Harwich had the best pitching numbers in the league last summer. It was a little different through three games this year, as the Mariners surrendered 15 runs in a 1-2 start.

Sunday’s doubleheader was more like it.

Mariner pitchers combined for 16 shutout innings in two games with Hyannis. The only negative for the home squad was that Hyannis pitchers were just as good in the second game – with a nine-inning cap on doubleheader games, the teams played to a 0-0 tie. Harwich settled for one win from the dominant day, a 6-0 triumph in the opener.

Tyler Baum (North Carolina) made his debut in the first game and started the trend. A top 100 draft prospect out of high school last year, Baum had a strong freshman year in Chapel Hill, going 7-0 with a 2.57 ERA – right behind first-round pick J.B. Bukauskas on the team’s stat ranks – and striking out 47 in 63 innings. Sunday, he was in total control, allowing two hits in six innings while striking out three. Both hits were singles and he didn’t let a runner past second base. Jamie Sara (William & Mary) finished off the shutout with a perfect seventh.

Two runs in the first inning would have been enough, but the Mariners added one in the fourth and three in the fifth. Bradley Debo (NC State) – off to a red hot start – went 2-for-3 with three RBI.

The only thing missing in the second game was a similar offensive burst. Dylan Grove (Oklahoma) matched Baum with six clean innings. He struck out two, allowed three hits and didn’t walk a batter, a welcome change after a shaky spring in that department. Grove struck out 48 in 36 innings, but also walked 40.

John Witkowski (Boston College) and Cole Aker (North Carolina) combined to keep the shutout streak going over the final three innings.

Brooks Crawford (Clemson) and Nick Sandlin (Southern Mississippi) did their part for Hyannis, allowing just three total hits. Sandlin struck out six in five innings.

Cotuit 4, Brewster 3; Cotuit 2, Brewster 1

The only undefeated team in the league stayed that way with a pair of one-run victories. The Kettleers won on a walk-off in the eighth inning of game one. With runners on first and second, Gian Martellini (Boston College) singled to score Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) with the winning run. The dramatics made a winner out of Zane Collins (Wright State), who tossed a scoreless inning of relief. Griffin Conine (Duke) kept up his hot start with his first home run of the summer. In game two, the Kettleers took care of business a little earlier, scoring the go-ahead run in the fifth. Conine rolled on with two hits and Ako Thomas (Michigan) stretched his hit streak to four with a base hit and two RBI. Justin Hooper (UCLA) allowed one run in four innings, Collins picked up his second win of the day and Chase Shugart (Texas) notched the save.

Chatham 8, Wareham 3; Chatham 6, Wareham 1

The only other sweep of the day belonged to the other division leader as Chatham moved to 3-1 with a pair of victories over Wareham. Nick Patten (Delaware) – who had 14 home runs for Delaware this spring – hit his first of the summer in game one and then hit his second in game two. He finished the day 4-for-5, with the two runs, three runs scored and five RBI. He’s your early CCBL leader in home runs and batting average. Josh Shaw (ASA College) went 3-for-4 in the opener and a total of six Anglers drove in at least one run. Jacob Stevens (Boston College) pitched four scoreless innings in the first game. Stevens was a 33rd-round pick last week and is back for a second summer in Chatham. He came back to earth a bit this spring on the heels of a great freshman year. Ryan Hedrick (Presbyterian) was credited with the win. Jacob Olson (UCLA) had two hits and an RBI in the second game and John Signore (Fairfield) picked up the win with five innings of one-run ball.

