In a light slate of games Monday, Cotuit and Hyannis improved their standing, while Brewster and Orleans remained right where they were in the race for the final playoff spot.
Cotuit topped Brewster 9-2 in eight innings at Lowell Park. Zachary Biermann (Coastal Carolina) hit his fifth home run and drove in three to lead the Kettleers. Duke Ellis (Texas) had two hits and two RBI, and Jonathan Robertson (Creighton) had two hits and one RBI. Making his second start, Addison Moss (Rice) allowed two runs in 4.2 innings before impressive relief work by Trey Holland (Sewanee), who went 3.1 scoreless innings.
Cotuit is now 21-17-3, tied with Falmouth for third place in the West. The Kettleers have won seven of their last eight games.
In Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks snapped a two-game slide with an 11-9 win over Orleans. The teams combined for 28 hits and were tied 9-9 in the eighth inning, when Hyannis took the lead on a two-run triple by Tommy Jew (UC Santa Barbara). Dylan Thomas (Hawaii) gave up two hits in the ninth, but ultimately protected the lead to seal the win.
Jew finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Seth Gray (Wright State) homered and also drove in three. Pedro Pages (Florida Atlantic) had three hits and two RBI. For Orleans, J.J. Bleday (Vanderbilt) homered for the third time in his last five games.
Hyannis is one game out of first place and one game up on Falmouth for second.
Brewster remains one point ahead of Orleans for the final spot in the East. Both teams have three games remaining.
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What to Watch
Cotuit and Wareham will meet in a potential playoff preview at Lowell Park. Both teams have won three in a row.
Sunday’s results cemented the playoff field for the West Division.
Cotuit beat Bourne to secure a spot and eliminate the Braves. That result also clinched a spot for Falmouth, who then won anyway and moved into a tie for second place.
Wareham and Hyannis had already clinched spots, so the four-team playoff bracket will have the Gatemen, Harbor Hawks, Commodores and Kettleers.
Cotuit had missed a chance to knock Bourne back three days earlier, when it lost a 7-5 decision to the Braves. The Kettleers rebounded with a win over Orleans then rolled past the Braves in the rematch, winning 8-2.
Peyton Burdick (Wright State) led the offensive attack. After his three-home run opening night, Burdick had gone quiet but has been hot lately. Sunday, he went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and four RBI. Jonathan Robertson (Creighton) added three hits and two RBI, while Duke Ellis (Texas) went 3-for-5 and drove in one run.
Griffin McLarty (College of Charleston) allowed one run in four innings, and the bullpen carried the torch the rest of the way. Ryan Lefner (St. Louis) earned the win. Joseph Walsh (Boston College) and Garrett Gayle (Rice) delivered scoreless outings to short-circuit any hopes of a Bourne comeback.
Falmouth 6, Chatham 1
Falmouth trailed 1-0 for most of the game but rallied with a five-run seventh inning for a win over Chatham. The big blow was a Kyle Stowers (Stanford) three-run double. Matt Wallner (Southern Mississippi) and Cameron Cannon (Arizona) added run-scoring hits. Wallner finished 3-for-5 with two RBI. Tyler Dyson (Florida) allowed one run in four innings before a dominant relief performance by Brent Killam (Georgetown). Killam struck out seven of the 13 batters he faced in four shutout innings. Jack Little (Stanford) struck out the side in the ninth to finish off the win. For Chatham, Alek Manoah (West Virginia) struck out six in five scoreless innings before the bullpen ran into trouble. Manoah now leads the league in strikeouts with 48.
Wareham 10, Hyannis 6
Wareham pounded 15 hits and held the Harbor Hawks scoreless until the eighth inning for a key win in the race for first place. The Gatemen now hold a four-point lead over Hyannis and Falmouth, who are tied for second. Austin Shenton (Florida International) led the offense with the best day of an already tremendous summer. Shenton went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI. Ryan Kreidler (UCLA) also went deep, while Jakob Goldfarb (Oregon) had three hits. Oliver Dunn (Utah) added two hits and two RBI. Making his first start after 10 relief appearances, Zach Hart (Franklin Pierce) was great for the Gatemen, allowing just two hits in five scoreless innings.
