It’s big news that Team USA’s Bobby Dalbec and Bryson Brigman have returned to Orleans, now that the national team’s summer is over. Dalbec was already at four home runs when he departed while Brigman was one of the league’s leading hitters. Their return gives the best team in the league that much more firepower.

But they return to a race that’s finally turning into a bit of a race.

Hyannis and Orleans have led their divisions almost since day one. While the Harbor Hawks pulled further away from Wareham with a win over the Gatemen last night, the Firebirds have seen their challengers make up some ground in recent days. Y-D shut-out the Firebirds 5-0 Friday and Chatham blew past Brewster 9-1. It’s now a three-game, six-point lead for Orleans over the second-place Anglers. That’s still a big lead, of course, but for a while there, it looked like nobody would ever get close.

Y-D set the stage last night when it three-hit the Firebirds and handed them their first shutout of the season. Brandon Bailey (Gonzaga) had a lot to do with it, striking out eight in 6.2 innings. Bailey came into the summer off a good spring but had been a little up-and-down. This was most definitely an up.

Cory Malcolm (Arkansas Little Rock) did the rest with 2.1 hitless frames.

The Y-D offense put up five runs against Corbin Burnes (Loyola Marymount), one of Orleans’ many aces, who had come in with a 2.82 ERA. Cole Billingsley (Fresno State) had two hits and two RBI to lead the way. Josh Vidales (Houston) also knocked in two.

Around the same time that the Red Sox were shutting down Orleans, Chatham was pulling away from Brewster in a 9-1 win. Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) went 4-for-5 with four RBI while Will Craig (Wake Forest) had two hits and two RBI. Jake Fraley (LSU) and Luke Persico (UCLA) each scored two runs.

Chatham is on a four-game winning streak and has scored 38 runs in those games. Friday was also their best pitching performance in the win streak, with A.J. Puckett (Pepperdine) and Daniel Castano (Baylor) tossing four strong innings each.

 

Hyannis 3, Wareham 1

The Harbor Hawks were out-hit 11-4 but Wareham stranded 10 runners on base and Hyannis made its hits count in a 3-1 win. David Martinelli (Dallas Baptist) homered and and J.J. Arrington (Baylor) and Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) each drove in a run. Mike King (Boston College) scattered eight hits and gave up one run in five innings of work. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) pitched in three scoreless innings of relief and Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) made his first relief appearance to get the save. Hyannis now has an eight-point lead on the Gatemen in the standings.
 

Cotuit 4, Bourne 3

The Kettleers scored four in the third and didn’t need any more in a 4-3 victory over the Braves. Brett Stephens (UCLA) and Branden Berry (Cal State Northridge) knocked in the runs after rally-starting hits by Cole Fabio (Bryant) and Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt), who was making his second start since arriving from Omaha. Jonathan King (Georgia Tech) gave up two runs in 4.2 innings, Jack Anderson (Penn State) got the win in relief and Justin Dunn (Boston College) picked up his third save.
 

Falmouth 3, Harwich 2

Falmouth got only three hits and struck out eight times against Harwich starter Cam Vieaux (Michigan State) but broke through against the Mariner bullpen with two in the eighth for a 3-2 win. Michael Tinsley (Kansas) hit a two-run home run to power the eighth inning, after a double by J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss). Wyatt Short (Ole Miss) then tossed a scoreless eighth inning before Stephen Villines (Kansas) pitched into then out of a jam for the save. Harwich scored one run off Villines, but with the tying run on third and the winning run on second, Villines got Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) to ground out.
 

What to Watch

Orleans will have ace Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), Right Field Fog’s Midseason Pitcher of the Year, on the hill as it visits Brewster. And there should be a very good pitching match-up in Chatham, where Zac Gallen and his 0.00 ERA go for the Anglers against Y-D’s Ricky Thomas, who’s 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA.
 

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