Seedings were already set but perhaps Bourne’s two-run rally in the bottom of the ninth of a season finale win over Falmouth was a sign of things to come.
The Braves had more late-inning magic in a sweep of their first-round series with Wareham, and the momentum seems to be rolling now. The Braves didn’t need to wait for a comeback in Monday’s game one of the West finals.
Bourne broke through in the middle innings and handed top-seeded Falmouth its first postseason defeat with a 7-4 victory.
Much of the damage was done against standout Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), who probably challenged his teammate Jeffrey Passantino in conversations about the Cape League’s Pitcher of the Year honor. Puckett hadn’t given up more than three runs in any start this year, but was touched up for 10 hits and five runs – four earned – in 4.2 innings.
Puckett opened the game with two scoreless frames and his team gave him a lead in the top of the first, but business as usual faded in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Evan Mendoza (NC State) had an RBI single to tie the game in the third. John Jones (South Carolina) continued to shine in the postseason, hitting a two-run homer in the fourth inning. And in the fifth, Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) delivered a two-run single that chased Puckett.
Falmouth got a home run from Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) – who went 3-for-5 – as it tried to mount a comeback, but Bourne added insurance runs in the seventh and ninth innings.
Mendoza, Connor Wong (Houston) and Brennan Breaux (LSU) all finished with three hits for Bourne and Mangum had three RBI.
Chris Holba (East Carolina), who made three starts and four relief appearances in the regular season, allowed one run in five innings for the win. Jon Escobar (Holy Cross) recorded the save.
Y-D 9, Chatham 8
Y-D’s semifinal series win last year was powered by dominant pitching. The 2016 semifinal series opener was a slugfest, but the Red Sox prevailed anyway, holding off a late push from Chatham to win 9-8. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) and Kevin Smith (Maryland) homered as Y-D rallied from an early 2-0 deficit and eventually carried a 9-4 lead into the ninth. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt), Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) and Nolan Brown (TCU) added three hits each for Y-D. The Red Sox weren’t as good in the field, with four errors allowing Chatham to score six unearned runs. The Anglers got four runs in the ninth and had the bases loaded with two outs when Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) induced a ground ball for a force at second that ended the game.
What to Watch
Falmouth heads to Bourne at 6 p.m. Jake Bird (UCLA), who pitched five shutout innings against Bourne July 31 in his last start, will get the ball for Falmouth against Doug Norman, who had a 1.61 ERA in the regular season.
Chatham will host Y-D at 7 with Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) on the mound. Henzman had an ERA over five in the regular season but allowed only one run in five innings in his most recent start. Y-D counters with William Montgomerie (UConn), who had a 1.70 ERA while pitching in the rotation and out of the bullpen.
Harwich’s 13-1 win in game two of the East semis Saturday was easy to peg as a return to normalcy. One day later, that game – not Chatham’s series-opening win – proved to be the outlier.
The Anglers pushed the top-seeded Mariners out of the playoffs with a 3-1 win Sunday at Whitehouse Field, their second 3-1 win of the series.
Parker Rigler (Kansas State) wasn’t quite as good as Simon Matthews in game two, but his performance yielded the same result – an out-dueling of the best pitching staff in the league. Rigler, who had a 4.03 ERA and was 0-4 in the regular season, picked a good time for his first win, allowing one run in six innings and striking out five.
Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh) was terrific in relief, striking out four of the six batters he faced. Connor Moore (Seattle) retired the final batter of the eighth inning and Moises Ceja (UCLA) worked around a pair of singles for a scoreless ninth to clinch the win.
Chatham played with the lead thanks to two runs in the first inning and another in the third. Jeremy Vasquez (Florida) had an RBI double and Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) an RBI single in the first. John Aiello (Wake Forest) hit a solo home run in the second.
Harwich got a home run from Austin Filiere (MIT) – who wrapped up a great summer with eight long balls – but it was the only run the Mariners would get.
The best pitching staff in the league allowed seven runs in the three-game series, just a little above their average for the season. I think the Mariners would have signed up for that number heading into the series, but they didn’t know what Chatham had in store.
The Anglers will move into the East finals for the first time since 2013, when they lost to Orleans. They’re looking for their first finals appearance since 2001.
What to Watch
It’s Chatham vs. Y-D at Red Wilson Field at 4 p.m. to kick off the first day of the division finals. Bourne visits Falmouth at 6 p.m.
Bourne had a flair for the dramatic in an extra-inning win over Wareham in its playoff opener. The Braves are full-on movie stars at this point.
