Category: Daily Fog

Harwich was shut out by Orleans 3-0 in its season opener Friday night. On Saturday, the Mariners lost 3-0 to Hyannis.

On Monday, the Mariners turned the tables — twice. Six pitchers combined on two shutouts as Harwich swept a doubleheader with Bourne, winning the first game 1-0 and the second game 2-0.

Joe Mantiply (Virginia Tech) got the start in game one, and though he walked five, he struck out six and surrendered just one hit in 4.2 innings. Devin Burke (Virginia Tech) also allowed one hit in 1.1 innings of relief and Grant Gordon (Missouri State) finished off the win with a perfect seventh. The Mariners got their only run — and their first run of the season — in the top of the first on an RBI single by Andrew Rash (Virginia Tech).

Harwich got its run off a familiar name — Tommy Collier. The San Jacinto product played for Falmouth last year and just popped up on the Bourne roster. He was a 22nd-round pick last week.

In game two, Harwich started Kevin Gausman (LSU), a star freshman who was a sixth-round pick out of high school. He didn’t disappoint in his Cape League debut, striking out four and scattering four hits in 5.2 innings of work. Kevin Carlow (Brown) and Blake Hauser (Virginia Commonwealth) did the rest. As for the offense, this time, Harwich needed extra innings to finally get on the board. John Wooten (East Carolina) walked to start the inning and eventually came around on a base hit by Chris Diaz (NC State). A base hit by Jabari Henry (Florida International) knocked in Diaz and sent Harwich on its way.

Elsewhere

The Orleans-Hyannis doubleheader was postponed for the second time because of field conditions.

Chatham and Falmouth did get their twin bill in, and the Anglers came away with a sweep, edging the Commodores 1-0 and 2-1 for their first wins of the season. Chad Gallagher (Marist) and Zack Jones (San Jose State) combined on the shutout in game one,with Gallagher striking out four in six innings and Jones rebounding from a rough first outing with a scoreless ninth. Alex Calbick (Maine) drove in Chatham’s lone run. For Falmouth, Andrew Heaney (Oklahoma State) posted a league-high in strikeouts with 10 in seven innings but was the hard-luck loser. Chatham got another solid start in game two as Dace Kime (Louisville) struck out six and allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. The Anglers led 2-0 into the seventh before Falmouth pushed a run across. Jones came back out of the bullpen to close the door, recording his second save of the night. Joe Sever (Pepperdine) and Kris Bryant (San Diego) drove in the Chatham runs. Falmouth got five shutout innings from Andrew Aizenstadt (Babson).

What to Watch
Game: Orleans finally gets back to action as it travels to Y-D for a 5 p.m. start. The Firebirds have played just one game because of postponements while Y-D is 3-1.
Player: Kyle Hansen (St. John’s) is listed as the probable starter for Y-D. There may not be a better arm on the Cape at the moment. Hansen had a 3.09 ERA this spring and struck out 106 in 107 innings.

Only two of the five doubleheaders scheduled for yesterday were played, with field conditions and rain forcing postponements.

The Wareham Gatemen are certainly glad they got to play.

Hosting Brewster, Wareham won 5-3 and 2-1 to improve its record to 3-1. That’s tied with Y-D for the best mark in the league.

In game one, Brent Suter (Harvard) went the distance in the seven-inning game, scattering six hits and allowing two earned runs. He struck out four. The Gatemen were limited to five hits themselves — Brewster had six — but Wareham also drew five walks and took advantage with runners on base. Ty Ross (LSU), who had a tough first season in Baton Rouge, went 2-for-2 with two RBI.

Wareham got another complete game for a 2-1 win in game two. This time, it was Luke Farrell (Northwestern) on the hill, and he scattered six hits, struck out five and allowed just an unearned run. Derek Dennis (Michigan) picked up his third RBI and Robert Refsnyder (Arizona) knocked in the other run.

Daniel Langfield (Memphis) pitched well for Brewster but came out on the short end of the stick. Andrew Toles (Tennessee) had four hits in the two games for Brewster.

