Category: Daily Fog

 

Two of the Cape League’s major honors were handed out to Cotuit players Wednesday as Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) won the league MVP and Griffin Conine (Duke) was named the Top Prospect. Then a red-hot young gun upstaged his award winning teammates. Then the Kettleers won to keep alive hopes of a division title.

It was a big day at Lowell Park.

Jenista became the first Cotuit player to win the MVP award since Justin Smoak in 2006. I was a bit surprised that Jenista was the MVP pick considering the kind of season his teammate Conine has had, not to mention the campaigns of Jimmy Herron and Jenista’s college teammate, Alec Bohm. But take nothing away from the year Jenista is putting together. Honored before the game, he promptly went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .317 with three homers and 16 RBI.

Conine is fourth in the league in hitting, tied for the lead in home runs and fourth in RBI. Nick Senzel won both the MVP and top prospect award in 2015 and Conine certainly had a case for both, but I’m sure he didn’t mind seeing his teammate take one.

While Jenista went 3-for-4 and Conine had a hit in the game that followed, it was a younger teammate who starred again for the Kettleers in their win over Y-D. UCLA rising sophomore Michael Toglia – one of the most intriguing rising soph bats in the league – hit his fourth home run in four days as part of a 2-for-4, two RBI night. Toglia now has six home runs on the year, tied for fifth in the league.

Cotuit also got two RBI from Gian Martellini (Boston College). Chase Cohen (Georgia Southern) earned the win with three strong innings of relief and Brian Rapp (Boston College) picked up the save.

The win kept Cotuit two points back of Falmouth, who also won. If the Commodores lose in their finale tonight, the Kettleers could move into a tie for first place with a victory. Having won the season series against Falmouth, Cotuit would then be the top seed in the West.

Orleans 3, Chatham 2

The Firebirds walked off with the division title as Ethan Paul’s RBI single in the ninth gave Orleans a 3-2 win and clinched first place in the East Division. Y-D’s loss earlier in the day opened the door for Orleans to seal the crown and the top seed. It wasn’t easy, but the ninth inning rally did the trick. After Chatham had tied the game in the top of the ninth, Orleans came back on a leadoff single by Lars Nootbaar (USC). Paul then singled to left field for the game-winning hit. Nootbaar and Paul both finished with three hits. The top team in the league for most of the summer – but with Y-D always at its heels – Orleans is now officially a top seed.

Falmouth 7, Hyannis 6

The Commodores stayed a step ahead of Cotuit and did Wareham a favor, as the Hyannis loss clinched the final playoff spot for the Gatemen. Marty Bechina (Michigan State) and Cameron O’Neill (Holy Cross) drove in two runs each for the Commodores, while Joshua Breaux (McLennan CC) and George Janca (Texas A&M) had two hits apiece. The 7-6 score was already on the board by the fifth inning, and three Falmouth relievers kept it from changing. William Ethridge (Ole Miss), Derrick Adams (Jacksonville State) and Ryan Zeferjahn (Kansas) closed out the win.

Bourne 13, Wareham 4

While the Gatemen are in the playoffs thanks to the Hyannis loss, they were on the wrong end of a blowout against Bourne, as the Braves snapped a five-game skid in impressive fashion. Scott Schreiber (Nebraska) went 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored to lead a 19-hit barrage. Kevin Radziewicz (Fairfield) had three hits and late addition Anthony Prato (UConn) had three hits and scored three runs. Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit. Grant Williams (Kennesaw State) chipped in three RBI and Lyle Lin (Arizona State) had two.

Harwich 7, Brewster 4

Brewster had beaten second-place Y-D and first-place Orleans in consecutive games but couldn’t keep the win streak going against last-place Harwich, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit for the win. Cobie Vance (Alabama) and Matt Vierling (Notre Dame) each had two hits and an RBI to lead the Mariner offense. Tyler Baum (North Carolina) put in impressive work out of the bullpen and may have sealed several spots atop final league leaderboards with just one game left. Baum picked up his league-best fifth win, moved into a tie for the league lead with 41 strikeouts and put his ERA at a Cape-best 2.72.

What to Watch

Two things still up for grabs on the final day of the season – the top seed in the West and the No. 3 spot in the East.

 

The leadoff hitter, a pinch hitter in the leadoff spot and the number eight hitter all smacked home runs for the Falmouth Commodores Tuesday night.

It was a fitting time for that kind of one-through-nine display of power.

Those three home runs gave Falmouth 40 on the summer, more than any Cape League team has hit since the juiced ball summer of 2012, when Harwich mashed a record 64.

Since then, teams generally hover around 25 or 30. Going into last night, Falmouth was even with the 2015 Orleans club, which hit 37 homers. The way things have gone – and with three games still left – it was a good bet the Commodores would clear that mark.