Y-D 8, Harwich 1
A night after wrapping up first place, the Red Sox kept rolling. More interesting is what one of their top players did. Noah Campbell (South Carolina) went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. He has just now accumulated enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title and he may win it – he’s now hitting .406 with three games remaining. Zach Ashford (Pepperdine) also had a big day for the Sox, going 4-for-5 with two RBI. Matthew Dyer (Arizona) added three hits and Zach Zubia (Texas) homered. Nathan Wiles (Oklahoma) allowed one run in five innings in his best start of the summer to earn the win.
Brewster 4, Orleans 3
The Whitecaps traded places with Orleans, climbing out of the basement and into playoff contention. Three runs in the seventh inning erased a 3-1 deficit for the Whitecaps. Hunter Bishop (Arizona State) delivered the big hit with a two-run homer, and Ray Alejo (Central Florida) gave the Whitecaps the lead with a home run of his own. Chris Wright (Bryant) struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to protect the lead and seal the win. Brewster’s rally spoiled a strong start by Kevin Kelly (James Madison), who allowed one run in six innings and took over the league lead in ERA.
What to Watch
Only two games on the schedule tonight, but both will have playoff implications as the last spot in the East remains up for grabs. Brewster visits Cotuit and Orleans is at Hyannis.
Chatham’s emergence in the second half of the season provided another contender in a division that was starting to look very top-heavy. The Anglers are three games over .500 and have played fairly well against East leader Yarmouth-Dennis, going 2-2-2 in the six-game series.
But the Anglers won’t catch the Red Sox.
Y-D clinched the East Division regular-season title and postseason top seed with Saturday’s 8-5 win over Harwich. The Red Sox improved to 24-11-5 and hold a 10-point edge on Chatham with just four games remaining in the regular season.
The Red Sox fell behind the 5-0 in the title-clinching game but rallied with six runs in the sixth inning and two more in the ninth. Nicholas Quintana (Arizona) had an RBI single and Vito Friscia (Hofstra) drew a bases-loaded walk to start the comeback. Noah Campbell (South Carolina) then completed it with one swing of the bat, smashing a grand slam to give Y-D the 6-5 lead.
Quin Cotton (Grand Canyon) and Quintana drove in runs in the ninth for insurance, which the Red Sox didn’t end up needing. Mitchell Tyranski (Michigan State), Trenton Denholm (UC Irvine) and Ryne Nelson (Oregon) combined for six scoreless innings of relief to seal the win.
Wareham 11, Orleans 2
The Gatemen moved back into first place with a win over Orleans and a loss by Hyannis. The Gatemen scored seven runs in the first three innings off Orleans starter Mitchell Senger (Stetson), who a few weeks ago was part of a combined no-hitter. The 16-hit attack was paced by Oliver Dunn (Utah), who went 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBI, and Lael Lockhart (Houston), who went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI. Ryan Kreidler (UCLA) also homered and Jeremy Ydens (UCLA) drove in two runs. Tyler Keysor (Miami) allowed two runs in five innings for the win and Ryan Stoudemire (Charleston Southern) dominated in relief, allowing one hit in four scoreless innings.
Falmouth 9, Bourne 6
The Commodores won in dramatic fashion over Bourne as Davis Sims (Western Kentucky) hit a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th. Falmouth had trailed 6-3 before scoring two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth. Sims was the hero in extra innings, coming up with two runners on and blasting the game-winner on a 2-0 pitch. It was the sixth home run of the season for Sims, who finished 2-for-6 with four RBI. Maverick Handley (Stanford) also went deep for Falmouth. The Commodores got strong relief work from Nick Mikolajchak (Sam Houston State) to make the winning rally possible. Mikolajchak struck out six in three scoreless innings. Falmouth needs one more win or a Bourne loss to clinch a playoff spot. For the Braves, Tyler Fitzgerald (Louisville) went 5-for-5, and Ashton Bardzell (Hartford) homered.
Chatham 9, Hyannis 2
The Anglers raced to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and gave up just three hits to Hyannis in a 9-2 win. Colin Simpson (Oklahoma State) hit a grand slam in a 2-for-3, six RBI performance. Blake Sabol (USC) had three hits and scored two runs. Tristin English (Georgia Tech) had two hits and an RBI. Jack Conlon (Texas A&M) went four hitless innings, and the bullpen picked up where he left off. John McMillon (Texas Tech) earned the win with two innings of relief and three of his mates finished it off.
