Aug. 11, 2009
* Photos of Chris Bisson at the Cape Cod League were taken by Jospeh Cavanaugh of
www.TheCapeLeague.com
S. YARMOUTH, Mass. — Kentucky infielder Chris Bisson led off the elimination game of the 2009 Cape Cod League Playoffs with a single, a steal and a run, helping lead the Cotuit Kettlers to the championship series with an 18-4 win over regular-season league champion Yarmouth-Dennis, on Monday evening at Dennis-Yarmouth High School Field.
Bisson, a junior middle infielder for Kentucky, helped boost the Kettlers to the three-game championship series – slated for Aug. 11-13 – the second consecutive summer Cotuit has advanced to the championship. Cotuit won round one of the playoffs, 5-2 over Wareham on August 7, before squaring off with the league champion, Y-D, in a three-game series, with the winner advancing to the championship series. Cotuit notched a 3-0 win in the opener, fell 10-5 in the second game, and Monday clinched a berth in the series with an 18-4 win. The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, including UK right-handed pitcher Matt Little, finished the regular season with a league-best 28-15-1 mark.
Bisson, a 2008 second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, hit lead off Monday night and played shortstop, finishing the game with two runs scored. Bisson started off the game with a single to center field, stealing his second base of the playoffs while Georgia sophomore outfielder Zach Cone was at the plate. After Cone grounded out and Bisson advanced to third, Auburn infielder Kevin Patterson notched the RBI single to right-center field, scoring the speedy Bisson.
A native of Orleans, Ontario, Bisson finished the 2009 CCL regular season ranking as the league leader in stolen bases, stealing 36-of-45 bases during his 42-game summer. Bisson became just the fourth Cape Cod League player in the last 10 years and the third in the last nine years, to steal 30 or more bases during a summer. With 36 steals, Bisson matched Rich Thompson’s 1993 Cotuit record for steals in a summer. Roy Marsh (Wareham, 1993) owns the Cape Cod League record for steals in a summer with 48. Emmanuel Burris’ 37 steals in 2005 marks the last player to steal more bases then Bisson in the CCL. On the summer, Bisson finished with a .269 average (34-for-136), leading the team in hits (36), walks (23), totaling five doubles, 15 RBI and 19 runs scored.
At Kentucky in 2009, Bisson established himself as one of the top infielders in the SEC, with the conference coaches voting him second team All-SEC as a second baseman. Bisson led UK in nearly every category in 2009, including average (.360), at bats (222), runs (49), hits (80), triples (three), RBI (52), total bases (101), walks (20) and assists (133). A 5-foot-11, 185-pound left-handed hitter, reached base at a .414 clip and stole 13-of-15 bases for UK in 2009, his first year as a regular starter.
Little, who has functioned as a long-reliever for the Red Sox during the summer, came on in relief in the fourth inning and got Y-D out of a jam. The UK junior finished the game going 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and two runs, walking one and striking out three. Little, who sat out the 2009 UK season after transferring in January, gave up the two runs after hitting Texas standout catcher Cameron Rupp to lead off the sixth inning and allowing Texas outfielder Kevin Keyes a two-run homer.