Clayton Daniel (Jacksonville State) pushed Falmouth over the top immediately in Tuesday’s game. He led off the top of the first inning with a homer on the fifth pitch of the game. Cameron O’Neill (Holy Cross) and Joshua Watson (TCU) also went deep.

The home run was the first of the summer for Watson as he added his name to the long list of Commodores who have gone deep. Thirteen different players have done it, from Marty Bechina and his eight blasts to Austin Biggar, who played only seven games but still managed to go deep.

The home runs Tuesday were part of a 12-1 blowout of Wareham as the Commodores broke free from a four-game stretch in which they scored only eight runs. Hunter Steinmetz (Missouri State) and Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) had three hits each. Cody Shelton (Samford) pitched four strong innings. Falmouth maintainted a two-point lead on Cotuit for first place with two games to go.

Cotuit 8, Bourne 6

The Kettleers won for the second time in their last three games and added some clarity to the long muddled West race. With its fifth straight loss, Bourne is no longer in contention for first place as it now sits five points back of Falmouth with two games to play. Cotuit has a three-point edge on Bourne for second place. The Kettleers took an early 2-0 lead in Tuesday’s game before Jameson Hannah (Dallas Baptist) put Bourne in front with a fifth-inning grand slam. In the bottom half of the inning, Cotuit returned the favor as Michael Toglia (UCLA) blasted a grand slam of his own to put Cotuit into the lead for good. Griffin Conine (Duke) also homered, moving into a tie for the league lead, and Zack Kone (Duke) had two RBI.

Hyannis 8, Harwich 6

With Wareham losing, Hyannis’ win keeps the drama for the only undecided playoff spot alive. The Gatemen lead Hyannis by two points with two games to play. Hyannis had fallen four points back but battled from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Mariners and stay in the mix. Daniel Robinson (Central Michigan) had three hits and Micah Coffey (Minnesota) scored two runs. Griffin Dey (Yale) – playing in just his second game with the Harbor Hawks – homered and scored two runs. Michael Brettell (Central Michigan) allowed four runs in five innings. Ethan Larrison (Indiana State) got the win and Nick Sandlin (Southern Miss) earned the save. Jake McCarthy (Virginia) had four hits for Harwich.

Chatham 4, Y-D 2

Chatham and Y-D could end up matched in the playoffs and the Red Sox may not want that after the Anglers took the season series Tuesday. Jeff Belge (St. John’s) allowed just one hit in six shutout innings and struck out five. Y-D came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the seventh but Chatham went back in front on a sacrifice fly by Fabian Pena (Manhattan) and stayed there. Andre Pallante (UC Irvine) pitched a scoreless eighth and Jack DeGroat (Liberty) struck out the side in the ninth. Jeremy Pena (Maine) and Mason Koppens (Northeastern) added two hits apiece for Chatham.

Brewster 6, Orleans 2

The Whitecaps touched up Orleans standout Logan Gilbert (Stetson) for three runs in the first two innings and never looked back en route to a win over the first-place Firebirds. Kyle Datres (North Carolina) homered while Nick Dunn (Maryland), Christian Molfetta (Stanford) and Justin Kunz (Gardner-Webb) had two hits each to lead the Whitecaps. Tony Locey (Georgia) led off a staff day with two scoreless innings. With some other top pitchers around the league departing or failing to meet the innings requirement, Locey now leads the league in ERA. Brewster is 20-20-2 and tied with Chatham for third place in the East. With Y-D and Orleans both losing, the Firebirds maintain a one-point edge on the Red Sox for the top spot.

What to Watch

As the quest for the final playoff spot in the West comes down to the wire, Wareham visits Bourne and Hyannis hosts Falmouth.

 

 

Cotuit made up some ground in the West Division standings but not as much as it was poised for. With first-place Falmouth idle, the Kettleers beat Hyannis 11-4 in an afternoon game then took a 2-0 lead in the nightcap at Wareham before the Gatemen scored three runs over the final three innings to take a 3-2 win.

Cotuit moved within two points of Falmouth, but the loss to Wareham kept them from pulling even. There were big implications for the Gatemen, too, who now lead Hyannis by four points for the final playoff spot.

The Kettleers’ busy day opened with the finale of their season series with rival Hyannis. Having already clinched the series 3-1-1, Cotuit added one more win thanks to a 15-hit attack and solid pitching from the bullpen.

Michael Toglia (UCLA) went 3-for-4 with his fourth home run of the summer, to go with three RBI and four runs scored. Chandler Avant (Alabama) went 4-for-5 with four RBI. Terrin Vavra (Minnesota) and Luke Alexander (Mississippi State) also had multi-hit games.