Falmouth 5, Orleans 2; Orleans 9, Falmouth 3

A matchup of winless teams ended with both breaking into the win column. Falmouth got two RBI each from Alec Bohm (Wichita State) and Jason McGowan (Purdue) in the first game. Kyle Bradish (New Mexico State) allowed one earned run in four innings for the win and Mitchell Miller was dominant in relief, striking out six in three innings for the save.  Orleans returned the favor quickly in the nightcap, scoring seven runs in the first three innings for an easy first win. Jimmy Herron (Duke) – a 31st-round pick of the Yankees last week after a big spring – got the Firebirds started in emphatic fashion with a second-inning grand slam and added two more hits on the night. Jaxx Groshans (Kansas), Romy Gonzalez (Miami) and Jeff Houghtby (San Diego) each had two hits and an RBI. Daniel Lynch (Virginia) allowed three runs and struck out six in 4.2 innings for the win.

** The Y-D vs. Bourne doubleheader was postponed.

What to Watch

It’ll be a matchup of early division leaders as Cotuit visits Chatham Monday at 7 p.m.

It took Cotuit 15 days to get its second win of the season last year. The Kettleers were 1-12 when they beat Yarmouth-Dennis June 25, just over two weeks past the opener.

The 2017 Kettleers needed just two days.

After a win over Bourne on opening night Wednesday, Cotuit rolled over Falmouth 10-0 Thursday at Lowell Park.

Eight of the nine starters who were in the opening day lineup were back at it Thursday as the Kettleers stuck with what worked.

Griffin Conine (Duke) led the way again with his second straight multi-hit, multi-RBI game. This time, he went 2-for-5 with a double and drove in two runs. College teammate Zack Kone (Duke) also had two hits and two RBI, as did Gian Martellini (Boston College). John Cresto (Santa Clara) – the lone new entry in the lineup – delivered two hits and two RBI as well.

Of course, Cotuit didn’t really need all that offense. Dylan King, who struck out a whopping 108 in 84 innings this spring at Belmont – ranking him in the top 10 among sophomores nationwide – fanned seven in four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Chase Cohen (Georgia Southern) finished off the shutout with ease, allowing three hits over the final four innings, as the game was called there due to darkness.

I guess the setting sun is about all that can slow Cotuit down.

Brewster 6, Hyannis 1

The Whitecaps also moved to 2-0 thanks to a second consecutive 6-1 win, this one over Hyannis. Brewster took an early 1-0 lead then pulled away late. Five different players drove in one run each, including Mickey Gasper (Bryant), who had knocked in two on opening night. Chandler Taylor (Alabama) scored two runs. Starter J.R. McDermott, who starred at D-II Colorado Mesa, went five scoreless innings for the win. Reece Hampton (UNC Charlotte) had a double and a triple for Hyannis.

Y-D 4, Orleans 2

The Red Sox held off a charge by the Firebirds to join the 2-0 club. In a good pitching matchup, Josh McMinn (Oral Roberts) out-dueled MAC Pitcher of the Year Joey Murray (Kent State), allowing two runs and striking out five in six innings. Y-D managed three runs – two earned – off Murray in four innings. McMinn had a shutout into the sixth when Orleans struck, but the Y-D bullpen held on tight. Three strikeouts in the ninth by Spencer Van Scoyoc (Arizona State) highlighted the effort. Kyle Isbel (UNLV) picked up his third RBI of the young season to lead the Red Sox offense.

Wareham 9, Harwich 0

The Gatemen broke the game open with seven runs in the sixth inning, but would have been fine without the burst as four pitchers combined on a shutout. Joey Matulovich (California) earned the win with four innings of relief after starter Justin Montgomery (California Baptist) struck out five in the first three innings. John Toppa (UConn) had a two-run single to highlight the big sixth inning, while Blake Sabol (USC) and Andrew Shadid (Bradley) had three hits apiece.

Bourne 4, Chatham 3

The Braves rallied from a 2-0 hole with three runs in the fifth and stayed in front the rest of the way. Lyle Lin (Arizona State) did most of the damage in the fifth-inning rally with a two-run single and also drove in a run in the seventh, which proved to be crucial when Chatham scored in the ninth to get within one. Tyler Barss (Rhode Island) allowed the Chatham run in the ninth, but with the tying run in scoring position, he struck out D.J. Artis (Liberty) to end the game, making a winner out of Brian Eichhorn (Georgia Southern). For Chatham, Josh Shaw (ASA College) had his second consecutive two-hit night.