What to Watch
Orleans and Brewster own the worst two records in the league, but one of them is going to make the playoffs, and Sunday’s matchup between them will help decide that. The Firebirds currently have a one-point edge in the standings. This is the last meeting of the teams in the regular season.
For the first time in a while, there’s a tie atop the Cape League’s West Division.
Wareham forced the deadlock with a win over Falmouth, after Hyannis had played to a 4-4 tie with Brewster earlier in the day. Both teams now have 45 points.
The Gatemen are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are not the force they were early in the season with Andrew Vaughn and Bryant Packard in the lineup and Joey Matulovich leading the rotation. But a strong core remains, and Wareham is making it work.
Friday’s win came against one of the top pitching prospects on the Cape and an offense that features some of the top hitters. Wareham touched up Matt Canterino (Rice) for five runs and limited the Commodore offense to just two hits.
Isaac Collins (Creighton) went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Jeremy Ydens (UCLA) and Drew Millas (Missouri State) also drove in runs. Canterino struck out nine but walked three and gave up four hits.
On the mound, Derek West (Pittsburgh) allowed one run on one hit in 5.1 innings for the win. West has been a savior for the Gatemen pitching staff since making his debut July 14. He holds a 1.17 ERA in four appearances.
MacGregor Hines (Dallas Baptist) and Joseph Baran (Lackawanna) had scoreless outings to finish off the win.
Hyannis 4, Brewster 4
The aforementioned tie for Hyannis also had implications in the standings for Brewster, which is now just one point behind Orleans for the final playoff spot in the East. Ike Freeman (North Carolina) hit his third home run in the last two games to lead the Whitecaps. Jesse Franklin (Michigan) added two hits and two RBI. Tommmy Jew (UC Santa Barbara) homered for Hyannis, while Matthew Barefoot (Campbell) and Braden Comeaux (Rice) chipped in two hits apiece. Zach Linginfelter (Tennessee) had another strong start for Brewster, allowing one run in five innings, his third straight outing of five innings with one run or fewer allowed.
Y-D 4, Chatham
Y-D scored four runs in the seventh inning as the match-up between the top two teams in the East ended in a draw. The Red Sox hadn’t gotten anything going against Chatham starter Austin Bergner (North Carolina), who went six shutout innings with five strikeouts in his best performance of the summer. But Nicholas Quintana (Arizona) sparked the seventh-inning rally with a home run off the Chatham bullpen. A two-run double by Andrew Daschbach (Stanford) eventually tied the game. Chatham built its lead on home runs by Michael Busch (North Carolina) – his fifth – and Drew Mendoza (Florida State).
Cotuit 6, Orleans 5
A day after its win streak was snapped, Cotuit got back in the win column and moved into a tie with Falmouth for third place in the West. The Kettleers scored four runs in the fifth inning and two in the sixth to grab a 6-1 lead. Orleans scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth and had runners on second and third, but a groundout and a rundown led to a bizarre game-ending double play. Brady Smith (Florida) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Kettleers. Michael Toglia (UCLA), Peyton Burdick (Wright State) and Zachary Biermann (Coastal Carolina) each had two hits and one RBI. Bryce Jarvis (Duke) allowed one run in five innings for the win. Orleans got a home run from J.J. Bleday (Vanderbilt).
Harwich 8, Bourne 5
Shut-out for the first five innings, Harwich exploded for eight runs over the next four and topped Bourne 8-5. Ben Norman (Iowa) had two hits and three RBI, while Andre Lipcius (Tennessee) and Logan Driscoll (George Mason) both drove in two runs. Andrew Misiaszek (Northeastern) struck out four over two scoreless innings to make the rally count and keep Bourne off the board.
What to Watch
Wareham goes up against another of the top arms in the league as Mitchell Senger (Stetson) draws the start against the Gatemen for Orleans.
Heading into Thursday’s action, Cotuit had won four straight games and was starting to pull away from Bourne for the final playoff spot in the West.
The Braves themselves kept Cotuit from getting further away.
