The Tar Heel Ace

The University of North Carolina churns out some of the best pitchers in college baseball, year after year. And many of them summer in Chatham, from Andrew Miller to Alex White to Matt Harvey.

It’s been a few years, but the Anglers may have found another one.

Tar Heel righty Zac Gallen made his third start of the summer Friday night and delivered his best performance yet. The rising junior struck out eight and allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. Both hits were in the first inning, and he cruised from there. He did all of this against East Division leader Orleans and its fearsome lineup. The Firebirds are second in the league in runs scored, and they lead in extra-base hits.

Gallen had no trouble. After giving up the two singles in the first, he struck out Tres Barrera (Texas) and got Willie Abreu (Miami) to ground out. Later, he walked two in the fourth inning but then struck out the side, part of a stretch in which he fanned five in a row. Even the third time through the order, the Firebirds went quietly, as Gallen worked a quiet sixth.

The Chatham offense made Gallen’s big performance count by touching up Orleans standout Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) for two runs in the first inning and tacking on two more in the sixth against the Firebirds bullpen. Trenton Brooks (Nevada), Cory Raley (Texas Tech), Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Zack Short (Sacred Heart) each knocked in a run to lead the balanced attack.

Orleans scored two runs in the eighth, but Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) cooled off the rally, going the final 1.1 innings for the save.

Chatham moved one game over .500 at 11-10 and is in second place behind Orleans in the East. One of their standout starters, T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) was just released from the roster after reaching his summer innings limit, but the Anglers have quickly found another ace. Gallen hasn’t allowed an earned run in three starts. The Anglers lost the last time he was on the mound, but he went five shutout innings against Hyannis, the other division leader. Gallen is now third in the league in strikeouts, with 23 in just 15 innings.

Gallen is coming off a spring season in which he had a 2.79 ERA with 74 strikeouts in the UNC weekend rotation.

Like the other Tar Heels that came before, he’s giving Chatham some of the best pitching in the league.

Hyannis 6, Y-D 2

In a rare feat this summer, the Harbor Hawks didn’t have a stolen base. They lead the league the league with 40 but found another way in beating Y-D. Blake Tiberi (Louisville) gave Hyannis the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-run double. He added a two-run single in the seventh, giving him four RBI on the night. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) added a hit and an RBI, as did David Martinelli (Dallas Baptist). Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) scored two runs and is now tied for the league lead in runs scored with 15. Mike King (Boston College), who began the summer on a temp contract but has since been signed, was solid in four innings of work, giving up one run. Kevin Roy (Columbia) was credited with the win in relief. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State), who had pitched as a starter in his last two outings, came out of the pen and surrendered just one run in 3.1 innings. Hyannis moved to 13-8 and has a two-game lead on Wareham for the top spot in the West. The Harbor hawks have won three straight.

Brewster 8, Harwich 1

The Whitecaps won their second straight and pushed their record over .500 at 10-9. After getting shut-out by Hyannis two games ago, the Whitecaps have delivered 28 hits in their last two games. Colin Lyman (Louisville) led the charge Friday, going 3-for-4 and scoring two runs. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) added two hits and two RBI. Jack Meggs (Washington) went 3-for-4, as did Chandler Avant (Alabama). Brewster now leads the league in team batting average. Four pitchers made the big lead stand up, limiting Harwich to five hits. Nick Highberger (Creighton) was credited with the win.

Wareham 7, Bourne 4

The Gatemen won their third straight and remained two games back of Hyannis for first place in the West. Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara), the hero of Wednesday’s one-hit win, had a huge night, going 4-for-5 with four RBI. He’s now hitting .524 in seven games since joining the team. Nick Cieri (Maryland) added three hits and two RBI. Starter Evan Hill (Michigan) gave up one run in 4.2 innings. Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona) grabbed his second save. Max McDowell (UConn) homered for Bourne and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) stretched his hitting streak to seven games.

Cotuit 8, Falmouth 1

The Kettleers broke a 1-1 tie with five runs in the sixth inning and grabbed a win over Falmouth, pulling even with the Commodores in the West standings, in the process. Jonathan King (Georgia Tech) struck out six and gave up one run in five innings of work before four relievers closed the door. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina), Matt Albanese (Bryant) and Brody Weiss (UCLA) led the offense with two RBI apiece. Kort Peterson (UCLA) had two hits and scored two runs. Both teams are now 7-13.

