sunday wrap: week 3

The third week of the Cape League summer was marked by how even it was. With the late arrivals now in the fold, all the teams have most of the players they thought they’d have. The playing field is as level as it’s been. It’s not a stretch to think the third week was a reflection of that.

A lot of teams had good weeks and a few had bad weeks.

But there isn’t that much separating the two. Orleans, Hyannis and Bourne has the best weeks. They went 4-2. Cotuit had the worst week, going 2-5. Through it all, the teams have remained tightly-bunched. Even Cotuit, with that rough week, is still in a tie for first place.

Here’s a look at the week that was for each team. This is going to be the main part of the Sunday Wrap from now on. Teams are listed according to the standings.

EASTERN DIVISION

Brewster Whitecaps
Overall Record: 10-6-3
This Week: 3-2-1
The week started with a tie and two losses, but Brewster bounced back with three consecutive wins, including an impressive 12-3 victory over Cotuit. Slugging third baseman Connor Powers (Mississippi State) had the best offensive week, going 7-for-26 with a home run, and most impressively, 10 RBI. On the mound, Tim Clubb (Missouri State) improved to 4-0, while Caleb Cotham (Vanderbilt) turned in two impressive starts.

Harwich Mariners
Overall Record: 9-7
This Week: 3-2
The Mariners ended last week in second place and stayed there throughout most of this week. But the big news was the arrival of North Carolina star Dustin Ackley, who adds punch to an already dangerous lineup. Ackley went 5-for-13 in his first four games. Another late arrival, Oklahoma’s J.T. Wise, also had a great week, going 9-for-20. The Mariners did lose one major contributor as St. John’s outfielder Brian Kemp was dropped from the roster.

Orleans Cardinals
Overall Record: 9-8
This Week: 4-2
A week ago, the Cardinals were sitting in last place, mired in a terrible offensive slump. But the offense woke up a bit this week, and not surprisingly, that came with good results. In the week’s first game, Orleans got shutout, but over the next five, the Cardinals scored 24 runs, just one shy of the total number of runs they’d scored all season, before that stretch. Matt Bowman (Nevada) led the way, going 7-for-17 in the week. The Cardinals also benefited from the arrival of Georgia slugger Rich Poythress, who went 4-for-7 in his first two games. On the mound, Orleans got strong performances from Miami’s Eric Erickson and UCLA’s Rob Rasmussen.

Chatham A’s
Overall Record: 8-10
This Week: 2-3
At this point, I thought Chatham would be putting everything together. Instead, more things fell apart. Injuries sent three key contributors home, and it was learned that North Carolina pitcher Alex White, Chatham’s expected ace, won’t pitch at all this summer. So it’s still a work in progress for the A’s. The good news is that Grant Green and Cory Olson are still scorching. Olson’s average dropped but he still went 7-for-21 this week and is hitting .500. Green went 8-for-19 and is hitting .429. As for the pitching, Sammy Solis (San Diego) improved to 3-0 with his third strong start of the summer.

Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
Overall Record: 7-10-1
This Week: 2-4
The Red Sox continued to hit the ball well, but that didn’t matter much because they gave up 29 runs in six games this week. Considering that, it’s amazing they even won two. But they managed to outslug Bourne 10-6 and rode the one good pitching performance of the week — seven strong innings from Craig Fritsch — to beat Orleans. Offensively, the Red Sox took a hit with the loss of Greg Miclat and Jared Mitchell. But Boston College’s Tony Sanchez was a bright spot, going 7-for-15 with a pair of grand slams and 10 RBI.

WESTERN DIVISION

Hyannis Mets
Overall Record: 10-7
This Week: 4-2
Hyannis continued to play solid and steady baseball, getting solid pitching and just enough offense. Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) continued his bullpen dominance as he picked up saves in three of the Mets’ four wins. On the offensive side, Ben Paulsen (Clemson) had a home run and four RBI. Trent Ashcraft (East Carolina) went 11-for-25.

Cotuit Kettleers
Overall Record: 10-8
This Week: 2-5
Cotuit was riding high this time last week, but an offensive slump coincided with a rough week. The Kettleers lost five games, including the week’s finale when they nearly got no-hit by Wareham’s Brandon Workman. Across the board, the Kettleers struggled, with nearly everybody’s batting average taking a dip. They also lost standout infielder Robbie Shields (Florida Southern) for the summer due to an injury.

Bourne Braves
Overall Record: 9-9
This Week: 4-2
Much like Orleans, Bourne got hot this week and moved out of the basement. The stretch started with a dramatic 15-inning victory over Falmouth and continued with two straight wins. Jordan Henry (Ole Miss) was the star at the plate, going 13-for-29 on the week. As for the pitching, Bryce Stowell (UC Irvine) was a revelation. His first start came in the 15-inning game, when he tossed six no-hit innings. Then Saturday night, Stowell struck out 10 and allowed three his in eight shutout innings.

Falmouth Commodores
Overall Record: 7-9-1
This Week: 2-3
It was an up-and-down week for the Commodores, who still weren’t able to get over the hump. They were one game under .500 this time last week, and they’ve remained in the same range. Part of the problem has been the starting rotation, which continues to lack standout performers. There have been standouts at the plate, though. A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame) went 9-for-14 this week to take over the league lead in batting average.

Wareham Gatemen
Overall Record: 6-11-1
This Week: 2-3-1
Wareham’s tough start continued this week, but at least the week ended with a major bright spot. Texas pitcher Brandon Workman was two outs away from a no-hitter Saturday night. He ended up with a complete-game, two-hit shutout as Wareham won 4-0. It was the team’s second straight win. At the plate, LSU star Blake Dean finally arrived, while Baylor’s Raynor Campbell went 6-for-16.

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