Writers’ Player of the Game vs Chatham Anglers: Brody Donay

If you are looking for a visual representation of the difference between 5’10’ and 6’5, look no further than this video.

By: Matt Coates

Brody Donay wasted no time making his presence felt at McKeon Park in the Hyannis Harbor Hawks' most recent matchup with the Chatham Anglers. 

Donay made our choice for Writers’ Player of the Game easy tonight, as he went two-for-four with a two-run homer and a grand slam on the evening. Those two shots helped him earn six RBIs and three runs scored. 

Donay started behind the dish for Hyannis after having two days off, and he looked fresh when he stepped into the batter’s box. He stepped to the plate with Elijah Hainline on first base and one out. The first pitch he saw was hit on the screws and lined over the wall in left-center field for a two-run homer. 

That line drive shot was Donay’s second homer of the season, and his first since June 16th against the Bourne Braves. 

“It felt really good,” Donay said. “Homers are a big part of my game… I’m happy I could get back on pace.” 

Donay wasn’t kidding when he said that. As a freshman player at Virginia Tech this past spring he launched 12 home runs.

When he got back to the plate in the bottom of the third, he did more of the same. With the bases loaded and one man out, Donay delivered. He saw a pitch to hit with a 3-1 count, sending a ball over the fence to the same spot in left-center, ballooning the Harbor Hawks lead to 9-2.

With that second homer, Donay became responsible for six of the nine Hyannis runs, single-handedly pushing past the Anglers early in the matchup. 

Head coach Eric Beattie commended his catcher’s performance tonight, mentioning that it always helps to have a reliable player in the bottom third of the lineup.

“We’re trying to keep him down there and get him as many good pitches to hit as possible,” Beattie said. “When he swings at good pitches and hits the ball fair, it’s usually a good result.” 

Donay has been a large part of Hyannis’ success this season, as he is third in the team in OPS and slugging percentage. He’s also seventh in the team in OBP and batting average. After tonight’s monster performance, he’s tied with Will Taylor for the most RBIs on the team and second on the team in home runs.  

For most of July, Donay has been making appearances on an every-other-game basis. When asked about the advantages of resting, he said, “I feel like it’s helped a lot with recovery. Playing every day is hard as a catcher, so being able to relax and have an off day is awesome.”

As if his two homers weren’t enough, Donay managed to help his team later in the game as well. He got on base in the bottom of the seventh inning after taking a pitch to the thigh. He crossed home plate later in that inning on a Nick Mitchell hit. 

Donay's performance tonight helped the Harbor Hawks earn a three-game winning streak. More importantly, they have jumped to second place in the West Division.

Matt Coates can be reached at coatesm@misericordia.edu or followed on Twitter @MattCoates14