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The K-Man

Kolton Mahoney's 13 strikeouts were the most in a CCBL playoff game since 2006.
Kolton Mahoney’s 13 strikeouts were the most in a CCBL playoff game since 2006.

 

Three pitchers tied for the league lead in strikeouts this season, and all three took the ball for their teams in game one of the playoffs Wednesday night.

The strikeout king emerged.

Kolton Mahoney (BYU) struck out 13 in seven scoreless innings as Orleans blanked Y-D 3-0 to take a 1-0 lead in its East semifinal series. The 13 K’s are the most in a Cape League playoff game since 2006, when Riley Boening fanned 14 for Wareham. There have been double-digit performances since, but never more than a dozen. (The list of double-digit guys includes Chris Sale, J.J .Hoover, Mark Appel and Kyle Freeland. Good company.)

Mahoney, who was presented with the league’s Outstanding Pitcher Award before the game, was tagged for four unearned runs in his final regular-season start, but he wasn’t tagged for much of anything on Wednesday. He allowed four hits – all singles – and struck out the side twice.

In the regular season, the Red Sox finished with the second fewest strikeouts in the league, but they had faced Mahoney twice and struck out 19 times total, including his previous season-high of 11.

When Mahoney gave way to the bullpen, the onslaught continued. Bobby Poyner (Florida) struck out the side in the eighth and Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) punched out two in the ninth. That’s 18 strikeouts, of 27 outs recorded.

For much of the game, Mahoney was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Y-D ace Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara). The game was scoreless until the seventh, when Jerry McClanahan (UC Irvine) cracked a two-run single to give Orleans the lead. An error in the eighth allowed the third run to score.

The win was Orleans’ first playoff victory over Y-D since 2002. They haven’t matched up a ton since then, but Y-D had swept the last two series with the Firebirds.

 

Falmouth 3, Hyannis 0

The other two strikeout leaders squared off, and Falmouth’s pitching was a little better in a shutout of Hyannis. Matt Hall (Missouri State) went six scoreless innings, scattering five hits while striking out one. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) and Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) finished off the shutout. Marc Brakeman (Stanford), who hadn’t allowed a run in his last two starts, was touched up for just an unearned run in six innings, as Falmouth took a 1-0 lead on an error in the second. Falmouth added a run on a Conner Hale (LSU) home run and a Jake Madsen (Ohio) RBI single in the eighth. Madsen finished with three hits, while Steven Duggar (Clemson) and Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) had two each.

 

Harwich 7, Brewster 2

In a game that didn’t begin until 9 p.m. thanks to field work after a storm, Harwich busted out quickly with three runs in the first and never looked back. Skye Bolt (North Carolina) went 2-for-4 with a home run and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI to lead a 10-hit attack. Joe McCarthy (Virginia) added three hits. Zack Erwin (Clemson) struck out seven and gave up just two runs in six innings for the win. Seth McGarry (Florida Atlantic) was terrific in relief, striking out every batter he faced in two innings. Ronnie Glenn (Penn) struck out two more in a scoreless ninth. Brewster, which was again playing short-handed, got a home run from Luke Lowery (East Carolina) but not much else.

 

Cotuit at Bourne, PPD

The rain that threatened the other games completely washed out the match-up at Doran Park. The series is now set to get underway tonight at 6 p.m., back at Doran Park.

 

Newman takes MVP honor

In a bit of non-playoff news, Falmouth’s Kevin Newman was presented with his batting title trophy on Wednesday – and then with the MVP award. The only two-time batting champ in Cape League history also now becomes the first player to win the batting title and the MVP honor in the same season since Falmouth’s Conor Gillaspie in 2007. I was a little surprised that Newman won the MVP, since he wasn’t a big power guy (eight extra-base hits), but he was second in the league in OBP, near the top in OPS and top 15 in RBI. Plus, without a completely obvious choice behind him, I don’t have a problem with giving it to the guy who made history.

 

What to Watch

Orleans at Y-D, 4 p.m.
Harwich at Brewster, 4 p.m.
Falmouth at Hyannis, 6 p.m.
Cotuit at Bourne, 6 p.m.

Orleans will try for the sweep of Y-D but will have to go through a very good pitcher as Y-D is slated to give the ball to Walker Buehler. The Vanderbilt righty has had quite a summer, starting with a College World Series title. He then pitched two very good games for Y-D before a brief stint with Team USA. Back on the Cape now, he carries a 1.35 ERA into today’s game. Orleans will counter with Eric Hanhold (Florida). He has a 3.42 ERA and gave up five runs in his last start – against Y-D.

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The King

Kevin Newman, pictured with the batting title trophy last year, will get it again in 2014.
Kevin Newman, pictured with the batting title trophy last year, will get it again in 2014.

 

Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 0-for-4 for just the third time this season on August 1. His batting average slipped to .357, hitting a mark below .360 for the first time since June 18. Had it stayed there and had everything else proceeded as it did, Newman would not have made history.

But come on, you didn’t really expect him to go 0-for-4 again, did you?

The reigning Cape League batting champ became the first player in league history to win two batting titles in a row when he followed up his 0-for-4 night with a 3-for-4 game on Monday and a 2-for-2 performance in Tuesday’s season finale.

As we wrote last week, Newman has gone three games without a hit just once in his two-year Cape League career. Now was not the time to do it again. Bourne’s Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) was suddenly hot on his heels, going 4-for-4 and 2-for-3 in his final two games to raise his average to .364.

But thanks to Newman’s surge, it remained second-best.