What to Watch

The Hyannis-Y-D match-up at Red Wilson Field looks like a good one. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) makes his second start since his no-hitter against Y-D’s Ricky Thomas (Fresno State), who’s 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA.

June 29, 2015June 29, 2015

Top of the Heap

Ronnie Dawson had two hits as Orleans topped Hyannis in a battle of first-place teams.

The Cape League season is about three weeks old, and in a rare feat for a league that’s always full of parity, the same two teams have been in first place in their divisions for most of that time. Hyannis has had at least a share of first since the first day of the season and has been alone at the top of the West division since day five. Orleans missed out on first in the East for a few days while Chatham and Brewster raced out, but the Firebirds have run away from the pack ever since a doubleheader sweep on the sixth day of the season.

And these two can barely get a leg up on each other. Hyannis won the first meeting between the two, while Orleans returned the favor Sunday with a 5-3 victory at Eldredge Park. The Firebirds have the best record in the league at 12-5, and Hyannis is next at 10-8.

Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) smacked the fifth pitch of Sunday’s game over the fence for a home run, staking Hyannis to the early lead, but Orleans scored five runs in the second inning – four of which were unearned – and never looked back.

The Firebirds had lost two of three, but the big inning set them up to break through. Kyle Cedotal (SE Louisiana) settled in after the leadoff home run and allowed just two more hits in six innings of work. Hyannis scored twice against the Orleans bullpen, but Sean Watkins (Loyola Marymount) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) held off any further comeback attempts, with Harper notching his second save.

Five different Firebirds drove in a run to lead the attack. Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) pushed his hitting streak to four with a two-hit, one RBI night. Trey York (East Tennessee State), who had a huge spring but was off to a slow start on the Cape, went 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) was the hard-luck loser. Only one of the five runs charged to him was earned.

Y-D 7, Chatham 2

Soggy weather postponed three games, but Y-D and Chatham managed to get theirs in, with the Red Sox scoring all their runs after the sixth inning in a 7-2 win. The Anglers scored a run in the top of the first and carried the 1-0 lead into the sixth. Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) gave up just one hit through five innings. But Y-D took the lead on a two-run homer by Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) in the sixth, then pulled away from there. Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) had three hits and two RBI to lead the way. The rally made a winner out of Ricky Thomas (Fresno State), who allowed just the first-inning run in six innings of work.

What to Watch

Wareham will carry a three-game winning streak into a home game against Chatham tonight. The Gatemen are only two points back of first-place Hyannis in the West.

June 23, 2015June 23, 2015

Streak No. 4

Parker Dunshee went six strong innings to help Chatham take game one of a doubleheader with Hyannis.

Chatham’s eight wins this season have all come in two-win bursts. They won two in a row to start the summer, lost their next game, won two in a row, lost three straight, then won two in a row and lost their next game.

Their latest burst was their most impressive. The Anglers visited West-leading Hyannis Monday at McKeon Park and swept a doubleheader with the Harbor Hawks, winning 3-2 and 3-1.

The victories give Chatham an 8-5 record, which matches Hyannis and is good for second-best in the league to Orleans’ 10-3 mark.

Chatham started the twin bill with a bang Monday night, scoring all three of its runs in the top of the first inning. Will Craig (Wake Forest), Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Zack Short (Sacred Heart) knocked in the runs in consecutive at-bats.

The early lead proved just enough for a pair of Chatham pitchers. Starter Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) allowed two runs in six-plus innings and struck out three. In the seventh – the final inning in scheduled doubleheader games – Hyannis scored a run off reliever Andre Scrubb (High Point), which was charged to Dunshee, and had the winning run on base before Scrubb retired the final two batters for his third save.

In the second game, it was Hyannis that jumped in front with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Chatham immediately took the lead with two in the second and tacked on insurance in the seventh. Short homered for the Anglers, while Trenton Brooks (Nevada) and Cory Raley (Texas Tech) knocked in one run each.

Ty Damron (Texas Tech) allowed one run in five innings of work for the win. C.J. Burdick (San Diego) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) pitched a scoreless inning each to finish it off.

The Anglers had two in a row again. They’ll try to stretch a streak to three for the first time all year when they host Brewster tonight.

