Falmouth Nine Clip Red Raiders in Nailbiter

Pitch for pitch, Falmouth's Kyle Kasperczyk and Barnstable High's Pete Liimatainen matched each other.

After six innings, each respective pitcher had thrown almost an equal number of pitches and the score remained deadlocked at 3-3 yesterday.

But after a fruitless Red Raider seventh frame, the host Falmouth Clippers loaded the bases with one out on closer Dan Holzman and then Kasperczyk came through with a screaming line drive over a drawn in infield, garnering a walk-off RBI single.

The finale? Falmouth 4, Barnstable 3. Holzman took the hard-luck loss for Barnstable (5-1) while Kasperczyk picked up the "W." The lanky Falmouth right-hander basically won the game for himself with his game-winning baseknock.

Barnstable's Dylan Morris helped set up the final-inning drama, though, with some drama of his own when he laced a first-pitch fastball over the rightfielder's head for a leadoff triple in the top of the sixth inning, then scored on a Dan Walsh sacrifice fly to center. But Falmouth centerfielder Wyatt Hamilton made even that one look close as he uncorked a seed to home plate and it was placed perfectly in the mitt of Clipper catcher Zach Zaino, but Morris timed his slide perfectly and knocked the ball ajar to tie the score at 3-3.

Liimatainen was stuck with a no-decision on six innings of solid work. He threw 91 pitches, struck out five and walked four. He allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits.

Barnstable's hits came from Morris (2-3, triple), Luke Besse (1-2), Mark Brodd (1-3, 2 RBI), Everett Walsh (1-3), and D.J. Crook (1-3).

Kasperczyk threw 89 pitches in seven innings of work for the complete-game win. He allowed three runs on six hits, walked four and struck out five.

Falmouth's Tyler Souza and Zaino set the table for "Kaz" with a single and clutch double, respectively, in the bottom of the seventh.