The 3-for-4 night on Monday set the table as Newman pushed his average up .013 points. With his team’s playoff spot already clinched, he could have left it right there and celebrated the title, but Newman started Monday’s game anyway. He singled in the first inning and singled in the third before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fourth.

After the game Newman tweeted his thoughts: “People truly underestimate the fact that the hitters around me set the table and as much of an individual award this batting title is…my teammates are just as responsible. I’m very excited and honored to be apart of the @FalCommodores.”

A batting title is pretty far on the individual side, but Newman has played alongside a lot of very good hitters in his two seasons, and you have to admire a guy who recognizes that.

Congrats to Kevin.

 

Falmouth 10, Cotuit 9

In addition to Newman’s feat, the Commodores had a walk-off win to celebrate on the final night of the regular season. After Cotuit had taken a 9-7 lead in the top of the 10th, Falmouth scored three runs to win it in the bottom half. Shaun Chase (Oregon) knocked in a run with a single, and the tying run came home on a fielder’s choice by Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts). Boomer White (TCU) then smacked a walk-off RBI single to give Falmouth the win. Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) led the Commodore offense with a homer and three RBI, while Afenir had two RBI. Both teams used seven pitchers as they keep everybody fresh for the playoffs.

 

Bourne 5, Wareham 1

Bourne continued adding on to its franchise record for wins, with victory No. 28 in the season finale. Five pitchers combined to limit the Gatemen to just a run, while Mark Laird (LSU) and Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) had two hits and an RBI each. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 2-for-3. Bourne will hit the playoffs on a four-game winning streak. The game marked the end of the line for Wareham, which finished 14-28-2.

 

What to Watch

Yesterday’s make-up games means no full off day for the league as the playoffs begin immediately, with all four opening-round series starting tonight. The schedule:

Cotuit at Bourne, 6 p.m.
Hyannis at Falmouth, 6:30 p.m.
Y-D at Orleans, 7 p.m.
Brewster at Harwich, 7 p.m.

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Finishing Touch

Levi MaVorhis, pictured earlier this summer, was part of a cobbled-together for playoff-bound Brewster.
Levi MaVorhis, pictured earlier this summer, was part of a cobbled-together for playoff-bound Brewster.

 

They had pitchers in the outfield and lost their finale 12-2. But I guess that’s what happens when you make a run this surprising.

For the Brewster Whitecaps, the run continues.

Harwich beat Brewster 12-2 in the last game of the season for both teams last night, but Chatham lost to Orleans, meaning the Whitecaps have grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot in the East.

As detailed yesterday , the Whitecaps were eight points back of Chatham with seven games to play but delivered their best baseball of the summer in a late surge. Chatham lost six of its last seven, so this is what we’re left with.

We’ll see if Brewster can put anything together in the playoffs. Pitchers Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) and Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) were on the outfield corners last night, so the Whitecaps will hopefully get some reinforcements. Harwich pounded out 15 hits in finishing the season with a bang. The Mariners ended up with a 26-16-2 record.

The Brewster game was over well before the Chatham-Orleans game, meaning the door was open for the Anglers, but they couldn’t step through. Starting pitcher Max Tishman (Wake Forest) was touched up for five unearned runs as Chatham made four errors. Orleans then scored six runs off Kyle Davis (USC), who’s been Chatham’s best pitcher all summer. Chris Shaw (Boston College) hit his eighth home run and will likely finish as the league leader, but it wasn’t enough. David Thompson (Miami) had four hits and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) had three to lead the Firebirds. With the win, Orleans grabbed the No. 2 seed by a point over Y-D.

Brewster will be making its first playoff appearance since 2011, which is also the last time Chatham didn’t make it.

 

Bourne 5, Wareham 0

The Braves still have one game to play but have already secured the best record in the league thanks to their third straight victory, and their second straight shutout. Six pitchers combined on the shutout, with the win going to reliever Max Knutson (Nebraska). John Gorman (Boston College) and Joey Strain (Winthrop), the last two pitchers to the mound, both struck out the side in an inning each. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 4-for-4 with a home run to bring his batting average to .358, which is second best in the league. Mark Laird (LSU) added three hits and Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) homered. The teams will meet again in the season finale tonight.

 

Falmouth 4, Cotuit 2

Falmouth beat Cotuit 4-2, which means the seedings in the West are now set. Behind Bourne and Falmouth, Hyannis will be the No. 3 seed and Cotuit will be the No. 4. With the right combination of results, Cotuit could have jumped Hyannis but is now two points back with one to play and can do no better than a tie, with Hyannis getting the tiebreaker. Five Falmouth pitchers limited Cotuit to just four hits. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) was credited with the win and Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) got the save. The Commodore offense was led by Kevin Newman (Arizona), who was in danger of losing his grip on the batting title and responded with a 3-for-4 night. He now has a .370 average and is in line to win his second straight crown. Conner Hale (LSU) added two hits and two RBI and he’ll likely finish as the league leader in RBI.

 

Y-D 3, Hyannis 2

Y-D scored a run in the eighth to finish the season with a 3-2 victory over Hyannis. Josh Lester (Missouri) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate what proved to be the winning run. Andrew Stevenson (LSU) and Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) had two hits each to lead the Y-D attack, while Brennon Lund (BYU) and newcomer Marcus Mastrobuoni (Cal State Stanislaus) had an RBI each. Both teams used a lot of pitchers, with Y-D’s Josh Staumont (Azusa Pacific) picking up the win and Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer) grabbing the save.

