For the first time in a while, there’s a tie atop the Cape League’s West Division.
Wareham forced the deadlock with a win over Falmouth, after Hyannis had played to a 4-4 tie with Brewster earlier in the day. Both teams now have 45 points.
The Gatemen are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are not the force they were early in the season with Andrew Vaughn and Bryant Packard in the lineup and Joey Matulovich leading the rotation. But a strong core remains, and Wareham is making it work.
Friday’s win came against one of the top pitching prospects on the Cape and an offense that features some of the top hitters. Wareham touched up Matt Canterino (Rice) for five runs and limited the Commodore offense to just two hits.
Isaac Collins (Creighton) went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Jeremy Ydens (UCLA) and Drew Millas (Missouri State) also drove in runs. Canterino struck out nine but walked three and gave up four hits.
On the mound, Derek West (Pittsburgh) allowed one run on one hit in 5.1 innings for the win. West has been a savior for the Gatemen pitching staff since making his debut July 14. He holds a 1.17 ERA in four appearances.
MacGregor Hines (Dallas Baptist) and Joseph Baran (Lackawanna) had scoreless outings to finish off the win.
Hyannis 4, Brewster 4
The aforementioned tie for Hyannis also had implications in the standings for Brewster, which is now just one point behind Orleans for the final playoff spot in the East. Ike Freeman (North Carolina) hit his third home run in the last two games to lead the Whitecaps. Jesse Franklin (Michigan) added two hits and two RBI. Tommmy Jew (UC Santa Barbara) homered for Hyannis, while Matthew Barefoot (Campbell) and Braden Comeaux (Rice) chipped in two hits apiece. Zach Linginfelter (Tennessee) had another strong start for Brewster, allowing one run in five innings, his third straight outing of five innings with one run or fewer allowed.
Y-D 4, Chatham
Y-D scored four runs in the seventh inning as the match-up between the top two teams in the East ended in a draw. The Red Sox hadn’t gotten anything going against Chatham starter Austin Bergner (North Carolina), who went six shutout innings with five strikeouts in his best performance of the summer. But Nicholas Quintana (Arizona) sparked the seventh-inning rally with a home run off the Chatham bullpen. A two-run double by Andrew Daschbach (Stanford) eventually tied the game. Chatham built its lead on home runs by Michael Busch (North Carolina) – his fifth – and Drew Mendoza (Florida State).
Cotuit 6, Orleans 5
A day after its win streak was snapped, Cotuit got back in the win column and moved into a tie with Falmouth for third place in the West. The Kettleers scored four runs in the fifth inning and two in the sixth to grab a 6-1 lead. Orleans scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth and had runners on second and third, but a groundout and a rundown led to a bizarre game-ending double play. Brady Smith (Florida) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Kettleers. Michael Toglia (UCLA), Peyton Burdick (Wright State) and Zachary Biermann (Coastal Carolina) each had two hits and one RBI. Bryce Jarvis (Duke) allowed one run in five innings for the win. Orleans got a home run from J.J. Bleday (Vanderbilt).
Harwich 8, Bourne 5
Shut-out for the first five innings, Harwich exploded for eight runs over the next four and topped Bourne 8-5. Ben Norman (Iowa) had two hits and three RBI, while Andre Lipcius (Tennessee) and Logan Driscoll (George Mason) both drove in two runs. Andrew Misiaszek (Northeastern) struck out four over two scoreless innings to make the rally count and keep Bourne off the board.
What to Watch
Wareham goes up against another of the top arms in the league as Mitchell Senger (Stetson) draws the start against the Gatemen for Orleans.