Taylor Rogers was the hard-luck loser in Harwich’s playoff opener. The lefty from Kentucky allowed one earned run in 7.1 innings and struck out nine in that start, but Brewster got the better of him.
Harwich hasn’t lost since. And Rogers was just as good in his second start, without the hard luck.
Rogers got the ball last night and helped pave the way for a sweep of Y-D with eight strong innings. Harwich had enough offense to back him and won 4-2 to clinch a spot in the Cape Cod Baseball League championship series.
Rogers has consistently been the best ace in the league. Other people had lower ERA’s or more strikeouts, but I don’t think anyone else could be counted on for a quality start time and again quite like Rogers.
He did it again on the big stage last night. After a game-one loss the night before, Y-D was trying to regain the momentum from its first-round upset of Orleans.
Rogers was having none of it. He allowed just four hits in eight-plus innings of work, struck out six and didn’t walk anyone. The line is more impressive when you consider what he did in just the eight innings — he allowed two hits and carried a shutout into the ninth.
Y-D started to make a comeback in that ninth inning, getting singles by Derrick Chung (Sacramento State) and Chris Taylor (Virginia). Those hits chased Rogers, but Harwich reliever Chris Overman (NC State) made sure they didn’t cost him the win. One run came in on an error and another on a fielder’s choice, but Overman buckled to get the final two outs without further damage. He had to get two tough hitters to do so — Stephen Piscotty and Matt Reynolds — but he did it. Piscotty grounded into a fielder’s choice and Reynolds grounded out to shortstop.
Just like that, Harwich was into the finals, and Y-D’s playoff run — which looked so promising after the first-round sweep — was over.
Leading the Harwich offense, was Jake Davies (Georgia Tech), who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Austin Nola (LSU) added a home run, while Darnell Sweeney (Central Florida) and Austin Wilson (Stanford) each drove in a run.
The Mariners are now in the championship series for the first since time since they won it in 2008.
Falmouth takes game one
Even after its upset of Hyannis in the first round, I didn’t give Falmouth the edge in its series with Wareham. But the Commodores seem to really have something going right now.
Falmouth rallied from a ninth-inning deficit in last night’s game one, and then, with the game locked in a 1-1 tie in the 10th inning, the Commodores broke out for three runs and held on to beat Wareham 4-1 on the road for the 1-0 series lead.
The story for much of the game was the pitching. Falmouth starter Sean Hagan (St. John’s) went five shutout innings, while Wareham starter Jake Boyd (Stetson) allowed just four hits in eight shutout frames. Boyd would have been a storybook hero for the Gatemen — he’s a late addition to the team who was making just his second start of the summer. When Wareham scored a run in the sixth, it looked like Boyd might end up a winner.
Instead, Falmouth found a way. With two outs in the ninth and Wareham closer Konner Wade (Arizona) on the hill, Jared King (Kansas State) hit a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a base hit and Jeremy Baltz (St. John’s) raced home from second to tie the game.
Then in the 10th, a double by Spencer Kieboom (Clemson), a walk to Eric Garcia (Missouri) and a base hit by Billy Ferriter (UConn) set the stage for a three-run rally. The first two runs came home on an error, while Ferriter scored on a sac fly by Jake Rodriguez (Oregon State).
Wareham was looking for a rally of its own in the bottom half, but Falmouth closer John Simms (Rice) didn’t let them get anything going. He struck out the first two batters before getting a ground-out to end it. DeAndre Smelter (Georgia Tech) had pitched three shutout innings of relief before giving way to Simms.
Falmouth will try to clinch a spot in the championship when it hosts Wareham tonight at 7 p.m. The Commodores don’t have a probable starter listed. For Wareham, Luke Farrell (Northwestern) is scheduled to go. Farrell hasn’t pitched in the playoffs yet, but went four shutout innings in his final regular-season appearance.