The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox totaled 10 runs in their first three wins of the season.
For their fourth, they tallied 11 – and nine of them came in one inning.
Trailing 8-2 in the eighth inning of Wednesday night’s game against Chatham, the Red Sox sent 12 men to the plate, knocked seven hits, smacked two home runs and surged to an 11-8 win.
Chatham seemed primed to move to 5-2 on the year – which would have been the best record in the league. Instead, the Red Sox jumped into first place in the East thanks to the big inning comeback.
It started with singles by Kyle Isbel (UNLV) and Nicholas Quintana (Arizona). A wild pitch and a ball that got away on a dropped third strike allowed them to score. A Carter Pharis (UAB) RBI single kept the rally going before a two-run single by Alex McKenna (Cal Poly) made it an 8-7 game. Then came the big hits, as Nico Hoerner (Stanford) hit a three-run homer to give Y-D the lead and Isbel – in his second at-bat of the inning – went back-to-back with a solo shot.
Karl Kauffmann (Michigan) made sure there was no answer for Chatham with a scoreless top of the ninth.
Before Y-D’s explosion, Chatham’s league-best offense was on a roll again. Nick Patten (Delaware) had his fourth multi-hit game of the season and Cody Roberts (North Carolina) went 2-for-5 with a home run.
Wareham 10, Hyannis 2
Wareham didn’t have an inning like Y-D but poured on the offense in a win over Hyannis, smacking 13 hits, including three home runs. Luke Bonfield (Arkansas), who played for Y-D in 2015 and very briefly for Wareham last year, was 0-for-12 to start his third summer but went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Blake Sabol (USC) and Jake Anchia (Nova Southeastern) also homered for the Gatemen, while Willie MacIver (Washington) delivered his second straight three-hit game. Frankie Bartow (Miami) and Justin Montgomery (California Baptist) combined to hold Hyannis scoreless for the first seven innings.
Orleans 4, Bourne 0
After giving up two runs in four innings in his first start, MAC Pitcher of the Year Joey Murray (Kent State) tossed five scoreless frames for the Firebirds. Cody Deason (Arizona) and J.T. Hintzen (Florida Southern) went two innings each to finish off the shutout, with Deason striking out four for the second straight outing. Jimmy Herron (Duke) and Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) knocked in one run each, while Steve Passatempo (UMass-Lowell) drove in two.
Brewster 7, Falmouth 4
Chandler Taylor (Alabama) hit two home runs and drove in four as the Whitecaps improved to 3-2-1. Taylor – who hit 16 home runs for the Crimson Tide this spring – was 1-for-11 before the breakout night. Nick Dunn (Maryland) and Darius Hill (West Virginia) each added two hits and an RBI. Connor Higgins (Arizona State) – the Cape League’s first pitcher of the week honoree – allowed one earned run in five innings in his second start. Jonathan Stiever (Indiana) earned the win in relief.
Harwich 6, Cotuit 3
The Mariners handed Cotuit its second straight loss, riding three-run innings in the first and the seventh. Ryne Ogren (Elon) had three hits for the second straight night and moved into the league lead in batting average, while also driving in three runs. Jordan Verdon (San Diego State) homered and knocked in three, as well. Chris Gau (Jacksonville) allowed three runs in six innings for the win and Cole Aker (North Carolina) went three scoreless frames for the save. For Cotuit, Griffin Conine (Duke) went 2-for-4 for his sixth multi-hit game in seven tries.
What to Watch
Chatham visits Orleans in the first installment of their East Division rivalry. Graeme Stinson (Duke) makes his first start for the Firebirds against Taylor Luciani (Quinnipiac), who will make his second start.