Elsewhere

In the only other set of games that went off, Y-D and Cotuit split their doubleheader. Cotuit posted a 7-3 victory in the first game, handing Y-D its first loss. Kyle Wren (Georgia Tech) led a seven-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Micah Johnson (Indiana) had a double and two RBI. On the mound, Chris Beck — who had a great sophomore season at Georgia Southern — struck out six and allowed one earned run in the seven-inning complete game. Y-D turned the tables in game two, winning by a 1-0 score. Matt Rush (Oral Roberts) got the start and allowed three hits in five innings, before Matt Carasiti (St. John’s) closed it out with two perfect frames. John Adornetto (Cortland St.) knocked in Y-D’s only run. All three of the Red Sox’ wins have now been shutouts.

What to Watch
Game:All the postponed twin bills will get made up today. Harwich and Bourne will each be looking for their first win when they meet at 4 and 7 p.m.
Player:LSU freshman pitcher Kevin Gausman is listed as the probable starter in game two for Harwich. Gausman was a sixth-round pick out of high school and struck out 86 this spring. He’s also on Team USA’s roster so he may not be on the Cape for long.

I mentioned yesterday that the Y-D Red Sox have a host of players that weren’t on their original roster. That extends to the pitching staff, but it hasn’t been a problem so far.

The Red Sox shut out Bourne 2-0 on opening night then pulled the same trick against Falmouth last night, winning 6-0.

This time, it was Joey DeNato (Indiana) getting it done. He actually was on the initial roster, and he delivered the kind of performance Y-D was counting on from him. DeNato finished his freshman year in Bloomington with a 2.80 ERA and 53 strikeouts while pitching in a swing role.

His first start on the Cape offered plenty of signs that he’ll be making a few more. DeNato allowed four hits in six shutout innings and struck out six.

The bullpen did the rest for the Red Sox, with three pitchers each tossing a hitless inning. One of them was Jerome Werniuk (Le Moyne), another newcomer who was the top prospect in the Valley League a year ago.

Y-D’s offense was led by Mason Katz (LSU), who followed up a two-hit night in the opener with a solo home run. Katz also wasn’t on Y-D’s original roster, but he had a great sophomore season in Baton Rouge, hitting .337 with four homers and 53 RBI.

Also for Y-D, Jordan Smith (St. Cloud), Matt Wessinger (St. John’s), Anthony Melchionda (Boston College) and Isaac Ballou (Marshall) each had two hits.

Elsewhere

Brewster and Hyannis also improved to 2-0 with victories last night. The Whitecaps had the biggest offensive day of the young season, putting up 12 runs on 16 hits to beat Cotuit 12-6. Taylor Davis (Morehead State), who led the Ohio Valley Conference with a .414 average, went 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI to lead the Brewster charge. Leadoff man Andrew Toles (Tennessee) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

As for Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks had three pitchers combine on a shutout in a 3-0 victory over Harwich. Jon Moscot, a sophomore from Pepperdine, got the start and was lights out, allowing just two hits, walking none and striking out six in seven innings of work. Eric Ruth (Winthrop) and Dylan Floro (Cal State Fullerton) each worked a scoreless inning to seal the victory, with Floro striking out two and getting the save. Drew Harrison (Oklahoma) and Eric Stamets (Evansville) each had two hits and an RBI.

Bobby Brosnahan, who struggled mightily this spring for Michigan, offered a sign that he’s ready for a big summer with six dominant innings in Wareham’s 6-3 victory over Chatham. Brosnahan struck out nine and allowed just four hits in six shutout innings. He had plenty of help from his offense, with Brandon Thomas (Georgia Tech) going 4-for-6 in his debut and William Carmona (Stony Brook) knocking in his second and third runs of the season.

The Bourne vs. Orleans game was postponed.

What to Watch
Game: Doubleheaders galore today, and it looks like the weather may hold. Y-D vs. Cotuit is a rematch of last year’s championship series.
Player:Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) was the national home run leader this spring and is off to a 3-for-6 start for Cotuit. No homers yet, but he does have two doubles and two RBI.