What to Watch

Cotuit puts its perfect mark on the line at Veterans Field in Chatham against a starter with some of the best numbers of any incoming Cape pitcher. Jack Perkins (Stetson) had a 2.71 ERA and struck out 108 in his sophomore campaign.

 

Pitching usually dominates early in the Cape League season, so much so that last night’s 8-7 win by Chatham over Falmouth was – believe it or not – the highest scoring opening night game on the Cape since 2004. It matched a 14-1 win by Bourne over Cotuit June 17, 2004 at Coady Park, former home of the Braves. Among the players in that game? Chase Headley and Brennan Boesch.

In the next 12 years, no two teams combined for 15 runs on opening night, until the Anglers and Commodores did it last night.

Chatham and Falmouth combined for 20 hits, six of which went for extra bases. Chatham led throughout thanks to a four-run first inning and held on tight down the stretch as Falmouth scored five in the seventh.

Jacob Olson, the top hitter for South Carolina this spring, homered and went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI to lead the Anglers. Josh Shaw (ASA College), who played for Cotuit last summer, and Jeremy Pena (Maine) also had two hits, while Mason Koppens (Northeastern) drove in two runs.

Falmouth’s offense was led by Marty Bechina (Michigan State), who went 3-for-4 and homered. Clayton Daniel (Jacksonville State) added three hits and two RBI.

Justin Lasko (UMass) picked up the win with 5.1 strong innings. Falmouth did some damage against the Angler bullpen, but Eli Nabholz (Millersville) – who struck out 93 in 78 innings this spring – fanned four two perfect innings to close the door.

 

Y-D 4, Harwich 2

The defending champs opened with a little extra baseball, winning in 10 innings over Harwich at Whitehouse Field. After each team scored a run in the fifth to make it 2-2, they matched each other for four scoreless frames before the Red Sox broke through in the top of the 10th. Kyle Isbel (UNLV) had his second RBI single of the day to break the tie and scored on a sac fly by Carlos Cortes (South Carolina). Riley McCauley struck out two in the bottom of the 10th to finish the win. Isbel finished with three hits and Cortes had two to lead the Red Sox. Travis Moniot (Orange County CC) and Andrew Moritz (UNC Greensboro) had two hits apiece for Harwich.

Hyannis 3, Wareham 0

Hyannis notched opening night’s lone shutout as four pitchers combined to allow just five hits. Ryan Weiss, who had a big year for Wright State, drew the opening night start and went four innings. Michael Brettell (Central Michigan) followed with two scoreless innings and was credited with the win. Ethan Larrison (Indiana State) pitched the seventh and Christian Tripp (New Mexico) tossed the final two innings for the save. Hyannis got all the offense it needed in the second as returning Harbor Hawk Ford Proctor (Rice) drew a bases loaded walk and Tyler Frank – coming off a big spring at Florida Atlantic – doubled home a pair.

Cotuit 5, Bourne 3

The Kettleers scored all their runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to rally and pull away from Bourne. Griffin Conine (Duke) went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI to lead the charge. Brett Kinneman (NC State) drove in a run and Greyson Jenista (Wichita State), back for his second year in Cotuit, had two hits from the leadoff spot. Jason Bilous – a late arrival to Cotuit last year after Coastal Carolina’s run to the national championship – got the opening night start and allowed two runs in 4.1 innings. Jayce Vancena (Michigan) earned the win in relief and Clark Cota (UNC Wilmington) struck out four in two hitless innings for the save.

Brewster 6, Orleans 1

The Whitecaps had three two-run innings and didn’t allow Orleans to score until the ninth in an opening night victory. Mickey Gasper (Bryant) homered and drove in two for the Whitecaps. A.J. Graffanino (Washington), back for his second summer in Brewster, had two hits and an RBI. Connor Higgins, who pitched almost exclusively in relief for Arizona State this spring, got the start for Brewster and struck out six in five scoreless innings.

