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Video Game Numbers

Dylan Davis drove in eight runs in Falmouth's 18-3 victory.

 
Bourne came into Friday’s game against Falmouth with the best ERA in the league.

The Braves didn’t leave it that way.

A 3-2 Bourne lead turned into a 4-3 deficit in the fifth. And then it turned into a video game.

The Commodores’ explosive offense delivered its most explosive performance yet, scoring 16 runs in four innings as Falmouth rolled to an 18-3 victory. It’s the fifth straight win for the Commodores, who remain tied with Hyannis for first place in the West.

Some of the stat lines that the late-innings burst created are downright ridiculous. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) went 3-for-4 with a home run and eight RBI. Most of the time, he was driving in Kevin Newman (Arizona), who went 6-for-6 with five runs scored.

Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had three hits, including a home run and a double. He’s seven for his last 10 with two homers. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had four hits and an RBI. Cameron O’Brien (Northeast Texas CC) homered.

Falmouth has now scored 48 runs in its five-game winning streak, and Cape League offensive leaderboards are being taken over by Commodores. Newman leads the league in batting average, Gillaspie leads in home runs and Hoskins leads in RBI. Falmouth has three of the top six in hitting, three of the top four in home runs and the top three, plus four of the top five, in RBI. They also have the top four in hits.

It all adds up to the league’s best offensive team. Of course, there have been plenty of bad nights, too, and Falmouth may not even win the division. After all their fireworks last night, Cotuit and Hyannis won, too, keeping the division race as tight as could be.

But as long as this lineup stays together, there’s going to be the potential for something like this.

 

Hyannis 6, Wareham 4

The Harbor Hawks remained in a first-place tie thanks to a solid all-around performance against wareham. Peter Fairbanks (Missouri), another pitching reinforcement, gave up three runs in 6.2 solid innings. Bryant Holtmann (Florida State) went .2 innings before giving way to Eric Eck (Wofford), who went the final 1.2 for his 10th save. The offense pounded out 13 hits, with Brian Anderson (Arkansas) getting three, including a home run. Steve Wilkerson (Clemson) also had three hits, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) had two each. For Wareham, Fred Shepard (Amherst) struck out four while giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.

 

Cotuit 5, Chatham 1

The Kettleers remained a point back of Falmouth and Hyannis with a win over East champ Chatham. Newcomer Tommy Kister (The Masters College) delivered a terrific performance, striking out eight and allowing just a run on three hits in his debut. The bullpen pitched a shutout the rest of the way. At the plate, Jake Fincher (NC State) drove in two runs, while Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) knocked in one each. Another newcomer, Caleb Bryson (Samford), homered in his first Cape League at-bat. Chatham has lost three in a row since clinching the division title.

 

Orleans 3, Harwich 2; Orleans 2, Harwich 2

Orleans picked up three points in a doubleheader with Harwich to take over second place in the East by a point. In the first game, they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Ross Kivett (Kansas State) had two hits. The bullpen set the stage for the comeback and then finished off the win, with Luis Paula (North Carolina) going three scoreless innings and Matt Troupe (Arizona) striking out one in a perfect frame for the save. In game two, the scheduled seven-inning tilt went the maximum nine before ending in a tie. Again, Harwich led 2-0, but Orleans tied it in the sixth and it stayed that way until the end. Geoff DeGroot (UMass-Lowell) had a pinch-hit two-run double to tie it. In the ninth, Orleans reliever Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) worked into and then out of a bases-loaded jam to salvage the tie.

 

Y-D 8, Brewster 1

The Red Sox won their second straight, cruising past Brewster. Kevin McAvoy (Bryant) struck out seven and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of work. Two usual position players, Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) and Taylor White (UNLV), followed him to the mound and pitched a scoreless inning each. Trevino led the offense with a homer and Wayne Taylor (Stanford) also homered. Alex Blandino (Stanford) added two hits and two RBI.

 

What to Watch

Falmouth and Cotuit will play each other in the season’s final two games, starting with a 6:30 p.m. tilt in Falmouth tonight.
 

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Fired Up

Will Fulmer and his mates at the top of the Orleans lineup have helped power a six-game winning streak.

 
Chatham has run away with the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Eastern Division, but outside of the Anglers, it’s been a wide open race.

There’s a new leader.

Orleans beat Wareham 5-2 last night for its sixth consecutive win. Coupled with a Harwich loss, the Firebirds – the same Firebirds who almost fell into the basement a few weeks ago – are now in second place behind Chatham with 38 points. It’s still a tight race, with Harwich a point out of second and Y-D two points back, but for the moment, the Firebirds are at the top of the non-Chatham heap.

The Orleans streak began with a much-needed victory over Brewster on July 20. At the time, it looked like a key win in the battle for fourth place. Since then, though, the Firebirds have left the Whitecaps – and everybody else – behind.

Last night, the streak continued with a comeback victory over a Wareham team that has been playing better of late. The Firebirds trailed 2-0 but tied the game in the sixth and scored three runs in the eighth to take the lead. Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) got the win and Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) picked up the save with two strikeouts in the ninth once his team got the lead.