Hyannis’ Hunter Stovall (Mississippi State) chased Cotuit starter Mark Moclair (Tampa) with a three-run double in the second inning, but the Cotuit bullpen was lights out. Taylor Lehman (Penn State) pitched 3.2 scoreless innings and Jayce Vancena (Michigan) worked the last four innings without allowing a run.

In Wareham, Cotuit built a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an error that allowed two runs to score. Austin Kitchen (Coastal Carolina) went 5.1 scoreless innings in protecting the lead, but the bullpen didn’t have as much success as it did earlier in the day. Wareham made it 2-1 on an error in the seventh and tied it on a Jake Anchia (Nova Southeastern) RBI single in the eighth. In the ninth, after a walk to Steven Kwan (Oregon State), Robert Metz (George Washington) hit a walk-off double to give Wareham the win.

Y-D 5, Bourne 1

In the only other game of the day, the Red Sox pulled away late for a win over Bourne and moved within one point of first-place Orleans, who was idle. Alfonso Rivas (Arizona) homered as part of a two-hit night. Kyle Isbel (UNLV), Luke Miller (Indiana) and Darren Trainor (Lewis-Clark State) also had two hits each. Karl Kauffmann (Michigan) allowed one run in 5.2 innings in the start. Brendan Nail (Western Carolina) earned the win in relief. Michael Cassala (Jacksonville) finished it off. Richard Palacios (Towson) had three hits for Bourne, which has lost four straight.

What to Watch

There may be more movement in the West, with the top four teams squaring off tonight. Cotuit hosts Bourne and Wareham welcomes Falmouth.

 

Maryland’s rise into the upper reaches of college baseball – marked by two recent trips to Super Regionals – has also included success in the Cape League. Kevin Smith won playoff MVP honors in Y-D’s run to the championship last year, and a number of other Terps have made their mark.

Nick Dunn and Marty Costes are joining the club this summer. Both have been red-hot lately for Brewster and big performances Sunday lifted the Whitecaps into a tie for third place. Dunn homered and Costes went 4-for-5 with two RBI as Brewster topped Y-D 5-1.

While Duke’s All-Star MVP duo is probably the best college teammate tandem in the league, Griffin Conine and Jimmy Herron are having their big seasons for different Cape clubs. Dunn and Costes are having a similar impact, but for one team, and the impact has been expanding.

Dunn hit .311 for the Whitecaps last summer. After batting .261 with five home runs in the spring, he returned to Brewster and didn’t exactly pick up where he left off. He was hitting .237 on July 10. Since that point, though, Dunn has had a hit in every game – 16 of them – and has raised his batting average to .339. He’s had a multi-hit performance in eight of the 16 games.

Costes has been on a similar trajectory. He had flashed some pop but was hitting just .197 on July 20. He’s had hits in seven of eight games since, with two three-hit games and last night’s four-hit barrage mixed in. After hitting .322 with 13 homers in the spring, Costes is now at .302 with five home runs on the Cape.

With Dunn and Costes leading the offense Sunday, William Tribucher (Michigan) tossed six innings of one-run baseball and struck out seven for the win. Sam Bordner (Louisville) and Ryan Cyr (Kansas) teamed up for three hitless innings of relief.

Brewster improved to 19-20-2 and is tied with Chatham for third place in the East.

Falmouth 3, Cotuit 2

The tight West division race yielded a very tight game in Falmouth, but the team on top of the standings stayed there as the Commodores won in extra innings. After scoring two runs in the first inning and nothing else, the Commodores broke through in the bottom of the 11th. Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) doubled and George Janca (Texas A&M) scored him with a walk-off single. Falmouth now leads the division by three points over Bourne and four points over Cotuit. Joshua Breaux (McLennan CC) added a home run for Falmouth, his sixth of the summer, and Larnach was 3-for-5. Derrick Adams (Jacksonville State) struck out four in 3.1 innings of shutout relief to keep the game tied. Brian Rapp (Boston College) was dominant in relief for Cotuit with six strikeouts in 4.1 innings and Michael Toglia (UCLA) homered for the Kettleers.

Harwich 2, Chatham 1

There were extra innings in Harwich, too, as the Mariners continued their post-elimination surge with an 11-inning win. Since their playoff hopes ended, Harwich has won three straight. Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) delivered the walk-off hit in the bottom of the 11th to score Antoine Duplantis (LSU). It was quite a night for Dalesandro, an all-star catcher/designated hitter. Long before his 11th inning heroics, Dalesandro started the game on the mound and went four scoreless innings. It wasn’t all new for Dalesandro, who pitched some in the 2016 season at Purdue. He didn’t take the mound at all this past season and hadn’t pitched for Harwich. Austin Hansen (Oklahoma) earned the win in relief for the Mariners.