With six runs in the bottom of the ninth Saturday, they rallied to stun Wareham and sweep the Gatemen out of the playoffs. Not only was it a stunning ending, it was the climax of a crazy sequence of plot points — Bourne hadn’t beaten Wareham all season and the Gatemen hadn’t lost two in a row since July 12 and 13.
Going into the ninth Saturday, Bourne trailed 7-2. Christian Taugner (Brown), who had delivered five straight scoreless outings for the Gatemen, was on the hill, but things got wild quickly. Singles by John Jones (South Carolina) and Grant Williams (Kennesaw State) put two on for Andrew Shaps (Arizona State). A late addition who hit .103 in nine regular-season games, Shaps took Taugner deep and it was suddenly a 7-5 game.
Closer Jake Matthys (Angelo State) came on but had no more luck. Willy Yahn (Connecticut) greeted him with a double and scored on a Brennan Breaux (LSU) single. After another pitching change, Jones hit a two-out, walk-off double to give the Braves the 8-7 win.
Yahn and David MacKinnon (Hartford) had three hits each to lead the Braves. Adrian Tovalin (Azusa Pacific) and Dominic Miroglio (San Francisco) homered for Wareham.
The third-seeded Braves will face No. 1 Falmouth in the West finals.
Falmouth 8, Hyannis 2
Hyannis’ dreams of a playoff turnaround fell flat again in the face of dominant Falmouth pitching. Brady Singer (Florida) followed Jeffrey Passantino’s lead with six shutout innings, striking out five and allowing three hits. Cole Sands (Florida State) was touched up for two runs, but Stephen Villines (Kansas) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) kept the Harbor Hawks from getting any closer. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) shined at the top of the lineup for the second day in a row, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Michael Cantu (Texas) drove in three runs. Hyannis’ season ended on with 10 consecutive losses.
Y-D 2, Orleans 1
The Red Sox also swept through the semis, breaking a 1-1 tie with a run in the eighth on their way to a 2-1 win. Nolan Brown (TCU) reached on an error with two outs in the eighth, took second and third on wild pitches and came around on a base hit by Joey Thomas (Cincinnati), who had an RBI for the second straight game. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) homered for the other Y-D run. Jared Janczak (TCU) allowed one run in five innings for the Red Sox before a big finish by the bullpen. Dillon Bray (Western Carolina), Sam Delaplane (Eastern Michigan) and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) combined for four scoreless innings of relief. John O’Reilly (Rutgers) went 7.1 strong innings in the loss for Orleans.
Harwich 13, Chatham 1
The top-seeded Mariners responded to Chatham’s game one upset win in emphatic fashion. B.J. Myers (West Virginia) pitched eight innings of one-run ball and pitched with a lead almost throughout. The Mariners pounded 13 hits and raced to a 6-0 lead before adding to the cushion in the late innings. Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) hit a grand slam to power a five-run second inning and Johnny Adams (Boston College) went 2-for-4 with five RBI. Joe Dunand (NC State) scored three runs and Pavin Smith (Virginia) added two hits. The 13 runs matched a season-high by the Mariners, a mark they hit only once before.
What to Watch
Chatham and Harwich will play game three at Whitehouse Field at 5:30 p.m., and that will be the only game of the day. Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech), one of the league leaders in strikeouts, goes for Harwich against Parker Rigler (Kansas State), who had a 4.03 ERA in the regular season.
There was a dominant pitching performance in Harwich’s playoff opener, but in a surprise twist, it didn’t belong to a Mariner.
Chatham’s Simon Matthews (Georgetown) struck out 11 in eight shutout innings as Chatham upset the top-seeded Mariners 3-1 in the first game of their best-of-three East semifinal series.
Harwich came in with the best pitching staff in the league – and one of the best of the last decade – but Matthews upstaged his counterpart Hunter Williams (North Carolina). A righthander with a 4.30 ERA, was stunningly dominant. He struck out the side around a walk and a single in the first inning, a sign of things to come. He recorded 24 outs, nearly half by strikeout. Harwich got five hits against him but all were singles.
Making the performance all the more surprising was the fact that Harwich saw Matthews less than a week ago and touched him up for 11 hits and six runs in 5.1 innings. Matthews hadn’t gone more than six innings in a start this summer and hadn’t struck out more than six.
Garrett Whitlock (UAB) hit a little trouble in the ninth but allowed only one run in finishing off Matthews’ gem.