 

What to Watch

Two makeup games on the docket tonight to conclude the 2014 regular season. Neither game will have any bearing on playoff seedings, but keep an eye on Falmouth as Kevin Newman tries to clinch the batting title. He’s at .370. Second-place Richard Martin Jr. of Bourne is at .358 and will also likely be in action.

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Riding the Wave

Gio Brusa homered in Brewster's victory over Harwich.
Gio Brusa homered in Brewster’s victory over Harwich.

 

The Cape Cod Baseball League has used an eight-team playoff structure since 2010, and in all those years, we haven’t seen anything like what the Brewster Whitecaps are doing these days.

Brewster, well off the pace for much of the summer, has won five of six. Combined with a skid by Chatham, the Whitecaps put themselves into the thick of the playoff race. And last night, they took a full leap, beating Harwich 2-0 while Chatham lost to Orleans. That means Brewster is in fourth place by a point over Chatham, with one game to play.

It’s a rare feat.

When the Cape had a four-team playoff bracket, battles for those spots were pretty frequent. But with eight of 10 teams making it, there are bound to be two teams that aren’t even close. In five of the eight races since 2010, the fourth and fifth-place teams were separated by nine points or more.

And in the only close races, it wasn’t a come-from-behind situation, at least not one that happened so late. In 2010, Harwich held off Chatham by three points and had been ahead of the Anglers well before the stretch run. In 2011, Falmouth edged Cotuit by three points after going 3-7 in its last 10, allowing Cotuit to get close. In 2012, Bourne and Hyannis finished tied for the last playoff spot when the Braves lost their last two and the Harbor Hawks won their last two, but the team that came from behind lost out on the tiebreaker, as Bourne ended up with the spot.

Brewster’s comeback – if it’s completed – would stand alone. On July 25, the Whitecaps lost to Chatham 8-3. They fell to 12-24-1, while Chatham improved to 16-20-1. The Anglers had an eight-point cushion, with seven games to play.

Since then, Brewster hasn’t lost, and Chatham has gone 1-5. That’s the recipe for a takeover.

The Whitecaps knocked off East champ Harwich Sunday to take their biggest step yet. They managed only three hits but scored two runs. Gio Brusa (Pacific) homered and Zach Gibbons (Arizona) had an RBI. Four pitchers made the two-run lead seem plenty big enough. Joe McCarthy (Southern New Hampshire) allowed four hits in five innings. Ryan Mason (California) pitched two scoreless frames, Doug Willey (Franklin Pierce) tossed a scoreless eighth and Pat Ruotolo (Connecticut) pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

Meanwhile, Orleans beat Chatham 4-0 in a game that was called after five innings due to some classic Veterans Field fog. The Anglers would have loved to keep playing, because now the playoff race comes down to one game.

If the Whitecaps beat Harwich tonight, they’re in. If they don’t, and Chatham loses, they’re still in. But if Chatham wins, then the comeback will have been for naught.

It’s a sprint to the finish now.

 

Orleans 4, Chatham 0

Orleans scored all its runs in the fifth inning of the five-inning fog game. Geoff DeGroot (Rutgers) had a two-run single to key the rally and David Thompson (Miami) had a sacrifice fly. Kyle Twomey (USC) pitched four scoreless innings for the Firebirds, before Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) pitched around a single for a scoreless fifth. The win allowed Orleans to move one point ahead of Y-D for second place in the East.

 

Hyannis 3, Y-D 3

The Harbor Hawks scored two runs in what proved to be the final inning, as the teams played to a tie in eight innings after the game was called due to darkness at Red Wilson Field. Sam Haggerty (New Mexico) had an RBI double in the eighth for Hyannis and Arden Pabst (Georgia Tech) knocked in the tying run with a sacrifice fly. Ryan Perez (Judson) then pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth. Haggerty led the Harbor Hawks with three hits and two RBI. For Y-D, Andrew Stevenson (LSU) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) drove in a run. Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) and Zac Favre (Central Florida) each struck out four in short relief stints before the late Hyannis rally.

 

Postponements

Games between Falmouth and Cotuit and Bourne and Wareham were washed out.

 

What to Watch

One more full day of games in the regular season, with one makeup game currently scheduled for Tuesday. Tonight, eyes are on the same teams in the East as Brewster visits Harwich and Chatham visits Orleans.
 

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Complete Dominance

Ryan Kellogg nearly tossed the Cape's first nine-inning, solo no-hitter since 2010.
Ryan Kellogg nearly tossed the Cape’s first nine-inning, solo no-hitter since 2010.

 

Before last night, there had not been a single nine-inning complete game pitching performance in the 2014 Cape Cod Baseball League season.

And now there have been two, including the best performance of the summer.

Bourne’s Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) came within one out of a no-hitter in a 5-0 win at Chatham, settling for the aforementioned best performance of the summer – a one-hit shutout, with 11 strikeouts. In Wareham, Sean Adler (USC), who had started only one other game this summer, tossed a complete-game shutout with eight strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Cotuit.

Sometimes, teams start running out of pitching and cobbling things together as the season winds down. Clearly, not these two.

Kellogg has been a terrific Cape League pitcher, posting a 1.36 ERA last year and a 2.63 mark this season, but last night – fittingly, his final start as a Brave – was his master work. The lefty was perfect through five innings, with seven strikeouts. He issued a leadoff walk in the sixth but the runner was erased on a double play, and Kellogg kept cruising. He struck out two in the seventh and worked a one-two-three ninth. After a fly-out and a swinging strikeout, he was one out away, but Landon Cray (Seattle) reached on a slow roller to third base to break up the no-hit bid at the last possible moment.

