A Strong Start
The Harwich Mariners traveled to Chatham on a warm summer evening to meet the Anglers for the fourth meeting of the season, a rematch that carried extra weight after a recent victory over the Cotuit Kettleers that had secured a playoff spot.
Starting pitcher Colin Lebel took the mound, marking only his second appearance in the Cape Cod League and his first full outing of the year, and he quickly showed why he is regarded as an east‑to‑west arm with a sharp cutter and slider.
The Mariners drew first blood when Niko Brini launched a leadoff home run, putting Harwich ahead 1‑0 before Lebel shut down the Anglers over the next three innings, allowing just a single hit and striking out five.
Chatham answered in the bottom of the fifth with a bases‑clearing hit by Armani Guzman that flipped the lead, giving the home side a 3‑1 advantage.
Harwich refused to go away; in the top of the ninth, Paul Jones doubled and later scored on a sacrifice, tying the game at 3‑3 and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The decisive moment arrived in the bottom of the ninth when a wild pitch slipped past the catcher, enabling Cameron Pruitt to dart home with the winning run, ending the contest with a 3‑2 final score.
The Mariners will enjoy a day off on Monday before returning to action on Tuesday against Y‑D at Whitehouse Field, hoping to rebound from the narrow defeat.