Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State) was one of the best sophomore hitters in the country this spring. He blasted 23 home runs – good for fifth in the nation – and earned third-team All-America honors from Baseball America. It was a continuation of the progress that made him a freshman All-American the year before.
But in between was a tough summer. Eierman hit .192 in 35 games for the Bourne Braves last year. He didn’t hit a home run until the playoffs.
After a stint with Team USA this summer, Eierman is back with the Braves and made his debut Wednesday. He grounded into a double play in his first at-bat and struck out in his second. But in his third trip, he cranked a solo home run.
It was officially a new summer.
Eierman played shortstop Wednesday and slotted into the third spot in the batting order. His presence should provide a boost for the Braves, who rank ninth in the league in slugging.
His homer Wednesday brought the Braves within a run and they took the lead in the eighth on a Tyler Fiztgerald (Louisville) home run. Fitzgerald finished with three RBI and Richard Palacios (Towson) had three hits. Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief and Ryan Feltner (Ohio State) picked up his seventh save.
Bourne is 16-15, one point back of first-place Cotuit.
Y-D 11, Orleans 2
Previous battles between the top two teams in the league were all decided by two runs or less, but Y-D turned the fifth meeting into a blowout, matching the highest run total allowed by Orleans this summer. Y-D now owns a 4-1 lead in the series and is three points behind Orleans for second place. The Red Sox did a lot of their damage against starter Joey Murray (Kent State), who had given up just one run combined in his last four starts. Y-D scored five in the first – highlighted by a Drew Mendoza (Florida State) grand slam – and three in the third. Mendoza finished with five RBI, a breakout game for the freshman slugger, who hadn’t hit a home run yet. Carlos Cortes (South Carolina) was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Christian Koss (UC Irvine) had two hits and scored two runs. While Murray struggled, Y-D starter Josh McMinn (Oral Roberts) – who came in with a 5.18 ERA – tossed five scoreless innings. Y-D has won five in a row. Orleans’ five-game win streak was halted.
Wareham 10, Brewster 3
Wareham has delivered more than its share of blowout wins this year, as evidenced by a plus-34 run differential – the second-best mark in the league despite a 15-15-1 record. The Gatemen are making it a regular thing now, blowing past Brewster for their fourth straight win. They’ve out-scored opponents 20-4 in the last two games. Tanner Dodson (California) went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI, regaining the league lead in batting at .380. Tristan Pompey (Kentucky), who was quiet in the three weeks after his two-homer debut, continued a recent hot streak with a 2-for-5, two RBI night. He’s on a five-game hitting streak. Blake Sabol (USC) added two RBI for the Gatemen and Jarren Duran (Long Beach State) had two hits. Mason Feole (UConn) – the AAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year – delivered his best showing of the summer with five innings of one-hit baseball. He struck out six. In advance of all-star appearances, Justin Montgomery (California Baptist) and Griffin Roberts (Wake Forest) both worked out of the bullpen and helped finish off the win.
Cotuit 11, Hyannis 4
Cotuit clinched the season series over rival Hyannis with a blowout win and maintained a one-point edge on Bourne in the West. Michael Toglia (UCLA) went 3-for-4 with his second home run of the summer and three RBI. Terrin Vavra (Minnesota) had two hits and two RBI. Thomas Dillard (Ole Miss) and Chandler Avant (Alabama) also had two RBI each. Seth Shuman (Georgia Southern) earned the win in relief.
Falmouth 7, Chatham 6
Joshua Breaux (McLennan CC) went 2-for-4 with six RBI and hit his fifth home run in the last 11 games to lead the Commdores past Chatham. George Janca (Texas A&M) added two hits and two runs scored. Chatham made a push after falling behind early, but Falmouth’s last two relievers closed the door. Ryan Zeferjahn (Kansas) pitched a scoreless eighth and Durbin Feltman (TCU) struck out two in a perfect ninth. With Bourne, Cotuit and Wareham also winning, the race for the West remained extremely tight. Falmouth is tied for third with Wareham and they are both one game back of Bourne and two behind Cotuit.
What to Watch
A battle for first place in the West should also be a good pitching matchup as Cotuit visits Bourne. Justin Hooper (UCLA), who has allowed one earned run in his last three starts, goes for the Kettleers against LSU standout Zack Hess, who will make his second start since arriving from Omaha.