After getting shut-out for five innings, Bourne scored three runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to beat Cotuit 7-5 at Lowell Park.
Justin Lasko (UMass) and Seth Shuman (Georgia Southern) had dueling shutouts going until the fifth, when the Kettleers broke through for a run against Lasko. But Bourne’s breakthrough against Shuman in the top of the sixth was bigger.
An RBI double by Tyler Fitzgerald (Louisville) brought the first run home. Jared Triolo (Houston) then tripled home the go-ahead run and scored himself on a passed ball.
After Cotuit got a run back in the home half of the sixth, the Braves delivered another burst. Danny DiGeorgio (Rutgers), a late reinforcement playing in his third game, hit a two-run single. A bases-loaded walk to Triolo – which bumped him to a tie for the league lead in RBI – and an RBI fielder’s choice tacked on two more runs.
Reliever Andy Archer (Georgia Tech) had a little trouble in the ninth, giving up two runs on a Peyton Burdick (Wright State) homere. But he stranded the tying runs on base.
Bourne is now four points behind Cotuit with six games to play.
Falmouth 5, Wareham 3
More and more, it’s like there’s a top group of three in the West Division, with Falmouth crashing a party that was reserved for two for much of the season. The Commodores topped Wareham Thursday to move within two points of the Gatemen for second place and three points back of Hyannis for first. Falmouth broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the seventh inning on a two-run single by Cameron Cannon (Arizona). Cannon finished with three RBI while Kyle Stowers (Stanford) had one for the Commodores. Patrick McGowan (Holy Cross) allowed three runs in six innings and was credited with the win thanks to the seventh-inning runs. Logan Rinehart (California Baptist) and Jack Little (Stanford) closed the door on Wareham over the final innings.
What to Watch
Back to a full slate today, and it should be a good one in Yarmouth, where the top two teams in the East square off.
Chatham clinched a playoff spot a few innings into Wednesday’s game, when Brewster’s matchup with Cotuit went final. A loss by the Whitecaps secured the berth for the Anglers.
Then they celebrated with a win.
Colin Simpson (Oklahoma State) and John McMillon (Texas Tech) homered to spark a five-run sixth inning as the Anglers rallied for a 6-3 victory over Harwich.
Two of the four playoff spots in the East have now been locked up, with Y-D and Chatham in. Harwich should be next. Orleans and Brewster will fight it out for the final spot, with the Whitecaps currently just a game behind the Firebirds.
Chatham had lost two in a row heading into Wednesday’s game, by a total of 18 runs. Solid pitching kept them in the game this time, with Jeff Belge (St. John’s) allowing two unearned runs in 4.2 innings and Greg Veliz (Miami) giving up one run over the final 4.1 innings. Belge struck out seven and Veliz fanned five.
Trailing 2-1, the Anglers tied the game on Simpson’s third homer of the summer. McMillon, a late arrival after Texas Tech’s run in Omaha who has been used more as a pitcher than a hitter, gave Chatham the lead with his solo home run, just his second hit of the season.
John Rave (Illinois State) added an RBI for the Anglers, while Greg Jones (UNC Wilmington) scored twice.
Cotuit 8, Brewster 6
The Kettleers are the hottest team in the league as they topped Brewster for their fourth straight win. Four different players homered to lead a big day at the plate. Michael Toglia (UCLA) went deep for the third straight game, giving him six on the year. Zach Humphreys (TCU) hit his third, Michael Salvatore (Florida State) hit his second, and Peyton Burdick (Wright State) went yard for the first time since his three-home run night on opening day. Luke Chevalier (Northern State) allowed four runs in 5.2 innings for the win and Ryan Lefner (St. Louis) logged a two-inning save. Brewster lost despite its own home run party as the Whitecaps blasted five. Ike Freeman (North Carolina) hit two, while Conor Grammes (Xavier), Hunter Bishop (Arizona State) and Gage Workman had one each.
Bourne 2, Hyannis 1
Bourne walked off in the 11th for a win over first-place Hyannis. Playing in just his fourth game as a late-season reinforcement, Jake Garella (St. Louis) was the hero, his single scoring Spencer Brickhouse (East Carolina) with the winning run. Garella finished 2-for-4 with both RBI for the Braves. His RBI double tied the game in the seventh. Mike Ruff (Florida Atlantic) earned the win as the fourth Bourne reliever to deliver a scoreless stint. Matthew Barefoot (Campbell) had an RBI for Hyannis.