The Chatham offense scored two unearned runs off Williams – the Harwich ace – going up 1-0 when Jake Palomaki (Boston College) scored on a passed ball in the first inning and making it 2-0 on an error in the fifth. Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) had an RBI single in the eighth.
Harwich now finds itself one loss from elimination against a team that snuck into the playoffs. The good news for the Mariners is that Williams isn’t the only ace they can trot out. B.J. Myers (West Virginia), who started the all-star game, is scheduled to go in game two against recent Chatham addition Bo Burrup (BYU), who spent most of his summer in the Cal Ripken League with the D.C. Grays.
Bourne 5, Wareham 4
There was an upset in the West, too, as Bourne handed Wareham just its second loss in 10 games with a rally from a 4-1 deficit in the final four innings. The Braves scored single runs in each inning from the sixth to the 10th, with Jake Mangum’s (Mississippi State) RBI single in the 10th capping the comeback and giving the Braves their first lead. Jon Escobar (Holy Cross) finished off the win in emphatic fashion, striking out the side in the bottom of the 10th. He was the last of five relievers who delivered scoreless outings to set the stage for the rally. Willy Yahn (Connecticut), Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) and David MacKinnon (Hartford) also drove in runs for the Braves. Remarkably, the win was Bourne’s first over Wareham this season.
Falmouth 6, Hyannis 0
There was no sign of upset at Arnie Allen Diamond where Falmouth rolled on and Hyannis dropped its ninth straight game. League ERA leader Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) was as good as ever, striking out seven in six scoreless innings. Three relievers pitched an inning each to finish the shutout. Hyannis managed only three hits. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) led the Falmouth offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb), Deacon Liput (Florida) and Matt McLaughlin (Kansas) also had two hits apiece, with Gigliotti scoring three runs.
Y-D 4, Orleans 2
The Red Sox played from ahead with two runs in the first inning and never trailed in taking the series lead over Orleans. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) scored on an error and Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) had an RBI single in the two-run first inning. Kevin Smith (Maryland) homered in the third – in a battle with Orleans pitcher Kevin Smith – and Joey Thomas (Cincinnati) had an RBI single in the fourth for all the offense Y-D would need. Oliver Jaskie (Michigan) allowed just an unearned run on two hits in 6.2 innings. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) earned the save.
What to Watch
Chatham and Bourne get their chance to spring upsets with game twos on their home field. Bourne hosts Wareham at 6, while Chatham gets Harwich at 7.
Donovan Casey’s walk-off home run pushed Chatham to the brink of the playoffs.
Quick one today — Chatham still alive, Cotuit out, Harwich clinches East crown.
Chatham 2, Orleans 1
The only way this one could have been more dramatic was if it had clinched a playoff spot outright. As it was, Donovan Casey’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th gave the Anglers a 2-1 win over Orleans and pushed them to the brink of the postseason. Chatham now has a one point lead on Brewster for the final playoff spot, with one game to play. Casey had struck out four times in the game before his game-winning blast. The heroics made a winner out of Moises Ceja (UCLA), who pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Jeremy Vasquez (Florida) and Kyle Adams (Richmond) added three hits each for Chatham.
Y-D 6, Cotuit 1
The Red Sox scored all their runs after the sixth inning and knocked Cotuit out of the playoff race with a 6-1 win. The loss stung a bit more for the Kettleers with results later in the day, as Hyannis lost again, which meant Cotuit would have stayed alive with a win. Ross Achter (Toledo) gave Cotuit six strong innings, allowing one run and leaving with the game tied 1-1. Y-D scored three runs in the seventh – aided by a one-out error that kept the inning alive – with a Joey Thomas (Cincinnati) double plating all three runs. Kevin Smith (Maryland) and Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) knocked in runs in the eighth, and Sean Barry (San Diego) pitched two scoreless innings of relief to seal the win.
Harwich 3, Brewster 2
A run in the top of the 10th sent Harwich to the regular-season division title. The go-ahead run came home on an RBI fielder’s choice by Joe Dunand (NC State), and Nick Brown followed with a one-two-three bottom half of the inning to give the Mariners the victory. Tommy DeJuneas (NC State) and Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) were also strong in relief for Harwich. Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) had two hits. Brewster has lost four in a row and must win and hope for a Chatham loss today to grab a playoff spot.
Falmouth 9, Hyannis 2
The Commodores just keep winning – 8-2 in their last 10 – and will enter the playoffs with the best record in the league. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had three hits and Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had three RBI to lead the big offensive day. Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) added two RBI, while Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) and Tristan Gray (Rice) had one each. Brendan King (Holy Cross) struck out five and allowed two runs in six innings for the win. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) was electric in relief, striking out six of the eight batters he saw in two innings of work. With Cotuit’s loss, Hyannis will make the playoffs, but the Harbor Hawks have dropped seven games in a row.