Two of the biggest reasons for Orleans’ success were on full display in the victory – bullpen work and the ability of the top of the order to set the table.

The bullpen has pitched 21.2 innings in the six-game winning streak and has allowed just four earned runs. That means leads have been consistently maintained and deficits have been held in check, setting the stage for comebacks like the one Orleans delivered last night.

Offensively, the top third of the Orleans order is really getting it done, led by Ross Kivett (Kansas State). A 10th-round pick this June who opted not to sign, Kivett took over the leadoff spot after Greg Allen left the team due to an injury and has been terrific. After starting the year 0-for-15, he has reached base in 25 straight games, with hits in 22 of those games. He’s the league leader in hitting among active players with a .358 average, and he’s batting .444 in the six-game winning streak.

Will Fulmer, who hails from Division II Montevallo, has been a consistent performer for the Firebirds all summer and he too has heated up during the recent surge. Fulmer is batting .400 with six runs scored in the winning streak. The typical third batter, Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) had his best hot streak just before the Firebirds took off, but he’s been steady during the streak too, batting .318 with six runs scored.

Together, the top three have scored 21 of Orleans’ 39 runs in the win streak.

That’s an impressive number – and it has helped fuel an impressive run.

 

Chatham 8, Falmouth 0

Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro) dominated Falmouth again as the Anglers cruised to their 25th win of the season. Schiraldi had pitched six shutout innings against Falmouth in his last start. Matched up with the Commodores again, he did the exact same thing, striking out three and allowing just three hits in six scoreless innings. Schiraldi has allowed one earned run in his last four starts – all wins – and has lowered his ERA to 1.19. Beyond Schiraldi, the bullpen also shined, with three relievers combining for six strikeouts in three hitless innings. The offense gave the pitchers all the support they needed in the early going, scoring six runs in the first inning. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) led the Anglers with a home run, a double and four RBI in the game.

 

Cotuit 4, Hyannis 1

In the final regular season match-up of the longtime rivals, Cotuit put together a four-run sixth inning and held on to clinch the Barnstable Patriot Cup. Cotuit finished with a 4-2 record against the Harbor Hawks. Hyannis starter Kyle Freeland (Evansville), the Cape League’s strikeout leader, was dominant for the first five innings but Cotuit got to him in the sixth. A Logan Ratledge (NC State) two-run double gave Cotuit the lead. After Freeland departed, Hunter Cole (Georgia) hit an RBI single and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) smacked an RBI triple. That was enough for the one-man relief effort of Eric Karch (Pepperdine). After starter Jared Walsh (Georgia) went four innings, Karch went the final five and dominated. He allowed just one hit and struck out five. The win moved Cotuit to within one point of Hyannis for first place in the West.

 

Y-D 7, Harwich 4

Y-D further tightened the East race with a victory over Harwich. The teams are now just one point apart in the standings. The Red Sox took a 7-1 thanks to home runs by Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) and Brandon Downes (Virginia), plus an RBI from D.J. Stewart (Florida State). Harwich scored three runs in the ninth but couldn’t get closer as Y-D closer Darrell Hunter (Oregon) came on to slam the door. Sam Lindquist (Stanford) got the win with five solid innings.

 

Bourne 8, Brewster 7

The Braves held off a late charge in dramatic fashion to top Brewster. With the Whitecaps trailing by two in the ninth and two men in scoring position, Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) lined a base hit into left. One run scored but left-fielder Jeff Gardner (Louisville) threw out Nick Lynch (UC Davis) at the plate to end the game. The defensive heroics made a winner out of reliever Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast). Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) turned in a solid start for the Braves, allowing two runs in five innings. Trent Gilbert (Arizona) and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) led the offense with four hits apiece. Gilbert had two RBI, as did Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) and Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech). Lynch had four RBI for Brewster.

 

What to Watch

Orleans will try to stay hot against a Cotuit team that has won four of five. Cotuit’s only loss in that stretch came to Orleans. Evan Beal (South Carolina), who went seven scoreless in his last start, gets the ball for the Kettleers. Orleans sends Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) and his 1.98 ERA to the hill.
 

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Playoffs?

Jay Baum and Hyannis have already secured a playoff spot.

 
It’s a little early to talk playoffs, but in the top-heavy Western Division, it’s already a conversation.

Because Wareham has struggled – and because the rest of the division features three of the league’s best teams – Hyannis and Cotuit clinched two of the four playoff spots last night. With 12 games left, the best Wareham could do is 36 points. Hyannis now has 39 and Cotuit has 37. Falmouth is one win from clinching with 36 points.

Hyannis, who has won two straight after a lopsided loss to Falmouth, got it done last night with an 8-3 victory over Wareham. Jeff Schalk (UAB) went 3-for-5 with three RBI and his fourth home run to lead the Harbor Hawks charge. Skyler Ewing (Rice) delivered his third multi-hit game in the last seven, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Rocky McCord (Auburn) started and gave up three runs in 4.2 innings. Three relievers pitched shutout baseball the rest of the way, with Jay Shaw (Alabama) getting credited with the victory.

