Five innings. Nine strikeouts.
It’s becoming a trademark for Y-D’s Ian Seymour (Virginia Tech).
On Sunday, for the third time in his four starts this summer, Seymour fanned nine across five innings, this time five shutout innings as Y-D beat Orleans 5-2.
Seymour, who paced Virginia Tech with 81 Ks in the spring, now leads the league in strikeouts with 32 in 19.2 innings. The bulk of the Ks have come in his five-inning outings. He first did it on June 11, when he allowed two runs in a win over Orleans. His next start, he struck out five in 4.1 innings and took the loss. But on June 9, he was back at it, again striking out nine in five innings of three-run ball.
Sunday’s performance was Seymour’s best. He allowed only three hits, all singles, and worked out of the only big trouble spot he had, when Orleans loaded the bases in the fourth inning. Back out for the fifth inning, Seymour retired the side in order, striking out the last two batters he faced to get to his magic number.
Seymour did not factor in the decision as Orleans rallied to take a lead in the eighth. Y-D scored four in the bottom half to regain the lead and the game was called due to darkness. The win moved Y-D into a first-place tie with Chatham.
Falmouth 3, Harwich 2
Falmouth emerged victorious in a one-run game for the third time in its last four contests, walking off for the second time. Taylor Smith (Grayson County CC) was the hero with a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. It was his fourth home run of the summer. Zach DeLoach (Texas A&M) added two hits and now leads the league with a .377 average. Before the late drama, Falmouth starter Carmen Mlodzinski (South Carolina) struck out 10 in five innings. He has fanned at least seven in all three of his starts. Falmouth improved to 11-8-1 and is just two points out of first place.
Brewster 3, Chatham 0
Three pitchers combined on a shutout and two sluggers went deep again as Brewster beat Chatham. Chandler Jozwiak (Texas A&M) scattered six hits in five scoreless innings. William McKay (Central Florida) and Seth Lonsway (Ohio State) finished the shutout, with Lonsway going 2.1 hitless innings. The offense did all its damage via the long ball. Tyler Hardman (Oklahoma) hit a two-run shot for his fifth of the year, which ties him for the league lead. T.J. Collett (Kentucky) hit a solo homer, his fourth.
Cotuit 8, Bourne 6
A six-run fifth inning and crucial insurance runs in the eighth and ninth helped Cotuit outlast Bourne. Parker Chavers (Coastal Carolina) had three RBI, while Allbry Major (Xavier) and Nick Gonzales (New Mexico State) picked up two each. Two-way player Matthew Mervis (Duke), who two days prior, had six RBI, pitched 1.2 innings of relief to earn the win. Bourne scored three unearned runs in the ninth but Casey Schmitt (San Diego State) ended the game with a strikeout.
Wareham 12, Hyannis 10
The Gatemen outslugged Hyannis and held on to first place in the West. Benjamin Sems (Kansas) hit his first home run, Jacob Teter (Florida Southern) had three hits and three RBI, Dallas Beaver (Central Florida) drove in two runs, and Darren Baker (Cal) and Toranosuke Otsuka (San Diego) had three hits each to power the Gatemen. Tanner Bibee (Cal State Fullerton) was credited with the win in relief after he struck out five in 3.1 innings. For Hyannis, Jordan Westburg (Mississippi State) finally went a day without a home run but still went 3-for-6. Hunter Goodman (Memphis) went 4-for-5 with four RBI and now leads the league with 22 RBI.
What to Watch
After a wild Fourth of July series, Chatham and Orleans get together again at Eldredge Park.