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Red Hot Sox

Brendan Skidmore and Y-D are 16-6 since their 0-5 start.
Brendan Skidmore and Y-D are 16-6 since their 0-5 start.

 
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox have won the last two Cape League championships as a surging No. 3 seed that got hot at the right time.

This season, Y-D has started its surge a little earlier.

With a 9-5 win over Brewster Tuesday, the Red Sox improved to 16-11, matching Harwich and Falmouth for the most wins in the league. The Mariners have had the best record in the league almost since day one, when they started 5-0. In the meantime, the Red Sox were in the midst of an 0-5 start. But since June 16 – when that streak ended – it’s the Red Sox who own the best mark in the league.

The arrivals of players like Will Toffey (Vanderbilt), J.J. Schwarz (Florida) and J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) provided a boost, and players who were off to strong starts from day one have continued to play well. The pitching has been solid despite lacking the steady rotation that a team like Harwich can boast. And Y-D has made its run up the East standings even smoother by going 9-3 against its mates in the East since stopping the season-opening losing streak.

Tuesday, the Red Sox struck out nine times in 5.1 innings against Brewster’s Zac Lowther (Xavier) – who took over the league lead in strikeouts – but managed to build a lead. When they lost it in the top of the eighth, they quickly came back with four runs in the bottom half to break a 5-5 tie and send them on their way.

Nolan Brown (TCU) and Matt Winaker (Stanford) had RBI singles in the eight-inning push and Muno broke the game open with a two-run double. Having come on in the eighth, Bryan Pall (Michigan) stayed in for the ninth and kept Brewster off the board for his ninth consecutive scoreless outing.

Winaker finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and has six hits in his last six games. Kevin Smith (Maryland) homered and scored three runs. Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) added two hits.

Starting pitcher Connor Seabold (Cal State Fullerton) didn’t factor in the decision, but had a solid showing with two runs in 6.1 innings.

The victory was the fifth in the last six games for Y-D.

 

Orleans 2, Falmouth 1

League ERA leader Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) of Falmouth tossed seven shutout innings, but Orleans got the better of the Commodores in a late bullpen battle for a 2-1 win. Passantino, who struck out 82 and walked only 12 this spring, struck out five and allowed four hits while pitching seven scoreless innings for a second straight start. His ERA now stands at 0.56. On this night, though, he departed with all zeroes on the scoreboard as Orleans’ Kirk McCarty (Southern Miss) went 6.2 shutout innings despite walking five batters. Falmouth broke through for the game’s first run in the top of the ninth on a pinch-hit RBI single by Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) but Orleans won it when Adam Haseley (Virginia) hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Cotuit 3, Harwich 1

The Kettleers topped East-leading Harwich for their second win in a row as they continued to slowly chip away in the West standings, improving to 9-17-1. A two-run double by Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) in the fourth inning gave Cotuit all the runs it needed. Justin Hooper (UCLA) allowed one run in four innings. Eddie Muhl (George Washington) and Ryan Rigby (Mississippi State) combined for five scoreless innings out of the bullpen, with Muhl getting the win and Rigby the save. Harwich got two hits from Nick Dalesandro (Purdue). B.J. Myers (West Virginia) allowed two earned runs in six innings and took his first loss of the summer.

Bourne 7, Chatham 5

Mired in a six game losing streak a few days ago, Bourne won for the second time in a row and moved back into a tie with Wareham for second place in the West. Connor Wong (Houston) went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Danny Reyes (Florida) hit a three-run home run as Bourne rallied from an early 3-0 deficit. Ronnie Rossomando (Connecticut) earned the win in relief and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) escaped a jam of his own making in the ninth, stranding two runners to finish off the win. Chatham got home runs from Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) and John Aiello (Wake Forest).

Hyannis 6, Wareham 1

Hyannis jumped ahead 4-0, led 6-1 after two and kept the score right there for a win over Wareham. Dylan Busby (Florida State) led the early push with a three-run home run in the first inning, his third of the year. Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Ford Proctor (Rice) added RBI hits in the second inning as the lead grew. Mac Sceroler (SE Louisiana) gave up one run in five innings and three relievers allowed just one hit combined over the final four innings. Both James Harrington (New Mexico) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) pitched perfect frames. Wareham got three scoreless innings of relief from Nick Sprengel (San Diego). Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) homered and has 14 hits in his last eight games. He’s now hitting .362 as he emerges as one of the top rising sophomores on the Cape.

 

What to Watch

Falmouth tries to go to 4-1 in its season series with second place-Wareham as it hosts the Gatemen at 6 p.m. Tyler Holton (Florida State) will make his second start for the Commodores. Wareham counters with Dalton Horton (TCU), who gave up two runs in four innings in his Cape debut last time out.
 

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Home Run Hitter

Matt Davis hit his league-best seventh home run Saturday.
Matt Davis hit his league-best seventh home run Saturday.

 
Six current Cape Leaguers hit 14 home runs or more for their college teams this spring. Harwich’s Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington) finished tied for second in the nation with 21. Two more had 18, two had 17 and one had 14. Three players took a break from their time on the Cape to head to Omaha for the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby, and Chatham’s Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) came back with the crown.