Meanwhile, Cotuit clinched without picking up a win. The Kettleers and Harwich played to a 3-3 tie in 10 innings before darkness called the game. Cotuit trailed 3-1 into the ninth before tying the game on a Hunter Cole (Georgia) home run.

Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) also homered for the Kettleers. Patrick Corbett (Coastal Carolina) pitched four strong innings.

For Harwich, Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston) had three hits and two RBI. Brendon Hayden (Virginia Tech) drove in the other run. On the mound, A.J. Reed (Kentucky) went five scoreless innings.

Hyannis now has a two-point lead on Cotuit for first place in the West.

 

Chatham 10, Falmouth 4

The Anglers won their third straight game, clinching a winning record with an easy victory over the powerful Commodores. Falmouth scored eight runs in the first two innings and never looked back. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) followed up teammate Connor Joe’s big night with one of his own, going 5-for-5 with two RBI. Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) had three hits and three RBI, while Dante Flores (USC) added three hits and two RBI. Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro) won for the third straight time with his best start of the summer, going six shutout innings with four strikeouts. He gave up just four hits. For Falmouth, Cameron O’Brien (Northeast Texas CC) hit a home run.

 

Orleans 6, Brewster 1

The Whitecaps have been charging hard at Orleans and the fourth spot in the East standings, but the Firebirds scored a crucial win in that race last night. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) stretched his hitting streak to eight with a 2-for-4, four RBI night. He also homered, his third of the season. Will Fulmer (Vanderbilt) also homered for the Firebirds, while Ross Kivett (Kansas State) had two hits. Shawn O’Neill (La Salle) allowed a run in 6.1 innings before Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) slammed the door with a dominant relief performance. Kelley struck out six of the 10 batters he faced in 2.2 innings.

 

Bourne 8, Y-D 1

The Braves got five strong innings from Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) and a 15-hit night en route to an easy win over the Red Sox. Kellogg struck out three and allowed one run in five innings. Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) went three scoreless innings and Justin McCalvin (Kennesaw State) finished it off. Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) had three hits and two RBI and Eric Fisher (Arkansas) also drove in two. The Braves are now 15-15-1.

 

What to Watch

East Divisoin all-star starter Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) will be looking for his fifth win when Harwich hosts Bourne. Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic), who’s been up and down this summer after a great spring, starts for Bourne.
 

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Ford Tough

Mike Ford went 4-for-4 with two home runs and is now hitting .420 on the summer.

 
In a Cape Cod TimesQ&A this week, Cotuit’s Mike Ford (Princeton) said his goals for this summer were two-fold. He wants to make the Cape League All-Star team and he’d like to hook on as a free agent with a Major League club.

Both are looking well within reach, especially after last night.

Ford was already in the midst of an MVP-type campaign, and even if he had turned in a solid but unspectacular second half, he would have been one of the better performers in the league. Last night, he went the spectacular route. Ford went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI in leading Cotuit past Hyannis 5-0.

Ford is steadily turning into one of the best stories on the Cape. He held his own last summer, then returned to school at Princeton and turned in one of the best baseball seasons the Ivy League’s ever seen when he earned league Pitcher and Player of the Year honors.

And then he didn’t get drafted. Major League teams have their reasons – Ford isn’t big and doesn’t have a clear position destination – but, after this summer, you would think someone would take a chance on the bat.

Ford is now hitting .420, best in the league, and his five home runs are tied for the league lead. His 18 RBI rank third. He also leads the league with a .510 OBP, and his triple-slash line is .420/.510/.691.

He knocked in all five of Cotuit’s runs last night, while Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Nolan Clark (Concordia) added two hits. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) turned in five shutout innings, reliever Joel Seddon (South Carolina) worked two scoreless to keep his ERA at 0.00, and Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) finished out the game with two quick frames.

Cotuit now owns a 3-1 record against rival Hyannis, and Saturday’s win gives them the most points in the West Division.

The Kettleers have had a lot of roster turnover and a lot of different players than they expected to have. But with Mike Ford in the mix, they may just keep finding a way to win.

 

Falmouth 5, Y-D 0

The Commodores have had some rough pitching performances in July, but last night’s wasn’t one of them. Brandon Magallones (Northwestern) turned in seven innings of one-hit shutout baseball as Falmouth (15-9) blanked Y-D. Magallones had given up three runs on seven hits in his last start but was untouchable this time, taking a no-hitter into the fifth. Donny Murray (Holy Cross) and Zech Lemond (Rice) finished off the shutout inning with an inning each. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) homered to lead the offense, while Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State), Dylan Davis (Oregon State) and Leon Byrd, Jr. (Rice) had two hits each.

 

Brewster 3, Harwich 0

Rain wreaked havoc on the other three games, with Bourne-Wareham getting postponed and two other games getting shortened. Brewster beat Harwich in six innings, as Dylan Toscano (Stony Brook) tossed a shutout with two strikeouts, and that goes into the book as the league’s first one-pitcher shutout of the summer. The Whitecaps got all the offense they needed from a first-inning, three-run double by David Armendariz (Cal Poly). Harwich starter A.J. Reed (Kentucky) pitched shutout ball the rest of the way, but his team didn’t get a shot at a late-innings comeback.

