox scored in every frame from the second to eighth and the Anglers put up three or more runs in five of those innings. 

Sample sizes were stretched and stats were skewed, and the Anglers can only hope to extract the hot hitting and leave the sporadic pitching behind. They’ll travel to face Bourne (10-3) at Doran Park at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, and here’s a look back at the slugfest and ahead to the follow-up act. 

Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) has been red hot out of the leadoff spot. View full gallery here (click). 

At the plate

Everyone walked in the hitting parade. Chris Shaw (Boston College), whose early-season slump mired the hardballs he was hitting, has finally seemed to find a stride. Shaw went 4-for-6 with three runs and an RBI, and highlighted his day with a towering opposite-field home run. Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) hit the game-winning three-run home run in the eighth, and also reached base four other times and scored four runs. A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) also collected three RBIs. Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State), at the top of the order, and Landon Cray (Seattle), at the bottom oft he order, both finished 3-for-6. Simmons bumped his season average to .417 and Cray pushed his to .310. 

“It was just that kind of night,” Murray said. “They say hitting’s contagious and that’s what happened. We felt like we could get a hold of anything.”

On the mound

While the Anglers were able to edge the Red Sox in the end, Chatham manager John Schiffner plainly evaluated his staff's performance. 

“Games like this show me that we just need to pitch better,” Schiffner said. “There are things that we need to work on and this is definitely one.”

Andrew Chin (Boston College) started for the Anglers and gave up five runs — four earned — in three innings of work. Against Chin and then the Chatham bullpen, the Red Sox used the long ball to sprinkle runs onto the scoreboard. Hunter Cole hit a two-run home run in back-to-back innings, and Rob Fonseca and Ryan Hissey also went yard in the game. In all, the Anglers gave up 14 runs on 13 hits. 

“We don’t like having games like that,” said Kyle Davis (Southern California), who came on in the eighth and earned the save. “But they happen. Sometimes the hitters just get hot.”

Up next 

Bourne is in first place in the West Division and is tied with Harwich (10-3) for the best record in the league. The Braves are 7-0 at Doran Park to start the season and are also winners of five straight, last losing 8-3 to Hyannis on June 19. Jordan Hillyer (Kennesaw State) is expected to start for the Anglers, and Eric Nyquist for Bourne. Nyquist made two starts this season and pitched to a losing decision in that loss to Hyannis. 

Broadcast information 

Broadcast coverage of the Anglers and Braves begins at 5:40 p.m. with the Anglers Extra Pregame Show. Watch and listen on TRZ Teamline or listen by phone 1-800-846-4700, code 3481. Visit Broadcast Central for more information.