Last night featured a 12-inning game, a 10-inning game, a ninth-inning rally for a 7-7 tie and two shutouts.

How’s that for a beginning?

The Cape League season got underway last night with a full slate of games, and they didn’t disappoint.

We can begin with the defending champion Cotuit Kettleers. They found some magic on their run to the title last year, and maybe they’ve got some leftover.

The Kettleers trailed from the moment Chatham scored five in the second inning, and it looked like the Anglers would come out victorious when they took a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.

But Jimmy Bosco (Arkansas) and Luke Maile (Kentucky) both worked walks before Kyle Wren (Georgia Tech) doubled them home to tie the game.

Chatham reliever Zack Jones (San Jose State) deserves some credit for buckling down and not letting Cotuit take the lead. He got out of the frame with a strikeout and darkness forced the game to be called.

For Cotuit, though, it was a nice way to start things out. A little more magic.

Elsewhere

There was drama in Wareham, too, with Hyannis edging the Gatemen 4-3 in 10 innings. Adam Brett Walker (Jacksonville), the A-Sun Player of the Year and a big-time power hitter, started his Cape League career 0-for-4 but got on the board at the right time. His 10th-inning double plated Eric Stamets (Evansville) with the go-ahead run. Nick Wittgren (Purdue) got the win for the Harbor Hawks with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. He struck out five, including one in the bottom of the 10th as he stranded a Wareham runner on third. Stamets led Hyannis with two hits and two runs scored. For the Gatemen, Justin Amlung (Louisville) allowed one earned run on two hits in six innings. William Carmona (Stony Brook) went 3-for-5 with a home run and Johnny Field (Arizona) knocked in two.

The other extra-inning game was in Brewster, where the Whitecaps won 3-2 in 12 over Falmouth. The teams were scoreless through five, with Anthony Buccifero (Michigan State) pitching well for Brewster and Eric Anderson (Missouri) doing the same for Falmouth. The Whitecaps then rallied twice after Falmouth had pushed ahead. Preston Beck (Texas-Arlington) knocked in the winning run with a double.

Two pitchers combined on a shutout as Y-D beat Bourne 2-0. James Lomangino (St. John’s) and Aaron Schuldt (Cortland St.), neither of whom were on Y-D’s original roster, combined to scatter seven hits and walk just one. Lomangino worked six strong before Schuldt struck out three in three innings of relief for the win. Y-D scored both of its runs in the eighth on an RBI groundout by Derrick Chung (Sacramento State) and an RBI bunt by Matt Wessinger (St. John’s). Chris Pickering (Rhode Island) pitched well for Bourne, allowing just two hits in six shutout innings.

Orleans also won a 2-0 game over Harwich. Tyler Johnson (Stony Brook), who had a strong junior season with the Sea Wolves, tossed six shutout innings for the Firebirds and allowed just three hits. John Brebbia (Elon) kept the shutout alive with two scoreless innings of relief and Trevor Gott (Kentucky) picked up the save with a perfect ninth. Steve Nyisztor (Rutgers) hit a solo home run for the Firebirds, and Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville) drove in the other run.

What to Watch

Game: Two of the league’s most storied franchises meet in Chatham as the Anglers host Wareham at 7 p.m.
Player: Chatham’s Kris Bryant (San Diego) was the WCC Co-Player of the Year after his freshman season. He went 1-for-3 in Chatham’s opener.

On the second-to-last day of the regular season, the Cape League playoff picture finally began to take shape.

After last night’s action, here’s what we know:

The East is completely set. Y-D clinched first place with a doubleheader sweep, and Brewster won to secure the second seed, which Orleans lost one out because of a defeat against Chatham. Harwich lost to Brewster but will have the No. 4 seed. Chatham’s playoff hopes were done after the team lost the first game of its doubleheader.

In the West, Bourne has clinched the title. Falmouth, with five wins in a row, has moved into second, but Cotuit and Wareham are just one and two points back, respectively. All three will make the playoffs, but tonight’s action will determine where they fall.