Wareham 3, Falmouth 1
With Hyannis losing, Wareham gained ground thanks to a victory over Falmouth and now sits one point back of the Harbor Hawks for first place. The Gatemen broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Skyler Hunter (Purdue) and added insurance in the eighth on a Gian Martellini (Boston College) RBI double. The push made a winner out of Ryan Garcia (UCLA), who allowed just an unearned run in six innings. Easton Lucas (Pepperdine) struck out four in three scoreless innings of relief. T.J. Sikkema (Missouri) was the hard-luck loser for Falmouth after allowing two runs in 6.2 innings.
Y-D 8, Orleans 4,
Y-D rode a six-run fourth inning to its third consecutive win. Zach Zubia (Texas) homered and drove in two runs, while Quin Cotton (Grand Canyon) and Noah Campbell (South Carolina) each had two RBI. Mitchell Tyranski (Michigan State) earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. For Orleans, J.J. Bleday (Vanderbilt) and Kenyon Yovan (Oregon) both homered.
What to Watch
There will be some movement in the West standings tonight. Cotuit faces Bourne and Wareham takes on Falmouth in all-West matchups. Hyannis is also in action against Orleans.
The fog that enveloped Veterans Field June 24, pictured, returned with Cotuit Monday night.
Cotuit and Chatham were apparently destined for a fog game. Back in June, the second game of a doubleheader at Veterans Field was postponed due to Chatham’s famous fog. Monday brought the rescheduled game — and more fog.
The Kettleers didn’t seem to mind.
Cotuit rallied from a five-run deficit with an insane 15 unanswered runs and won 15-5 in a game that was called in the sixth due to fog.
Chatham scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, but Cotuit answered with five in the top of the second and rolled on from there. Three runs in the fourth and seven in the fifth turned the game completely around.
Zachary Biermann (Coastal Carolina) and Michael Toglia (UCLA) both homered for the Kettleers. Biermann’s two-run blast highlighted the second-inning comeback. Toglia mashed a grand slam to cap the scoring in the fifth.
Jonathan Robertson (Creighton) added three hits and three RBI, while Peyton Burdick (Wright State) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Griffin McLarty (College of Charleston) came on to rescue the Kettleers in the top of the first inning and ended up staying on the mound for the rest of the game. He struck out four in 4.1 shutout innings.
The win was the second straight for the Kettleers, who improved to 16-16-3 and hold a four-point lead on Bourne for the final playoff spot in the West Division.
Falmouth 7, Hyannis 2
Falmouth posted its second consecutive win over Hyannis to move further into the top tier of the West Division. The Commodores now sit three points behind the first-place Harbor Hawks and two points back of second-place Wareham. Adam Laskey (Duke) delivered a solid start on the mound, allowing two runs in five innings for his fourth win. He now owns a 1.42 ERA. Three relievers kept Hyannis quiet in the late innings. A day after homering in the All-Star Game, Kyle Stowers (Stanford) homered again and scored three runs. Hayden Cantrelle (Louisiana-Lafayette) had three RBI, while Logan Davidson (Clemson) and Cameron Cannon (Arizona) each had two hits and one RBI.
Y-D 8, Bourne 3
Y-D rode 10 hits and a quality start from Tommy Henry (Michigan) to a win over Bourne. Zach Ashford (Fresno State) led the offense with three hits and three runs scored. Bradlee Beesley (Cal Poly) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Zach Zubia (Texas) drove in two runs. Henry allowed two runs on four hits in six innings for his best start of the summer.
What to Watch
Falmouth can make up even more ground as it takes on Hyannis for the third consecutive game. T.J. Sikkema (Missouri) and his 1.45 ERA will get the ball for the Commodores. Houston Roth (Ole Miss), who has a 4.32 ERA, is set to start for Hyannis.
Alek Manoah struck out 12 in Saturday’s win and now leads the league in strikeouts.