Wareham 3, Bourne 1
Wareham rallied from an early 1-0 deficit and won for the 11th time in its last 13 games. Recent addition Noah Zavolas (Harvard) – making his second appearance – went 4.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the win and Jake Matthys (Angelo State) recorded his seventh save. Jonathan Pryor (Wake Forest) scored the tying run on a wild pitch in the fifth. Colton Shaver (BYU) gave Wareham the lead with a two-run single in the sixth. Cole Freeman (LSU) went 1-for-4 and is hitting .374 as he chases the league batting title. Harwich’s Ernie Clement is the next closest at .353.
What to Watch
All eyes on Eldredge Park, where Chatham will try to complete its late playoff surge against Orleans. Andrew Karp (Florida State) and his 3.75 ERA go for Chatham against Orleans’ Chandler Day (Vanderbilt), who has a 3.37 ERA while pitching mostly out of the bullpen.
Eddie Muhl pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Monday’s win.
Brewster and Hyannis are on the verge of the playoffs, but they’ve been there for a while now and haven’t been able to take the leap. That’s due to their own struggles and late pushes by the teams behind them.
With a win and a Brewster loss, Chatham moved within one point of the Whitecaps for the final playoff spots in the East. Meanwhile, Cotuit topped Hyannis – the sixth straight loss for the Harbor Hawks – to get within three points of the last spot in the West. With two games remaining for everybody, any of those four teams could still make the postseason.
Chatham knocked off West-leading Falmouth for its key win Monday. Caleb Gilbert (LSU), who hadn’t gone more than four innings in any outing, went seven strong, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out seven. Falmouth used four pitchers as it preps for the playoffs and Chatham did damage against all of them, even ace Brady Puckett (Lipscomb). Jeremy Vasquez (Florida) went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. D.J. Artis (Liberty) continued his late-season surge with three hits, two runs and an RBI. Kyle Adams (Richmond) and Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) drove in one run each.
Chatham improved to 16-25-1. Both of its remaining games are against Orleans. Brewster takes on first-place Harwich in its last two.
In Hyannis, Cotuiti made up ground in the fastest way possible for the second time in the last four games, topping the Harbor Hawks. Hyannis hasn’t won since the day after the All-Star Game.
Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina), who struggled in his first start July 18, delivered a second consecutive strong performance, going five innings and allowing one run. Eddie Muhl (George Washington) followed with 2.2 scoreless frames and Alec Byrd (Florida State) finished the job for the save.
A two-run single by A.J. Balta (Oregon) powered a three-run third inning that put the Kettleers in control. Balta finished 2-for-5 with three RBI. Ryan Hagan (Mercer) added two hits and two RBI. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) also had two hits and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) scored two runs.
Despite the six straight losses, Hyannis still has a leg up on the Kettleers and can clinch a playoff spot with a victory. Cotuit needs to win out and have Hyannis lose both of its last two. Hyannis has Falmouth and Y-D to finish up and Cotuit gets Y-D and Wareham.
Bourne 3, Harwich 2
Bourne walked off on Harwich, with David MacKinnon (Hartford) coming around on a wild pitch and a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth. The big finish capped a rally from a 2-0 hole by the Braves, who tied the game in the seventh on a two-run single by Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State). Zach Spangler (Kent State) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) struck out four of the seven batters he faced but was tagged with the loss on the unearned run in the ninth. MacKinnon scored two runs for the Braves. Johnny Adams (Boston College) had an RBI for Harwich. The Mariners remain three points in front of Y-D in the East and can clinch the division title and the top seed with one victory.
Wareham 5, Orleans 4
The Gatemen scored two in the eighth and held off a Firebird rally in the ninth for a 5-4 win. A two-run double by Adrian Tovalin (Azusa Pacific) broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth. Orleans got an RBI fielder’s choice from Brian Miller (North Carolina) in the ninth, but Christian Taugner (Brown) came on and stranded Miller at first to end the game. Dalton Horton (TCU) got the win in relief for the Gatemen. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Cole Freeman (LSU) had two hits and scored two runs, pushing his average to .378 as he remains in position for the batting title.
