Posted on

Casey at the Bat

Casey Gillaspie hit his league-leading seventh home run yesterday.

 
Casey Gillaspie was going to have a hard time matching his big brother’s success. That’s what happens your brother is a former Cape Cod Baseball League MVP.

But Gillaspie is doing his best.

The Falmouth slugger went 4-for-6 in a doubleheader yesterday and belted his league-leading seventh home run. Falmouth split the twin bill with Bourne, winning the first game 3-1 and dropping the second 4-3.

Gillaspie has now officially matched his brother in the home run category. Casey hit a league-best .345 with seven homers in his 2007 MVP campaign with Falmouth.

Casey got off to a bit of a slow start this summer. While teammate Rhys Hoskins was hot from the beginning, Kevin Cron was delivering huge games and Dylan Davis was bursting onto the scene with four home runs in his first four games, Gillaspie was a little more in the shadows. But he was clearly part of the sluggers crew, and he has steadily improved his all-around numbers in the last few weeks.

Gillaspie was hitting .235 on July 15. Since then, he’s had a hit in nine of 10 games and is batting .447 in that stretch with five extra-base hits. He leads the league in home runs by two and he ranks second in extra-base hits. His batting average is up to .292, his on-base percentage is .364 and his slugging percentage is .496.

Falmouth didn’t really need the help, but Gillaspie’s uptick makes them that much more dangerous. Davis had two RBI and Leon Byrd, Jr. (Rice) hit a home run in the game-one win yesterday. Trey Teakell (TCU) tossed seven strong innings on the mound.

In game two, Bourne got six strong innings from Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic), who was making his final start. Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) and Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) drove in two runs each. That was enough to hold off Falmouth.

Gillaspie did his part with a double and a homer. If he stays hot, it’s going to get harder and harder to hold Falmouth off.

 

Hyannis 0, Brewster 0; Hyannis 5, Brewster 4

Hyannis and Brewster also staged a doubleheader and the Harbor Hawks came away from it with three points and a three-point lead in the West standings. Brewster got a dominant performance from Aaron Brown (Pepperdine) in game one. Brown went eight scoreless innings and struck out five. Rocky McCord (Auburn) and Jordan Foley (Central Michigan) matched him though, combining for eight strikeouts and five hits allowed in nine innings. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. In game two, the Harbor Hawks won a one-run game for the ninth time. Brian Anderson (Arkansas) brought in the go-ahead run in the sixth and Eric Eck (Wofford) notched his league-best ninth save to finish it off.

 

Cotuit 8, Y-D 3

Cotuit got two RBI each from newcomer Austin Byler (Nevada) and Team USA returnee Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) on their way to a victory over the Red Sox. The Kettleers are three points back of Hyannis for first place in the West. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) added a double to take the league lead in extra-base hits. Wiseman is hitting .483 over his last nine games. On the mound, Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina) went four shutout innings with five strikeouts. John Hochstatter (Stanford) worked two scoreless innings for the win and Joel Seddon (South Carolina) got a save with three scoreless frames.

 

Wareham 11, Chatham 6

The Gatemen made the long trek to Chatham and came back with one of their best wins of the season. Ethan Gross (Memphis) went 3-for-4 with four RBI to lead the charge. Kyle Schwarber (Indiana), who went 4-for-4 in his first game back after Team USA, continued to mash, going 4-for-6 with a double in his second game. Brett Pirtle (Mississippi State) added a home run and Adam Toth (Baylor) knocked in two runs. Kurt McCune (LSU) picked up the win with five solid innings. He struck out five and allowed two runs. Jonathan Holder (Mississippi State) struck out three over the final 1.2 innings to finish it off. For Chatham, Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) hit his fourth home run.

 

Harwich at Orleans, PPD

 

What to Watch

Chatham ace Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro College), who shut out Falmouth for six innings in his last start, draws the Commodores again as the Anglers hit the road. Kevin McKanna (Rice) is scheduled to start for Falmouth.
 

Posted on

Quality Time

Gunnar Heidt makes a play for Harwich in a game earlier this summer. The Mariners rallied Sunday, making a winner out of Aaron Bummer.