 

Chatham 2, Orleans 1

The Anglers scored two in the top of the seventh, Orleans couldn’t answer in the bottom half and the game was called after that, giving the Anglers their league-leading 17th victory. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) hit a solo home run to tie the game in the seventh before Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion) singled and eventually came around with the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Chad Sobotka (SC Upstate) then pitched a scoreless frame before the rain had its say. Matt Gage (Siena) got the win for Chatham with six strong innings. He struck out seven. Bobby Poyner (Florida) was the hard-luck loser for Orleans.

 

What to Watch

A pair of Pepperdine Waves will square off against each other in Brewster at 5 p.m. Corey Miller, a 16th-round pick who just announced he’ll be returning to school, will go for the Firebirds. Aaron Brown, who was drafted in the 30th round as a draft-eligible sophomore, will start for Brewster.

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Power Surge

Dylan Davis and his Falmouth teammates have hit 13 home runs in the last six games.

 
In 2012, the year of the home run in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the Falmouth Commodores were a middle-of-the-road power-hitting team, well off the pace of the Harwich’s and Wareham’s of the world.

Apparently, the power was just going to be a year late.

The Commodores have flashed power potential throughout the 2013 season, and in the last week, they’ve exploded. They hit three home runs last night in a 9-1 thrashing of Brewster that ran their record to 13-8.

Nearly all of the power has been provided by the team’s big four – Rhys Hoskins, Casey Gillaspie, Kevin Cron and recent arrival Dylan Davis. They are the league’s top four home run hitters. Davis has five, while the other three each have four homers.

And get this – the 17 home runs totaled by those four alone are more than the home run totals of any team in the league.

It’s been quite a surge. Thirteen of the 17 have come in the last six games. Hoskins (Sacramento State), who’s been among the league leaders for most of the year, has hit one in that stretch. Gillaspie (Wichita State) has started heating up and has hit two. Cron (TCU), a former third-round pick out of high school who had a rough spring, has caught fire and hit four in the last five games.

And then there’s Davis. The rising junior at Oregon State played briefly with Brewster last summer but has been a huge pick-up for Falmouth, easily the best late arrival of the summer. Davis hit two home runs in his second game of the summer, one the next day and one more the day after that. He took a break for one game, then hit his fifth home run in the win over Brewster last night.

Five home runs in six games is a rare Cape League feat, even with the year of the home run taken into account. Home run king Tyler Horan had six in six games at one point last year, but no one else did that – or did what Davis has done. Even Cape League MVP Phil Ervin didn’t have a stretch like that.

Obviously, all the power has been a great thing for the Commodores, who have won four of five after a pretty good hot streak before that. In addition to the homers against Brewster, they had hits from nearly every spot in the lineup. On the mound, Kevin McKanna (Rice) made his first start and gave up just a run in five innings for the win. Kevin Mooney (Maryland) and Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) sealed the deal.

If the Commodores keep getting solid pitching and keep getting guys on base for their big hitters, look out.

Because the power surge may not be over.

 

Wareham 12, Hyannis 7

The Gatemen didn’t show quite as much pop as Falmouth, but theirs was more welcomed. Mired in a season of offensive struggles, Wareham delivered its best game of the season in a matinee at McKeon Park, winning the slugfest to improve to 5-17. Hyannis dropped to 13-7. Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville) went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Will Schwanke (Arkansas) had two hits and three RBI to lead the way. Brett Pirtle (Mississippi State) and Ethan Gross (Memphis) added three hits apiece. Tino Lipson (UC Davis), who had missed about two weeks of action, went 2-for-5 in his second game back. Wareham did a lot of the damage against Hyannis starter Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara), who had been lights out in previous outings. On the mound for the Gatemen, Ryan Riga (Ohio State) got the win in relief.

 

Chatham 3, Y-D 2

Chatham is consistently finding ways to win – and win a lot. The Anglers stretched their win streak to five and ran their league-best record to 15-6-1 with their second straight walk-off victory. After falling behind 2-0 in the sixth, they immediately tied it. Then in the ninth, Dante Flores (USC) doubled home Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) with the winning run. The late heroics were part of a 3-for-5 night for Flores, who took over the league lead in hitting at .386. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) added two hits while Michael Russell (North Carolina) drove in both of the sixth-inning runs. Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) picked up the win. James Kaprielian (UCLA) made his first start for Y-D and was impressive, striking out seven in five shutout innings, but the Anglers got to the Y-D bullpen.

 

Cotuit 6, Harwich 2

The Kettleers (13-9) kept pace with Falmouth thanks to a victory over Harwich (12-10). The Coastal Carolina tag team of Ben Smith and Patrick Corbett was at it again, with each of them going four innings and striking out four. Corbett got the win. Mike Ford (Princeton) hit his third home run of the summer, while Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Drew Jackson (Stanford) each hit their first. Yale Rosen (Washington State) and Nolan Clark (Concordia) had two hits each. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) went 3-for-4 to lead Harwich.

