Category: Daily Fog

The Bourne Braves scored 17 runs on Saturday in the biggest offensive performance of the season.

On Sunday, they gave up the second biggest — to a kind of unlikely juggernaut. Last-place Wareham, who had lost six straight and sat at 4-13 coming into Sunday, rolled past the first-place Braves 15-4 at Doran Park.

The Gatemen’s previous high in runs scored was five. But they got on the board early and often in this one, while doing most of the damage themselves. Bourne made just one error; the Gatemen had 21 hits.

Tyler Bream (Liberty) had the biggest day. He went 5-for-6 with six RBI, raising his average from .186 to .246 in the process. He also moved into the top four in the league in RBI.

Five other Gatemen had multi-hit games, with Tony Caldwell (Auburn), Zach Wilson (Arizona State) and Nico Rosthenhausler (Oklahoma State) getting three each. Max Muncy (Baylor) and Derek Dennis (Michigan) drove in two each.

Amazingly, the Gatemen did all this without George Springer (Connecticut) and Alex Dickerson (Indiana), who had been their most productive offensive players.

All the offense was more than enough for Max Perlman (Harvard), who allowed three earned runs in seven innings.

Elsewhere

A game went to extra innings for the third straight night as Hyannis edged Y-D 8-7, stopping a four-game Red Sox win streak. The Harbor Hawks won it in the 10th after almost letting Y-D come back. The Red Sox scored a run in the ninth and 10th innings, but in between, Hyannis got two in the top of the 10th to win it. Zach Osborne (Tennessee) and Tyler Thompson (Florida) drove in runs in the 10th. The Red Sox got both of their late runs against closer Dallas Gallant (Sam Houston State), but he kept the Harbor Hawks in front. Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) hit his second home run in three days for Hyannis.

The last-place team beat the first-place team in the East, as well, where Harwich topped Brewster 5-2. Andrew Leenhouts (Northeastern) got the start for Harwich and allowed two runs in 6.2 innings. The offense was led by Pratt Maynard (NC State) and Mikie Mahtook (LSU), who each hit their first home run of the year. Daniel Renken (Cal State Fullerton) started for Brewster and allowed five runs in 3.1 innings. Freshman standout Jake Barrett (Arizona State) made his season debut and pitched a scoreless inning of relief. With the win and an Orleans loss, Harwich moved out of last place.

With Y-D and Brewster losing, Chatham made up a little ground thanks to a 5-1 victory over Orleans. Philip Pohl (Clemson) went 2-for-4 and drove in three in his season debut and Aaron Westlake (Vanderbilt) went 3-for-4. Mark Zecchino (Virginia Tech) pitched five shutout innings. For Orleans, Kolten Wong (Hawaii) went 2-for-4.

C.J. Cron (Utah) hit a home run and drove in three as Cotuit beat Falmouth 5-2. Matt Murray (Georgia Southern) got the win, allowing one run on four hits in six innings of work. The win put Cotuit just one point back of Falmouth, who’s tied for second with Hyannis.

What to Watch

All the match-ups from yesterday are the same today, with the home teams switched.

With today being the Fourth of July, I fully expected to write an entry titled Fireworks. Whatever happened, I was going to make it work one way or another.

I didn’t know it would be quite this fitting.

Bourne visited Falmouth last night and delivered the biggest offensive performance of the 2010 season, rolling to a 17-3 victory. The win moves the Braves into sole possession of first place ahead of Falmouth.

The Braves came into the game hitting .218 as a team with 54 runs scored, numbers that ranked them in the middle of the pack, or a little below. It was strange, because their offense looked very good on paper. After this one game, the numbers are matching up. Bourne is now hitting .230, good for fourth in the league. Their 71 runs are the second-most in the league. Amazing how much difference one game can make.

I guess it happens when the game is as big as this one.

Bourne had 15 hits and blew the game open with eight runs in the fourth inning. Five Braves had multi-hit games led by Daniel Bowman (Coastal Carolina), who went 2-for-6 with a grand slam and five RBI. Newcomer Zack MacPhee (Arizona State) had two hits and two RBI, as did Ryan Wright (Louisville). Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) and Nick Ahmed (Connecticut) scored three runs each. Creede Simpson (Auburn) had a home run, one of six extra-base hits for the Braves.