Wareham 6, Orleans 5

Wareham snapped a seven-game skid and notched a key win, with Hyannis looming just two points back of a playoff spot. The Gatemen trailed 5-1 but scored three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh for the comeback win. Jarren Duran (Long Beach State) and Ben Baird (Washington) had three hits each and Jake Anchia (Nova Southeastern) homered and drove in two. Armed with the lead, Aaron Hernandez (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) pitched the final five innings, allowing one run and striking out six. For Orleans, Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt), Stephen Scott (Vanderbilt) and Kevin Strohschein (Tennessee Tech) all homered.

Hyannis 4, Bourne 2

The Harbor Hawks won their second straight game and handed Bourne a third straight loss. Tyler Frank (Florida International) had two hits and two RBI, while Reece Hampton (Charlotte) had two hits and knocked in one run. Ford Proctor (Rice) had the other RBI. Making his second start since arriving as a late reinforcement, Tyler Vaughn (Belmont) impressed again, striking out six and allowing one run in six innings of work. Ryan Weiss (Wright State) and Christian Tripp (New Mexico) closed out the win.

What to Watch

It’ll be a long day for the Cotuit Kettleers but it could be a fruitful one. Thanks to rainouts and a jam-packed final stretch, they’ll play a split doubleheader with a noon game at Hyannis and a 6:30 p.m. game at Wareham. If the Kettleers can win both games, with Falmouth idle, they would move into a tie for first place in the West.

 

At a time of year when Cape League teams are looking for reinforcements, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox found one in their own bullpen Saturday.

Making his first start of the summer after six relief appearances, Andrew Quezada (Cal State Fullerton) tossed six shutout innings to lead Y-D over Brewster 4-2.

Quezada pitched this spring at Cypress College – where Y-D manager Scott Pickler is the “Head Coach Emeritus” – and is committed to play for Cal State Fullerton next season. He was dominant for Cypress, with a 1.17 ERA in a team-high 108 innings pitched. He started 14 games, so it was the bullpen role with Y-D that was actually unfamiliar. He acquitted himself well, though, posting a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings out of the bullpen since making his debut July 4.

Saturday, the Red Sox were coming off a loss to Chatham, but Quezada gave them exactly what they needed. The four hits he allowed were all singles and he struck out six while walking just one.

Nico Hoerner (Stanford) and Alfonso Rivas (Arizona) backed him with an RBI each, and Darren Trainor (Lewis-Clark State) also knocked in a run. Brewster scored two runs in the ninth and had the tying run at the plate, but Brendan Nail (Western Carolina) closed the door.

Y-D improved to 25-13-1 and kept pace with first-place Orleans, staying three points back.

Cotuit 2, Falmouth 1

The West standings tightened right back up as Cotuit edged Falmouth. The Commodores now lead the division with 41 points, Bourne has 40 and Cotuit has 39. The Kettleers rallied from an early 1-0 hole to take a 2-1 lead in the fourth and held Falmouth down the rest of the way. Gian Martellini (Boston College) provided both runs with a two-run homer, his third of the summer. Chase Cohen (Georgia Southern) allowed one run in four innings, Clark Cota (UNC Wilmington) pitched two scoreless frames for the win, Michael Byrne (Florida) tossed two scoreless and Christian Demby (NC State) pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

Orleans 7, Wareham 4

The Firebirds had only one extra-base hit but piled up 13 singles to top Wareham. Jimmy Herron (Duke) had two hits and three RBI while Niko Decolati (Loyola Marymount) had three hits. Brandon Shearer (Loyola Marymount) and Brandon Riley (North Carolina) each had two hits and scored two runs. Five pitchers kept Wareham mostly in check, with Taylor Sugg (North Carolina) picking up the win in relief. Wareham lost its seventh straight game.

Hyannis 5, Bourne 0

The Harbor Hawks shut out Bourne and are suddenly just two points behind Wareham for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West. Jordan Martinson (Dallas Baptist), who came in with a 7.88 ERA, came up with a huge performance, striking out seven and allowing just three hits in five scoreless innings. Nick Sandlin (Southern Mississippi) and Christian Tripp (New Mexico) kept the shutout intact. Tyler Frank (Florida International), Dominic DiCaprio (Rice) and Cesar Trejo (UNC Greensboro) each had an RBI to lead the offense.

Harwich 4, Chatham 3

The Mariners edged the Anglers in 10 innings and have now won two in a row since being eliminated from playoff contention Thursday. Ryne Ogren (Elon) walked in the 10th and pinch-runner Jake McCarthy (Virginia) – who ranked 10th in the nation in stolen bases this spring – went to work. He stole second. Then he stole third, and the throw to get him there sailed into left field, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Chatham put two runners on in the bottom of the 10th, but Austin Hansen (Oklahoma) worked out of trouble to seal the win. Antoine Duplantis (LSU) had three hits and Cobie Vance (Alabama) drove in two runs to lead the Mariners. John Witkowski (Boston College) pitched five scoreless innings of relief. Chatham honored retiring manager John Schiffner in a ceremony before the game.