What to Watch

Orleans has two conference pitcher of the year award winners on its roster this summer and will send out the first tonight as Joey Murray (Kent State) gets the ball at Y-D. He’ll go against Josh McMinn, the ace of the Oral Roberts staff this spring.

 
And we thought three championships in four years was good.

The streak that first inspired the talk of a Yarmouth-Dennis dynasty has to take a backseat now. With a 3-0 win over Falmouth Saturday in game three of the title series, the Red Sox won their third consecutive Cape Cod Baseball League crown, and the dynasty reached new territory.

No team had won more than two consecutive league championships since 1975, when Cotuit won its fourth in a row. Since then, five teams had won two in a row but couldn’t make it three.

Y-D has also now won six championships in 13 years. Again, that puts Y-D in the neighborhood of the Cotuit teams of the 1970s and early 1980s, which at one point won seven crowns in a 13-year span.

You can also throw in the two championship series losses in 2010 and 2012. That means Y-D has played for the title eight times in 13 years.

Whatever measuring stick you use, it’s a remarkable achievement.

The championship came out of a series deficit for the second year in a row. Falmouth – seeking its first Cape League title since 1980 and looking to avenge a loss to Y-D in the 2014 championship series – opened with a bang.

But Y-D out-slugged the Commodores Friday to stay alive. Saturday was a different kind of game, but Y-D won that one, too.

Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) followed almost exactly in the footsteps of last year’s game-three hero Brandon Bailey, who pitched six shutout innings. Sammons did the same, striking out six, allowing just two hits and escaping damage from five walks.

Playing from behind for the second day in a row, Falmouth couldn’t get a rally going against the Y-D bullpen, as William Montgomerie (Connecticut) and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) combined for three hitless innings of relief.

At the plate, early offense again carried the day for the Red Sox, who scored a run in the first and two in the second. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) led off the game with a double, moved to third on a sac bunt and came home on a Kevin Smith (Maryland) sacrifice fly.

In the second, Matt Winaker (Stanford) doubled, Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) scored on a balk and Nolan Brown (TCU) plated a run with a base hit.

Falmouth starter Jake Bird (UCLA), who was riding of three straight solid starts, departed after an inning and a third. George Capen (Holy Cross), who spent most of his summer in the NECBL, did yeoman’s work in relief with 4.1 scoreless innings and Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) got the Commodores out of a jam in the sixth and went 2.1 scoreless. Stephen Villines (Kansas) pitched a quiet ninth.

But keeping the score where it was didn’t lead to a victory for the Commodores. After Sammons finished strong, Montgomerie struck out the side in the seventh. Faucher stopped Falmouth’s best chance in the eighth, striking out back-to-back batters with two men on base. He ended up fanning four of the six batters he faced, including the last one, as Y-D raced onto the field for another championship celebration.

The dynasty lived – and it looks even better.
 

 
From the things that are not surprising department, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are still alive.

After dropping game one of the Cape League championship series to Falmouth Thursday, the Red Sox hit three home runs and six extra-base hits in mashing their way to a 9-4 win and a series tie Friday afternoon.

For the second year in a row, the Red Sox have forced a decisive game three. Falmouth will host it tonight at 6 p.m.

With the wind blowing out at the already hitter-friendly Red Wilson Field Friday, home runs were a safe bet, and the Red Sox didn’t waste any time paying up. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) hit a laser line drive homer to left-center in the first – a two-run shot – and Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) went back-to-back with a solo homer, staking Y-D to a 3-0 lead.

Falmouth got a run back in the second and another in the third, but the rallies were marked more by missed opportunities and Y-D escapes. With two outs and the bases loaded in the second, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) stung a line drive to center and Corey Dempster (USC) made a full-extension diving catch.