The Braves started doing their damage against Mark Pope (Georgia Tech), who’s been one of the top starters in the league in the early going. He allowed two runs in the first three innings and got two quick outs in the second until an Ahmed double started the fireworks show. A two-run double by MacPhee drove in two and chased Pope, and the Braves scored six more in the inning.

Three Bourne pitchers had no trouble making the lead stand up. Anthony Meo (Coastal Carolina) allowed one earned run on one hit in five innings. Michael Dimock (Wake Forest) pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts and Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) finished things off.

Elsewhere

For the second straight night, a team won an extra-innings game by a 1-0 score. This time it was Harwich over Chatham in 11 innings. Pratt Maynard (NC State) broke the scoreless tie in the top of the 11th when he singled home Ronnie Richardson (Central Florida). Matty Ott (LSU) picked up the win for the Mariners with two scoreless innings. Lex Rutledge (Samford) started for Harwich and allowed three hits in six innings. Derek Self (Louisville) went eight shutout innings for Chatham.

Brewster and Y-D both posted victories to stay locked in a first-place tie. Brewster beat Orleans 6-0 behind another dominant start by Andrew Gagnon (Long Beach State). Gagnon allowed one run in seven innings and struck out eight. That’s three straight starts in which Gagnon has gone seven innings, allowed one run or fewer and struck out at least eight. He was backed last night by a nine-hit attack. Andy Burns (Kentucky) went 2-for-2 with three RBI. Drew Martinez (Memphis) went 2-for-4, raising his average back above .400.

Y-D delivered two late runs to beat Wareham 3-1. Bobby Crocker (Cal Poly) scored on an error in the eighth to break a 1-1 tie, and Jordan Ribera (Fresno State) drove an insurance run home in the ninth. Tanner Poppe (Kansas) picked up the win in relief with 2.1 scoreless innings. D.J. Baxendale (Arkansas) got the save. Brett Mooneyham (Stanford) started the game and allowed one run in 5.2 innings. Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt) pitched well for Wareham, striking out seven and allowing just one earned run in 7.2 innings. The loss was the sixth in a row for the Gatemen, who dropped to 4-13.

Cotuit beat Hyannis 3-1 as Josh Spence (Arizona State) picked up his first win. Spence went five innings, his longest outing so far, and allowed no runs on one hit. A.J. Achter (Michigan State) relieved him and allowed one run en route to the four-inning save. Zach Cone (Georgia) had two RBI for the Kettleers and Deven Marrero (Arizona State) knocked in one. Cam Seitzer (Oklahoma) made his debut for Hyannis and went 1-for-4.

What to Watch

Y-D shoots for its fifth win in a row when is hosts Hyannis. Michael Goodnight (Houston) is slated to start for the Red Sox.

I was thinking about making a trip to a Cape League game last night but decided not to. When I heard on the radio that there was a seven-mile backup at the Bourne Bridge, I figured I’d made the right call.

Although, even if I had gotten caught in the backup, I probably still would seen some baseball in Falmouth.

Falmouth and Harwich went 12 innings in a pretty incredible pitchers’ duel last night before the Commodores came away with a 1-0 victory.

The game actually wasn’t all that long — just under three hours — considering they went 12 innings. That happens when nobody allows a run until the end. Matt Skole (Georgia Tech) scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

It must have felt like an anti-climactic ending, but considering the pitching, it probably wasn’t going to happen any other way. Four Falmouth pitchers allowed a total of five hits and struck out 15. Three Mariners allowed six hits and struck out 18.

The brightest stars were the starters.

Miguel Pena (San Jacinto CC) is a pretty recent addition to the Falmouth roster. The lefty was a fifth-round pick out of high school and he was taken in the 13th round after this his first year at San Jacinto. He allowed three runs in 4.2 innings his first time out, but he was lights out this time. Pena struck out 11 and didn’t walk anybody in six innings of work. He allowed three hits.

On the other side, Pierce Johnson (Missouri State), who had delivered two solid starts in previous outings, delivered an outstanding start this time. He struck out 10 and also didn’t walk anybody in seven innings. He surrendered four hits.

The way the other guy was pitching, neither starter had a chance at a decision. The trend continued when the game went to the bullpens. Mike Wright (East Carolina) had the best outing of any reliever, striking out seven and allowing just one hit in 3.2 innings.

In the end, the Falmouth offense found a way. Skole worked a leadoff walk off Daniel Burawa (St. John’s) in the 12th. A single by Chris O’Brien (Wichita State) moved Skole to third and he scampered home on Burawa’s wild pitch.