Y-D, Brewster 4
A run in the eighth and two in the ninth pushed Y-D past Brewster. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) scored in the eighth on a dribbler by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton). In the ninth, Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) plated the tying run with an RBI double and Toffey gave the Red Sox the lead with a run-scoring base hit. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) then worked around a walk and an error in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win for Y-D. J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) had two hits and scored two runs for the Red Sox. Persinger added two hits. For Brewster, Kekai Rios (Hawaii) had two hits and two runs scored.
What to Watch
The playoff chase continues for Cotuit and Chatham. The Kettleers visit Y-D at 4:30 p.m. Chatham hosts Orleans at 7.
Peter Solomon pitched the first five innings of Wednesday’s no-hitter.
The best pitching staff on the Cape hit its highest note yet Wednesday night – and it may have been just the beginning of a run to history.
Four Harwich pitchers combined on the first no-hitter of the Cape League season in a 10-0 win at Chatham. It was fitting – and not surprising – that the Mariners were the team to do it. They own nine shutouts this season and lead the league in ERA by a wide margin.
The staff is also on a stunning pace. With 83 runs allowed in 38 games, the Mariners are on track to allow just 96 runs in the 44-game season. That would be the fewest allowed by any team since at least 2000, which is as far back as the league’s online records go (and the Cape League online record book for some reason lists the runs allowed mark as a record for the most, rather than the least).
Regardless, you’re looking at one of the best pitching staffs on the Cape in decades. The previous low in runs was 116 by Orleans in 2002, so even if the Mariners fall off their ridiculous pace a bit over the final six games, they’ve got a cushion for beating that number.
And on the road to the potential big finish, the Mariners got their signature moment Wednesday.
Power arm Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) wasn’t at his absolute best – walking five and striking out three – but when he departed after five innings, there was a zero in the hit column for Chatham.
Exactly two weeks before, Solomon had pitched four no-hit innings against Chatham, but the innings came in relief, when the Anglers had already notched two hits.
This time, Chatham remained hitless through the sixth and seventh innings, with Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) righting the ship after a tough outing in the All-Star Game by striking out five in his two innings. Tommy DeJuneas (NC State) walked two in the eighth but didn’t allow a hit. Nick Brown (William & Mary) then struck out two in the ninth and when he got Donovan Casey (Boston College) to ground in to the final out, the Mariners had themselves a combined no-hitter.
It’s the league’s first no-hitter since last June, when the Mariners themselves were shut down by Hyannis’ Devin Smeltzer.
The Mariners also had plenty of offense, with Austin Filiere (MIT) leading the way. Coming in, his average had dipped to .211 but he went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. He’s now tied for the league lead in home runs with seven and is one back of the league lead in RBI.
Pavin Smith (Virginia) added a home run and Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) drove in two runs, but the story of this night – and most nights for Harwich – was the pitching.
With Y-D losing, it led the Mariners back to first place in the East. It authored the league’s top performance of the summer.
And it kept up the pace for a historic season.
Wareham 5, Hyannis 0
The Gatemen won their eighth consecutive game with a 5-0 shutout of Hyannis. Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette) – who hasn’t pitched as much as some fellow stars but has had kind of an incredible summer – started the shutout with four scoreless innings and six strikeouts. Leger now has a 0.42 ERA and 29 strikeouts against just one walk in 21 innings of work as a starter and reliever. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) finished the shutout with five strong innings. He fanned four. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) led the Wareham offense with a triple and three RBI. Joey Bartosic (George Washington) added three hits, Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) had two and Cole Freeman (LSU) scored two runs. Wareham is now 21-14-3.
Brewster 3, Bourne 0
The Whitecaps made it three shutouts on the day and gained a bit of breathing room on Chatham for the final playoff spot in the East. The Whitecaps now have a three-point edge. Hunter Martin (Tennessee) set the table for the win with eight shutout innings. He allowed three hits and struck out three while improving to 4-1 on the year. Wyatt Burns (Samford) allowed one hit in the ninth but finished out the win. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) homered and drove in two for the Whitecaps, while Zack Gahagan (North Carolina) and Julian Infante (Vanderbilt) chipped in two hits each.
Orleans 5, Cotuit 4
Cotuit rallied from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits to force extra innings but Orleans walked off in the bottom of the 11th for a dramatic win. Brian Miller (North Carolina) walked and stole second to create a threat in the 11th and Payton Squier (UNLV) brought him in with a base hit. The heroics made a winner out of Will Stokes (Ole Miss), who had pitched a scoreless top of the 11th. Before that, Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) went 3.1 scoreless frames. And long before that, Orleans starter Kevin Smith (Georgia) struck out eight in five innings. Cotuit’s Alec Byrd (Florida State) also shined as the game headed to extras, pitching four scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Riley Adams (San Diego) had a huge day to lead the Orleans offense, going 4-for-5 with his first home run of the summer. The standout catcher is on a seven-game hitting streak in which his average has risen from .316 to .372. Squier added two hits. A.J. Balta (Oregon) added two hits for the Kettleers.
