Falmouth -- It was a contrast in starting pitching effectiveness last night, July 5th, at Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field. On one side of the diamond was Falmouth’s Jayson Ruhlman (2-2), a lefty from Central Michigan who could do no wrong. On the other side was Bourne’s Jason Neighborgall (0-2), of Georgia Tech, a right-hander with a million dollar arm who could not find the plate.

     The end result was just what the Falmouth Commodores were looking for as Ruhlman worked seven brilliant innings, striking out 13, walking none and allowing just one run on four hits as he helped the Commodores to a 7-1 win. Falmouth is now 7-8-1 (15 points) on the season. The team is one point behind third place Hyannis, just three points behind second-place Bourne and trails division-leading Cotuit by four points in the standings.

    In all, Falmouth pitching combined to strikeout 19 Bourne batters as the Braves were held to a total of three hits. Relievers Mike Phelps (Central Missouri) and Kevin Roberts (Houston) each struck out the side in their innings of work.

     As for Neighborgall, the flame thrower who touched 97 miles per hour with his fastball in the game and has been clocked over 100 in the past, he was all over the place early as the Commodores plated six runs against him in four innings of work. Falmouth all but put the game out of reach in the bottom of the first when the home team scored four runs with only one base hit as Neighborgall issued five walks, threw three wild pitches and two passed balls in the opening frame.

     The pitcher’s first eight pitches were all balls as Jacoby Ellsbury (Oregon State) and Matt Antonelli (Wake Forest) each walked. Neighborgall then temporarily found the zone, striking out Cliff Pennington (Texas A&M) on three pitches. Dan Carte then saw two wild pitches zip by while he was in the box, which scored Ellsbury. Carte then took ball four. A passed ball with Brian Bogusevich (Tulane) at the dish allowed Antonelli to score to make it 2-0. Bogusevich and then Paul Christian (Brown) each walked, loading the bases before Chris Lewis (Stanford) connected for a two-run single – Falmouth’s only hit of the inning – to make it 4-0.

     Bourne would get one back in the third on a long homer by Adam Sorgi (Stanford), but that would be it for their offensive output. After the home run, and then a single by Kyle Padgett (William and Mary), Ruhlman set down the next 12 men in a row before allowing an infield hit in the seventh. He would fan the side three times in the game.

     Falmouth added two runs in the fourth to make it 6-1. With two down, Antonelli doubled to left and then Pennington walked. Both runners scored on a double by Carte to left. Falmouth added a single run in the seventh when Carte was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced.

     The Commodores, who won a wild 9-8 game at Cotuit the previous night, host Harwich tonight, July 6th, at Fuller Field at 7 PM. The team is at Chatham Wednesday night and Hyannis on Thursday afternoon.