By Richard Taylor
Coming off a strong season, Ocracoke’s varsity Dolphins entered the May 7 first-round home playoff game against the Southside Seahawks of Chocowinity with high hopes of progressing to the next round in the state 1A East playoffs for the first time.
The odds appeared to favor Ocracoke: home field advantage, a well-rested team, supportive fans in the stands, a better overall record (9-3) and a higher seeding — 11th among all 1A East teams in the state playoffs.
The Dolphins were also ranked 4th among all Eastern 1A teams in the state’s prestigious Rating Percentage Index (RPI), a statistical system used to comparatively rank teams in sporting contests.
Even though statistics were on the Ocracoke’s side, the 27th-seeded Seahawks had other ideas, snapping the islanders’ four-game winning streak with a 4-2 win over the Dolphins.
The game started promising for both as each team scored one run in the first inning. The Dolphins scored when Finn Kattenburg stole home from third base on a wild pitch. But the game turned into a pitching duel between seniors Daymon Esham of the Dolphins and Cutter Williams of the Seahawks.
Esham pitched six innings giving up just four hits. Williams pitched a complete game, allowing only six hits, striking out five Dolphins and just one earned run. Two of the Seahawks hits were by Williams who also added an RBI. Southside’s sophomore speedster Joshua Lewis stole six bases and scored two of the runs, batting 2-3.
A brief rain delay between the sixth and seventh innings sent everyone scrambling for the nearest cover. Kattenburg, a junior, pitched the top of the seventh inning, quickly retiring all three batters.
Despite the heartbreaking, season-ending loss, Dolphins head coach Jim McClain reflected on his team’s play.
“Physical errors are going to happen at this level,” he said. “In a close, low scoring baseball game it often comes down to the details that matter, like minimizing errors on our side, and maximizing opportunities when the other team makes mistakes. Southside capitalized on our (defensive) mistakes and played a great game. They earned the win.”
He noted Ocracoke’s continued improvement.
“Ocracoke has been seeded higher and higher for the last three times in the state playoffs (but playing all away games).This year, we finally broke the ice and were able to host a home game.”
“It was a totally winnable game,” said Chad Macek who with Peter Vankevich, broadcast the game on WOVV. “A couple of mistakes allowed some extra runs to score, but the Dolphins were in it right up to the bottom of the seventh when Carter O’Neal led off with a single.
“Unfortunately, he got thrown out trying to steal second. That was a big one. I think Ocracoke teams do a great job for what they’re up against.”
“A lot of our kids play several sports,” Macek said, noting that half of this team played basketball on a team that also made the state playoffs. Under state rules those players had to wait a few days before starting baseball practice.
“At the beginning of the season, our kids are behind the ball because they just haven’t had any batting practice yet. As the season wore on, they got better and better, improving their timing for swinging at pitches.”
After the not unexpected slow 0-2 start this year, the Dolphins won nine of their next 10 games.
There were two close high-scoring wins over Columbia in April, 10-9 and 13-9, and Kattenburg pitched a no-hitter, 10-0 shut-out against the Hatteras Hurricanes on April 25.
The Dolphins will lose only seniors Esham and infielder/outfielder Silas Trethewey to graduation this year. With 11 returning players and younger kids moving up from junior varsity, McClain also looks forward to another good season next year.
He emphasized that they’re building a program with older players providing high-quality mentoring on the various elements of baseball.
“And while our record has remained solid, most teams in our conference have also been improving each year as well,” he said. “Four of the six teams in our conference (Bear Grass, Columbia and Hobgood Charter plus Ocracoke) made the state playoffs this year.”
McClain also praised Kattenburg’s pitching. “He carried many games for us,” he said.
McClain downplayed the myth of home-field advantage. “Once we get in the game, we could be playing anywhere. Our heads are focused on only one thing.
“But nowhere in my job description does it say, ‘win games,’” he said. “It’s all about building character, teaching kids the game and having fun. We were completely successful on all three of those goals this year.”
As for advancing to the second round in the state playoffs, McClain says, “We have never achieved that milestone, but it’s on our list!”
To show that Ocracoke lost to a good team, the Southside Seahawks advanced to the third round by beating the Chatham Charter Knights, 1-0 on Saturday. They will play the Northside – Pinetown Panthers on May 14.