As for the games last night, the biggest winner has to be Y-D. The Red Sox surged into first place a few weeks back, but with Brewster hanging around and Orleans catching fire, the lead was looking a little precarious.

Yesterday, Y-D slammed the door, sweeping a twin bill with Cotuit.

In the first game, a 9-5 win, Matt Jensen (Cal Poly) and Ben McMahan (Florida) hit home runs and Gabriel Shaw (Louisville) pitched a complete game for the win.

The Red Sox won game two 4-2 thanks to a sixth-inning rally. Trailing 2-1, Y-D scored three in the sixth and the rest was history. Jordan Ribera (Fresno State), Matt Watson (Boston College) and Matt Vinson (Arkansas) all drove in runs. D.J. Baxendale (Arkansas) got the win in relief.

What to Watch

The West race comes down to three separate games on the season’s final day. Cotuit visits Brewster at 4:30. Wareham hosts Bourne and Falmouth hosts Hyannis at 7.

A quick one today . . .

Chatham and Harwich both won yesterday, keeping the Mariners four points ahead of Chatham for the final playoff spot. Chatham has three games remaining — two today — and Harwich has two. Last night, Harwich notched a 3-0 shutout over Wareham, with three pitchers combining on it. Andrew Leenhouts (Northeastern) started and went 4.1 innings, while Braden Kapteyn (Kentucky) got the win with 2.2 innings and Matty Ott (LSU) went two innings for the save.

As for Chatham, the Anglers delivered a late rally to beat first-place Y-D 3-2. Joe DePinto (USC), who had struggled with the bat since joining the team late in the year, delivered the game-winning hit in the ninth. The bad news for Chatham: two of their final three games are against red-hot Orleans.

At the rate they’re going, the Firebirds may yet make a run at first place. The Firebirds beat Hyannis 4-3 last night for their eighth consecutive win. They’ve got two games left and are just three points out of first. Last night, they got a run in the ninth to break a 3-3 tie. Shon Roe (Nevada) knocked in the game-winning run. Orleans is now assured a playoff spot.

Falmouth beat Brewster 4-2 for its fourth win in a row. The Commodores are now tied with Wareham for third place, though both teams have already clinched a playoff spot. Last night, the Commodores pounded 11 hits and got enough runs across to post the victory. K.C. Serna (Oregon) and B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) had two hits each.

Bourne scored two in the bottom of the ninth to erase a deficit and beat Cotuit 5-4. A win by the Kettleers would have put them into a first-place tie with the Braves. Instead, Bourne is now four points up. Mike Nemeth (Connecticut) tied the game in the ninth with an RBI single and Travis Shaw (Kent State) won it with a sacrifice fly.

What to Watch

Harwich takes on Brewster with Greg Peavey (Oregon State) on the mound. He’s been good in his three starts. Chatham plays a doubleheader against Hyannis and Orleans. Greg Larson (Florida) and Logan Verrett (Baylor) take the hill.

For all their recent struggles, the Brewster Whitecaps reminded everyone last night that they’re not done yet.

The Whitecaps were the best team in the league for most of the season before an eight-game winless streak sent them tumbling. But they snapped that streak on Saturday, and on Sunday, they started with a new streak in impressive fashion, beating first-place Y-D 9-5.

With just three games left in the regular season, the Whitecaps have a shot to get that division title they seemed destined for. But whether they do it or not, they’re in the playoffs regardless. And they might have found something that works.

Brewster made a lineup change for Saturday’s game and stuck with it Sunday, when it really paid off. Drew Martinez (Memphis), the leadoff hitter all year, moved into the third spot. He went 3-for-5 on Saturday, and on Sunday, he went 4-for-4 with four RBI.

Suddenly, the middle of Brewster’s order looks a lot different.

Martinez led the way in Sunday’s win. Derek Jones (Washington State) also had a nice day, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Brewster’s pitching staff, which has turned thin lately, got a boost from Matt Crouse (Ole Miss), who allowed three earned runs in six innings. Kyle Hendricks (Dartmouth) was dominant out of the pen, pitching 2.2 innings of one-hit ball.

The victory moves Brewster to within one point of Y-D for first place.