Kellogg was bidding to become the first solo pitcher to toss a nine-inning no-hitter since Y-D’s Jordan Pries in 2010 (three of his Bourne teammates combined on one last summer and Bourne’s Jeff Thompson tossed a six-inning no-no in 2012).

Though he didn’t get it, it was still an incredible performance and Kellogg finished it – of course – with a strikeout.

Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt) hit a grand slam to lead the offense, while Brett Sullivan (Pacific) had three hits. Kellogg’s gem and the solid offensive day allowed the Braves to set a franchise record for regular-season victories with 26. With the win and a Falmouth loss, Bourne has a two-game cushion in first place, with two games to play.

Adler gives Wareham a gem

Sean Adler gave up a hit to the third batter he faced, so there was no talk of no-hitters in Wareham. But his performance was almost as good. He scattered six hits and went the distance in an efficient 104 pitches.

Adler only made his debut for Wareham in mid-July and has made just four appearances. His longest previous outing was six innings.

But as the scoreless frames piled up, Adler got better and better. He gave up two hits in an inning just once. After giving up a two-out double to Kyle Holder (San Diego) in the sixth, he struck out the next batter and didn’t allow another hit. He retired nine of 10, with the only exception coming on an error. That runner was erased on a double play.

Adler’s performance gave the Gatemen something to celebrate a night after they were eliminated from playoff contention. Kyri Washington (Longwood) and Adler’s USC teammate Blake Lacey each had a hit and two RBI to lead the Gatemen offense.

 

Harwich 3, Y-D 1

How good were the pitching performances? A division title plays second fiddle. Harwich clinched the regular season Eastern Division crown with a 3-1 victory over the Red Sox, coupled with an Orleans loss. The Mariners have been at the top since the very beginning of the season, when they won their first three games. Y-D and Orleans have made charges, but Harwich never faltered and is in the midst of a surge to the finish, thanks to three straight victories. Last night, James Mulry (Northeastern) – who put Harwich in first place way back on opening night – tossed 6.2 innings for the win, giving up one run and striking out five. Seth McGarry (Florida Atlantic) pitched 1.1 scoreless frames and Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth outing of zero earned runs in 10 games this season. The offense got an RBI each from Anthony Hermelyn (Virginia Tech), C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Angelo Amendolare (Jacksonville). Y-D, who is tied with Orleans for second place, has lost three in a row.

 

Brewster 7, Orleans 2

Don’t look now, but Brewster is making a push to the playoffs that would go down as one of the most improbable in recent memory. The Whitecaps have won four of five games – and tied the other – and with Chatham’s loss last night, they’re just one point back of the Anglers for the fourth and final playoff spot, with two games to play. Tyger Talley (Arizona), making just his third start, allowed two runs in five innings and Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) pitched four hitless innings to seal the win. Andrew Lee (Tennessee), who has eight hits in the five-game stretch, homered and drove in two to lead the offense. Scott Kingery (Arizona) had two hits and three RBI. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) homered for the Firebirds, who have lost four in a row. Brewster will finish the season with two games against Harwich. Chatham, as it tries to hold off the Whitecaps, has two against Orleans.

 

Hyannis 10, Falmouth 0

Hyannis leap-frogged Cotuit back into third place, while putting Falmouth into an uphill battle on its quest for first. Four Harbor Hawks combined on the shutout. Shaefer Shepard (Catawba) went five innings, Matt LaRocca (Akron) struck out four in two innings while Chris Mourelle (Florida International) and Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) pitched one inning each. Carl Wise (College of Charleston) hit his sixth home run to pace the offense, while Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) also homered. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) had two hits and two RBI. For Falmouth, Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 0-for-4, putting him into a tie with Bourne’s Billy Fleming for the batting title. Newman is trying to become the first-ever two time Cape League batting champ.

 

What to Watch

Bourne will try to clinch the West title outright when it hosts Wareham at 6 p.m. In the suddenly interesting race for the last East playoff spot, Brewster visits Harwich at 5:30 p.m. and Chatham heads to Orleans at 7.

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Stepping In

Sal Annunziata homered twice for Harwich in a 10-0 win over Chatham.
Sal Annunziata homered twice for Harwich in a 10-0 win over Chatham.

 

It seems like every successful Cape League team has a player of a certain mold. He’s usually a late addition to the roster. He’s a little older, eligible for the draft, but he later than he hopes or didn’t hear his name called at all. He’s from a school that isn’t a baseball powerhouse.

All those characteristics become motivation, and he delivers a big summer.

Harwich has a guy like that.

Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) blasted two home runs last night, his fourth and fifth of the season, as the Mariners hammered Chatham 10-0 to move to the brink of an Eastern Division title.

Harwich has an MVP candidate in Ian Happ, all-stars in Kyle Barrett and Anthony Hermelyn, hyped-up guys like Skye Bolt and C.J. Hinojosa, and the son of a former Major Leaguer in Cavan Biggio.

Annunziata has been as important as all of them. He hit .330 this spring with five homers and led Seton Hall in RBI with 49. In June, he went undrafted but hooked on with Harwich and has been solid.

He’s hitting .265 and leads the Mariners with five home runs. He’s third on the team in RBI with 20. In a stretch in early-July, when Orleans and Y-D were charging hard at Harwich, Annunziata had a nine-game hitting streak as the Mariners kept a grip on first place at all times. Annunziata then went on and won the home run derby at the Cape League All-Star Game.