Yarmouth-Dennis hitters have been very good at not striking out this summer. The Red Sox have the fewest in the league.
But you wouldn’t have guessed that Saturday.
Chatham’s Alek Manoah (West Virginia) and Jeff Belge (St. John’s), two of the top strikeout pitchers in the league, had the Red Sox swinging and missing as good pitching beat good hitting in a 7-3 Anglers victory.
Manoah struck out 12 and Belge fanned seven. That’s 19 of 27 outs via the strikeout.
Manoah has emerged as a classic power pitcher in a summer that has kind of been missing an ace. Joey Matulovich left Wareham to sign, John Baker departed Cotuit early, Graeme Stinson had a short stint in Orleans. Tyler Baum, Austin Bergner and Mitchell Senger were late arrivals. The ERA leaderboard features only eight qualified players and is topped by a reliever.
Manoah was part of the trend early, going four innings or fewer in three of his first four starts. But on July 14 against Harwich, he struck out 11 in six innings.
And he was just as good Saturday.
Manoah went six innings again and allowed two runs on six hits. He fanned 12 of the 24 batters he faced and now leads the league with 42 strikeouts in 28.1 innings pitched.
When Manoah departed, Chatham turned to its other strikeout artist. Belge has made three starts and four relief appearances and he’s had strikeout stuff in all of them. This time, he K’d seven of the 13 batters who stepped in for a three-inning save. Belge ranks third in the league in strikeouts with 37.
On the other side, Chatham’s big swings netted big hits. Michael Busch (North Carolina) homered twice, his third and fourth of the season. Tristin English (Georgia Tech) hit his fifth home run and had three RBI.
Chatham has won three in a row and is four points ahead of Harwich for second place in the East, six points back of Y-D.
Cotuit 4, Wareham 3
A day after losing a one-run heartbreaker to Chatham, Cotuit won a one-run thriller over Wareham in 10 innings. The Kettleers forced extras with two runs in the eighth on a two-run homer by Garrett Wolforth (Dallas Baptist), then scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th. Peyton Burdick (Wright State) was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and raced home on an RBI single by Jonathan Robertson (Creighton). Stephen Schoch (UMBC), who had pitched a scoreless ninth after Cotuit tied it, did the same in the bottom of the 10th to seal the win. Schoch lowered his ERA to 0.51.
Falmouth 5, Hyannis 3
Falmouth toppled first-place Hyannis, winning for the fifth time in its last six games. Tyler Dyson (Florida) allowed two runs in five innings for his third consecutive strong start since a late arrival from Omaha. Jack Little (Stanford) struck out the side in the ninth to record the save. Davis Sims (Murray State) drove in two runs, while Maverick Handley (Stanford) and Hayden Cantrelle (Louisiana-Lafayette) knocked in one each. Falmouth is 18-15-1, good for third place behind the Harbor Hawks and Wareham. For Hyannis, Matthew Barefoot (Campbell) came back with a 1-for-4 the day after his 22-game hitting streak ended.
Harwich 8, Orleans 5
Harwich racked up three runs in the fourth inning and four in the fifth to pull away from Orleans. Brad Debo (NC State) went 1-for-3 with four RBI to lead the Mariners. Logan Driscoll (George Mason) went 3-for-4 with two runs driven in. Nate Eikhoff (Virginia) added two hits. On the mound, Danny Poidomani (Stevens) allowed two runs in five innings for the win. George Kirby (Elon) earned his second save. The Firebirds have lost five in a row and have been dealt another blow with league home run leader Nick Osborne (Tennessee Tech) departing to sign a pro contract with Oakland.
Bourne 5, Brewster 1
In a battle of last-place teams that remain in the playoff mix, Bourne rode strong pitching to a win over Brewster. Trey Benton (East Carolina) went four scoreless innings and Mike Ruff (Florida Atlantic) earned the win with 1.2 innings of relief. Nick Morreale (Georgetown) and Michael McAvene (Louisville) finished it off. Lyle Lin (Arizona State) had two hits and three RBI to lead the Braves’ offense. Anthony Prato (UConn) went 3-for-4 and scored two runs.
What to Watch
Weather permitting, the Cape League All-Star Game is set for tonight at 6 p.m. in Harwich.