The victory got Falmouth over .500 at 9-8. Harwich dropped to 6-11.

Elsewhere

Anthony Ranaudo (LSU) made his third start for Y-D and was brilliant again. The Cape Cod Times reported that Theo Epstein was on hand to watch Ranaudo, who was a supplemental first-round pick of the Red Sox. This time, Ranaudo went seven shutout innings, striking out five and allowing five hits. In 17.2 innings, he hasn’t allowed an earned run.

Ranaudo got the win as Brewster topped Bourne 2-0. The Whitecaps only had one hit — to seven for Bourne — but Drew Martinez knocked in a run and the Whitecaps got some help from four Bourne errors. Daniel Renken (Cal State Fullerton) picked up the save in his first outing for Brewster. Renken was the ace of Fullerton’s staff last year as a sophomore. He was drafted in the 23rd round this year. For Bourne, Zack MacPhee (Arizona State) made his first appearance and went 1-for-3.

Chatham’s Logan Verrett (Baylor) was on a pitch count last night, but if he hadn’t been, we might have had the second no-hitter in three days. As it was, Verrett pitched seven innings of no-hit ball before giving way to the bullpen. He struck out four and got the win as Chatham topped Hyannis 5-1. Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Chatham, while Mark Ginther (Oklahoma State) went 2-for-2 with a home run.

Cotuit beat Wareham 4-3 thanks in part to some newcomers. Brady Rodgers (Arizona State), who’s coming off a fantastic freshman season, came out of the bullpen for his Cape League debut and pitched 3.2 shutout innings. He struck out three and allowed just one hit, while picking up the win. Rodgers’ ASU teammate Deven Marrero made his second appearance of the summer and went 1-for-4 with two runs scored. Curt Casali (Vanderbilt) drove in two. Wareham had a Sun Devil of its own in the lineup as Zach Wilson made his debut and went 3-for-3. George Springer (Connecticut) went 2-for-4 for the Gateman, as did Alex Dickerson (Indiana), who is still hitting .500.

Orleans broke a tie in the top of the seventh, but Y-D answered with two runs in the bottom half to win 3-2 and stay in a first-place tie. Ben McMahan (Florida) hit two doubles and drove in two for Y-D. Caleb Ramsay (Houston) also drove in a run. John Leonard (Boston College) picked up the win with seven strong innings. For Orleans, Kolten Wong (Hawaii) went 3-for-4 and Jayce Boyd (Florida State) hit a home run in his first Cape League at-bat.

What to Watch

Looks like a really good pitching match-up in Falmouth tonight. The Commodores will send Mark Pope (Georgia Tech) to the hill against Bourne’s Anthony Meo (Coastal Carolina). Pope has a 0.95 ERA and 21 strikeouts. Meo, the Big South Pitcher of the Year, allowed just an unearned run in his first start of the summer. Also, there should be a good match-up in Wareham, where Y-D’s Brett Mooneyham (Stanford) goes against Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt). Both are power arms with first-round potential next year.

When I read after the draft that Dallas Gallant was planning a return trip to Hyannis, I didn’t think it was a huge deal. He had a big summer as a reliever on the Cape but struggled as a starter with Sam Houston State. He was drafted in the 23rd round in June and opted to see what he could do this summer.

It’s looking like a bigger deal than I anticipated.

Gallant has moved into the closer’s role for the Harbor Hawks and he’s been dominant. Hyannis has won eight games, and Gallant has saved five of them, which leads the league.

In 9.1 innings, Gallant hasn’t allowed a run. He’s struck out 15 and walked only three.

On Thursday night, he teamed up with Tyler Mizenko (Winthrop) to keep a slim lead for Hyannis. The Harbor Hawks were in front of Bourne 2-1 when Mizenko came on in the seventh. He hasn’t allowed a run either this year, and he kept that streak alive with two innings of no-hit ball. He struck out four.

In the ninth, Mizenko gave way to Gallant. He allowed a hit but struck out two to finish things off.

The Hyannis offense was led by Casey McElroy (Auburn), who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) picked up the win, allowing a run in five innings.

Hyannis moved to 8-8 with the win, just a game back of first-place Bourne.