Falmouth 8, Y-D 5
If Wareham weren’t on an eight-game streak, the team the Gatemen are chasing in the West would be the league’s hottest. The Commodores won their third straight and their eighth in the last 10 games, improving to a league-best 25-13. Deacon Liput (Florida) hit his second homer of the summer and drove in three runs to pace a solid offensive showing. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) added two hits and two runs scored, while J.J. Matijevic (Arizona), Joshua Watson (TCU) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) drove in one run apiece. Starting pitcher Brendan King (Holy Cross) was touched up for three runs in four innings – the first runs he had allowed since June 24 – but the Falmouth bullpen kept Y-D at bay. Thomas Ponticelli (San Francisco) earned the win in relief and Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) picked up the save. Y-D got a home run from Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s), his fourth.
What to Watch
One last league-wide off-day today before a sprint to the finish line. When action resumes Friday, there will be a couple of intriguing games in the West. Cotuit, still not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, gets a chance to make up some ground as it hosts fourth-place Hyannis in the penultimate Barnstable Patriot Cup game. In Falmouth, the first-place Commodores will try to stop second-place Wareham’s eight-game winning streak.
Cole Freeman is now leading the league in hitting.
For all the dominant pitching in Harwich, the comeback from a tough start in Yarmouth and the steady performances in Falmouth, the summer’s longest win streak belongs to the Wareham Gatemen.
A 4-3 victory in 10 innings over Brewster Tuesday night was the seventh victory in a row for the Gatemen. Sitting at 13-14-3 before the streak began with losses in four of their last five, the Gatemen have stormed to complete control of second place in the West and cemented their spot as one of the league’s top four teams. They’re now 20-14-3.
The drama of Tuesday’s one-run, extra-inning victory was nothing new. Five of the seven victories in the streak have been one-run games. Wareham has had a knack for winning those games with late pushes and solid performances by the bullpen.
Much of Tuesday’s game had the streak in jeopardy. Brewster scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and watched ace Zac Lowther (Xavier) strike out eight in 6.2 scoreless innings.
Wareham didn’t get on the board until the ninth inning but made up for lost time. Singles by Joey Bartosic (George Washington) and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) and a walk to Dominic Miroglio (San Francisco) loaded the bases with nobody out. Colton Shaver (BYU) brought a run home with a groundout and an error on a ground ball by Alex Destino (South Carolina) allowed the tying runs to score.
The Gatemen then took the lead in the 10th on three straight singles and a sacrifice fly by Miroglio. Jake Matthys (Angelo State), who had already pitched a scoreless ninth, did the same in the bottom of the 10th to seal the comeback win for the Gatemen.
Bartosic had three hits to lead the offense and Sheets had two. Freeman also had two and officially qualified for the batting title, a race that he now leads with a .387 mark. Freeman has been a key to the win streak, batting leadoff and getting 10 hits.
In addition to Matthys, Wareham got shut-down relief work before the comeback from Dalton Horton (TCU) and Clayton Gelfand (Chico State).
Harwich 7, Orleans 5
Joe Dunand (NC State) is emerging as a league MVP candidate and his latest big game helped lead Harwich to a key win over Orleans. Dunand went 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI and is on a six-game hitting streak, bumping his average to .373. He ranks second in the league in hitting, tied for sixth in home runs and is fifth in RBI — the only player to dot all three leaderboards. Dunand’s RBI double in the third started a comeback from an early 3-1 deficit and Harwich went on to the victory. Coupled with a Y-D loss, the win means the Mariners and Red Sox are locked in a first-place tie in the East. Ernie Clement (Virginia) added three hits and two runs scored for Harwich and Jonathan India (Florida) had two hits and scored twice. The top three hitters in the order — India, Clement and Dunand — scored six of the team’s seven runs. Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s) got the win in relief and Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) pitched three scoreless innings of relief to close out the win. Orleans, which dropped its fourth in a row and fell to 16-20-1, got a home run from Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt).