 

Orleans 7, Bourne 1

The Firebirds (10-11) roughed up Bourne standout Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) for seven runs in three innings and handed the Braves (9-12) their third straight loss. Corey Miller (Pepperdine) went five scoreless innings for Orleans. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) hit a grand slam in the second inning to power the offense, while Riley Moore (Arizona) had three hits and two RBI. For Bourne, Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) was a big bright spot, going 5-for-5 at the plate. Two relievers – Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State) and Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) – also pitched well, with Lindgren striking out four in two innings in his first appearance and English striking out five in just two innings.

 

What to Watch

East leading Chatham will host West tri-leader Hyannis at 7 p.m. at Veterans Field. Aaron Garza (Houston), who’s been solid all summer, goes for Chatham against Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist).

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A New Streak

Jaron Long, pictured last year, tossed five strong innings as the Braves knocked off Chatham on Wednesday.

 
On Sunday, the Bourne Braves were 0-4.

On Wednesday, they improved to 3-4 and celebrated an impressive victory. The Braves knocked off Chatham 1-0, ending the Anglers’ run of six straight wins to open the season.

Four pitchers combined to shut-out the Anglers, who lead the league in hitting and hadn’t scored fewer than four runs in any game this year. Jaron Long (Ohio State), who had a 3.46 ERA for the Braves last year, made his return and tossed five shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out seven. Ryan Harris (Florida) allowed one hit in two innings, before Nigel Nootbaar (USC) and Trace Dempsey (Ohio State) finished it off with a hitless inning each.

Aaron Garza (Houston) pitched well for Chatham, allowing one run in five innings, but that one run was the difference. The Braves scored it in the third, when Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) – who finished 3-for-3 – singled, stole second and raced home on a two-out RBI single by Mason Robbins (Southern Miss). Pentecost is now hitting .389.

Just like that, the Cape League has no more undefeated teams. I’m sure Chatham will be fine – no shame in ending a six-game winning streak with a 1-0 loss.

The real takeaway is that Bourne is in a surge of its own – and could be primed for more. In their three straight wins, the Braves have pounded 39 hits. Their pitching staff, which already ranks second in ERA, is about to get better, with Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) and Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) scheduled to make their first starts in the next two games. Gomber went 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA and 103 strikeouts for Florida Atlantic this spring. Kellogg, a freshman, was 11-1 with a 3.15 ERA for the Sun Devils.

Look out for the Braves.

 

Cotuit 6, Orleans 3

While Chatham saw its streak end, Cotuit kept winning. The Kettleers have won five in a row and now own the same 6-1 record as the Anglers. Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina) went five strong innings for the win and Brian Miller, the Vanderbilt closer this spring, picked up his first save of the summer. At the plate, Mike Ford (Princeton) continued his tremendous start with a 3-for-5 day. He’s now hitting .412. Elliott Caldwell (Spartanburg Methodist), who’s headed to South Carolina next year, made his second start of the year and blasted a home run. Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) each had two hits. Cole has four multi-hit games this summer, most in the league. In a losing effort, Orleans (3-3) actually hit three home runs, the first time this summer that a team has hit more than one homer in a game. Will Fulmer (Montevallo), Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) and Jordan Betts (Duke) hit the homers.

 

Brewster 7, Hyannis 0

The Whitecaps (1-5) broke into the win column with a shutout of the Harbor Hawks, who have been shut-out twice in a row after their 3-0 start. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) was dominant for the Whitecaps, striking out eight and giving up just two hits in six innings. His Alabama teammate Jonathan Keller added two scoreless frames and Brad Schreiber (Purdue) finished it off with a scoreless ninth. The seven runs were a season-high. Trevor Mitsui (Washington), Joe Chavez (UC Riverside) and Chris Mariscal (Fresno State) had a hit and an RBI each. Austin Bailey (San Diego) went 2-for-3.

 

Harwich 5, Wareham 1

Harwich (3-3) scored three in the first and never looked back en route to a win over the Gatemen (1-5). Making his final start before returning to South Bend, Notre Dame two-sport star Pat Connaughton struck out seven and gave up just one run in five innings for the win. Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) and Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) finished it off. C.J. Hinojosa (Texas), who now has a four-game hitting streak, went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Tanner English (South Carolina) and Ben Moore (Alabama) drove in one run each. Derek Fisher (Virginia), the Northwoods League top prospect last summer, made his Cape debut and drove in a run.

 

Y-D 8, Falmouth 4

In a battle of teams that have been up-and-down, the Red Sox (3-4) broke out with all eight of their runs over the final four innings to beat the Commodores (3-4). Wayne Taylor (Stanford), who had only one hit in his first three games, led the charge by going 4-for-4 with an RBI. Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) went 2-for-3 and also knocked in a run. Matt Honchel (Miami of Ohio), Brandon Downes (Virginia) and Kyle Wood (Purdue) all had two hits each, while Florida State standout D.J. Stewart had a hit and a run scored in his Cape League debut. On the mound, Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) got the win in relief. Max Murphy (Bradley) knocked in two runs for the Commodores. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) saw his season-long hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-5.

