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Sometimes Zac Gallen (North Carolina) gets funny looks because his first name is spelled without a K at the end of it. But that didn’t stop him from prompting the Anglers' team president, Steve West, to hang eight Ks on the third-base line bleachers at Veterans Field on Friday night.
“He threw really, really well tonight,” said Manager John Schiffner. “He moved the ball around the plate, he changed speeds very well, and kept them off stride.”
Gallen finished with a strikeout in each of his five frames. The Harbor Hawks (9-6) managed three hits and one walk against the right-hander, but they pushed nobody across the plate with him on the mound.
“Curveball felt good tonight,” said Gallen. “I was surprised because it didn’t feel that good in the pen, but it was good to finally get that and have a strikeout pitch.”
The start continues Gallen’s two-year trend of throwing well for Chatham (9-6), but it also continues his streak of not getting a win for his efforts. After the Chatham starter left the game, the Hyannis offense outpaced their Chatham counterparts en route to a 5-2 Harbor Hawk victory.
“We were flat,” said Schiffner. “We’re not tearing the cover off the ball, and we need to start making some adjustments at the plate.”
The pivotal inning of the game was the top of the seventh. Hyannis cashed in on an RBI double from Jake Rogers (Tulane), an RBI single from Austin Hays (Jacksonville), and a two-run double from Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast).
“You leave one pitch up and it gets ripped down the left-field line,” said Schiffner. “That’s how finite this game is, especially in this league where everybody is so good.”
The only other Hyannis run of the night came in the prior inning when JaVon Shelby (Kentucky) got a run home on an infield single.
The only frame the Anglers scored in was the third, and they put up two in that inning. Kyle Adams (Richmond) started the party with a leadoff single. Trenton Brooks (Nevada) followed by battling all the way back from an 0-2 count to eventually walk. Corey Raley (Texas Tech) then executed a textbook sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out, and Aaron Knapp (California) slapped a single to leftfield to bring them home.
“These guys will be fine,” said Schiffner. “They’ll be right back.”
Jake Godfrey (Louisiana State) made his first appearance of the year for Chatham. The Tiger struck out two batters and did not allow a run in two innings of work.
“It was an amazing [college] season; those guys are great,” said Godfrey. “And now I get to come here and meet all these new people. It’s been a great experience.”
The Anglers next host the Whitecaps at 7 p.m. on Saturday.