You’d think losing Alex Dickerson and George Springer would put a pretty big dent in your offense. Dickerson hit .500 in nine games. Springer hit .288 and, a week after leaving for Team USA trials, is still tied for the league lead in home runs.
Both Dickerson and Springer made Team USA, so they won’t be back this summer. But maybe Wareham doesn’t need them.
The Gatemen lost their first game without those two, but they won the next one 15-4. They’ve gone 5-2-1 in their last eight and they’ve scored 48 runs. In their previous eight games, they scored 25 runs. Without Dickerson and Springer, Wareham still has the league’s best team batting average.
On Monday, the Gatemen kept swinging. They pounded out 12 hits and won a 12-inning game over Falmouth 8-7.
Jonathan Smith (Tennessee-Wesleyan), who’s been a key piece to the puzzle in the two hole, went 3-for-5 and scored two runs. Lee Mazzilli (Connecticut) had two hits, including what proved to be the game-winning home run, and Zach Wilson (Arizona State) and Tyler Bream (Liberty) also had two hits each. Bream drove in a run, bringing his league-best total to 17.
Ken Ferrer (Elon) got the win for Wareham with four hitless innings of relief. He walked six, so it wasn’t exactly smooth, but he got out of trouble when he needed to.
For all the offense, the Gatemen still haven’t climbed out of the basement in the West. But eight of the their next nine games are against teams from the West, so they’ll have their chance to make up ground.
And I’m sure they’ll keep swinging, no matter who’s in the lineup.
Elsewhere
Y-D had lost four in a row but bounced back in a big way Monday to beat Chatham 9-1. Stewart Ijames (Louisville) and Jordan Ribera (Fresno State) hit home runs for the Red Sox, who finished with 10 hits and their second-highest run total of the season. Randy Fontanez (South Florida) got the win with seven strong innings. He struck out three and allowed a run on six hits. Y-D stayed six points back of Brewster, who also won last night. For Chatham, Ricky Oropesa (USC) hit his third home run of the year.
The aforementioned Whitecaps scored two in the first and one in the fourth then held on for a 3-2 victory over Bourne in a battle of first-place teams. Austin Lubinsky (Minnesota) lasted only 3.1 innings, but four Brewster relievers combined to allow just an unearned run. On the other side, the Bourne bullpen held Brewster hitless for the last 5.2 innings, but the damage had been done. Andy Burns (Kentucky) and Troy Channing (St. Mary’s) drove in runs for the Whitecaps, who moved to 18-8. It sure does seem like they’re living right, especially after this game. They were out-hit 11-3.
The bullpen also shined for Orleans, who beat Harwich 3-2. After Ryan Carpenter (Gonzaga) turned in 5.1 solid innings, four Firebird relievers for 3.2 scoreless and hitless innings. Marcus Stroman (Duke) got the save, his third of the year. Jayce Boyd (Florida State) had two hits for Orleans. Steve Selsky (Arizona) and Matt Koch (Loyola Marymount) drove in runs. For Harwich 2010 sixth-round pick Greg Peavey (Oregon State) got the start and allowed three runs in 5.2 innings, striking out three.
Hyannis was four points out of second place when the night began but got within two thanks to a 4-2 victory over Cotuit. Matteo D’Angelo (Winthrop) and Jose Mata (South Carolina) pitched four innings each, with Mata getting the win. Dallas Gallant (Sam Houston State) picked up his league-leading seventh save. A.J. Pettersen (Minnesota) went 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead Hyannis.
What to Watch
Jed Bradley (Georgia Tech), who struck out nine in nine innings of a tied game last time, gets the start as Wareham visits Chatham. Bradley is second in the league in strikeouts.
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