Last night, with Orleans and Y-D losing, Harwich took a four-point lead at the top of the division and Annunziata set the course. With the game against Chatham scoreless in the fifth, he smacked a solo home run. In the next inning, he hit a two-run shot and his Mariners never looked back, adding six runs in the seventh inning to pull away.

Robby Kalaf (Florida International) went five scoreless innings for the Mariners and three relievers combined to finish off the shutout. Harwich won all six games it played against Chatham this summer.

Annunziata finished with three RBI and four runs scored – and another big game in his big summer.

 

Bourne 6, Orleans 2

While Falmouth won again, Bourne did too and kept its tenuous two-point hold on first place in the West intact. Jimmy Herget (South Florida), who has had some rough outings recently, delivered in a big spot, striking out seven and giving up just one hit in six scoreless innings. Dylan Nelson (Radford) and Joey Strain (Winthrop) finished the job. The Bourne offense got a home run from Blake Davey (Connecticut), his fifth. Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt) added two RBI and Brian Serven (Arizona State) had two hits.

 

Falmouth 11, Wareham 2

Falmouth kept pace with Bourne and officially eliminated Wareham from playoff contention with a lopsided victory. The Gatemen are eight points out of fourth, with only three games to play, meaning Hyannis and Cotuit will be safely into the playoffs. For Falmouth, Alex Young (TCU), was dominant, striking out 10 and giving up one run in seven innings. A late arrival after the College World Series, Young has been a huge addition. He owns a 1.50 ERA, has struck out 28 and walked just three, and Falmouth has won every game he’s pitched in. Conner Hale (LSU) led the Falmouth offense with three hits and three RBI, keeping him atop the league RBI leaderboard with 35. Jake Madsen (Ohio) and Nicholas Ramos (Indiana) also had three hits each, while Boomer White (TCU) and Sam Gillikin (Auburn) had two RBI each.

 

Cotuit 8, Hyannis 0

Cotuit dropped the first three games in the Barnstable Patriot Cup season series with Hyannis, but won the last three, finishing it off with an 8-0 shutout last night. The win also moved Cotuit one point ahead of Hyannis in the West standings. Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) gave Cotuit one of its best starting pitching performances of the summer, going six scoreless with three strikeouts. Jackson McClelland (Pepperdine) and Adam Whitt (Nevada) finished off the shutout. The offense was led by Jackson Glines (Michigan), who had three hits and four RBI, giving him seven hits in the last three games. Jameson Fisher (SE Louisiana), Kyle Holder (San Diego) and Jeremy Taylor (East Tennessee State) had two hits each.

 

Brewster 14, Y-D 3

Brewster stayed alive in the East race with a lopsided victory over Y-D. The Red Sox started Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara), who had won his last four starts in impressive fashion, but his defense let him down this time as the Whitecaps scored seven runs off him, five of which were unearned. Credit to Brewster, too, though, as they took full advantage of the miscues in reaching their season-high in runs. Zach Gibbons (Arizona), who was hitting .233 entering the game, went 4-for-5 with a home run and seven RBI. Gio Brusa (Pacific) homered and drove in three, Kyle Overstreet (Alabama) went 5-for-6 and Braden Bishop (Washington) went 3-for-3. In its last three wins, Brewster has scored 39 runs. Yesterday, the Whitecaps also got strong pitching as Andrew Lee (Tennessee) went six scoreless innings. The Whitecaps are now three points out of the last playoff spot in the East. Hurting the cause is the fact that they have to play one game against second-place Orleans and two against first-place Harwich to finish the year.

 

What to Watch

Just a few days after a three-way tie in the East, Harwich could clinch the title outright with a win tonight and an Orleans loss. The Mariners host Y-D at 7 p.m., with James Mulry (Northeastern) on the mound. Mulry started against Y-D on opening night and got Harwich’s season off on the right foot with seven shutout innings.

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Big Finish

Falmouth is just two points out of first place.
Falmouth is just two points out of first place.

 

Kevin McCanna (Rice) made some good starts for Falmouth last year but allowed at least three runs in each of his last four starts, including seven runs in his season finale. He left the Cape with an ERA north of six.

Fresh off a good year in Houston, McCanna returned to Falmouth this year and got off to a strong start, but on July 8, he hit that unlucky seven again. McCanna surrendered seven runs in an 11-8 loss to Hyannis.

Last year, he never got a chance to rebound from his seven-run showing. This time, he did.

And he has.

Since that loss to Hyannis, McCanna has gone three consecutive starts without allowing a single run, a string that continued last night as Falmouth knocked off first-place Bourne 5-3.

He’s gone from poor finish last year to as good a finish as you could ask for in 2014. McCanna now has a 2.47 ERA and, with victories in each of his three scoreless outings, he now leads the league in wins with six.

Last night, McCanna’s performance helped Falmouth get within one game of Bourne for the top spot in the West. McCanna struck out four, walked three and scattered six hits in five scoreless innings. He found himself in trouble on a number of occasions, but wiggled out, stranding the bases loaded in the first and third innings.

His offense backed him with a 13-hit attack. Shaun Chase (Oregon) hit his fifth homer, Steven Duggar (Clemson) had three hits and Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Four relievers followed McCanna to the mound, with Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) getting a save to finish off the victory.

Falmouth has won four of five and has now won the season series with Bourne, taking four of six. With four games left, it’ll be a sprint to the finish line as they chase the top seed.

