Chatham clinched a playoff spot a few innings into Wednesday’s game, when Brewster’s matchup with Cotuit went final. A loss by the Whitecaps secured the berth for the Anglers.
Then they celebrated with a win.
Colin Simpson (Oklahoma State) and John McMillon (Texas Tech) homered to spark a five-run sixth inning as the Anglers rallied for a 6-3 victory over Harwich.
Two of the four playoff spots in the East have now been locked up, with Y-D and Chatham in. Harwich should be next. Orleans and Brewster will fight it out for the final spot, with the Whitecaps currently just a game behind the Firebirds.
Chatham had lost two in a row heading into Wednesday’s game, by a total of 18 runs. Solid pitching kept them in the game this time, with Jeff Belge (St. John’s) allowing two unearned runs in 4.2 innings and Greg Veliz (Miami) giving up one run over the final 4.1 innings. Belge struck out seven and Veliz fanned five.
Trailing 2-1, the Anglers tied the game on Simpson’s third homer of the summer. McMillon, a late arrival after Texas Tech’s run in Omaha who has been used more as a pitcher than a hitter, gave Chatham the lead with his solo home run, just his second hit of the season.
John Rave (Illinois State) added an RBI for the Anglers, while Greg Jones (UNC Wilmington) scored twice.
Cotuit 8, Brewster 6
The Kettleers are the hottest team in the league as they topped Brewster for their fourth straight win. Four different players homered to lead a big day at the plate. Michael Toglia (UCLA) went deep for the third straight game, giving him six on the year. Zach Humphreys (TCU) hit his third, Michael Salvatore (Florida State) hit his second, and Peyton Burdick (Wright State) went yard for the first time since his three-home run night on opening day. Luke Chevalier (Northern State) allowed four runs in 5.2 innings for the win and Ryan Lefner (St. Louis) logged a two-inning save. Brewster lost despite its own home run party as the Whitecaps blasted five. Ike Freeman (North Carolina) hit two, while Conor Grammes (Xavier), Hunter Bishop (Arizona State) and Gage Workman had one each.
Bourne 2, Hyannis 1
Bourne walked off in the 11th for a win over first-place Hyannis. Playing in just his fourth game as a late-season reinforcement, Jake Garella (St. Louis) was the hero, his single scoring Spencer Brickhouse (East Carolina) with the winning run. Garella finished 2-for-4 with both RBI for the Braves. His RBI double tied the game in the seventh. Mike Ruff (Florida Atlantic) earned the win as the fourth Bourne reliever to deliver a scoreless stint. Matthew Barefoot (Campbell) had an RBI for Hyannis.
Wareham 3, Falmouth 1
With Hyannis losing, Wareham gained ground thanks to a victory over Falmouth and now sits one point back of the Harbor Hawks for first place. The Gatemen broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Skyler Hunter (Purdue) and added insurance in the eighth on a Gian Martellini (Boston College) RBI double. The push made a winner out of Ryan Garcia (UCLA), who allowed just an unearned run in six innings. Easton Lucas (Pepperdine) struck out four in three scoreless innings of relief. T.J. Sikkema (Missouri) was the hard-luck loser for Falmouth after allowing two runs in 6.2 innings.
Y-D 8, Orleans 4,
Y-D rode a six-run fourth inning to its third consecutive win. Zach Zubia (Texas) homered and drove in two runs, while Quin Cotton (Grand Canyon) and Noah Campbell (South Carolina) each had two RBI. Mitchell Tyranski (Michigan State) earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. For Orleans, J.J. Bleday (Vanderbilt) and Kenyon Yovan (Oregon) both homered.
What to Watch
There will be some movement in the West standings tonight. Cotuit faces Bourne and Wareham takes on Falmouth in all-West matchups. Hyannis is also in action against Orleans.