Elsewhere

In the only other game on the schedule, Harwich shut out Chatham 6-0. Adam Morgan (Alabama), who had an ERA over five in his freshman season, went seven shutout innings for the Mariners, striking out six and walking two. Will Locante (Tennessee) and Braden Kapteyn (Kentucky) worked a scoreless inning each to preserve the victory. Clint Moore (Army) hit a three-run homer, his first of the summer, and Levi Michael (North Carolina) drove in two.

What to Watch

Logan Verrett (Baylor) didn’t start last night but is scheduled to go tonight as Chatham hosts Hyannis. In Bourne, Anthony Ranaudo (LSU) will make his third start as Brewster visits the Braves at 6 p.m.

If I had to pick a Y-D pitcher from Stanford to throw a no-hitter, it would probably be Brett Mooneyham. He’s the lefty with the big fastball and the big credentials, and he leads the league in wins.

But he wasn’t the one that did it.

Stanford sophomore Jordan Pries tossed the first no-hitter of the season last night as Y-D beat Orleans 2-0.

Pries had made three appearances so far this summer. In one start, he allowed two runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. The next time out, he pitched in relief and worked a scoreless inning.

Everything was different on this night.

Pries struck out four and walked three and faced just two over the minimum. He did it against a talented Orleans lineup. The Firebirds are only hitting .229 as a team — seventh in the league — but their order features Danny Muno, Kolten Wong, Steve Selsky, Jason Esposito and Preston Tucker, a pretty fearsome group.

Pries mowed them down, taking a perfect game into the seventh. He walked two in that inning, but got out of the jam. In the ninth, he walked the leadoff batter but then induced a double play. He recorded the last out on a fly ball to center field.

Pries now has a 2-0 record, a 1.23 ERA and the best pitching performance of the season to his name.

Elsewhere

Pries wasn’t the only pitcher firing on all cylinders last night. Bourne’s Grayson Garvin (Vanderbilt) struck out 10 and allowed two hits in six shutout innings as the Braves beat Falmouth 3-2. Garvin pitched for Falmouth last summer. He was making his second start for Bourne, and this one went better than the first, when he walked five in three innings. Garvin was backed by a home run and two RBI from Daniel Bowman (Coastal Carolina).

The pitching was not quite so good in Wareham, where Cotuit and Wareham combined for 13 runs and 24 hits. The Kettleers won 8-5. C.J. Cron (Utah) went 3-for-5 to lead Cotuit. Alex Dickerson (Indiana) went 3-for-3 with two RBI for Wareham, raising his average to .500. He’s played in eight games now, so a .500 average at this point is pretty ridiculous.

Hyannis beat Brewster 4-2, sending the Whitecaps into a first-place tie with Y-D. Cody Stubbs (Tennessee) had two RBI for the Harbor Hawks and Tyler Ray (Troy) went 6.2 solid innings to pick up his third win of the year.

What to Watch

Just two games on the schedule tonight. Logan Verrett (Baylor) is slated to toe the rubber for Chatham in Harwich. Verrett struck out nine in seven innings in his first start of the summer.

Brewster had won four straight since a 9-4 loss to Y-D last Thursday.

The Whitecaps played Y-D again on Tuesday, and they’ll have to hope for another win streak to start on Wednesday. The Red Sox moved within one game of the first-place Whitecaps with a 7-1 victory.

Brewster had allowed a total of six runs in its previous four games, but the Red Sox broke through early and often in this one. They scored two in the first, two in the second and two more in the fourth, staying in control the whole way. Joe Panik (St. John’s), Stewart Ijames (Louisville) and Ronnie Shaban (Virginia Tech) had two hits each for the Red Sox. Ijames has been a key contributor since joining Y-D after getting released by Harwich. He’s hitting .333 in six games and picked up his first Red Sox RBI last night.

Also for Y-D, Matt Jensen (Cal Poly) and Matt Vinson (Arkansas) drove in runs. Ben McMahan (Florida), playing in his fifth game since arriving from the College World Series, also drove in a run.

Y-D did most of its damage against Brewster starter Mike Palazzone (Georgia). He allowed six runs but only two of them were earned. On the other side, three pitchers combined to shut down Brewster. Randy Fontanez (South Florida), a 23rd-round pick this year, made his first start and allowed just an unearned run in four innings of work. Matt Ianazzo (Pittsburgh) struck out five in 3.2 innings of relief and picked up the win. Scott Snodgress (Stanford) pitched 1.1 hitless innings to finish it off.