Falmouth 7, Hyannis 3
The Commodores trailed 1-0 from the first inning through the sixth but blasted their way to a late rally and a win over Hyannis with three runs in the seventh, three in the eighth and one in the ninth. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had an RBI single, Willie Burger (Penn State) a sac fly and Tristan Gray (Rice) an RBI double to key the first rally and the Commodores were off and running. Gray finished with two hits to lead the charge and Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) added an RBI. The late surge made a winner out of Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), who allowed a run for the first time since July 1 and responded with six scoreless innings to keep it a 1-0 game. Justin Lewis (Kentucky) struck out eight in six innings for Hyannis.
Bourne 3, Cotuit 2
The Braves went to 5-0 against Cotuit this season and pushed the Kettleers closer to the brink of playoff race elimination with a comeback win at Lowell Park. Trailing 2-0 in the eighth, the Braves got three straight singles ahead of an error, a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to grab the lead. Sean Leland (Louisville) and Brendon Little (North Carolina) pitched a scoreless inning each to keep the Braves in front and seal the win. Willy Yahn (Connecticut) and Connor Wong (Houston) led the Bourne offense with two hits each. Cotuit, which lost its second straight and fell to 12-24-1, got four good innings from standout freshman Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina).
Chatham 5, Y-D 4
The Anglers knocked off the East’s best and moved within one game of fourth-place Brewster with a dramatic comeback from four runs down in the ninth. Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) got the Anglers within two on a two-run single with one out in the ninth. Y-D made it two outs, but Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) smacked a three-run homer on a 2-2 count to give Chatham its first lead of the game. It was the first homer of the summer for Fairchild, who came in hitting .242. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) and D.J. Artis (Liberty) added hits to the rally for Chatham, which had notched just one hit before the ninth inning. Moises Ceja (UCLA) pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth inning to complete the comeback win. For Y-D, Chatham’s comeback spoiled a dominant start from Jared Janczak (TCU), who went six scoreless innings.
What to Watch
Falmouth and Y-D, owners of the best two records in the league, square off at Arnie Allen Diamond at 6 p.m. All-star Brendan King (Holy Cross), who hasn’t allowed a run since June 24, goes for Falmouth against Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina), who has gone 13.1 scoreless innings over his last two starts.
Michael Gigliotti is hitting .322 and will start the All-Star Game.
I’ve been looking for the right moment to do a post about Falmouth’s three standouts from Lipscomb, but I probably didn’t need to wait.
For Michael Gigliotti, Jeffrey Passantino and Brady Puckett, there have been plenty of good moments.
Gigliotti has starred with the bat since day one while Passantino and Puckett have led the way for the Commodores’ pitching staff. Wednesday, Gigliotti homered and Passantino pitched four solid innings in a 4-2 win over Harwich.
Lipscomb, which plays in the Atlantic Sun conference and is located in Nashville, hasn’t had a huge Cape presence over the years. Before the current trio, I could only find two Cape Leaguers from the school in the past 10 years: pitcher Hunter Brothers, who also played for Falmouth, and current Major League catcher Caleb Joseph, who split time with Falmouth and Cotuit in 2007.
Lipscomb went 31-27 this spring, but the foundation being laid by the Cape trio this summer could mean good things next year. Gigliotti, Passantino and Puckett each earned an all-star nod. That means Lipscomb is tied with ACC powerhouse Virginia for the most Cape League all-stars. Cape success has always been a good indicator for small programs on the rise. Stony Brook comes to mind as the most emphatic example.
For now, the Lipscomb trio is just focused on leading the way for Falmouth.
Gigliotti hit his first home run of the summer in Wednesday’s win and is now batting .322, good for fifth in the league. He’s also in the top 10 with nine stolen bases and is riding a four-game hit streak.
Passantino gave up one run in four innings Friday, the first earned run he had allowed since his first start of the summer. When your ERA goes up after giving up one run in four innings, you know you’re doing something right. Passantino continues to lead the league in ERA with a 0.75 mark. He has struck out 33 and walked just three, and opponents are hitting .132 against him. Passantino will start for the West in Saturday’s All-Star Game.
Puckett would have also been a good choice to start the All-Star Game. He’s 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA.
Falmouth also got home runs from Joshua Watson (TCU) and Willie Burger (Penn State) in Wednesday’s win. The team improved to 20-12 – best in the West – and owes a big thanks to the trio from Lipscomb.
Y-D 5, Hyannis 1
With Harwich losing, the Red Sox’ win over Hyannis sent them into sole possession of first place in the East. Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) struck out seven and pitched 4.2 scoreless innings despite issuing six walks. Hyannis stranded six runners against him. Pat Vanderslice (St. Joseph’s) followed with 2.1 scoreless frames and earned the win. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) led the offense with his second home run of the summer. Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hyannis got a home run from Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) but couldn’t rally from an early 5-0 deficit.