 

Harwich 6, Orleans 3

The Mariners regained sole possession of first place in the East with a 6-3 victory over Orleans and a Y-D loss to Chatham. Jon Harris (Missouri State) was solid on the mound for the Mariners, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings, and Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State) pitched 3.2 scoreless innings to finish it off. It was the third save for Frebis, who has turned in seven scoreless outings in 10 total appearances. Harwich did their damage against Orleans ace Kolton Mahoney (BYU). Mahoney only allowed two earned runs but three errors behind him led to six runs total. Mahoney had not allowed more than four runs in any start this year. Joe McCarthy (Virginia) led the Harwich offense with two hits and three RBI. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) added two RBI.

 

Chatham 6, Y-D 5

Chatham cannot rise any higher than the fourth seed in the East, but the Anglers must take care of business to be assured of that spot and they took a step in the right direction by holding off Y-D. Jordan Hillyer (Kennesaw State) got the win with 5.2 solid innings, and Kyle Davis (USC) kept a Y-D rally from getting off the ground for his fifth save. Nicholas Sciortino (Boston College), a reinforcement making his first appearance of the summer, went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Chris Shaw (Boston College) and Bryant Burleson (Texas Tech) added two hits and an RBI apiece. Chatham touched up Y-D starter Kevin Duchene (Illinois) for five runs in five innings. He had allowed two runs or fewer in four straight starts.

 

Cotuit 12, Hyannis 10

In the first of two meetings on consecutive days, Cotuit out-slugged Hyannis and moved within a point of the Harbor Hawks for third place in the West. The game was tied 10-10 heading into the top of the ninth, where Cotuit’s Jackson Glines (Michigan) knocked a two-run single to give his team the lead. That was all standout reliever Adam Whitt (Nevada) needed. The league’s ERA leader struck out two in a perfect ninth to seal the victory for Cotuit. Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) had four hits and scored three runs from the leadoff spot for the Kettleers. Drew Jackson (Stanford) added three hits, while Glines and Kyle Holder (San Diego) had two each. For Hyannis, Carl Wise (College of Charleston) had five RBI in the losing effort.

 

Wareham 6, Brewster 6

The two teams trying to sneak into their respective last playoff spots both helped themselves a bit as Wareham and Brewster played to a 6-6 tie after darkness ended the game in the 10th. Blake Lacey (USC) had three hits and Nick Halamandaris (California) had two RBI for the Gatemen, who scored two in the top of the ninth to force the tie. John Sansone (Florida State) drove in two runs for Brewster. Jason Richman (Georgia Southern) kept Brewster off the board with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief for Wareham. The Gatemen are seven points out of a playoff spot with four games to play. Brewster is five games out in the East.

 

What to Watch

Playoff implications in a lot of games. Keep an eye on two match-ups in the West. Bourne will play Orleans as it tries to hold onto first place, while Falmouth hosts Wareham as it tries to catch the Braves. The Falmouth-Wareham match-up features a good pitching match-up, with Kyle Cody (Kentucky) starting for the Gatemen against Alex Young (TCU).

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Still Alive

Gio Brusa and Brewster are four points out of a playoff spot.
Gio Brusa and Brewster are four points out of a playoff spot.

 

With the All-Star Game in the books, the Cape League now very quickly hits its stretch run, with just six days of games before the playoffs begin next Tuesday. While much of the playoff picture is already secure, at least on who will be in it, the first day of the stretch run offered a sign that there may still be some drama for the final spots.

Brewster beat Chatham 12-8 last night to get within four points of the Anglers for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. And in the West, Wareham inched closer to fourth-place Cotuit with a 3-2 victory over Harwich. The Gatemen are now six points back.

Brewster has now won two straight going back to before the All-Star Game. It beat red-hot Y-D 13-3 and made it 25 runs in two games with the win over Chatham.

Luke Lowery (East Carolina) hit his fifth home run of the summer and knocked in two runs, while John Sansone (Florida State) homered for the second time in the last 10 days. Andrew Lee (Tennessee) added three RBI while Braden Bishop (Washington) went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Scott Kingery (Arizona), one of the hottest hitters in the league, had his ninth multi-hit game in his last 14 games. On the mound, Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) followed up his eye-catching All-Star Game performance with five solid innings. He struck out six and allowed four runs.

A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) hit his sixth home run for Chatham, but Brewster had too much with 10 runs in the first five innings.

Wareham hosted East-leading Harwich and got one of its best pitching performances of the summer in a 3-2 victory. Liam O’Sullivan (St. Leo), who was making just his second start after opening the season in the bullpen, went eight innings and allowed just the two runs. He struck out three and scattered five hits. Sean Adler (USC) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

O’Sullivan was almost the hard-luck loser, as Harwich took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on an Ian Happ (Cincinnati) two-run triple. But Wareham answered right back with two runs in the bottom half. Facing Harwich starter Zack Erwin (Clemson), who struck out eight in 5.2 innings, Nick Halamandaris (California), Kyri Washington (Longwood) and Danny Rosenbaum (Louisville) all singled. John Bormann (Texas-San Antonio) followed with a two-run single to give Wareham all the runs it would need.

 

Hyannis 7, Falmouth 4

Hyannis moved to the verge of clinching a playoff spot with a victory over Falmouth, and they can thank their new ace for setting them on the right path. Marc Brakeman (Stanford), who opened the season in the bullpen, has won two straight starts in dominant fashion. After striking out 11 in six scoreless in his last start, Brakeman struck out nine and went six shutout innings again. He scattered six hits and is now tied for the league lead in strikeouts with 47. He has also walked just seven batters all summer. After Falmouth made a late charge against the Hyannis bullpen, Ian Gibaut (Tulane) closed the door for his second save. Donnie Dewees (North Florida) had three hits to lead the Hyannis offense, while Sam Haggerty (New Mexico) drove in two runs. For Falmouth, Conner Hale (LSU) had three RBI and is tied for the league lead.