That’s all to say that there is no shortage of sluggers in Cape League uniforms this summer.

But the guy leading the pack isn’t among that group.

Brewster’s Matt Davis (VCU) hit his league-best seventh home run in Saturday’s win over Cotuit. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound infielder — coming off a spring in which he hit six home runs — now has two more blasts than any of his Cape League mates.

A rising senior at VCU who’s been the anchor of the Rams’ offense the last two seasons, Davis is also hitting .314 this summer, leads the league in slugging percentage and ranks second in RBI with 18. He’s been the top performer for the top-performing offensive team on the Cape and has done it all while playing out of position. An infielder at VCU, he’s been slotting in mostly in left field for the Whitecaps.

His homer Saturday was a solo shot in a 5-0 burst for the Whitecaps over the first four innings. Davis finished 2-for-3. Nick Dunn (Maryland), Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) and Kekai Rios (Hawaii) added hits.

The offense was more than enough for starter Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State), who struck out five in seven shutout innings. Hanson Butler (North Carolina) and Tyler Zuber (Arkansas State) finished off the win.

 

Falmouth 4, Chatham 2

Falmouth is the hottest team in the league, topping Chatham for its fifth straight win. Brady Singer (Florida) made his second start and delivered another scoreless outing, allowing three hits in five innings after six shutout innings in his debut. Three relievers kept Falmouth in front before Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) worked a scoreless ninth for his second save. Singer’s Florida teammate Deacon Liput went 1-for-4 with an RBI in his second Cape game. Ryan Chandler (Rice) also knocked in a run. With the win, Falmouth improved to 15-10 and has a three-point lead on Wareham for first place in the West. Chatham fell to 11-14, which leaves them in a fourth-place tie with Brewster.

Wareham 3, Harwich 3

Wareham played to a tie for the second night in a row after 12 innings failed to yield a winner against Harwich at Whitehouse Field. The Gatemen were likely happier with the tie than the Mariners. Harwich led 3-0 into the eighth inning before Wareham rallied. The Gatemen got an RBI single by Austen Wade (TCU) in the eighth and tied it in the ninth on a Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) RBI triple and a Robert Metz (George Washington) bunt single. Both runs were unearned due to a one-out error. The runs came off Harwich closer Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall), who had yet to blow a save chance. Wareham kept Harwich off the board the rest of the way thanks to four scoreless innings from Jake Matthys (Angelo State). Brad Bass (Notre Dame) and Teddy Rodliff (Notre Dame) were also lights out for Harwich. Both teams left two runners on base in the 11th. Bart and Metz led the Wareham offense with three hits each. Ernie Clement (Virginia) had four hits for Harwich and leads the league with a .394 batting average. Before the Harwich bullpen lost the lead, Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) went seven shutout innings, striking out four and allowing just two hits.

Y-D 3, Bourne 1

The Red Sox won their fourth straight and handed Bourne its sixth loss in a row. Oliver Jaskie (Michigan) allowed just an unearned run in six innings for the Red Sox, Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) tossed two scoreless frames and Bryan Pall (Michigan) picked up his sixth save, which is tied for the league lead. Pall has saved three games in Y-D’s four-game streak. J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) paced the offense with two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) had a hit and a run scored and Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) had two hits. Y-D moved to 15-10 while Bourne fell to 11-13-1.

Orleans 7, Hyannis 1

Orleans stopped a four-game losing streak with a home win over Hyannis. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge) struck out seven and gave up just two hits in five scoreless innings, his second straight scoreless start. Kevin Smith (Maryland) gave up one run in three innings of relief and Calvin LeBrun (Gonzaga) worked the ninth to finish off the win. Leadoff man Brian Miller (North Carolina) had three hits, an RBI and a run scored, while Will Golsan (Ole Miss) and Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits each. Seven different Firebirds drove in a run. Hyannis got two hits from Cody Henry (Alabama).

 

What to Watch

The top two teams in the West, Falmouth and Wareham, square off a Spillane Field at 7 p.m. Brendan King (Holy Cross), who has pitched as a starter and reliever with a 3.70 ERA, goes for the Commodores against Zachary Pop (Kentucky), who allowed one run in five innings his last time out.
 

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Matching shutouts

Brady Puckett tossed six shutout innings in Falmouth's win.
Brady Puckett tossed six shutout innings in Falmouth’s win.

 
At the Cape League’s annual workout at Fenway Park, hitters are on center stage, taking batting practice and running timed sprints. The pitchers don’t get to do as much.

Back on the Cape, a few pitchers put the spotlight back on themselves.

Led by Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), three Falmouth Commodores one-hit Bourne in a 1-0 win. Charlie Barnes (Clemson) set the stage for a similar result in Hyannis, as he and two teammates shut-out Harwich 1-0.

Puckett delivered another in a string of terrific starts for Falmouth. The 6-foot-8 rising junior right-hander had a great spring at Lipscomb. He allowed three runs in four innings in his first Cape League start but has been lights out since — 23 innings, one earned run, 10 hits. Take away the first start, and his ERA would be 0.39. As it is, it’s still at 1.33.