Greg Jones scored what proved to be the winning run.
I was checking the Cape League scoreboard last night when I saw that Chatham and Cotuit were in the 14th inning of a 10-9 game. I thought, “Whoa, what a crazy game,” and also, “Isn’t there a 12-inning curfew?”
Turns out it was a Pointstreak glitch. The game actually was called after eight innings due to darkness.
But it was still crazy.
Chatham trailed 7-0 after two innings and 9-3 after three. The Anglers steadily worked their way back from there, ultimately taking the lead in the top of the eighth, quieting Cotuit in the bottom half and celebrating when the game was called at that point.
A night after a 17-3 blowout, the Anglers had their offense humming again and this time, really needed it. Cotuit got home runs from Michael Salvatore (Florida State) and Brady Smith (Florida) to highlight the fast start.
John Rave (Illinois State) started Chatham’s comeback efforts with a two-run home run in the third inning. Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) doubled home two runs in the fourth, Colin Simpson (Oklahoma State) hit a solo homer in the fifth and Blake Sabol (USC) hit a two-run double in the seventh that made it a one-run game.
Torkelson was at it again to lead the decisive rally. In his fourth game back since returning from Team USA, the slugger led off the top of the eighth with a solo home run that tied the game at 9-9.
Later in the inning, Greg Jones (UNC Wilmington) reached on an error and moved himself into scoring position with his league-best 15th stolen base. After Drew Mendoza (Florida State) was intentionally walked, Jorge Arenas (Stetson) came through with a base hit, and Jones raced around with the go-ahead run.
Greg Veliz (Miami) worked a perfect bottom of the eighth with a pair of strikeouts, and the darkness at Lowell Park ushered in the win for the Anglers.
Torkelson went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. The home run was his sixth. Simpson added three hits and two RBI, Sabol and Rave drove in two and Arenas went 2-for-5 with the winning RBI.
Chatham is now 17-15-2 and sitting relatively comfortably in second place in the East.
Brewster 7, Y-D 3
A day after giving up 17 runs, Brewster shut down the league’s best offense for a win over first-place Y-D. Zach Linginfelter (Tennessee) did the heavy lifting with a dominant start, striking out three in five innings of no-hit baseball. Y-D touched up reliever Zach Schneider (Florida Atlantic) for three unearned runs but he kept his team in front. Brady Basso (Oklahoma State) and Jeff Criswell (Michigan) closed out the win. Jesse Franklin (Michigan) went 3-for-5 with a home run, while Ray Alejo (Central Florida) had three hits and two RBI.
Harwich 4, Falmouth 1
Falmouth had scored 26 runs in its last three games and had won four in a row, but Harwich stopped both those trends. Ricky DeVito (Seton Hall) struck out 10 in six scoreless innings for the win, allowing just four hits. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last two starts, with 18 strikeouts across 12 innings. Falmouth threatened in the ninth, but Andrew Misiaszek (Northeastern) stranded a pair of runners for his fifth save. Andre Lipcius (Tennessee) led the Harwich offense with two hits and two RBI.
Hyannis 4, Orleans 1
Hyannis remained a point ahead of Wareham for first place in the West with its third win in three tries against Orleans. Keegan James (Mississippi State) allowed one run in four innings and Nicholas MacDonald (Florida International) was dominant in relief, striking out five in four scoreless innings. Brett Schulze (Minnesota) picked up his third save. Seth Gray (Wright State) and Tommy Jew (UC Santa Barbara) each had two hits and an RBI to lead the offense. Matthew Barefoot (Campbell) saw his 22-game hitting streak come to an end, but miraculously, his season-long on-base streak lives. Barefoot reached on a dropped third strike in the fifth inning. He also had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. For Orleans, Nick Osborne (Tennessee Tech) took over the league lead in home runs with his eighth.
Wareham 8, Bourne 6
Wareham used a six-run third inning and tacked on some crucial insurance to hold off Bourne for its second straight win. Austin Shenton (Florida International) and Jeremy Ydens (UCLA) each had two RBI for the Gatemen, while Isaac Collins (Creighton), Jakob Goldfarb (Oregon) and Drew Millas (Missouri State) drove in one run apiece. Will Proctor (Georgia) allowed just an unearned run in four innings. Bourne put together a five-run seventh inning, highlighted by Jared Triolo’s (Houston) two-run double and a pair of costly Wareham errors. Joseph Baran (Lackawanna) and Pavin Parks (Kent State) shut it down from there.