What to Watch

Sunday has a full slate of rematches from Saturday. When Cotuit visits Falmouth, the Kettleers will have a chance to make the West race even tighter.

 

Brewster’s Chandler Taylor (Alabama) was the runner-up at the College Home Run Derby in Omaha earlier this summer. Last week, he was the runner-up in the Cape League All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

But if the season were a home run derby, he’d be winning.

With his second home run in as many days Friday night, Chandler took over the league lead in home runs at nine. He has one more than Falmouth’s Marty Bechina (Michigan State) – the leader since early in the year – and Cotuit’s Griffin Conine (Duke).

Taylor mashed 16 home runs for Alabama in the spring, among the best college tallies for any 2017 Cape Leaguer. He’s done a lot of his damage for Brewster in spurts – a pair of two-home run games and now the homers on back-to-back days. He now has 24 RBI on the season and is hitting .250.

Friday, Taylor’s blast was part of a 2-for-4, three RBI night as Brewster edged Bourne 7-6. Most of Taylor’s home runs have come in Whitecap victories, and the last two dingers followed that trend and got the Whitecaps within one game of .500.

Nick Dunn (Maryland) and Christian Molfetta (Stanford) also had RBI in Friday’s win. Bradley Spooner (Saddleback CC) allowed four runs in six innings and Jonathan Stiever (Indiana) held Bourne off just enough over the final three frames for the win.

Chatham 4, Y-D 2

Chatham won its third straight and jumped a game over .500. The Anglers also took a 3-2 lead in their season series with Y-D. Johnny Aiello (Wake Forest) and Josh Stowers (Louisville) – late arrivals who are providing a very nice boost in the middle of the order – knocked in three of the four runs, with Nick Patten (Delaware) plating the other. Mason Koppens (Northeastern) doubled and went 2-for-4, stretching his hitting streak to nine games. He’s now top 10 in the league in hitting. Justin Lasko (UMass) delivered his second strong start since rejoining the team, allowing two runs in five innings for the win. Jack DeGroat (Liberty) notched the save with a pair of strikeouts in a perfect ninth.

Orleans 7, Hyannis 2

With Y-D losing, the Firebirds’ win restores their three-point first place cushion, which had dwindled to one when the Red Sox beat them Thursday. Niko Decolati (Loyola Marymount) homered while Jimmy Herron (Duke) and Kevin Strohschein (Tennessee Tech) had two hits each. Jaxx Groshans (Kansas) and Jeff Houghtby (San Diego) added an RBI each. Five different Firebirds were hit by pitches. Daniel Lynch (Virginia) allowed two runs in six strong innings for the win.

Falmouth 2, Wareham 1

It appears there’s just going to be a different team in first place in the West every day. With Bourne losing, Falmouth is back to the lead after its 2-1 win over Wareham. Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and George Janca (Texas A&M) drove in the only runs Falmouth would need in a two-run fifth inning. James McArthur (Ole Miss) – riding an 11-inning scoreless streak – was touched up for one run, but only one in five strong innings. Israel Fuentes (Faulkner), Derrick Adams (Jacksonville State), Brian Gadsby (UCLA) and Ryan Zerferjahn (Kansas) pitched a scoreless inning each to keep Falmouth’s slim lead intact. Mason Feole (UConn) pitched four scoreless innings and Blake Sabol (USC) homered but Wareham lost for the sixth straight time.

Harwich 7, Cotuit 2

Harwich is the only team out of playoff contention, but the Mariners can still play spoiler and they did it well Friday. After falling behind 2-0, they scored seven unanswered runs for a win over the Kettleers. Cobie Vance (Alabama) and Max Burt (Northeastern) had two RBI each. Jake McCarthy (Virginia) went 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Cullen Dana (Seton Hall) – who came in with a 9.00 ERA – struck out five and allowed two runs on just two hits in seven innings for the win. Cole Aker (North Carolina) went two scoreless innings to finish it off.

What to Watch

The gap among the top three teams in the West has grown from three points to four. Falmouth could stretch it further tonight – or, more likely given the way things have gone in the West, Cotuit could close it – when the Commodores and Kettleers meet at Lowell Park.

 

If the collision course that Orleans and Y-D are on stays true in the postseason, their East Division finals series will likely be close. Five of the six games in their season series were decided by two runs or fewer.

And in those close games, Y-D would have to be the favorite.

The Red Sox beat the Firebirds 4-2 in 10 innings Thursday night to win the season series 5-1. Orleans has now lost eight games to the rest of the league and five to the Red Sox. The Firebirds remain in first place in the East, but Y-D is now within a point.