With runners on second and third and only one out in the third, Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) hit a sharp line drive to third. Will Toffey caught it then dove to touch third base with his glove, doubling up J.J. Matijevic (Arizona).

The Red Sox then added to their lead on a two-run double by Matt Winaker (Stanford) in the third and a Kevin Smith (Maryland) two-run homer in the fourth.

Jared Janczak (TCU), after battling through the second and third innings, ended up going five strong, allowing one earned run for the win.

Falmouth showed a little life with two home runs of its own in the seventh – by Matijevic and Tristan Gray (Rice) – but one more time, the meat of Y-D’s order came through. Deon Stafford had an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh and Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) plated him with a sacrifice fly.

Falmouth got the lead runner on in the eighth and ninth innings, but both were erased on double plays as Sam Delaplane (Eastern Michigan) finished out the win.

Y-D’s 3-4-5 hitters – Smith, Toffey and Stafford – went a combined 7-for-12 with three home runs, seven runs scored and five RBI. For the playoffs, the lowest batting average among them is .375. Falmouth will have to find a way to get through that murderer’s row in game three.

So it all comes down to this. Falmouth chasing its first title since 1980. Y-D looking for its third straight.

Time for a championship.

 

 
Seeking their first Cape League championship since 1980, the Falmouth Commodores moved as close to it as they’ve been in those 36 years Thursday night.

Swept in their five finals appearances since their win in 1980, the Commodores opened up a 1-0 series lead with a 5-4 win over Yarmouth-Dennis at Arnie Allen Diamond.

Cape League Pitcher of the Year Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) had his worst outing of the summer but held tough through 6.2 innings, and Falmouth found a way to win, with a fifth-inning run that broke a 4-4 tie proving to be the difference.

Passantino hadn’t allowed more than three runs in any start this year, and that happened just once. Every other outing, he allowed one or zero runs.

This time, Y-D broke through early with a run in the top of the first then scored three in the fourth on one swing of the bat by Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s), whose homer made it a 4-2 lead for the Red Sox.

To his credit, Passantino responded by retiring the next 11 batters he faced, and with his offense coming to life, he left with the lead.

The Commodores tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a home run by Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) and a Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) RBI double.

The offense came against Y-D’s best starter, as Falmouth returned the favor on what the Red Sox had done to Passantino. Oliver Jaskie (Michigan) had a 0.98 ERA in the regular season and allowed just an unearned run in 6.2 innings in his first playoff start.

And Falmouth did one more bit of damage in the fifth. Deacon Liput (Florida) and J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) singled and Joshua Watson (TCU) bunted them to second and third. Tristan Gray (Rice) then singled to right to give Falmouth the 5-4 lead.

Stephen Villines (Kansas) relieved Passantino in the seventh and kept his team in front. He gave up two hits in the eighth before Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) came on and worked out of trouble. In the ninth, Y-D got a leadoff single from Matt Winaker (Stanford), who stole second to get the tying run into scoring position. Martin got two straight strikeouts and a groundout to end the game.

The teams will now head to Red Wilson Field at 4 p.m. today. That was the site of a Y-D finals series turnaround last year, when the Red Sox came back from a 1-0 series deficit on their way to the title over Hyannis. It was also the spot where Falmouth lost the 2014 Cape League championship series.

 
Well this looks familiar.

For the second time in three years, Yarmouth-Dennis and Falmouth will meet in the Cape League championship series, after the latter punched its ticket with a game three win over Bourne Wednesday night.

The Commodores, with the best record in the league, were down 1-0 in their series with the Braves, but stayed alive with a 5-4 win in game two and moved on with a 6-2 victory Wednesday.

Brendan King (Holy Cross) went five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out five. Holy Cross teammate and Cape newcomer George Capen followed with two scoreless frames and Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) fanned two in a perfect eighth. Bourne – no stranger to late playoff rallies – touched up Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) for two runs in the ninth on a Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State) home run but that was all the Braves would get.

