FALMOUTH – In weather better suited for a Turkey Day football match-up, the Falmouth Clippers (3-4) received a solid performance on the mound from sophomore co-captain Nick Couhig and a 2-3 day at the plate from his older brother and fellow co-captain Mike Couhig toward an 8-1 win over archrival Barnstable at Elmer “Guv” Fuller Field Monday afternoon.
Amidst howling winds, the elder Couhig also drove in three runs to go along with his pair of baseknocks and the younger Couhig, Nick, added to Falmouth’s 10-hit onslaught with his own 2-3 day at the plate.
Falmouth High sophomore righty Nick Couhig struck out nine and went 2-3 at the plate in the Clippers’ 8-1 win over the visiting Red Raiders Monday afternoon.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
The Red Raiders fell to 1-4 on the season, the program’s toughest start since 2004. Starting pitcher Griffin Burke took the loss. Burke went three innings before coming out in a four-run Falmouth fourth with one man on and no outs. He gave up five hits and struck out two and allowed seven runs (four earned).
Nick Couhig went six innings, struck out nine and allowed one earned run. He walked two and scattered five hits. His sole run allowed came in the top of the fifth after Barnstable junior first baseman Eric Holzman laced a leadoff triple and then came home on an unplayable Joel Carlson high-chopper to the shortstop. Holzman and Carlson both went 1-2 on the day and Carlson had Barnstable’s sole RBI on the day.
It was Nick Couhig’s bat that got things started for the host Clippers in the first inning as he ripped a single to start a three-run rally. His catcher, Gates Kelliher (1-4, two runs), hit what appeared to be a routine double play ball that was dropped in transition and both Couhig and Kelliher were safe.
Sophomore Drew Boli then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to advance Couhig to third but an attempted throw to third sailed over Carlson’s head and Couhig scored. Kelliher advanced on the same play and then came home on a Mike Couhig line drive single and he advanced on an attempted throw as well. Mike Couhig then scored on a wild pitch for the third run. Burke got out of the inning with a strikeout and ground out with two men on.
Nick Couhig took that momentum and struck out the side in the second inning (with one walk in between) and then his teammates tacked on a run in the bottom of the second inning to make it 4-0 on a leadoff single from Cyrus Twombly who advanced on an error, wild pitch and then scored on a wild pitch.
Falmouth’s Gates Kelliher rips a single as part of a four-run rally in the fourth inning of Monday’s 8-1 win over Barnstable.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
Falmouth opened things up entirely in the bottom of the fourth inning when Twombly led off with a beautiful bunt single down the third base line and then Nick Couhig was hit with a pitch to put two men on. Gates Kelliher singled to shallow center to load the bases and then Boli walked to bring home Twombly and a 5-0 Falmouth lead. With bases still juiced and no outs, Mike Couhig collected another rip, this time good for two more RBI and a 7-0 lead.
Sophomore southpaw Jackson Badot came on in relief and retired Higgins but Mike Couhig advanced. With one out, Emmitt Kelliher reached on an infield error and Boli came home to make it 8-0. Badot got the next batter to ground out and then he struck out the last batter but the damage had been done.
Barnstable got its run in the top of the fifth on Holzman’s triple and Carlson’s infield single.
Barnstable’s Jack Kennedy came on in the fifth inning and got himself out of a jam thanks to a 5-2-6-2-5 double play when Carlson caught Nick Couhig in a run-down at third on an infield grounder from Gates Kelliher who then got nabbed trying to get to third base. He then pitched his way out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth inning with a soft bloop to shortstop followed by a pair of strikeouts.
Senior lefty reliever Nick Perrito came on for the Clippers in the top of the seventh inning and finished with two men left on base but it was far too little, too late for the visiting Red Raiders.
Barnstable next faces the Sandwich Blue Knights at home on Wednesday at 11:00 am.
Falmouth hopes to even its record at .500 when it hits the road Wednesday for an 11:00 am start as well.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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