The latest Red Sox triumph came after Orleans jumped to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Firebirds wouldn’t score again, though, and Y-D tied the game in the fifth. Nicholas Quintana (Arizona) hit a two-run homer in the top of the 10th and Y-D held off Orleans in the bottom half for the win.

Josh McMinn (Oral Roberts) continued to be a thorn in Orleans’ side. The starting pitcher in three of Y-D’s five wins over the Firebirds, he settled down after giving up the two early runs and went five strong innings. Riley McCauley (Michigan State) got himself into major trouble in the bottom of the ninth with three walks and faced a 3-2 count on Jaxx Groshans (Kansas), but got him to groundout to end the inning.

After Y-D took the lead, Hunter Parsons (Maryland) pitched a perfect bottom of the 10th to seal the win.

Carter Pharis (UAB) and Kyle Isbel (UNLV) drove in the other runs for Y-D. Stephen Scott (Vanderbilt) had two RBI for the Firebirds to take over the league lead, but that was the team’s only offense of the day.

Bourne 4, Harwich 1

With Cotuit rained out and Falmouth losing, Bourne reclaimed the top spot in the West standings thanks to a power surge in a win over Harwich. The Braves don’t typically get a lot of their offense from long balls, but Zac Susi (UConn) hit two home runs and Andrew Fregia (Sam Houston State) smacked one to stake Bourne to the lead. Zack Hess (LSU) struck out five in three scoreless innings, Sean Leland (Illinois) allowed one run in 3.1 innings and Kyle Marman (Florida Atlantic) worked the final 2.2 innings for the save. The loss – and a win by Brewster – eliminated Harwich from playoff contention.

Chatham 4, Falmouth 2

Johnny Aiello (Wake Forest) went 3-for-4 with his first home run and Josh Stowers (Louisville) had two RBI to lead the Chatham offense, which rallied from a 1-0 hole in the second inning and didn’t trail again. Joseph Lienhard (Oklahoma State) kept the Anglers in front with five dominant innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and struck out six. Josiah Gray (LeMoyne) struck out the side in the ninth for his third save. For Falmouth, Alec Bohm (Wichita State) hit his fifth home run, but it was the only extra-base hit of the night.

Brewster 8, Wareham 7

The Whitecaps out-slugged Wareham and clinched a playoff spot in the East, while keeping pace with Chatham in the race for the No. 3 seed. Chandler Taylor (Alabama) went 2-for-4 with four RBI and hit his eighth homer of the summer, which moves him into a three-way tie for the league lead. A.J. Graffanino (Washington) added two RBI and Marty Costes (Maryland) had one. Six pitchers combined to hold Wareham off, with Joe Demers (Washington) credited with the win and Matthew Beck (LSU) escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for the save. Wareham’s Justin Montgomery (California Baptist) – the West All-Star Game starter – had a short outing, allowing four runs in 1.1 innings. The Gatemen have lost five in a row on the heels of a five-game winning streak.

What to Watch

Y-D owns the season series with Orleans, but its set with third-place Chatham is tied 2-2. The fifth matchup is today at Red Wilson Field.

 

The top three teams in the West Division have found little separation over the last few weeks. A two-point gap has been pretty standard.

Cotuit and Falmouth had the inside track to keep pace Wednesday night as the Kettleers faced sliding Wareham and Falmouth took on last-place Hyannis. Both won.

Bourne had a much tougher task as it welcomed East leading Orleans – with the best record in the league – to Doran Park, but the Braves managed to keep pace, too.

Orleans had lost just once – to second-place Y-D – since July 12, but the Braves took control with a three-run fifth inning and held on down the stretch.

Bourne managed two runs off Orleans standout Logan Gilbert (Stetson) then went to work when he departed in the fifth, taking advantage of three walks, a Lyle Lin (Arizona State) RBI single and an error.

Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) allowed one run in 3.2 innings of relief for the win. P.J. Poulin (UConn) came on and escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth and Ryan Feltner (Ohio State) struck out two in the ninth for his eighth save.

Bourne improved to 19-17 and is sandwiched between Falmouth and Cotuit at the top of the standings.

Falmouth 7, Hyannis 1

Matt Mercer (Oregon) is emerging as the kind of ace that could form a dangerous combo with Falmouth’s slugging offense come playoff time. Mercer struck out seven and allowed one run on four hits. He has allowed just one run over his last two starts, with 14 strikeouts in the same span. Derrick Adams (Jacksonville State) and Brian Gadsby (UCLA) finished out the win. Slugger Marty Bechina (Michigan State) – homerless for three weeks – moved back into a tie for the league lead with his eighth. George Janca (Texas A&M) hit his fifth home run of the summer and drove in three. Austin Langworthy (Florida) had his fourth multi-hit performance in his last six games.

