Brendan Summerhill slowly made his way into the batter's box with a chance to break the game open for Wareham. Already responsible for driving in all of the Gatemen’s four runs entering the sixth inning due to a grand slam in the second, Summerhill remained relaxed.

With runners on second and third, Summerhill drew a 3-1 count against Chatham reliever Tyler Kozera (UCF). Summerhill was aggressive, reaching for a low pitch. The center fielder didn’t make great contact, breaking his bat in the process, but shot the ball just past Aiva Arquette (Washington) at third base. Summerhill’s fifth and sixth RBIs put Wareham up 6-2 in the top of the sixth inning.

“Anytime you can put up crooked numbers as an offense it changes the dynamic,” Chatham manager Jeremy “Sheets” Sheetinger said postgame. “(Wareham) had those innings that sort of put us behind the 8-ball and we had to play catch-up the whole game.”

Summerville finished a triple shy of the cycle to carry Wareham (9-2, West) to an 8-2 win over Chatham (5-6, East). Despite out-hitting the Gatemen 9-8, the Anglers struck out 12 times, getting just one run across the final eight innings. Chatham’s struggles at the plate prevented a comeback as it dropped its sixth game of the season.

Liam Paddack (Gonzaga) stepped on the mound for the second time this season. His first outing went smoothly, allowing just one run on one hit in 5.1 innings against Orleans. Paddack’s seven strikeouts helped the Anglers defeat the Firebirds 2-1.

Facing a red-hot Wareham lineup, Paddack nearly ran into trouble early. Summerhill laced a leadoff single into right field. Following two steals, Summerhill advanced to third. A two-out walk to Antonio Jimenez put men on the corners.

Paddack nearly loaded the bases with another walk as Sam White drew a full count. Though Paddack got him to bite a breaking ball to end the inning.

Unlike the Gatemen, Chatham took advantage with runners on. Austin Overn (USC) extended his hitting streak to five games, slapping a single into left field off Yoel Tejeda Jr. With Ike Irish (Auburn) up to bat, Overn stole second on a passed ball. The next pitch, he took off for third base and Wareham catcher Jacob Jarrell fired the ball past Triston Gray at third base, allowing Overn to easily trot home.

Wareham proceeded to put ducks on the pond the next time as Paddack struggled with his location. A walk to Jarrell, then back-to-back hit batters, left the bases juiced as Paddack was replaced despite only just one hit allowed. Sheetinger said the lefty “didn’t have his best stuff” on the mound during his outing.

Pierce George (Alabama) entered in relief and was instantly rocked. Summerhill blasted the first pitch he saw deep over the right field fence. Summerhill’s grand slam gave Wareham a 4-1 advantage.

Tejeda Jr. then settled in on the other side. The Anglers had several hard-hit balls in the coming innings with nothing to show for it. Luke Cantwell (Pittsburgh) drove a fastball deep to center field, which Summerhill eventually tracked down. Campbell Smithwick (Ole Miss) repeated the same action but also fell short of the fence.

Sheetinger said the Wareham starter did a good job of keeping the Anglers off balance. Tejeda Jr. fanned five batters in four innings without allowing an earned run.


Despite allowing a home run on his first pitch, George found a rhythm on the mound. George breezed through the third, sitting Wareham down in order. Nate Earley started the fourth by drilling a double down the first base line, but George remained unfazed.

Two straight groundouts to Arquette and Jayden Davis (Vanderbilt) held Earley at third. George ended the frame by striking out Bobby Boser.

The Anglers attempted to make some noise in the bottom of the fourth when Davis poked a ball through the right side, putting runners on second and third with two outs. However, Smithwick grounded right to Boser at second base to end the Anglers’ threat.

Chatham put traffic on the bases in the bottom of the fifth as well after Tejeda Jr. was replaced by Lucas Mahlstedt. A passed ball on a strikeout allowed Overn to get to first before Kyle Lodise (Georgia Tech) drew a walk.

Irish advanced both players with a fielder's choice, putting men at second and third. John Bay (Austin Peay) came to the plate representing the tying run. The power-hitter squared to bunt, though Overn didn’t get a jump and was eventually tagged out in a run-down.

Arquette knocked an infield single for Chatham’s first run since the first inning, but a Cantwell strikeout kept the Anglers behind 4-2.

Wareham followed up with a three-run sixth, boosted by Summerhill’s two-run double. At the same time, the Anglers’ offense continued to struggle due to a combination of weak contact and strikeouts. Arquette stepped to the plate with two outs in the seventh inning. Irish stood 90 feet away at third base, yet Arquette grounded out easily to shortstop.

Another chance to eat at Wareham’s lead presented itself in the eighth. Davis faced pitcher Jacob Faulkner with zero outs and men on first and second. Davis produced great contact but lined the ball straight to Boser. To make matters worse, Ashton Larson (LSU) was caught well off the bag at first and easily doubled up. A Smithwick pop-up concluded the inning.

The Gatemen tacked on one more run in the top of the ninth before Jake Faherty struck out the side to seal the loss for Chatham.

“You’ve got to go through those moments and maybe you just don't show up the way you want to, but the more you learn, the more you compete,” Sheetinger said of the Anglers' missed opportunities. “The more you go back and re-evaluate what you're seeing, the better plan you have for your next opportunity.”