Harwich 5, Cotuit 3; Harwich 6, Cotuit 1

Harwich also swept its doubleheader, making things interesting at the top of the East standings, where there hasn’t been much of a race to this point. The Mariners are now 7-5-1, just a point back of Chatham for second place. Starting pitching set the course for the Mariners Monday, with each of their starters going five innings and giving up no earned runs. Joe O’Donnell (NC State) did it in the first game before Cotuit took a late lead against the bullpen. Harwich rallied for three runs in the seventh to win it. Saige Jenco (Virginia Tech) had an RBI single to power the rally. Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) grabbed his league-best fourth save. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one unearned run in five innings for the win in game two. Michael Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) powered a 10-hit attack with a three-run homer. Adam Pate (North Carolina) had three hits, while Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) had two hits and two RBI, bumping his average to .371. Cotuit’s Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) in the sweep, going 2-for-3 to take over the league batting lead at .400. He’s also second in stolen bases with six.

Y-D 7, Falmouth 6; Y-D 5, Falmouth 1

The defending champs have struggled this season, but they know how to win a doubleheader. The Red Sox topped Falmouth for their second twin bill sweep of the summer, which accounts for four of their five wins on the season. Y-D scored four runs in the top of the seventh to take the opener, with Mike Donadio (St. John’s), Gio Brusa (Washington), Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) and Connor Wong (Houston) driving in the runs. Wrenn finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Brusa, a standout with Brewster last year, went 1-for-4 in his 2015 debut. Christopher Viall (Stanford) pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to finish off the game-one win. The Red Sox stayed hot in game two, smacking nine hits on their way to the sweep. Tommy Edman (Stanford) drove in two runs. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) turned in his second strong start of the summer, giving up one run in 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts.

Bourne 6, Orleans 3; Orleans 3, Bourne 0

The Braves snapped Orleans’ six-game winning streak in the opener but Orleans got right back on track with a shutout in the second game. Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) had two hits and two RBI to pace a 10-hit Bourne attack in the first game. Mike Garzillo (Lehigh), Corey Julks (Houston) and Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) also had two hits. Bryan Baker (North Florida) turned in his third straight scoreless relief outing, going 3.1 innings and striking out five for the win. Austin Conway (Indiana State) picked up the save. In the second game, Bourne was no match for Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), who dominated again. He went five scoreless innings, just as he did in his first two starts of the summer. He also struck out seven to take over the league lead in that category with 17. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge) pitched the final two innings for the save. An error and a two-run single by Austin Miller (Loyola Marymount) in the sixth gave Orleans all the offense it would need. Nick Jensen-Clagg (Kent State) was a bright spot for Bourne in the loss, striking out eight in four scoreless innings. He has 16 strikeouts in 8.1 innings this summer.

Brewster 5, Wareham 4; Wareham 5, Brewster 0

Brewster used a four-run fourth inning to pull away in game one, while two Gatemen pitchers combined on a shutout in game two. The Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead in the first game on a third-inning home run by Toby Handley (Stony Brook). They added four hits in the fourth innings, and three runs came home on passed balls or wild pitches, ahead of an RBI double by Eli White (Clemson). Wareham chipped away but was held scoreless over the final two innings. Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) went the final 1.1 for the save. Highly-touted lefty Matt Krook (Oregon) started for Wareham, making his first appearance since the 2014 college season, and struck out two in two scoreless innings. In game two, Wareham righted the ship thanks to Evan Hill (Michigan) who allowed three hits in six shutout innings. He had plenty of support, with Logan Sowers (Indiana) and Andrew Knizner (NC State) driving in two runs each.

What to Watch

Orleans has had just one game against its closest competition in the East, but that changes this week. Harwich visits Eldredge Field tonight and Chatham comes to town Thursday.

June 14, 2015June 14, 2015

Southpaw Success

Hyannis is off to the best start in the league with a 4-1 record.

There are five left-handed pitchers on the Hyannis Harbor Hawks roster right now. Three of them have made starts.

And the Harbor Hawks may want to go ahead and let the other two give it a try.

For the third time in four wins this year, Hyannis rode a strong effort from a left-handed starting pitcher to a victory. This time it was Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) allowing two runs in 5.2 innings of work as Hyannis won 5-2 over Orleans. He followed strong efforts by Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) and Nick Deeg (Central Michigan). Together, they’ve given up three runs in 17.2 innings, powering three of the Harbor Hawks’ league-high four wins.

Deeg started the trend with seven shutout innings in a win over Cotuit. Tatum allowed one run in five innings in a victory over Harwich. And Saturday, it was Smeltzer’s turn.