Cotuit 4, Wareham 0

It was more of a staff effort, but even better shut-down pitching at Lowell Park. Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina) pitched three scoreless frames despite walking six and the bullpen followed suit. Clark Cota (UNC Wilmington) earned the win with two innings, Zane Collins (Wright State) pitched 1.2 frames and Michael Byrne (Florida) pitched the final 1.1. Wareham totaled just four hits against that quartet. Griffin Conine (Duke) had three hits for Cotuit and Thomas Dillard (Ole Miss) homered.

Harwich 6, Y-D 5

The Mariners snapped a nine-game losing streak and ended Y-D’s nine-game winning streak. Jake McCarthy (Virginia) – a late arrival from Team USA – homered and drove in four to lead the Harwich offense. Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) also had an RBI. Logan Browning (Florida Southern) allowed two runs in 2.2 innings and Tyler Baum (North Carolina) – pitching out of the bullpen but taking on a starter’s workload – went the final 6.1 innings and held off the Red Sox. Sitting 11 points back of fourth place with seven games to go, Harwich can still make the playoffs.

Chatham 7, Brewster 4

The Anglers have won their last two against the Whitecaps, helping them maintain a two-point edge on Brewster for third place in the East. Josh Stowers (Louisville), Ashton McGee (North Carolina) and Landon Kay (Furman) each had two RBI and Shea Langeliers (Baylor) had two hits to lead the Anglers. Reliever Rodney Hutchison Jr. (North Carolina) went five shutout innings for the win, lowering his season ERA to 0.42. Jack DeGroat (Liberty) and Adam Wolf (Louisville) closed it out.

What to Watch

I was really hoping Y-D and Orleans would win again yesterday so tonight’s matchup between the East leaders would be a “Somebody finally has to lose” game. Still, it’s a key battle with the Red Sox just three points behind the Firebirds for first place.

Falmouth’s win over Bourne Tuesday was a big one for manager Jeff Trundy – the 400th of his career – and it was a big one in the standings, too. Two days after a loss to Bourne sent the Braves into first place, the Commodores returned the favor and reclaimed the top spot in the West with the win.

Trundy joins select company with the milestone victory.

Congratulations to @FalCommodores manager Jeff Trundy on his 400th career win. He’s just the 4th Cape manager to accomplish the feat.

— League Statistician (@ccblstats) July 26, 2017

 

His latest team has often seemed poised for a few more victories than they’ve picked up, but they’ve now won four of their last five to take over first place.

Leadoff man Clayton Daniel (Jacksonville State) led the way Tuesday with a 4-for-5 night. He scored two runs and drove in another. Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and Logan Davidson (Clemson) had two hits each, while Alec Bohm (Wichita State) knocked in a run to move into a tie for the league lead in RBI.

The Commodores picked up some pitching reinforcements in recent weeks and one of them did just what they hoped as Cody Shelton (Samford) went 4.1 scoreless innings for the win.

Bourne, which got a home run from Richard Palacios (Towson), is now one point behind Falmouth for first place.

Y-D 7, Chatham 2

I’d say Kris Bubic (Stanford) is having a pretty good summer. His latest start was perhaps his best as he struck out nine and allowed just an unearned run over five innings in a victory over Brewster. As you can see above, he now leads the league in wins, strikeouts and ERA. For Y-D, the win was its ninth in a row. Christian Koss (UC Irvine) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the offense.

Orleans 8, Harwich 6

Trailing late, Orleans scored three runs in the seventh to tie the game and won it in the 11th on a walk-off two-run homer by Cesar Salazar (Arizona), as the Eldredge Park fans who stuck it out were treated to one of the most memorable moments in a season full of them. Despite Y-D’s streak, Orleans continues to hold serve and remains three points ahead of the Red Sox. Jimmy Herron (Duke) and Stephen Scott (Vanderbilt) also homered for the Firebirds, with Scott’s blast sparking the seventh-inning rally. Relievers J.T. Hintzen (Florida Southern), Cody Deason (Arizona) and Josh Hiatt (North Carolina) combined on five scoreless innings of relief to set the stage for the winning rally.

Brewster 9, Cotuit 0

Brewster snapped a five-game winless streak in emphatic fashion. Tony Locey (Georgia) went eight scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out six. Matthew Beck (LSU) finished out the win. A.J. Graffanino (Washington) led the offensive attack with three RBI and Kyle Datres (North Carolina) had two. Michael Curry (Georgia) had two hits and scored two runs. The win moves the Whitecaps into a third-place tie with Chatham.