Elsewhere

Three pitchers combined on a shutout as Orleans topped Wareham 3-0. Matt Sisto (Hawaii) got the start and only struck out one in 5.1 innings. But he also gave up just two hits and didn’t walk anybody. Will Clinard (Vanderbilt) worked a scoreless frame and Marcus Stroman (Duke) pitched 2.2 innings of no-hit ball for the save. Five of the eight outs Stroman recorded came via the strikeout. Steve Selsky (Arizona), Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) and Danny Muno (Fresno State) led the Firebirds with two hits each. Florida star Preston Tucker took an 0-for-4 in his debut.

Chatham has had a knack for late-inning heroics this season, and Mark Ginther (Oklahoma State) provided a few more last night. Ginther hit a walk-off RBI double as the Anglers beat Cotuit 3-2. It was the second hit of the day for Ginther, who made a winner out of Zach Jones (San Jose State). Jones came on in relief with the game tied and worked two scoreless innings. Chatham is now three points back of Brewster.

Falmouth beat Harwich 5-3 and that’s about all I’ve got on that one. The Pointstreak site has that game still in the sixth inning. A long one.

In College World Series action, former Chatham Angler and Right Field Fog’s official right fielder Whit Merrifield delivered the game-winning hit as South Carolina walked off with the national championship.

What to Watch

Austin Lubinsky (Minnesota), who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his last start, gets the ball tonight as Brewster visits Hyannis.

I wrote last week about the Brewster Whitecaps. They were getting good pitching and winning games. Nothing spectacular, but it was worth noting.

After last night, the Whitecaps are veering into the spectacular.

Brewster won two 1-0 games over Hyannis, running its league-best record to 11-3. The Whitecaps are the first team to hit double digits in wins and they have two more wins than any other team in the league.

As usual, their pitching was the story. The offense scored a run in the first inning in both games, and the pitching made the slim leads stand up. The two shutouts dropped Brewster’s league-leading ERA to 1.98.

Andrew Gagnon (Long Beach State) was the biggest standout. He pitched in relief his last time out, but I’m going to guess he’ll be starting from now on. The sophomore tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out nine, walking one and allowing just two hits. He lowered his ERA to 1.84.

Drew Martinez (Memphis), who leads the league with a .408 batting average, stole his 12th base and scored the game’s only run.

In the second game, Jake Floethe (Cal State Fullerton) pitched four innings of no-hit ball. The bullpen did the rest, with Luke Bard (Georgia Tech) pitching two scoreless innings. Matt Larkins (UC Riverside) and Tommy Kahnle (Lynn) combined to pitch a scoreless seventh.

Taylor Ard (Mt. Hood CC), a 35th-round pick this year, went 2-for-2 and drove in the lone run.

Elsewhere

Bourne also posted a double-header sweep, beating Orleans 2-1 and 3-1. The Braves have taken over first place in the West, and they’re the only team in the division with a winning record. Anthony Meo (Coastal Carolina) delivered a strong first start in game one, allowing just an unearned run on four hits in six innings. Chance Sossamon (Wichita State) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and the Braves scored a run in the eighth to win it. In the second game, Austin Stadler (Wake Forest) surrendered just one hit in six innings for the win and Tony Zych (Louisville) picked up the save. Daniel Bowman (Coastal Carolina) hit his first home run and Ryan Wright (Louisville) drove in two.

Cotuit and Harwich split their twin bill, with each winning a one-run game. Harwich won 3-2 in the opener while Cotuit won 8-7 in the nightcap. Matt Murray (Georgia Southern) struck out nine for Cotuit in the first game while Andrew Leenhouts (Northeastern) struck out seven for Harwich. The Mariners broke through for two runs against the Cotuit bullpen, with Clint Moore (Army) hitting a walk-off two-run double. In the second game, the offenses did more damage. C.J. Cron (Utah), who was strangely batting in the leadoff spot, went 4-for-4 to lead Cotuit. He’s raised his average to .306. Jordan Leyland (UC Irvine) and Joey Hainsfurther (Baylor) each drove in two for the Kettleers, who scored six in the first inning. Ronnie Richardson (Central Florida), Brian Goodwin (North Carolina) and Tyler Pill (Cal State Fullerton) all had two hits for Harwich.