Elsewhere

Orleans made it seven in a row with a 2-0 victory over Cotuit. The Firebirds used six different pitchers, and they were all very good. Combined, they allowed just one hit. Burny Mitchem (Dayton) was credited with the win, Marcus Stroman (Duke) the save. Joe Loftus (Vanderbilt) had three hits, including a home run to lead Orleans.

Falmouth welcomed Chatham and Hyannis to town and swept the doubleheader, beating Chatham 6-2 and Hyannis 7-2. Andrew Susac (Oregon State) hit a home run in each of the games and finished the twin bill 4-for-8 with six RBI. He’s now hitting .293 with five home runs. Christian Jones (Oregon) was the pitching star, allowing one run on three hits in seven innings to win game two. Falmouth clinched a playoff spot with the wins.

Chatham played a split doubleheader and, after the loss to Falmouth, the Anglers played Wareham and lost 6-1. The Gatemen got a strong start from Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt), who allowed one run in six innings and struck out seven. Zach Wilson (Arizona State) hit his fifth home run and Jonathan Smith (Tennessee Wesleyan) went 3-for-4.

Harwich and Bourne split a doubleheader at Doran Park. Harwich took the first game 5-0 behind a strong outing by Pierce Johnson (Missouri State). Johnson went six shutout innings, striking out six and allowing two hits. The games were seven innings, and Daniel Burawa (St. John’s) finished off the game-one win. In game two, shortstop Clint Moore (Army) took the mound for Harwich and carried a no-hitter into the seventh. He allowed a leadoff single and was pulled. Bourne then broke a 1-1 tie and won the game on a Creede Simpson (Auburn) RBI single.

What to Watch

With Falmouth clinching, the only race for a playoff spot is in the East, where Chatham is four points back of Harwich for the fourth and final spot. Chatham hosts Y-D tonight with Mike Dennhardt (Boston College) on the mound. Harwich sends Andrew Leenhouts (Northeastern) to the mound against Wareham.

On the fourth day of the season, I wrote about Chatham’s big hitters, who were off to a fast start. With Ricky Oropesa (USC) and Mark Ginther (Oklahoma State) hitting well, Chatham was 3-0 and poised for a big year.

The big year never materialized. The hitters struggled and the Anglers floundered, losing eight in a row at one point and plummeting to last place in the East.

Things have been better lately, though, and those big hitters? They’re coming around again.

Chatham won five in a row to get back into contention, and after a loss on Friday, rebounded Saturday for their sixth win in seven tries, a 10-9 thriller over Cotuit.

Oropesa, who was still showing pop despite an average that dipped close to .200, went 2-for-2 last night with two home runs and four RBI. His three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth erased a 9-6 deficit and tied the game.

After Oropesa’s bomb, Chatham kept pushing and eventually won the game when Beau Amaral (UCLA) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Ginther joined Oropesa with a big night, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Aaron Westlake (Vanderbilt) also had two hits. Kevin Vance (Connecticut) got the win in relief. For Cotuit, Mike Yastrzemski (Vanderbilt) hit a grand slam.

The win puts Chatham at 18-19-1. With six games left, the Anglers are just two points behind Harwich for the fourth and final playoff spot.

Elsewhere

The loss to Chatham was the nightcap of a doubleheader for Cotuit. The Kettleers won the first game 3-1 over Hyannis. Austin Wood (St. Petersburg) allowed one run in 5.1 innings. Ryan Duke (Oklahoma) got the win when Cotuit broke a 1-1 tie with two in the eighth. A bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch brought the runs home. Cotuit stayed in a first-place tie with Bourne.

Orleans beat Wareham 3-1 for its sixth consecutive win. The Firebirds scored three runs in the first four innings and watched their pitching staff make the lead stand up. Andrew Kittredge (Washington) got the win after allowed just a run on two hits in five innings. Jack Leathersich (UMass-Lowell), Mitchell Lambson (Arizona State) and Marcus Stroman (Duke) held Wareham scoreless the rest of the way. Riccio Torrez (Arizona State) led Orleans with two hits, including a home run. The Firebirds are now four points out of second place.