 
Fifty-six pitchers in the Cape Cod Baseball League have more strikeouts than Harwich’s Aaron Bummer (Nebraska).

One starting pitcher has a better ERA, and nobody has more wins.

Who needs strikeouts?

Bummer improved to 4-1 on Sunday with his fifth quality start of the summer, giving up just a run in six innings as Harwich shut down Falmouth’s powerful lineup for an 8-3 victory. A late Mariner rally made a winner out of Bummer.

It was another terrific performance from Bummer, who’s been the league’s most consistent pitcher. He opened the season with six shutout innings and then went seven scoreless in his next start. He gave up two earned runs in his next start and took the loss, but has gotten right back on track. He went six shutout innings in his last start before picking up the victory Sunday. Bummer is now 4-1 with a 0.84 ERA.

I’ve often wondered if the Quality Start statistic – at least six innings, no more than three runs – should be adapted for the Cape League, where even the best pitchers often don’t work deep into games. It doesn’t need to be changed for Bummer. He’s had five real quality starts in five tries.

On Sunday, Bummer didn’t strike out a batter but didn’t need to. He scattered five hits and gave up just the one earned run (Falmouth did score two unearned runs). Bummer needed only 88 pitches to get through six innings.

Even with all that, Bummer was on the verge of taking a hard-luck loss. Harwich trailed 3-0 but scored seven runs in the seventh inning to turn the game completely around. Branden Cogswell (Virginia) and Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) each drove in two runs for the Mariners, while Ian Happ (Cincinnati) and Ben Moore (Alabama) had three hits apiece.

Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) and Mason McCullough (North Carolina) finished off the victory for Harwich.

And Bummer put another win in the books.

 

Chatham 8, Y-D 5

The Anglers won for the third straight time, running their league-best record to 18-8-1, and it was yet another different route to a victory. Starter Andrew Chin (Boston College) gave up five runs in two innings, but in the meantime, Chatham scored seven runs of its own in the first two innings. After that, the bullpen dominated and kept Chatham in control. Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech), Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) surrendered just three hits over the final seven innings. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) led the offense with two hits and four RBI. Connor Joe (San Diego) went 3-for-5 with two RBI.

 

Cotuit 5, Wareham 3

The Kettleers (17-10) also won their third straight and now have a four-point cushion atop the West. Cotuit scored four runs in the first inning and held off a late push by the Gatemen for the victory. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) had a double, a triple and two RBI, while Yale Rosen (Washington State) and Drew Jackson (Stanford) knocked in one run apiece. Patrick Corbett (Coastal Carolina) got the win in relief of Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina). Corbett struck out four in 3.1 innings. For Wareham, Brett Pirtle (Mississippi State) had three hits.

 

Bourne 5, Hyannis 2

Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) pitched six strong innings as the Braves won a rain-shortened game that lasted six innings. Kellogg struck out six, didn’t walk a batter and gave up one earned run on four hits. Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) drove in two runs, while Mason Robbins (Southern Miss), Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) and Tyler Kuresa (UC Santa Barbara) brought in one each. Hyannis (15-9), which has lost two in a row, got two hits from Steve Wilkerson (Clemson).

 

Brewster 11, Orleans 3

On the strength of a blowout win, the Whitecaps (10-16) are suddenly two points back of Orleans (11-15) for fourth place in the East. Brewster pounded out 17 hits. Scott Heineman (Oregon) went 5-for-5 with three runs scored at the top of the Brewster lineup. Nick Lynch (UC Davis) hit a home run, while Austin Bailey (San Diego), Chris Mariscal (Fresno State), and Trevor Mitsui (Washington State) knocked in two runs each. Orleans finished with 12 hits but managed just the three runs. Brewster starter Aaron Brown (Pepperdine) gave up two earned runs in five innings to pick up the win.

 

What to Watch

A couple of strong-armed Austins will square off in Bourne. Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) gets the ball for the Braves, with Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara) starting for Hyannis.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

Holding Steady

Chatham is heating up again after a brief hiccup.

 
It could have been deja vu. The Chatham Anglers have started hot before. In 2010, they won seven of their first 10 games – and just 13 more the rest of the season. They missed the playoffs.