 

Y-D 5, Orleans 3

We’re back to a three-way tie atop the East standings after Harwich’s loss and another Y-D victory over Orleans. The Red Sox also beat Orleans last Friday. This time, Cody Poteet (UCLA) – making his final start of the summer – turned in one last gem with eight strong innings. He struck out eight, scattered seven hits and surrendered three runs. Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save and his fifth consecutive scoreless outing. The Y-D offense backed the strong pitching with two hits and two RBI each for Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) and Josh Lester (Missouri). A.J. Simcox (Tennessee) added three hits.

 

Bourne 7, Cotuit 1

Bourne snapped a three-game skid and increased its lead in the West to four points with a win over Cotuit. The game was scoreless until the fifth, when Bourne pushed a run across and never looked back. It scored two in the seventh and four in the eighth to pull away. Mark Laird (LSU) went 3-for-5 with an inside-the-park home run and four RBI. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) added three hits, while Brett Sullivan (Pacific), Blake Davey (Connecticut) and Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) had two hits each. Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga) went five scoreless innings for the win. Lucas Laster (Mississippi State) and John Kuzia (St. John’s) closed it out. For Cotuit, Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave up three runs in six innings.

 

What to Watch

It seems like the third or fourth one in the last week, but we have yet another first-place showdown in the East as Harwich visits Orleans. It should be a good pitching match-up, too, with Jon Harris (Missouri State) going for Harwich against Orleans ace Kolton Mahoney (BYU).

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Newman’s Old Tricks

Kevin Newman is hitting .376 this season after winning the batting title with a .375 mark last year.
Kevin Newman is hitting .376 this season after winning the batting title with a .375 mark last year.

In the first week of his Cape Cod Baseball League career, Kevin Newman (Arizona) went three games without a hit. That career has now spanned nearly 70 games, and Newman has never again gone three games without a hit. More often than not, he hasn’t even gone two without a hit.

For two years running, he’s been the Cape League’s most consistent hitter, and it’s about time to take a step back and marvel.

Last night, Newman went 2-for-5 – his second straight multi-hit game – as Falmouth got within a game of first place with a 7-5 victory over Wareham. Newman was the 2013 Cape League batting champion and he’s well on his way to winning the batting title again in 2014. He hit .375 last year, and – believe it or not – is so consistent that he’s hitting .376 this season. He leads the league, with his next closest competitor .19 points behind.

When Newman won the batting title in 2013, he was the steady, contact guy on a team full of sluggers. He was hitting .338 when he went 6-for-6 on one of the final days of the season to surge to the batting title. He was the first freshman in league history to win it.

This season, Newman is a veteran leader for the Commodores. He of course picked up where he left off, getting two hits in the season opener. He spent part of the summer at Team USA trials but returned and has continued to shine for a solid Falmouth team. He’s shown a little more pop, with seven extra-base hits thus far, compared to only three last year. But mostly, he’s just hit the ball. He will start the All-Star game for the second year in a row.

Newman’s 2-for-5 day on Saturday helped Falmouth inch closer to the top of the standings. Falmouth trailed Wareham 5-4 in the ninth, but a Newman single was part of a three-run inning that turned the game around. Conner Hale (LSU), another veteran standout, had a two-run double as part of a four-hit night and Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) knocked in a run as Falmouth took control. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) struck out three in the bottom of the ninth for the save.

West-leading Bourne fell to Hyannis for the second straight day, meaning Falmouth is now just a game back of the Braves for first place.

With just six games left, Falmouth could certainly make a run for the top spot. It’s a safe bet Kevin Newman will do his part.

 

Hyannis 8, Bourne 7

Hyannis beat Bourne for the second night in a row and moved to 4-2 against the Braves this season with a one-run victory. The Harbor Hawks led 7-2 before Bourne tied the game in the eighth. Jarret DeHart’s RBI single in the bottom half put Hyannis back in front to stay, as Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) rebounded from the tough eighth inning to strike out two in a scoreless ninth. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) and Donnie Dewees (North Florida) both homered for the Harbor Hawks, while John La Prise (Virginia) had two hits. Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana) went seven strong innings for Hyannis. Bourne got another home run from Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt), who has four in 16 games, plus three RBI from Mark Laird (LSU).

 

Orleans 1, Cotuit 0

Orleans won a very well-pitched game in anti-climactic fashion when Johnny Sewald (Arizona) drew a bases-loaded, walk-off walk in the 11th inning for the only run of the game. Kyle Twomey (USC) started for Orleans and went four scoreless innings. Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) and Bobby Poyner (Florida) combined for five innings without allowing a hit before Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) pitched two scoreless innings. Four Cotuit pitchers kept things scoreless before Orleans got a base hit, a walk and a hit batsman to load the bases for Sewald, who walked on a 3-1 pitch. For Orleans, David Thompson (Miami) and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) had two hits each. John Norwood (Vanderbilt) had two hits for Cotuit.