The southpaw didn’t have a great spring, seeing his ERA rise over six with FGCU. He was also matched up with an Orleans offense that was coming off a 15-hit, 3-home run night in a 12-3 victory over Y-D.

But Smeltzer was up to the task. He scattered seven hits, all of which were singles. Nine of the 17 outs he recorded came via strikeout. Aaron Civale (Northeastern) and Will Stillman (Wofford) finished off his win with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

The Hyannis offense got two hits and two RBI from Blake Tiberi (Louisville) in his summer debut. Ben DeLuzio (Florida State) scored two runs, Bobby Melley (Connecticut) had two hits and an RBI and Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) scored a run for the fourth time in five games.

It was all part of a familiar formula – solid offense and a strong start from a lefty. Hyannis is at the top of the league because of it.

Y-D 5, Bourne 0

The league’s only winless teams squared off at Doran Park, and it was the Red Sox who got into the win column. Y-D pounded 12 hits – after coming in with 19 on the year. Tommy Edman (Stanford) made his first Cape League hit a home run, while Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) and Mike Donadio (St. John’s) had two hits and an RBI apiece. Brady Conlan (Cal State Dominguez Hills) went 3-for-5. Y-D also got its best pitching performances of the year. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) gave up two hits and struck out six in six shutout innings.

Harwich 12, Wareham 11

The Mariners won a wild one with Wareham, rallying from a 9-3 deficit and holding on for the one-run victory. Preston Palmeiro (NC State), making his second start of the summer, went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI to lead the comeback offense. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) and Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) added two RBI each. Every player in the Harwich lineup had a hit, as the Mariners finished with 14 of them. Reliever Anthony Ciavarella (Monmouth) set the stage for the comeback with four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced. In the loss, Wareham got home runs from a pair of red-hot hitters in Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) and David MacKinnon (Hartford). Jabs has a hit in every game, while MacKinnon – on a temporary contract – leads the league with a .471 average.

Chatham 5, Cotuit 2

The Anglers scored four runs in the top of the first and got five shutout innings from Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) to top Cotuit 5-2. Zack Short (Sacred Heart) led the early burst with a three-run homer. Trenton Brooks (Nevada), Will Craig (Wake Forest), Aaron Knapp (California) and Nick Sciortino (Boston College) finished with two hits apiece as Chatham knocked 12 hits for the game. Dunshee struck out three in his five innings.

Falmouth 3, Brewster 2

Falmouth scoed two runs in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and held off a late charge by the Whitecaps for the 3-2 win. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, accounting for all of the Falmouth runs. He also scored two of the runs. Heath Quinn (Samford) went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Austin Tribby (Missouri) went five scoreless innings on the mound for the Commodores and his college teammate Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri) struck out six in three innings of relief. He now leads the league in strikeouts with 12, over two relief appearances. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) struck out the side in the ninth for the save.

What to Watch

There’s a full slate of doubleheaders on tap. Based on the standings, the Hyannis-Brewster twin bills at Stony Brook Field may be the best bet. Those teams lead their respective divisions.

June 2, 2015June 2, 2015

Red Sox out to defend title

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox surged to their fourth Cape Cod Baseball League championship in 11 years last summer, completing the run with a sweep of Falmouth in the title series. They made the run after finishing third in the East Division during the regular season and shuffling their roster regularly.

Another talented group, led by a deep pitching staff and a host of big-name freshmen, is on its way.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Mike Shawaryn
2. J.J. Schwarz
3. Will Toffey
4. Cole Billingsley
5. Brett Adcock

NOTABLE

Maryland is headed to a Super Regional and ace Mike Shawaryn has been a big reason why. After setting a school record for wins as a freshman, Shawaryn took the leap into bona fide ace territory this year, going 13-2 with an eye-popping 133 strikeouts. This may be the first preview, but it’s hard to imagine anyone in the Cape League has a better pitching coming to town than Y-D has with Shawaryn.

Shawaryn heads a list of starting pitchers with strong track records on the Y-D roster. Brett Adcock, Brandon Bailey and Shane Bieber were workhorses this year, with Adcock and Bailey both striking out more than 90.

Y-D had the league’s most fearsome closer last year in Phil Bickford. David Ellingson may not have the same pedigree, but he’s got the numbers. The Georgetown standout saved nine games with an ERA under 1.00 this season.