It wasn’t easy, but Brewster finally got the good times rolling again with a late rally that beat Hyannis 4-2. The Whitecaps, who hadn’t won in eight games, scored two in the eighth and two more in the ninth to win this one. The Harbor Hawks were playing their second game of the day and were in line for a win before the Whitecaps rallied. A two-run double by Jeremy Schaffer (Tulane) tied the game. Brewster took the lead on a two-run triple by Derek Jones (Washington State) in the ninth. The win means the Whitecaps, even with all their struggles, are only three points out of first place.

Bourne stopped Y-D’s four-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory in 10 innings. The game was tied 2-2 into the 10th, when Bourne’s Travis Shaw (Kent State) knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Tony Zych (Louisville) came on in the bottom of the ninth and slammed the door. The Braves have now won three in a row.

Taylor Wall (Rice) and Nick Maronde (Florida) combined on a shutout as Falmouth beat Harwich 2-0. Wall went 5.1 innings and allowed five hits. Maronde went the last 3.2, surrendering three hits and striking out seven. The game was scoreless until the eighth, when a walk and an error gave Falmouth a chance. K.C. Serna (Oregon) followed with a single to plate the go-ahead run. Another error allowed a second run to score. The rally spoiled a strong performance by Harwich starter Joe Holtmeyer (Nebraska at Omaha), who didn’t allow a runner past second in the first seven innings. Harwich has lost three in a row.

What to Watch

Y-D will visit Brewster in a battle of the top two teams in the league. The Whitecaps have been heading in the wrong direction, but they won Saturday, and with a win today, could get within one point of first place.

All summer, I’ve thought that Orleans could make a run. The lineup has some very talented hitters, and the pitching rotation looks solid enough.

It looks the Firebirds are making that run.

While Y-D has made the most headlines with its surge into first place, Orleans is actually the hottest team in the league. The Firebirds beat Harwich last night 14-3 for their fifth victory in a row. The teams came in tied for third place, but the win moves Orleans into third, just four points back of second-place Brewster. All of a sudden, the Firebirds, at 20-18-1, have the third best record in the league.

Not too long ago, the Firebirds were floundering — but they weren’t getting blown out. Twelve of their 18 losses have been by two runs or fewer. These last few games, the Firebirds have turned that trend around. They won two close games to start the streak and have won the last three a little more easily.

Last night’s game was the easiest yet.

The Firebirds broke open a 1-0 game with eight runs in the fourth inning. They finished with 11 hits, four for extra-bases. Jayce Boyd (Florida State) had a huge night, going 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple and six RBI.

Kolten Wong (Hawaii) was his usual self, going 2-for-2 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI. With that showing, he took over the batting average lead from Drew Martinez. Steve Selsky (Arizona) and Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount) also had two hits.

Orleans used five pitchers to keep the big cushion. Kyle Long (Illinois State) was credited with the win.

The Firebirds will try to stay hot tonight when they host Wareham.

Elsewhere

Y-D stopped Chatham’s five-game winning streak and stretched its own streak to four with a 7-5 victory. The Red Sox now lead the East by five points. Jordan Ribera (Fresno State) once again was a driving force, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Ribera struggled mightily at the beginning of the season but is hitting .405 with five home runs in the last two weeks. Not coincidentally, Y-D has won eight of 11 games in that span. Last night, Caleb Ramsey (Houston), Tyler Hanover (LSU) and Matt Watson (Boston College) also had two hits each, while Joe Panik (St. John’s) drove in two. Tommy Toledo (Florida) got the win after allowing three runs in 5.1 innings.

Wareham played two games in two different places yesterday but came away with the same result — a one-run victory. Wareham topped Falmouth 5-4 in the afternoon and finished off the doubleheader with a 3-2 victory over Brewster. The wins moved the Gatemen to within one point of first place. In the first game, the Gatemen led the whole way behind seven shutout innings from Joe Flynn (Franklin Pierce). They held of a late charge by the Commodores, with Ken Ferrer (Elon) closing the door for the save. Tyler Bream (Liberty) went 3-for-5 with four RBI to lead the offense. In the second game, Wareham broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth on an RBI single by Zach Wilson (Arizona State), which proved to be the game-winner. Jake Davies (Georgia Tech) got the win in relief. The loss was Brewster’s second in a row.

