Cotuit, Mass. — The Chatham Anglers (8-9) were reeling entering Wednesday’s game after being shutout against Wareham and blown out against Hyannis in their last two games. However, instead of ending the skid with a definitive win over the last place Cotuit Kettleers (3-14), the Anglers added to their frustration with an 8-2 loss at Lowell Park. 

“Very inconsistent,” said manager John Schiffner of his team’s performance the past few games. “We’ve been making a lot of errors, but didn’t make an error tonight, and we haven’t been hitting the ball well, but we outhit the other team.”

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The trouble for the Anglers came on the mound as Chatham pitchers walked nine batters and surrendered seven hits. Bryant’s James Karinchak (0-1) took the loss for Chatham after the right-hander surrendered five runs in two innings of relief. Cotuit scored five runs in the fifth inning off of Karinchak, breaking the game open after the Anglers held a 2-1 lead through four.

“The pitching was not good tonight; very plain, very simple, the pitching was not good,” fumed Schiffner.

The brunt of the damage came when Alonzo Jones of Vanderbilt muscled a three-run, bases-clearing triple to deep right field. The ball sailed over the head of a stumbling Donovan Casey as the Kettleers marched their way to a 5-2 lead. 

An inning later off of Matt Pidich, Jackson Klein crushed a colossal home run far past the 320 sign in left field. The round tripper put the game out of reach for Cotuit as Chatham bats managed only two hits after the fifth inning.

Starter Nick Meservey went three innings for the Anglers, surrendering an unearned run on one hit.

The Angler offense started out promising in the contest as Chatham rattled off four hits in the first three innings and jumped out to the early lead. Jake Palomaki singled in John Aiello from second in the third inning, giving the Anglers the 1-0 lead. After the Kettleers evened the score in the bottom frame, Chatham would retake their one-run lead due to the awareness of Gunnar Troutwine.

The Wichita State product was standing on third with one out when Hunter Lee dribbled a ball down the first base line to Troutwine’s college teammate Grayson Jenista. Jenista quickly glanced at his fellow Shocker before throwing to second to cut down Stuart Fairchild. Upon seeing that Jenista hesitated – preventing the possibility of a double play – Troutwine broke for the plate, scoring without a throw.

Though the Anglers threatened with the bases loaded in the ninth, Troutwine’s run would be the last Chatham would score as base runners reached scoring position just three more times on the night.

Chatham has now dropped three games in a row for the first time since the Orleans Firebirds rattled off three straight wins over the Anglers last August. Schiffner has challenged his players with the responsibility to climb out of their current mediocrity.

“I told them, ‘you guys are big boys, you need to self motivate.’ Some of the leaders need to step up and let’s move on, let’s go,” said Schiffner. “We’re not in desperation mode, I just want our guys to perform better. They’re better than that.”

The Anglers will do their best to clear their minds and recover their bodies on Thursday’s off day before they return to action against the Hyannais Harbor Hawks on Friday night at Veterans Field. Catch all the action on the Cape Cod Baseball Network starting at 6:40 p.m. with Anglers Extra Pregame.