 

What to Watch

Just one game on the schedule tonight as Hyannis hosts Wareham at 6 p.m. The Harbor Hawks will send UC Santa Barbara standout Austin Pettibone to the hill. He ranked 12th in the nation in innings pitched this spring and had a 2.98 ERA. The Wareham starter is TBA.

 

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Streaking Start

Connor Castellano is off to a great start for the 4-1 Cotuit Kettleers.

 
The beginnings of a Cape Cod Baseball League summer are often short on clear lines. Everybody’s shuffling – and a lot of times, everybody’s 3-2 or 2-3.

Not so in 2013.

Chatham is 5-0, the best start for any Cape League team since the 2007 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, a club that won the league title and featured Buster Posey and Gordon Beckham. Hyannis is 3-0, having made up for lost time after its first two games were postponed. And Cotuit has ridden a three-game winning streak to a 4-1 start.

All three are impressive. The most interesting streak belongs to Cotuit.

Chatham and Hyannis are succeeding in part because they have the teams they thought they’d have. For both, only six players who weren’t on initial rosters are playing now – which is among the lowest numbers in the league at this point.

On the flip side, 33 players have taken the field for Cotuit – and 17 of them were not on the team’s roster a few weeks ago. Whether they’re temporary contracts or late pickups, it’s a juggling act for the Kettleers.

They have made it work.

Cotuit’s only loss was by a run in a walk-off to undefeated Chatham. The Kettleers moved to 4-1 on Monday with a 6-1 victory over Brewster.

Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) led the charge in the latest win, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and an RBI. Hunter Cole (Georgia) continued his hot start with a 2-for-4 day, and he’s not hitting .400. Connor Castellano (Sante Fe CC), a TCU commit who’s in town on a temporary contract, had another big night, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and his fourth stolen base. He ranks second in the league in hitting, is tied for the league lead in RBI, and ranks second in stolen bases.

Another temp, Eric Karch (Pepperdine), got the start on the mound and the victory on Monday. He struck out four and allowed one run in five innings. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) followed with two scoreless innings. And for good measure, another temp, Trevor Seidenberger (TCU) finished the job with three strikeouts over the final two frames.

The roster juggling will continue over the next few weeks as Cotuit decides who’s staying and who’s going. But if five games are any indication, the winning will continue too.

 

Chatham 4, Falmouth 2

The Anglers ran their record to 5-0 with another steady performance. Andrew Chin (Boston College), who pitched out of the bullpen for a win on opening night, picked up another victory with five strong innings. He struck out two and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth. The Chatham offense – which has scored the most runs in the league and has the best batting average by more than 50 points – also kept it up and did its part. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) hit the team’s first home run and Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) also drove in a run. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) had one hit apiece. Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi), who saved 13 games this spring, made his second appearance of the summer and worked a scoreless frame for his first save. For Falmouth, Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) hit a home run and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had a double. Richard Martin, Jr. (Florida) stole his league-leading sixth base.

 

Hyannis 5, Wareham 4

The Harbor Hawks moved to 3-0 with a comeback win over the Gatemen (1-3). Wareham led 3-0 into the seventh, with Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisiana) cruising on the mound, but Hyannis scored a run there and four in the eighth to take a lead it never lost. Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) led the charge with two hits and an RBI, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas), Dominic Jose (Stanford) and Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) all drove in a run. Patrick Andrews (Clemson) got the win in relief and Eric Eck (Wofford) picked up the save, getting out of a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the ninth.

 

Bourne 6, Orleans

Bourne picked up its first victory of the season in dramatic fashion, walking off with a win in the bottom of the 10th inning. Michael Martin (Harvard) knocked in Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) with a base hit to give the Braves the victory. The alternative would have made for a frustrating night – the Braves pounded out 17 hits, a league-high this season. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) led the way with three hits apiece, while Clinton Freeman (East Tennessee State) had two hits and two RBI. On the mound, the Braves used seven pitchers. Cody Livingston (Southern Mississippi) picked up the win.

 

What to Watch

Several pitchers who were impressive on opening night will make their second starts tonight. Erick Fedde (UNLV) goes for Y-D at Cotuit after striking out eight in his debut, while Andrew McGee (Monmouth) tries to build on a nine-strikeout debut as Chatham visits Hyannis in a battle of the only unbeaten teams in the league. In Falmouth, standout lefty Brandon Finnegan (TCU) will make his second and final start before departing for Team USA.

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Worth the Wait

Steve Wilkerson, pictured last year, drove in two runs as Hyannis won its long-awaited season opener in walk-off fashion Saturday night.
One team had played three games. Most had played two. Everybody else had played at least one.

The Hyannis Harbor Hawks waited.

Their first three games were postponed due to rain and soggy field conditions at McKeon Park. When the Harbor Hawks got the all clear Saturday night, they got their money’s worth.

Hyannis rallied from a 4-2 deficit against unbeaten Falmouth and won 5-4 in 12 innings. Ryan Padilla’s pinch-hit, walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th clinched it.

It was a welcome start for the Harbor Hawks, who missed the playoffs last year. With Falmouth coming to town, getting off on the right foot figured to be tough. The Commodores have scored the most runs in the league thus far and while most lineups are being shuffled around from one day to the next, Falmouth’s has been pretty steady.