Hyannis snapped an eight-game skid with a 4-2 victory over Cotuit. Cole Cook (Pepperdine) allowed two runs in 6.2 innings and got the win. Dan Sheppard (Iowa) went 3-for-3 to lead the offense.

Grayson Garvin (Vanderbilt) dominated again as Bourne topped Falmouth 5-1. Garvin allowed one run in seven innings and struck out nine. He’s now 5-0 with a 0.74 ERA. The Bourne offense was led by Creede Simpson (Auburn), who went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Travis Shaw (Kent State) also had two hits. The Braves are in a first-place tie with Cotuit.

What to Watch

Austin Wood (St. Petersburg) gets the ball as Cotuit visits rival Hyannis. Wood has a league-best 0.58 ERA.

There wasn’t much of an All-Star break this year. Just an All-Star game and a day off for the players who weren’t in it.

Teams returned to action on Thursday and a lot of them picked up where they left off.

Y-D, who had overtaken Brewster for first place earlier in the week, won its third straight game, a 6-5 decision over Wareham. Meanwhile, Brewster played Chatham for the third straight game and again came away without a win. After a loss on Monday and a tie on Tuesday, Brewster lost 6-2 last night. Chatham has now won five in a row.

Y-D didn’t pick up exactly where it left off against the Gatemen. For eight innings, the Red Sox were held scoreless, with Wareham’s Eric Pfisterer (Duke) delivering seven strong innings. Y-D trailed 5-0 going into the bottom of the ninth, but put together a remarkable rally and scored six runs to win the game. Joe Panik (St. John’s) delivered the game-winning single, scoring Caleb Ramsey (Houston). Jordan Ribera (Fresno State) hit a home run in the ninth, his league-best seventh of the year.

For Wareham, All-Star game West MVP Zach Wilson (Arizona State) hit two home runs, bringing his total to four.

Y-D now has the best record in the league and a three-point lead over second-place Brewster.

As for the Whitecaps, they’re now 2-7-1 in their last 10 games. Last night, Chatham got a strong outing by Greg Larson (Florida), who allowed just a run in six innings. He was making only his second start and he got his first win.

The Anglers were led by Ricky Oropesa (USC), who hit his fifth home run. Drew Martinez (Memphis) went 3-for-4 for Brewster, but the Whitecaps only had three other hits.

Chatham has won five in a row and is four points back of fourth-place.

Elsewhere

In a battle of the top two teams in the West, second-place Bourne shut out first-place Cotuit 4-0. Austin Stadler (Wake Forest) was brilliant for Bourne, striking out eight and allowing only two hits in seven innings. Jason Coats (TCU) went 3-for-5 with two RBI to lead the offense. Bourne is now two points back of Cotuit.

Falmouth pounded out 18 hits and rocked Hyannis 11-3. Matt Skole (Georgia Tech) and Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) each hit their third home runs of the year, with Barnes going 3-for-4 with four RBI. He hit a home run and a triple in the same inning, and he raised his batting average to .240. Nick Martini (Kansas State) had three hits for Falmouth and two RBI. Hyannis has dropped eight in a row.

Orleans beat Harwich 8-2 for its fourth straight win — and did it in similar fashion to Y-D. The Firebirds trailed 2-0 going into the ninth but score eight runs to bust the game open. Kevin Muno (San Diego) and Jayce Boyd (Florida State) drove in two runs apiece, and Matt Newman (Cal Poly) had three hits. Cameron Hobson (Dayton) allowed one run in six innings. Reliever Burny Mitchem (Dayton) was credited with the win. Orleans and Harwich are now tied for fourth place.

What to Watch

Wareham will play a split doubleheader, starting in Falmouth at 1 p.m. and concluding in Wareham against Brewster at 7 p.m.