When the 2013 Anglers raced to a 6-0 start and then lost five of six, it was hard not to think back and wonder if it was going to happen all over again.

It’s certainly not happening right now.

Chatham beat Harwich 10-6 for its third straight win and its sixth in seven games. While Cotuit has been steady, and Hyannis has been winning and Harwich and Falmouth have been hot, it’s the Anglers who own the most wins in the league. They’re 13-6-1 and leading the East by five points over Harwich.

Last night, Chatham pounded 13 hits in out-slugging a Harwich team that had just out-slugged Falmouth the night before. Dante Flores (USC) put together his third consecutive multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. He’s now hitting .365, good for second in the league.

Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) added two hits, as did Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry), Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) and Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion). The Anglers got a hit from eight of nine spots in the order and an RBI from six.

Matthew Gage (Siena) turned in his second straight strong start, striking out two and giving up just two runs in six innings. Harwich did a little damage against the Chatham bullpen, but the Anglers held them off. Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) picked up his second save in as many chances since arriving on the Cape.

Just like that, the Anglers were back at the top. It looks like they plan to stay.

 

Falmouth 9, Y-D 8

The Commodores (12-8) bounced back from a slugfest loss to Harwich with a slugfest win over the Red Sox (9-10-1). Y-D led 8-6 going into the ninth, but Falmouth scored three runs to win it. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) beat the throw to first on a double-play attempt, which scored the winning run. Falmouth got a huge night from Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State), who hit his fourth home run as part of a 3-for-5, 4 RBI day. He also leads the league in RBI with 18. Kevin Newman (Arizona) and Sam Gillikin (Auburn) also had three hits for the Commodores. Davis, who had hit a home run in three straight games, finally did not go yard, but did hit a double and drove in two runs.

 

Cotuit 2, Hyannis 1

The Kettleers (12-8) snapped a three-game skid and posted their second win of the season over the Harbor Hawks (12-6). Cotuit, Hyannis and Falmouth are all tied atop the West standings with 24 points each. The Kettleers manufactured a run in the top of the ninth to break a 1-1 tie, with Jake Fincher (NC State) reaching on an error, stealing second and coming around on two wild pitches. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the victory. Steven Duggar (Clemson) had three hits to lead the Kettleers while Logan Ratledge (NC State) and Mike Ford (Princeton) had two each. Evan Beal (South Carolina) tossed five shutout innings with six strikeouts. Andrew Thome (North Dakota) also struck out six for Hyannis.

 

Brewster 5, Bourne 4

The Whitecaps have 40 hits in their last three games, and not surprisingly, they’re on a three-game winning streak that has improved their record to 6-13. On this night, they had 13 hits, bided their time against standout Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) and scored five runs over the last four innings to net the victory. Jose Brizuela (Florida State) went 3-for-5 while Scott Heineman (Oregon) stretched his hit streak to eight games with a 2-for-5 night in the leadoff spot. Trevor Mitsui (Washington State) and Aaron Brown (Pepperdine) added two hits each. Frankie Vanderka (Stony Brook) turned in a solid start, allowing three runs in seven innings. Trey Cochran-Gill (Auburn) got the win in relief.

 

Wareham 2, Orleans 1

The struggling Wareham offense scored the first two runs Orleans standout Bobby Poyner (Florida) has given up all year and made the lead stand up for the victory. Wareham is 4-16, while Orleans dropped to 9-10. Both Wareham runs came in the fifth. Chris Chinea (LSU) knocked in a run on a ground-out before Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville) hit an RBI single. Three Gatemen pitchers made the slim lead hold up. Tucker Simpson (Florida) struck out four and gave up one run in 5.2 innings to out-duel his college teammate Poyner for the win. Ryan Riga (Ohio State) worked 2.1 scoreless innings and Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisana) picked up the save.

 

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit will meet again at 5 p.m. at Lowell Park. Adam Ravenelle (Vanderbilt), who has only pitched out of the bullpen so far, will make his first start for Cotuit. Patrick Andrews (Clemson), who was solid in his first start, goes for Hyannis.