Falmouth and Y-D also split their doubleheader, with Y-D winning the first game 11-4 and Falmouth taking the second game 7-4. In the opener, Y-D’s Brett Mooneyham allowed four runs in five innings, but his offense picked him up. Matt Jensen (Cal Poly) went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Tyler Hanover (LSU) also went 2-for-3 to power a nine-hit attack. In the second game, it was Falmouth’s turn. Kevin Medrano (Missouri State) hit a home run and Matt Skole (Georgia Tech) drove in two.

Chatham and Wareham played one game then got three innings into game two before the fog rolled in and forced a postponement. In the opener, Chatham posted a 5-2 victory. Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) and Joe Pavone (Connecticut) drove in runs, and the Anglers took advantage of four Gatemen errors for four unearned runs. Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt) allowed three hits and only one earned run in five innings for the Gatemen but took the loss. Derek Self (Louisville) allowed two runs in six innings and picked up the win. For Wareham, George Springer (Connecticut) hit his third home run and Alex Dickerson (Indiana) went 1-for-3.

What to Watch

No games on the schedule tonight.

If you were in Wareham last night, I’m jealous.

The probables section hasn’t offered many awesome pitching match-ups this season, but if you checked on it yesterday, you saw the best one yet. Brewster’s Anthony Ranaudo (LSU), supplemental-round pick of the Red Sox, would take on Wareham’s Matt Barnes (Connecticut), a potential first-rounder in 2011.

They didn’t disappoint.

In front of a Saturday night crowd listed at 1,110, Ranaudo and Barnes staged the best pitchers’ duel of the summer. Ranaudo allowed one hit in 6.2 shutout innings and struck out eight. On the other side, Barnes struck out 14 — a league-high for the season — in seven innings. The difference was a Jeremy Schaffer (Tulane) RBI double in the fourth, which plated the lone run Barnes allowed. With the bullpens struggling, both teams scored late, but the decision stood. Ranaudo got the win and Barnes the loss as Brewster won 5-3.

If the Red Sox were watching this one, they had to like what they saw from Ranaudo. In his first start of the summer, he was on a pitch count and went four innings with three strikeouts. Now, with 10.2 innings in the books, Ranaudo has allowed two hits and no runs, while striking out 11.

According to AOL FanHouse baseball analyst Frankie Piliere, Barnes was even more impressive. Piliere reports his velocity was between 93 and 96 and touching 97.

I guess it’s a shame someone had to lose this game. It’s also a shame that both Ranaudo and Barnes may not be long for the Cape League, with Ranaudo likely getting an offer at some point and Barnes possibly heading to Team USA trials.

But for one night at least, the Cape League was a winner.

Elsewhere

Sticking with that game for a moment, Wareham’s Alex Dickerson (Indiana) had two more hits to keep his average at .500. He has had two hits in all five games he’s played in this summer.

Cotuit stopped Y-D’s five-game winning streak with a 9-2 victory. The Kettleers had 11 hits, getting at least one from nine different players. Paul Hoilman (East Tennessee State), Jordan Leyland (UC Irvine) and James McCann (Arkansas) all hit home runs for the Kettleers. McCann was making his Cape League debut. Michael Yastrzemski (Vanderbilt) and Brooks Pinckard (Baylor) had two hits apiece. On the mound, Josh Spence (Arizona State) made his second start for Cotuit and allowed a run in three innings. A.J. Achter (Michigan State) picked up the win with four shutout innings.

Another West team topped a strong East club as Hyannis beat Chatham 6-2. Trent Howard (Central Michigan), who was impressive in his first two starts, put up another strong one last night, allowing two runs and striking out five in 5.1 innings. Howard now has 17 strikeouts and just two walks in 15.1 innings. Mark Micowski (Georgia State) had three hits out of the Hyannis leadoff spot, and Jason Nappi (Harding) drove in two.

Orleans faced Falmouth’s Mark Pope (Georgia Tech), who hadn’t allowed a run in his first two starts, and touched him up for 11 hits. Though they only scored two runs off him, he was done after six and the Commodores kept scoring against the Falmouth pen. Danny Muno (Fresno State) had one of the best offensive days of the summer, going 5-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI. Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) wasn’t far behind, finishing 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI. Esposito had two hits in his first four games, but after last night, is hitting .316. Shon Roe (Loyola Marymount), Kevin Muno (San Diego) and Kolten Wong (Hawaii) also had multi-hit games for Orleans.