What to Watch
A couple of big arms will be on mounds in Chatham and Orleans. Alek Manoah (West Virginia) returns to the hill for the Anglers against Y-D after striking out 11 in six innings in his last start. Mitchell Senger (Stetson) gets the ball for Orleans versus Harwich on the heels of his combined no-hitter last week.
The Wareham Gatemen had about as bad a day as a team could have in the Cape League Wednesday. They lost the conclusion of a protested game early in the afternoon, then drove to Brewster and lost another game.
Thursday, they bounced back.
As they always do.
The Gatemen haven’t lost three straight games all season and they kept that trend going with a 6-1 victory on the road at Harwich.
The Gatemen needed some step-up performances to get the rebound, particularly in the pitching department. Derek West (Pittsburgh) was making just his third appearance and his first start. He allowed one run in four innings.
Tyler Keysor (Miami) came in with a 6.75 ERA, but struck out six in three scoreless innings for the win. Cody Carroll entered with a 5.25 ERA and went two scoreless frames to finish it off.
Jakob Goldfarb (Oregon) had two hits, while Jeremy Ydens (UCLA), Austin Shenton (Florida International), Pavin Parks (Kent State) and Ryan Kreidler (UCLA) drove in one run each.
With Hyannis losing, the Gatemen moved to within a point of the Harbor Hawks for first place in the West.
Chatham 17, Brewster 3
Brewster has had some rough days on the mound, and the Anglers were the latest to take advantage, turning 12 hits, three errors and 15 walks (!) into a blowout win. Colin Simpson (Oklahoma State) went 2-for-4 with a triple and five RBI. Greg Jones (UNC Wilmington), Spencer Torkelson (Arizona State) and Ashton McGee (North Carolina) drove in two runs each. Austin Bergner (North Carolina) was the beneficiary of the offensive burst and allowed three runs in six innings for the win.
Falmouth 8, Orleans 2
Falmouth somehow still owns the worst team batting average in the league, but it’s trending up. The Commodores won their fourth straight and posted their third consecutive outing with at least eight runs. Matt Wallner (Southern Mississippi) set the pace, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. The slugger now has four homers in 11 games with Falmouth. Kyle Stowers (Stanford) added three hits for his third consecutive multi-hit performance. Cameron Cannon (Arizona) had two RBI. Falmouth did a lot of its damage against Kenyon Yovan (Oregon), who had just returned to Orleans from Team USA. Patrick McGowan (Holy Cross) got the win for the Commodores, allowing two runs in six innings.
Y-D 8, Bourne 2
The Red Sox became the first team to clinch a playoff spot as their success combined with Brewster’s struggles at the bottom of the division created an opportunity to lock things up early. A 17-hit attack paved the way, led by three-hit performances from Quin Cotton (Grand Canyon), Bradlee Beesley (Cal Poly) and Luke Waddell (Georgia Tech). Beesley has been hot, with 10 hits in his last eight games. Nicholas Quintana (Arizona) and Jonathan DeLuca (Oregon) chipped in two RBI apiece. Michael Henley (Texas) allowed two runs in 4.2 innings before three relievers combined to shut out Bourne the rest of the way. The win went to Chandler Fidel (Arkansas Little Rock).
Cotuit 7, Hyannis 2
Hyannis leads the West Division, but Cotuit captured the Barnstable Patriot Cup thanks to a fourth win in six tries against the Harbor Hawks. Garrett Wolforth (Dallas Baptist) drove in two runs to lead the Kettleer offense, while Michael Toglia (UCLA) had two hits and an RBI. Cotuit native Luke Chevalier (Northern State) had his best performance of the summer on the mound, allowing one run in six innings for the win. For Hyannis, Matthew Barefoot went 3-for-3, stretching his hitting streak to 22 games and giving him the league lead in batting at .414.
What to Watch
Mitchell Stone (Oklahoma State) went five shutout innings in his last start and will try to keep Falmouth rolling as the Commodores visit Harwich.