Hyannis countered with a strong outing from starter Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist), who allowed just a run on two hits in five innings, but Falmouth broke through against the bullpen with four runs in the sixth inning. A two-run double by Kevin Cron (TCU) was the big blow.

But the Harbor Hawks responded an inning later, tying the score at 4-4 on a two-run double by Steve Wilkerson (Clemson). Wilkerson was a Harbor Hawk in 2012 and the rising senior is back on a temporary contract. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI in his 2013 debut.

The next four innings were scoreless, with the bullpens doing solid work, but Hyannis broke through in the 12th. Will Maddox (Tennessee) was hit by a pitch to start it and stole second. Wilkerson singled and took second on defensive indifference. An intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. After Falmouth got the second out, Padilla (New Mexico) came off the bench and singled in the winning run.

The Harbor Hawks could celebrate – finally.

 

Chatham 5, Brewster 4

Chatham (3-0) is your only undefeated team, and the Anglers owe their latest win to more late-inning heroics. After a walk-off victory over Cotuit on Friday, the Anglers delivered another walk-off on Saturday against Brewster (0-2). With the game tied 4-4 in the ninth, Dante Flores (USC) plated Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) with a base hit to give the Anglers their third victory in as many games. It was the first hit of the season for Flores, who had been 0-for-6. The rally made a winner out of Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi), who allowed an unearned run in two innings of relief. Connor Joe (San Diego), who’s had a hit in every game, went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jake Stinnett (Maryland) gave Brewster a quality start with six strikeouts in five scoreless innings.

 

Cotuit 3, Wareham 2

The Kettleers (2-1) didn’t win on a walk-off, but had some late-inning magic of their own. Wareham’s Fred Shepard (Amherst) mystified the Kettleers for six innings, allowing just two hits in that span, but they got to him for three in the seventh, and that was the difference. Trailing 1-0, Cotuit scored the tying run and chased Shepard. Cotuit greeted reliever Ryan Riga (Ohio State) with a two-rin single by Will Remillard (Coastal Carolina). Mike Ford (Princeton), who had come on in the fifth, sealed the victory for the Kettleers by working out of james in the eighth and ninth innings. Remillard had two hits to lead the offense, as did Hunter Cole (Georgia). Trevor Podratz (Hawaii) homered for Wareham (0-2).

 

Orleans 3, Y-D 0

Orleans trotted out a whopping six pitchers, and they combined on a shutout as the Firebirds (1-1) picked up their first win of the season over Y-D (2-2). Lucas Long (San Diego) was credited with the victory, while Matt Troupe (Arizona) struck out the side in a perfect ninth to pick up the save. Troupe was the third straight pitcher to strike out the side for Orleans. Brian Clark (Kent State) did it in the seventh and Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) did it in the eighth. Orleans got all the offense it needed in the third thanks to a bases-loaded double by Austin Davidson (Pepperdine).

 

Harwich 4, Bourne 1

The Mariners (2-1) took a lead in the top of the first and never trailed en route to the victory over Bourne, who remained winless at 0-3. Ian Happ (Cincinnati), Ben Moore (Alabama) and Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) drove in runs for the Mariners, while A.J. Reed (Kentucky) delivered a strong start in his 2013 pitching debut. Reed, one of the top two-way players in the country, struck out five and allowed one run on four hits in six innings. Chris Oliver (Arkansas) got the save.

 

What to Watch

A pair of 2-1 teams meet in a West showdown as Falmouth hosts Cotuit. Craig Schlitter (Bryant) a stand-out last year, is back on a temporary contract and is slated to start for Falmouth. Alex Haines, who is from Seton Hill (not Seton Hall) starts for Cotuit. Haines struck out 91 in 76.2 innings this season for the D-II Griffins. He was Baseball America’s top prospect in the NECBL last summer and was a 33rd round pick of the Rockies a few weeks ago.

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Perfect Early

Chatham's Erich Weiss runs for third base in last night's game.
Rain still had its say on day three of the Cape Cod Baseball League season, with two games getting postponed due to field conditions. Hyannis still hasn’t played a game, in fact.

But the sun was out long enough for three games to get in – and for two teams to move to 2-0.

Chatham walked off with a 5-4 win over Cotuit after blowing a 4-2 lead, while Falmouth put up its second six-spot of the season in a 6-0 shutout of Bourne

The Anglers took a lead with a three-run third inning and seemed to be cruising. Even when Cotuit loaded the bases in the seventh, Joe Goodman (High Point), a potential stand-out setup man who had an ERA under 1.00 this spring, wiggled out. He then worked a scoreless eighth. But Cotuit got to Chatham’s Chad Sobotka (South Carolina-Upstate) with two runs. Connor Castellano (Santa Fe CC) drew a walk and eventually scored on a passed ball. Hunter Cole (Georgia) also walked and scored on a groundout.