Orleans 8, Brewster 6
The Firebirds rallied from a 4-1 deficit and outlasted Brewster in an eight-inning affair at Stony Brook Field. Adam Haseley (Virginia) went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI to lead the big offensive day for Orleans. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) added two hits and two runs scored and Garrett Benge (Oklahoma State) delivered his first Cape League RBI. Kevin Smith (Georgia) put a momentary stop to the back-and-forth with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, which earned him the win. Smith struck out six of the 14 batters he faced. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) gave up a run in the eighth but escaped further trouble to earn the save. Orleans improved to 16-16-3 with the win and has a five-point edge on fourth-place Brewster.
Wareham 3, Bourne 2
The Gatemen have risen the ranks in the West in part because of success against Bourne and it continued Wednesday. Wareham improved to 4-0-1 against the Braves this season with a 3-2 win. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the eighth and Alex Destino (South Carolina) drove in what would prove to be an important insurance run with a double. Bourne scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on an Evan Mendoza (NC State) RBI groundout but got nothing else off Wareham closer Jake Matthys (Angelo State), who earned his fifth save. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) allowed one run in three innings for the win after starter Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) went five scoreless innings. Wareham improved to 16-14-3 while Bourne fell to 14-17-2.
Chatham 2, Cotuit 1
Chatham won its second straight and moved within one point of fourth place in the East while handing Cotuit its fourth consecutive loss. Two solo home runs by the Anglers bested Cotuit’s one solo shot. Patrick Mathis (Texas) did the honors in the fourth inning with his fourth homer of the summer. Sean Bouchard (UCLA) broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with his first home run, and that was all the offense Chatham would need. Andrew Karp (Florida State) allowed one run in six innings for the win. Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh) and Moises Ceja (UCLA) combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Quinn Brodey (Stanford) hit the home run for Cotuit, his third.
What to Watch
Coming off his best start – six shutout innings against Harwich – Colton Hock (Stanford) tries to get Cotuit out of its skid as Y-D comes to town.
Chatham released Texas Tech standout Tanner Gardner Monday after a brief stay on the Cape. His time included a dramatic walk-off home run that gave the Anglers a win in his debut.
Tuesday, the Anglers found another Red Raider with a flair for the dramatic.
Orlando Garcia (Texas Tech) hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth as Chatham beat Brewster 4-3. The win snapped a five-game losing streak and an eight-game winless streak that included one tie. Chatham’s last win was July 6 – when Gardner hit his walk-off.
The Anglers trailed 3-0 in the early going before pushing two runs across in the fifth. They still trailed in the ninth when three straight singles allowed them to tie the game. Stuart Fairchild’s (Wake Forest) base hit brought the tying run home.
Garcia came up next and fell behind in the count 1-2. He fouled two pitches off then smacked a single to right field to score Simon Matthews (Georgetown) with the winning run.
Garcia came in hitting .109 since his arrival July 2, after he had hit .265 for the Red Raiders. The walk-off gave him his first RBI of the summer.
John Aiello (Wake Forest) added an RBI for the Anglers and Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) went 3-for-4. Starter Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) allowed three runs in five innings. Three relievers allowed just one hit over the final four innings.
Brewster got two hits from Brent Rooker (Mississippi State). Zac Lowther (Xavier) struck out eight in five innings and remained in the league lead with 45 on the year.
The win was a big one for Chatham, which would have fallen five points behind Brewster for the final playoff spot with a loss.
Y-D 1, Orleans 0
The Red Sox continue to be at their best against Orleans, finishing the regular season series 5-1 and continuing to get some breathing room in the standings as a result. The lone run of the game scored in the bottom of the 10th inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton). Kevin Smith (Maryland) had started the frame with a single then moved to second on a stolen base and third on a wild pitch. Two walks then loaded the bases. The rally made a winner out of Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine), who had pitched a scoreless top of the 10th. That followed two innings from Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) and a strong start by Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina), who delivered a second straight scoreless outing. For Orleans, Jason Morgan (North Carolina) went six scoreless frames. Y-D improved to 20-12 and has matched Falmouth for the best record in the league. The Red Sox remain tied for first place in the East with Harwich, who is 19-11-2. Orleans fell to 15-16-1.
What to Watch
Back to a full slate of games today and should be an interesting match-up in Harwich when Falmouth comes to town. League ERA leader Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) goes for the Commodores against Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s), who has a 2.16 ERA.