Tommy LaStella (Coastal Carolina) hit a walk-off double as Bourne beat Harwich 5-3 in 10 innings. Bourne led 3-1 until Harwich tied it in the eighth. But a dropped third strike gave Bourne life in the 10th and LaStella followed with a double to give Bourne the win. Ryan Wright (Louisville) and Nick Ahmed (Connecticut) had two hits each for Bourne. Tyler Pill (Cal State Fullerton), another big talent arriving late to Harwich, went 2-for-4 in his debut. Mikie Mahtook (LSU) went 1-for-4.

What to Watch

It’s a doubleheader day. Big South Pitcher of the Year Anthony Meo (Coastal Carolina) will make his debut for Bourne in game one of a twin bill with Orleans. Meo went 13-2 this spring with a 2.61 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 96.2 innings.

There’s been no shortage of quality starts this season from Cape LEague pitchers. Six innings, a run or two, a few strikeouts.

But there has been a shortage of dominance. Mark Pope struck out 11 in one start for Falmouth, which stood as the best pitching performance of the season.

Until last night. Pope’s Georgia Tech teammate Jed Bradley was a little bit better. Making his second start of the season for Wareham, Bradley struck out 11 and allowed just a run in a complete-game win over Hyannis.

It’s the first nine-inning complete game of the Cape League season, and for Wareham, it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Gatemen had lost three in a row.

Bradley was the stopper they needed, just as they hoped.

In the absence of some of the big-name power arms, Bradley came to the Cape with some of the best credentials around. Though his ERA ended up over 4.00, he was impressive all year for Tech, finishing with 95 strikeouts in 86.1 innings.

In his first Cape start, he pitched fairly well, allowing three earned runs and striking out eight in six innings. But two unearned runs also came home, and Bradley took the loss.

Last night, he was firmly in control and looking the ace Wareham needs. Bradley scattered six hits and worked his way out of the only two jams he got into. The 11 strikeouts give him 19 for the season, good for second in the league.

And Bradley had plenty of help. The Gatemen had nine hits and were led once again by Alex Dickerson (Indiana), who’s having a remarkable start to his season. Dickerson arrived a few days ago. He’s played in four games and he’s logged two hits in each of them, good for a .500 average. Last night, he went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Dickerson has been invited to Team USA trials, but maybe his torrid start can convince him to stick around.

Jonathan Smith (Tennessee-Wesleyan) added three hits for the Gatemen.

Elsewhere

Y-D beat Orleans 5-3 for its fifth straight win, which moved the Red Sox into a first-place tie with Brewster. Michael Goodnight (Houston), a 13th-round pick this year, allowed a run on three hits in six strong innings and picked up the win. D.J. Baxendale (Arkansas) got the save. The game was tied 1-1 until the seventh, when Y-D put up three. Pinch-hitter Dusty Robinson (Fresno State) knocked in the go-ahead run with a single and the Red Sox never trailed again. Robinson picked up another RBI in the eighth and Matt Jensen (Cal Poly) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. After breaking out of a season-long slump last night, Jordan Ribera (Fresno State) went 1-for-4 with a double. Y-D’s lineup last night didn’t have a single player who’s hitting over .300, but some of those averages are finally starting to climb. For Orleans, Kolten Wong (Hawaii) went 2-for-4 and hit his league-leading third home run.

Led by another strong day from Drew Martinez (Memphis), Brewster beat Bourne 6-3. Martinez went 2-for-4 on Wednesday and 3-for-5 on Thursday. He went 3-for-5 again last night, raising his average to .410. He also stole his ninth base of the season. Batting leadoff, Martinez had a hand in three Brewster rallies. Jon Berti (Bowling Green) also had three hits for the Whitecaps and scored two runs. Nathan Melendres (Miami) and Cohl Walla (Texas) had two hits apiece. Matt Crouse (Ole Miss) picked up the win in relief with two scoreless innings. For Bourne, Travis Shaw (Kent State) went 2-for-3, raising his average to .367.

Harwich dropped Chatham from first place with a 3-1 victory. Ronnie Richardson (Central Florida) went 2-for-4 for the Mariners, upping his average to a league-best .417. Austin Nola (LSU) also had two hits. Pierce Johnson (Missouri State), a 15th-round pick out of high school in 2009, struck out seven and allowed just an unearned run in six innings of work.

Falmouth finished with 13 hits and Cotuit had 11, but the Commodores beat Cotuit 10-3. Nick Martini (Kansas State), who had struggled so far, went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. Matt Skole (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-4 with two RBI. For Cotuit, Paul Hoilman (East Tennessee State) continued a hot streak with a 3-for-4 night.