The Cape League always has a few native sons in uniform. Barnstable native Will Toffey could be the best in recent memory. The Vanderbilt freshman already lit up the Futures League last year and has forced his way into the lineup for the defending College World Series champions as a freshman.

TCU’s Brian Howard stands 6’9. That is all.

Y-D is slated to have three freshman catchers from powerhouse SEC programs. All have big potential, but J.J. Schwarz has made it good on more quickly than the others, with 15 homers for Florida in his debut season.

Y-D could have a very athletic outfield, with Stephen Wrenn of Georgia and South Alabama’s Cole Billingsley patrolling. Wrenn had started at center field in every game of his college career and flashed potential for Bourne last summer. Billingsley ranked 16th in the nation in stolen bases this year.

St. John’s Mike Donadio didn’t have a great sophomore year, at least compared to his Big East Rookie of the Year campaign in 2014, but he’ll be a valuable presence for the Red Sox this summer. A late addition last year, Donadio hit .367 with two home runs in the playoffs.

The Red Sox will likely have one of the youngest teams in the league, with 13 freshman ticketed for Red Wilson Field. That includes nine position players, who often struggle as freshmen on the Cape.

PITCHERS

Brett Adcock – SO – Michigan – Third-team all-Big 10 lefty K’d 95 in 90 IP, with a 3.10 ERA
Brandon Bailey – SO – Gonzaga – Strong starter for Gonzaga went 8-3 with 3.72 ERA and tied for 3rd in WCC with 91 Ks
Shane Bieber – SO – UC Santa Barbara – Dominated in West Coast League last summer and earned all-conference nod this year
Ben Bowden – SO – Vanderbilt – Native of Lynn, Mass., has been valuable bullpen arm, with 45 Ks in 34.2 IP
Gabe Cramer – JR – Stanford – Saw limited action in first two years, emerged as good reliever this year
David Ellingson – SO – Georgetown – Dominant closer had 9 saves, .75 ERA this season
Alex Faedo – FR – Florida – Late-round pick last year has been solid swing guy this spring, with 3.36 ERA
Mitch Hart – FR – USC – Jumped right into weekend rotation and posted 4.07 ERA; second on team in IP
Brian Howard – SO – TCU – Six-foot-nine righty struck out 43 in 43 innings this spring, pitching mostly out of bullpen
Dustin Hunt – SO – Northeastern – ERA ballooned near five, but righty from Andover, Mass., led Huskies in Ks
Dalton Lehnen – FR – Cincinnati – Freshman lefty led Cincy in starts but went 1-7 with 5.56 ERA
Mike Shawaryn – SO – Maryland – One of nation’s best pitchers went 13-2, had 1.66 ERA and struck out 133, 4th nationally
Ricky Thomas – FR – Fresno State – Freshman lefty had solid debut with 3.92 ERA
Chris Viall – SO – Stanford – Solid swing man on pitching staff had 4.73 ERA this season

CATCHERS

Mike Papierski – FR – LSU – 16th-rd pick in 2014 draft has hit .214 in limited action for loaded LSU team
Nathan Rodriguez – FR – Arkansas – Talented catching prospect was declared ineligible this season and did not play
J.J. Schwarz – FR – Florida – 17th-rd pick last year has had huge freshman season: .320 with 15 HR, 66 RBI

INFIELDERS

Tommy Edman – SO – Stanford – Started every game this spring, hit .296 with a homer
Dalton Guthrie – FR – Florida – Late-round pick in 2014 has started every game in debut season, posting .290 average
Ryan Lillard – FR – Arizona State – Iowa native hit .233 in 26 games as a freshman
Will Toffey – FR – Vanderbilt – Barnstable native & top prospect in Futures League last year hitting .309 in first year at VU
Connor Wong – FR – Houston – Hit .248 with six homers in first season with Cougars

OUTFIELDERS

Cole Billingsley – JR – South Alabama – Had big year after medical redshirt in 2014, batting .345 and swiping 30 bags
Luke Bonfield – FR – Arkansas – Mets’ 21st-rd pick in ’14 has hit .164 in limited duty for Razorbacks
Michael Donadio – SO – St. John’s – Big East Rookie of Year in 2014 batted .302 this year
Ryan Noda – FR – Cincinnati – Hit .230 and was second on UC to former CCBL all-star Ian Happ in HRs with 7
Stephen Wrenn – SO – Georgia – Has started all 109 games of UGA career in CF; hit .324 with 8 HR this year