J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and his second home run of the postseason to lead the Falmouth offense. Deacon Liput (Florida) and Michael Cantu (Texas) added two hits each and Joshua Watson (TCU) and Tristan Gray (Rice) knocked in one run apiece.

 

What to Watch

The Cape League championship series begins tonight in Falmouth at 6 p.m.

Y-D is making its fifth finals appearance in the last seven years and is looking for its third consecutive league championship. Falmouth is in the finals for the third time in six years, having come up empty in the last two. The Commodores have not won the Cape League title since 1980.

The teams split their four-game regular-season series, with Falmouth winning 8-5 in the most recent meeting July 27.

Y-D swept Falmouth in the 2014 Cape League championship series. Future first-round pick Walker Buehler went eight shutout innings in a 5-0 win in the opener. The Red Sox then used a six-run sixth inning on their way to a 10-4 win in game two, with another future first-rounder, Phil Bickford, closing out the win in dominant fashion.
 

 

 
For the third consecutive year and the fifth time in seven years, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox will play for the Cape Cod Baseball League championship.

Y-D swept Chatham and improved to 4-0 in the playoffs with a 4-1 win at Veterans Field Tuesday night.

Amazement is allowed at this point, but surprise probably shouldn’t be. The Red Sox have done this before, winning the last two titles as the East’s No. 3 seed. And this year, they were actually better than their No. 2 seed would indicate. They started the year 0-5, then went 26-12-1. Had they won at that clip from the very beginning, they would have matched Falmouth for the best record in the league. Chatham’s victory over top-seeded Harwich in the semis made the path smoother for the Red Sox, but they would have been a formidable foe for the Mariners anyway.

Tuesday, the Red Sox built an early lead with two runs in the first and one in the third. They wasted little time in the opening frame, getting a leadoff single by J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) to start the game and a single by Kevin Smith (Maryland) to score him. Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) added an RBI single later in the inning.

Corey Dempster (USC) doubled in the second and came around on a bunt by Muno for the 3-0 lead.

Starter William Montgomerie (Connecticut), who was tagged for five unearned runs in a game against Chatham last week, had error-less defense behind him this time and allowed one run on two hits. He struck out four. Both hits were singles.

Jake Palomaki (Boston College) had an RBI groundout for Chatham in the fifth, but that was the only offense the Anglers would get. Sean Barry (San Diego) – a playoff reinforcement – struck out three in 1.1 scoreless frames and Sam Delaplane (Eastern Michigan) went the final 1.2 innings for the save.

Chatham’s Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) took the loss after allowing three runs in six innings. The defeat brought an end to a wild week for Chatham, which fought its way into the playoffs and knocked off Harwich.

But the Red Sox – as they’ve been for everybody in the last few postseasons – were a little too much.

 

Falmouth 5, Bourne 4

Falmouth gave Bourne a taste of its own medicine with a late rally and evened its West finals series at one game apiece. The top-seeded Commodores rallied from a 4-3 deficit with two runs in the eighth. Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) and Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) powered the comeback with RBI doubles. Stephen Villines (Kansas) then pitched a scoreless bottom half and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) struck out two in the ninth, quieting a Bourne offense that had relied on late-inning heroics in both games of its semifinal sweep. Gigliotti – the Cape’s top prop prospect award winner – finished 2-for-3 and is now hitting a scorching .611 in the playoffs. Grenier drove in two runs, as did J.J. Matijevic (Arizona). Starter Jake Bird (UCLA) didn’t factor in the decision but was solid, allowing two runs in five innings.
 

What to Watch

Game three of the West finals is set for 6 p.m. tonight in Falmouth. Michael Adams – the ace of the staff for junior college powerhouse Harford and a Towson commitment – will make just his second appearance for Bourne. Interestingly enough, his only other outing came against Falmouth August 3, when he went four scoreless innings. Falmouth counters with Brendan King (Holy Cross), who’s 4-0 with a 2.91 ERA.