What to Watch

The radar guns will be lighting up tonight in Wareham when Anthony Ranaudo (LSU) makes his second start for Brewster against the Gatemen’s Matt Barnes (Connecticut). It could be one of the better pitching match-ups of the season. Also, in Falmouth, Mark Pope (Georgia Tech) makes his third start for the Commodores. Pope hasn’t allowed a run yet this summer and has struck out 16.

Apologies for my absence yesterday and my lateness today. It was a crazy morning yesterday, and I had to get some cavities filled today. Good times all around.

I feel like I’ve missed things. That’s what happens in a Cape League season. The biggest thing I’m noticing as I work my way back into playing shape: the Eastern Division is off to a fast start. Even after yesterday, when the East beat up on itself a little bit, the teams are a step ahead of the West. Fourth-place Orleans would be tied for first in the West.

I’m sure things will even out at some point, but there’s no denying that Chatham, Y-D, Brewster and Orleans are playing well right now.

Last night, Y-D was probably the most impressive. The Red Sox visited Brewster and came away with a 9-4 victory, their fourth in a row. They’re tied with Brewster in second place at 7-3.

The Red Sox hadn’t had a ton of luck offensively. They came in hitting .219. But they pounded out nine hits against three Brewster pitchers and got some big hits from guys they figure to be counting on this summer.

Jordan Ribera (Fresno State), the national home run leader who went undrafted, was hitless this summer and he struck out in his first at-bat Wednesday. But in the fourth inning, Ribera cranked a solo home run. In the sixth, he hit an RBI triple as the Red Sox started pulling away.

Caleb Ramsay (Houston) also had two RBI for the Red Sox, while Tyler Hanover (LSU), Joe Panik (St. John’s), Matt Jensen (Cal Poly) and Matt Watson (Boston College) drove in one apiece.

John Leonard (Boston College) delivered another solid start for Y-D, allowing a run in five innings of work. Brewster scored three in the ninth, but Y-D held off the charge for the win. Leonard now has a 2-0 record and a 0.77 ERA.

For Brewster, leadoff man Drew Martinez (Memphis) went 3-for-5, bumping his league-best average to .382.

Elsewhere

Harwich has welcomed some big names to town the last few days in Mikie Mahtook (LSU) and Steven Proscia (Virginia). Neither has made a big impact yet and neither could help the Mariners against Orleans last night. Orleans got a solid outing from Cameron Hobson (Dayton) and just enough offense to win 3-2. Hobson only struck out one but also only allowed one run in six innings of work. Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount) had two RBI and Will Piwnica-Worms (Duke) went 3-for-3 to lead the Orleans offense. The game was tied 2-2 in the ninth before Braden Kapteyn (Kentucky) allowed a double, a walk and two straight hit batsmen to force home the go-ahead run.

Chatham broke a 4-4 tie with two in the ninth and held on to beat Wareham 6-5. Dan Paolini (Siena) reached on an error and scored on another in the ninth, and Brian Humphries (Pepperdine) drove in his third run of the night with a double. Wareham pushed a run across in the bottom of the ninth, but Matt Brazis (Boston College) wiggled out of a jam to give Chatham the win. Peter Verdin (Georgia) went 2-for-3 for the Anglers. George Springer (Connecticut) hit his second home run for Wareham, while Alex Dickerson (Indiana) stayed hot with a 2-for-4 day. In three games since arriving, Dickerson has gone 6-for-13.

In West action, Bourne won its third straight game and moved back to .500 with a 3-2 decision over Cotuit. The Braves trailed 2-1 going into the ninth. Tommy LaStella (Coastal Carolina) hit a one-out double and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Cotuit got the second out, Mike Nemeth (Connecticut) knocked LaStella home with the tying run. A dropped foul pop-up kept the Braves alive, and Creede Simpson (Auburn) singled home Nemeth with the winning run.

Falmouth scored two in the first and never trailed en route to a 5-1 victory over Hyannis. K.C. Serna (Oregon) went 2-for-4 to lead the offense and Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) added two RBI. Christian Jones (Oregon), a talented freshman who struggled in an earlier relief appearance, made his first start and allowed just two hits in six shutout innings.

What to Watch

Nick Tropeano (Stony Brook), who’s tied for the league lead in strikeouts goes for Cotuit against Falmouth.