Daly Dominates Gateman
HYANNIS- Matt Daly (Hawaii) quietly posted his best and likely the best pitching performance seen in the Cape Cod League this season at McKeon Park. Daly, who came into the game 0-4 on the season and had struggled to find his way out of the fifth inning in his previous starts, but put everything together against Wareham on Thursday night. Going all nine innings Daly no-hit the Gateman en route to picking up his first win of the CCBL season and the Mets cruised to a 4-1 victory.
Daly was very efficient as he mowed down all three Gateman batters in the first. After walking Luke Murton (Georgia Tech) and Jason Ogata (Oregon State) in the second inning, Russ Moldenhauer (Texas) grounded into a double play that advanced Murton to third. Trying to catch Murton sleeping, Mets catcher Shea Robin (Vanderbilt) overthrew third baseman James Darnell (South Carolina) as Murton advanced home to put the first and final run of the game on the board for Wareham.
The Mets tied the game in the fourth inning when Kiko Vazquez (Central Florida) reached on a two-out error by Ben Booker. Ryan Jackson (Miami) then doubled in Vazquez to tie the game at one run apiece.
Shea Robin put the eventual game winning run on the board in the sixth inning when he blasted a Tyler Tufts fastball over the left field wall. Vazquez again reached and scored on a Gateman error to round out the Mets half of the sixth.
With the no-hitter still intact Matt Daly entered the seventh inning with a mere 100 pitches. Daly made quick work of the first two Gateman batters retiring them in eight pitches. Luke Murton stepped in with two outs in the top of the seventh and blasted a first pitch fastball 395 feet on a frozen rope to center field. Mets center fielder David Macias got a great jump on the Murton line drive and made an amazing diving catch at the warning track in true web gem fashion.
Shea Robin scored again in the seventh inning as he drew a one-out walk. Robin advanced to second on a Kiko Vazquez single, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a perfectly executed Cape Cod squeeze as Gateman catcher Matt Garrity allowed himself to be handcuffed by a Jeff Dietz fastball.
With the scoring out of the way and unknown to many fans, players and coaches Matt Daly took a gem of a no-hitter into the ninth inning. Daly struck out Gateman catcher Brian Garrity on five pitches. And as is many times the case with one out and a no-hitter intact in the ninth inning with the winning team ahead by three runs, a bunt was attempted in an effort to break up the said no-hitter. Fortunately for all parties involved Daly did the usual for the night and made a tremendous defensive play to grab the second out. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the no-hitter still in play Matt Daly faced Gateman pinch-hitter Dominic Delaosa. With a 2-2 count and all of the fans on their feet at McKeon Park, Matt Daly struck out Delaosa to retire the side and the game in truly dramatic fashion.
The Mets are in action again Thursday night as they travel to Bourne to take on the Bourne Braves.
Brian Feltes
posted by Hyannis Mets # 12:41 PM