Hyannis 7, Wareham 4

The Harbor Hawks snapped a long losing streak Sunday and have now started a win streak. A run in the seventh and two in the eighth broke a 4-4 tie and sent Hyannis on its way. Tyler Frank (Florida International) had an RBI single in the seventh and Chris Proctor (Duke) drove in two with a base hit in the eighth to make the difference. Proctor finished with three RBI while Reece Hampton (Charlotte) added two for Hyannis. The last three pitchers out of the Hyannis bullpen didn’t allow a run, with Ryan Weiss (Wright State) picking up a win and Nick Sandlin (Southern Misssissippi) notching the save. Tristan Pompey (Kentucky) had two RBI for Wareham, which has lost three in a row.

What to Watch

Fresh off an impressive showing in the All-Star Game, Logan Gilbert (Stetson) gets the start for Orleans at Bourne. He hasn’t allowed an earned run since June 27.

 

Chatham had only one pitcher named to the Cape League All-Star Game in reliever Jack DeGroat (Liberty). Austin Bergner (North Carolina) could have made a case for a spot, too, and he continued making it in the league’s return to action after the All-Star Game Sunday.

Bergner delivered his third dominant start of the summer with nine strikeouts in five one-hit innings as the Anglers beat Cotuit 5-2. The only hit allowed by the 6-foot-4 rising sophomore was a single by All-Star Game West MVP Griffin Conine (Duke). Bergner walked three and struck out nine of the 20 batters he faced.

Bergner now owns a 1.03 ERA, which would lead the league if he met the innings qualification (he’s two innings shy). Three of his five starts have been very impressive. He struck out six in six shutout innings vs. Y-D July 3 and fanned eight over 5.1 innings against Bourne July 16.

The nine strikeouts Sunday were a season-high, giving him 27 in 26 innings.

R.J. Freure (Pittsburgh) and Adam Wolf (Louisville) closed out the win for Bergner. The pitchers were backed by two RBI from Mason Koppens (Northeastern) and two hits and an RBI for Fabian Pena (Manhattan).

Chatham improved to 17-18.

Bourne 8, Falmouth 7

A key game in the West standings won in dramatic fashion by Bourne? We shouldn’t be surprised. The Braves have made a habit of winning close ones, and the latest vaulted them back into first place amid a walk-off celebration. After rallying from a 5-1 deficit then giving up a lead in the top of the ninth, the Braves won in the bottom half on a walk-off passed ball. Lyle Lin (Arizona State) singled with one out in the ninth and pinch-runner Andrew Fregia (Sam Houston State) stole second and moved to third on an error. Scott Schreiber (Nebraska) came up with Fregia on third. A walk-off hero earlier in the year, he simply had to get out of the way this time, as Fregia raced home when a pitch got away. Lin and Jameson Hannah (Dallas Baptist) had two RBI each to lead Bourne. P.J. Poulin (UConn) was credited with the win in relief. Alec Bohm (Wichita State) had three RBI for Falmouth. Bourne now leads the West with an 18-16 record.

Y-D 8, Wareham 3

Wareham was red-hot but has matched up with Y-D in two consecutive games – and nobody is as hot as the Red Sox, who won their eighth consecutive game. Alfonso Rivas (Arizona) went 4-for-4 to lead an 11-hit attack. Connor Kaiser (Vanderbilt) had three hits and scored three runs, while Nico Hoerner (Stanford) had two hits and two RBI. After pitching mostly in relief lately, Karl Kaufmann (Michigan) got the start and allowed just two unearned runs in six strong innings for the win. Tanner Dodson (California) was a bright spot for Wareham, going 3-for-4 to regain the league lead in hitting.

Orleans 5, Harwich 0

Despite its eight-game win streak, Y-D has made up just one game in the standings because Orleans is red hot, too. Sunday’s shutout gives the Firebirds eight wins in their last nine games. Brooks Wilson (Stetson) pitched five innings of one-hit baseball to start the shutout effort and four relievers followed suit. Harwich managed just two hits on the night. Cesar Salazar (Arizona) led the Orleans offense with a home run and two RBI. Brandon Riley (North Carolina) added two hits and two RBI.

Hyannis 2, Brewster 1

Hyannis picked up its first win since July 13 with a 2-1 win over the Whitecaps. Making his Cape debut, Tyler Vaughn (Belmont) provided a much-needed boost to the Harbor Hawks’ beleaguered pitching staff with five scoreless innings. Ryan Weiss (Wright State), Christian Tripp (New Mexico) and Nick Sandlin (Southern Mississippi) finished out the win. Chris Proctor (Duke) and Tyler Frank (Florida International) drove in the runs for the Harbor Hawks.

What to Watch

No games Monday as the teams head to Fenway Park for a workout. When the action resumes Tuesday, Bourne and Falmouth will play again as the battle for first place in the West rages on.