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.
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