Article By: Joseph McLaughlin

Wareham, Mass — The wind whipped at Spillane Field as the Gatemen prepared to host the Brewster Whitecaps. It was a much cooler day due to the wind, which blew towards home plate, making it even more of a pitcher’s park.

The Gatemen came off a 7-3 loss to the Bourne Braves after allowing four runs in the eighth inning. Before the game got out of hand, the Gatemen were playing well, starting the game with a 3-1 lead, but the result narrowed their first-place lead to just one game.

Their matchup on Thursday would not help them either, as the Gatemen (19-18) fell to the Brewster Whitecaps (20-16-1) by a score of 7-1. The loss did not take away their top spot, however, as Bourne lost to Hyannis 4-3 after a Harbor Hawks walkoff. 

Brewster, on the other hand, clinched a playoff berth with the win and Chatham’s 4-3 loss to Falmouth. The Whitecaps make it back to the postseason after being eliminated in 2024.

Brewster was hungry for that playoff berth and got ahead of Wareham early in the second inning. A solo home run from Maddox Mihalakis (Arizona) put the Whitecaps up 1-0. Then, the Whitecaps would score two more runs in the third inning as Brendan Lawson (Florida) singled to right field to score Adam Magpoc (Boston College), and Carson Kerce (Georgia Tech) drove in Lawson with an RBI single. 

The Whitecaps then blew the game wide open with a four-run fourth inning. Magpoc reached on a fielder’s choice to score former Gateman Jacob Jarrell (Clemson). Dalton Wentz (Wake Forest) then singled to left field and drove home Scott Newman (Georgia) and Magpoc. Mihalakis drove in another run after, bringing home Wentz to make it 7-0 Brewster. 

From there, the Gatemen had a tall mountain to climb, and they could not seem to find their footing. They scored in the bottom of the fourth with Right Fielder Chase Krewson (Rutgers) hitting a sacrifice fly to center to bring home First Baseman Chris McHugh (NC State); however, the Gatemen could not seem to find a rhythm offensively. 

Wareham strung together seven hits on the night, but what ultimately led to the loss were missed opportunities on the basepads. The Gatemen left nine runners on base, which slowed their usually high-powered offense to a halt, resulting in a 7-1 defeat.

Wareham did get to see more Cape Cod Baseball League debuts from a couple of new players, however. Left Fielder Foster Apple (Stetson) made his first appearance as a Gatemen and got a hit in his first at-bat. He would go two-for-four in his Gatemen debut. 

It was also the 2025 debut for William Parker (Army-West Point). Parker returns to the Gatemen for the second straight summer after playing with the Gatemen in 2024 during their postseason run. 

Parker, a native of Hopedale, Mass., is grateful for the opportunity to return to the Cape League after growing up watching these games. 

“It's a dream come true, for sure. I grew up going to games, being a local kid, so yeah, it's just a dream. I'm super fortunate to be able to come back. My new teammates are great. It's super easy with these guys. They all love baseball. They all love being around each other, so they welcome me with open arms,” said Parker.

The added reinforcements give the Gatemen, a team who has already clinched a postseason spot, an opportunity to not only rest players who have grinded through the whole season, but also experiment with their depth.

We're in. So, we wanted to give some guys rest, play guys that just got here, and see what we got. It was a game we needed to find out what we have and how we can use certain guys, leading into the playoffs. We've got guys that can play all over the field, and I think that’s huge. You never know when someone catches fire and being able to plug and play, have changes off the bench, and knowing you can bring somebody in for whoever, that’s a good thing,” said Wareham Gatemen Field Manager Ryan Smyth.

Now the Gatemen head into their final three games of the season, all of which are against West Division rivals fighting to punch their tickets to the postseason. The Gatemen are aiming for a top seed, but know that any ticket to the dance can take you all the way. 

“We're trying to set up our arms for the playoffs, which we know we're in, but we're also not trying to give up one of those top two seeds. It's a combination. Once you get into the playoffs, it's a new season. So it doesn't matter one through four seed, you're in. Harwich won last year as a three-seed and Bourne was the runner-up as a four seed, so really, it's about lining up our guys and being ready,” said Smyth.

Their next game will be on the road against the Cotuit Kettleers on Friday. First pitch will be at 4:30 p.m. at Lowell Park.