Kettering makes nice return, but Catfish pitching labors to another L

Cape Catfish second baseman Brooks Kettering makes a throw to first baseman Cordell Coburn on Wednesday against the Danville Dans at Capaha Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ Tcapobianco@semoball.com

There hasn’t been much to cheer for throughout the recent five-game losing streak by the Cape Catfish, but if you’re looking for something to hang your hopes on, the return of Brooks Kettering to the squad after a week off is something.

Kettering returned to the lineup on Wednesday and had a couple of hits from his leadoff spot, but the Catfish fell late to Danville 10-8 in front of 956 fans at Capaha Field.

“It’s always good to get more reps, in general,” Kettering said of his summer goals.

Following his freshman season at Southeast Missouri State this spring, a season in which Kettering started 62 of the Redhawks’ 63 games, he came right into the Prospect League season out of the magnificent NCAA Tournament run by SEMO last month.

The Catfish gave him a week off to rest and he returned to the lineup against the Dans (21-15 overall, 4-2 second half) with a bang.

Kettering had two hits, two runs, an RBI, and a walk while also stealing a couple of bases.  

The workload has drained him physically, which he has spent this summer trying to repair. After coming to Cape Girardeau out of Glendale High School in Springfield last year as a 155-pound kid, Kettering is in the process of bulking up (hopefully) to over 180 pounds by the time January rolls around.

“I want to work on gaining weight,” Kettering explained, “and getting smoother with my fielding.”

Kettering will transition to shortstop with SEMO in his second season and has played both shortstop and second base this summer.

“I need to change my arm angle,” Kettering said of the new position, “because I throw it kind of funky, a side arm. I have been working on that every day this summer and making it shorter.”

Offense wasn’t the issue on Wednesday, as the Catfish scored eight runs on nine hits. The team’s pitching, which was the best in the league in June (in terms of ERA), has allowed 53 runs over the past five games (all defeats), and a two-run home run in their final at-bat lifted the Dans to the win.

Recently-signed catcher Moises Rosario also had a hit and two RBI for Cape (15-20, 1-5) while Owen Henne (walk), JJ Williams (one hit, two runs, one RBI), Cordell Coburn (one hit, one run, two RBI), Owen Mandler (one hit, one walk), Lane Crowden (one run, one walk), Alex Kowalski (one hit, two runs), Corbin Malott (one hit, one RBI), and Steven Schneider (one hit) also contributed.

Rosario and Kowalski each connected for doubles while Coburn banged out a home run.

Kettering and Mandley each stole two bases while Williams, Crowden, Kowalski, and Malott also had a stolen base.

Cape starter Jorge Romero allowed five hits and four earned runs in five innings of work while walking one and striking g out four.

Catfish reliever Korey Bunselmeyer gave up three hits and three earned runs in two innings while relievers Jordan Riley and Arlon Butts allowed a combined five hits and three earned runs in the final two innings.

The Catfish travel to the Full Count Rhythm (15-21, 3-5) today at 5:30 p.m. for a doubleheader.