 

Harwich 9, Chatham 8

Harwich also walked off with a victory in extra innings as Skye Bolt (North Carolina) knocked in the game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the 10th. Chatham had scored four in the top of the ninth to take an 8-6 victory, thanks in large part to Chris Shaw’s (Boston College) league-best seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot. But in the bottom of the ninth, C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Bolt scored runs on wild pitches to tie the game. After a scoreless top of the 10th by Kenny Towns (Virginia), Craig Aikin (Oklahoma) reached on an error, Ian Happ (Cincinnati) was intentionally walked and Bolt delivered the game-winning hit. Harwich is now tied again with Orleans for first place in the East, while Y-D fell two points back with a loss.

 

Brewster 13, Y-D 3

Y-D has pitched extremely well lately, but when it hasn’t done so well, the results have been rough, and Saturday’s game fell in line with that trend. Brewster pounded 16 hits and scored a season-high 13 runs in the lopsided win. Y-D has only lost three times in its last 14 games, but all three losses have been by at least 10 runs. Luke Lowery (East Carolina) homered and drove in three, Andrew Lee (Tennessee) went 4-for-4, Kyle Overstreet (Alabama) had three hits and two RBI, and Gio Brusa (Pacific) knocked in three runs to lead the charge. Kenneth Oakley (UNLV) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win. Three relievers combined for four scoreless innings, with Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) striking out three in his two innings.

 

What to Watch

The All-Star game is set for today at Bourne’s Doran Park. Gates open at 2 p.m. The home run hitting contest is at 5 p.m., while the game is set for 6:05 p.m. For a full schedule of activities, see the league website.

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Deadlock

Andrew Stevenson stands in for Y-D.
Andrew Stevenson stands in for Y-D.

 

It’s a three-team race.

In the same week that saw Harwich finally lose its nearly season-long grip on first place in the East, that spot got even more crowded Friday night. With Y-D knocking off Orleans 6-3 and Harwich falling to Falmouth 5-3, three teams – Y-D, Orleans and Harwich – are tied for first place with 44 points each.

Y-D’s surge was chronicled yesterday and it continued last night in a key match-up with Orleans. Michael Murray (Florida Gulf Coast) delivered his best start of the summer, allowing just one hit and an unearned run while striking out eight in five innings of work. He left with his team up 6-1. Orleans made a little run, but William Strode (Florida State) and Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) didn’t let it continue. Strode struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving him 20 strikeouts in 10 appearances this summer, while Bickford struck out the side in the ninth for his league-leading seventh save.

Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) had two hits and two RBI to lead the offense, while recent arrival Timothy Wharton (Catawba) had a hit for the fifth straight game since his debut. Wharton drove in two runs and has now driven in six in his five games. For Orleans, David Thompson (Miami) hit his fourth home run.

With that result in the books, Harwich had a chance to reclaim first place but a grand slam in the seventh inning by Falmouth sealed a 5-3 victory for the Commodores.

James Mulry (Northeastern) allowed one run in 5.1 innings but Falmouth got to the bullpen with one swing of the bat. Falmouth trailed 3-1 in the seventh when Shaun Chase (Oregon) smacked a grand slam to give his team the lead in one fell swoop. Kevin Mooney (Maryland), Nicholas Cooney (Wesleyan) and Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) ran with the lead, combining to allow not a single hit in the final three innings.

Falmouth improved to 21-15-1. Harwich is 21-14-2, the same mark as Orleans. Y-D has one more win and is 22-15.

 

Hyannis 15, Bourne 6

Hyannis had seven hits in a seven-run fifth inning and cruised over West-leading Bourne 15-6. The rally was a merry-go-round of singles as Hyannis sent 12 men to the plate. It was part of a big offensive day overall, as Hyannis finished with 20 hits. John La Prise (Virginia) had four of them, to go with three RBI. Donnie Dewees (North Florida) and Cam Gibson (Michigan State) had three hits each, while Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) had two hits and three RBI. Chris Lanham (Yale) got the win with four innings of relief. He allowed one earned run. Nick Bates (St. Louis) finished the job in dominant fashion, striking out five of the eight batters he faced in two scoreless innings. For Bourne, Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt) homered for the third time in his 15 Cape League games. The Braves have lost two in a row, while Hyannis has held steady over its last 10 as it tries to secure a playoff spot. It has a seven-point lead on Wareham for the fourth and final spot.

 

Chatham 8, Brewster 3

Chatham is a ways off the pace of the trip atop the East, but the Anglers scored early and often to beat Brewster for their second straight win. Chatham scored five runs in the first, two in the second and one in the third and cruised from there. Justin Jones (UNLV), who didn’t have a hit since arriving on July 21, hit a three-run triple and a solo home run to power the fast start. Ty Moore (UCLA) and A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) added two hits each. P.J. Conlon (San Diego) allowed two runs in four innings before Jerry Keel (Cal State Northridge) allowed just one run over the final five innings to pick up the win.

 

Wareham 6, Cotuit 2

In a game that featured more errors than hits, Wareham took advantage of six Cotuit miscues to score six runs on only two hits and win 6-2. John Bormann (Texas San Antonio), Anderson Miller (Western Kentucky) and Willie Calhoun (Arizona) each drove in a run for the Gatemen. Wareham scored five runs in the sixth inning and Cotuit made five errors in that frame alone. Anthony Kay (Connecticut), who relieved starter Drew Harrington (Louisville) after just an inning, ran with the opportunity and allowed just one earned run on two hits in eight innings of work.

 

What to Watch

Yesterday, I mistakenly said the All-Star Game was Saturday. It is, in fact, on Sunday, so today is the final day of action before the festivities. Eldredge Park will feature a rematch of last year’s Cape League championship series, when Cotuit faces Orleans at 7 p.m.