But that just set the stage for some magic. Joshua Eldridge (Old Dominion) led off the bottom of the ninth with his second hit of the night in his first start. After a strikeout, Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) walked, putting the winning run in scoring position. Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry) delivered, knocking a 2-0 pitch for a walk-off single to score Eldridge. It was the second big hit in as many games for Planas-Arteaga, who drove in two runs in the eighth inning on opening night.

Chatham is now 2-0 for the first time since 2010. Eldridge also had an RBI for the Anglers, and Richard Prigatano (Long Beach State) drove in two in his season debut.

Cotuit’s Yale Rosen (Washington State) hit the league’s first homer of the season.

 

Falmouth 6, Bourne 0

Four Falmouth pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Commodores improved to 2-0. Trey Teakell (TCU), one of the top prospects in the Alaska League last summer, started this summer with a bang, allowing just one hit in six innings. Garrett Hayward (Duke), Jared Price (Maryland) and Jim Ploeger (Arkansas Pine Bluff) each pitched an inning to close it out. The offense was led by the middle of the Falmouth order, which is shaping up as the best in the league at this early stage. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) went 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Kevin Newman (Arizona) followed up his three-hit opening night with another hit and an RBI.

 

Y-D 5, Brewster 2

The only team to play all three of its games, Y-D could be 3-0 if not for Thursday’s rally that wasn’t. In general, the Red Sox have made the most of the action, though, and improved to 2-1 with the win over the Whitecaps. Samuel Coonrod (Southern Illinois) allowed just an unearned run in five innings and Jeremy Null (Western Carolina) picked up the save. Andrew Daniel (San Diego) led the charge at the plate with two hits and three RBI. Returning all-star Robert Pehl (Washington) had his first hit of the summer and drove in a run.

 

What to Watch For

Falmouth will try to improve to 3-0 as it visits a Hyannis team that will be playing its first game. Daniel Koger is slated to get the ball for Falmouth. Hyannis’ starter is TBA.

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Baseball’s Back

The sign pictured above greets drivers on Marion Road in Wareham. It’s a fitting image for day one of the Cape Cod Baseball League season, I think.

Baseball’s back.

The 2013 season got underway with four games (Brewster-Hyannis was postponed due to field conditions at McKeon Park).

In Wareham, it was certainly a new year. The last time the Gatemen were on a baseball field, they were dog-piling in Yarmouth, celebrating the Cape League championship. On Wednesday, a patched-together roster needed some late-innings magic but couldn’t find it. Chatham scored four in the eighth and three pitchers combined on a shutout in a 4-0 victory.

Starter Andrew McGee (Monmouth), the reigning Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Year, was tremendous for Chatham. He struck out seven in the first three innings and finished with nine in five innings. He allowed three hits. Ryan Leach (Franklin Pierce) pitched one inning and Andrew Chin (Boston College), a former fifth-round pick out of high school, finished the job with three perfect frames.

Wareham’s Sean Newcomb (Hartford) was almost as good, striking out six in six scoreless innings, but Chatham got it done against the Gatemen bullpen. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) had back-to-back doubles in the eighth to start a rally. After a bases-loaded walk Wareham nearly got out of the jam with a double play, but Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry) knocked a two-out single up the middle to plate two more runs.

Joe and Pickens each had two hits for Chatham, whose 11 hits were more than any other team on opening night.

Y-D 2, Bourne 0

Erick Fedde (UNLV) delivered the best pitching performance of opening night as Y-D shut out Bourne. Fedde, a solid weekend starter for the Rebels, tossed 6.2 scoreless innings in his Cape debut, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) finished off the shutout with four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Salvatore Anunziata (Seton Hall) and Fedde’s UNLV teammate Taylor White drove in one run apiece. Bourne starter Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) also pitched well, allowing just an earned run. Returning all-star Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) had a hit for the Braves.

Cotuit 4, Orleans 2

In posting the best record in the league last year, Cotuit flashed a tremendous bullpen. On opening night, the Kettleers picked up where they left off. Five pitchers held down Orleans in the 4-2 win, with four relievers allowing just a run on two hits over the final 4.1 innings. Eric Karch (Pepperdine) got the win in relief, while Derrick Caypiak (Mt. Aloysius) picked up the save. Hunter Cole (Georgia) led the offense with two hits and two RBI.

Falmouth 6, Harwich 2

Also a strong pitching performance in Falmouth, where Brandon Finnegan (TCU) struck out eight in five innings on his way to the win. Finnegan, who’s also on the Team USA roster, allowed a run on three hits. Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton, the pitcher who’s also a basketball player for the Irish, got the start for Harwich and allowed just three unearned runs. Kevin Newman (Arizona) had a league-high three hits to lead the Commodores and also drove in a run. Conner Hale (State College of Florida) knocked in two.

What to Watch

If day two isn’t a wash-out, there should be a good match-up in the East, where perennial contenders Y-D and Harwich get together at Whitehouse Field. Two pitchers coming off solid springs will square off – Seton Hall’s Jose Lopez for Y-D and Nebraska’s Aaron Bummer for Harwich. Both of these teams still have some holes in the lineup, but they both also have returning stand-outs – A.J. Reed for Harwich and Robert Pehl for Y-D.