Friday, Puckett allowed one hit in six shutout innings for the second time in his last three starts. He doesn’t strike out a lot of guys — his five Friday were a season-high — but it’s clearly working. The only hit he allowed was a single.

Relievers Brac Warren (Oregon) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) didn’t allow a hit after Puckett departed.

Bourne got strong pitching of its own from A.J. Moore (Kennesaw State) but Falmouth broke through in the seventh on a J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) double and a Joshua Watson (TCU) triple.

Falmouth improved to 14-10 and remained in first place in the West.

As for Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks out-pitched Harwich, no easy task. Barnes came in with a 5.30 ERA thanks to two starts in which he gave up four runs in less than five innings. He had also turned in two strong outings and was even better this time. Barnes allowed three hits and struck out five in five shutout innings.

James Harrington (New Mexico) followed with three perfect innings and Garrett Cave (Florida International) closed the door in the ninth to take over the league lead in saves with six.

Harwich got seven strong innings from Hunter Williams (North Carolina), but just like Falmouth, Hyannis got a run in the seventh to make the difference. An RBI groundout by Cody Henry (Alabama) did the trick.

Hyannis ran its record to 11-13.
 

Y-D 8, Orleans 6

After Tuesday’s games, Yarmouth-Dennis and Orleans were tied for second place in the East. With back-to-back matchups between the teams going to Y-D, the Red Sox now have a four-point edge on the Firebirds for second place. A rally from a 6-5 deficit in the eighth sent the Red Sox to the latest win. Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) had a two-run double to power the rally. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) and Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched a scoreless inning each once Y-D grabbed the lead, with Pall earning his fifth save. The win went to Collin Snider (Vanderbilt), who tossed 2.2 shutout frames after starter Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly) was touched up for six runs – the first runs he had allowed all year. Nolan Brown (TCU) had a home run for the Y-D offense and Corey Dempster (USC) had three hits and two RBI. Orleans got a home run and four RBI from Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) and four hits from Adam Hasely (Virginia).

  • Brewster 2, Chatham 1

    • The Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Chatham. After a string of slugfests, Hunter Martin (Tennessee) gave Brewster a strong start, going six innings and allowing one run. Zac Lowther (Xavier) then rescued the Whitecaps from some trouble in the seventh and went strong to the finish line, going 2.1 hitless innings for the save. Lowther – who has pitched entirely in relief – now leads the league with 28 strikeouts. Brewster got all the offense it needed in the third inning, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) and Nick Dunn (Maryland) coming through with RBI singles. Chatham fell to 11-13, one game ahead of Brewster at 10-14.

    Cotuit 3, Wareham 3

    Wareham took a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, Cotuit tied it in the bottom half and the teams played one more scoreless frame before darkness set in at Lowell Park. Alex Destino (South Carolina) had an RBI single to give Wareham the lead in the ninth before Quinn Brodey (Stanford) came back with an RBI single in the bottom half. Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) followed with a scoreless tenth for the Kettleers and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) did the same for Wareham, leaving the winning run at first base. Brodey had two hits to lead Cotuit, while Robert Metz (George Washington) had three for the Gatemen.

     

    What to Watch

    The only reigning CWS champion on a Cape League roster makes his debut as Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina) starts for Cotuit against Brewster. Bilous had a 4.43 ERA in his freshman campaign and made one start in Omaha.
     

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    New Beginnings

    COT16_vs hya
     
    In the first game of the 2016 Barnstable Patriot Cup series, Hyannis and Cotuit were both mired in 1-7 starts.

    When they meet for the third time tonight, they’ll still be bringing up the rear in the West, but they’ll be feeling better about themselves.

    Hyannis is 10-5 since starting the year 0-7. The Harbor Hawks have quietly emerged as one of the top offenses in the league and are only three points back of third place and five points out of first.

    For Cotuit, things got worse before they got better – the Kettleers were sitting at 1-12 soon after the first rivalry tilt with Hyannis then 2-14, with a string of one-run losses mixed in. Since that point, they’ve won four of their last six while solidifying their pitching and defense.

    And both teams will head into tonight’s game off a victory.

    Hyannis scored all of its runs over the final five innings in a 6-4 win over West-leading Wareham, its second straight victory. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion), Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) and Peter Zyla (Duke) each doubled to lead the offensive attack. Cody Henry (Alabama) added two RBI.

    Held to 13 runs in its 0-7 start, the Harbor Hawk offense has turned the page emphatically. The Harbor Hawks now lead the league in doubles and extra-base hits and rank second in home runs to Brewster.

    Tuesday, the pitching was on target, as well. After a solid start from Mac Sceroler (SE Louisiana), two relievers shut down Wareham in the midst of the late surge by the Hyannis offense. Al Pesto (Duke) earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings and Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) picked up the save.

    In Chatham, Cotuit raced to a 7-0 lead in the middle innings and eased past Chatham to improve to 6-16.

    A.J. Balta (Oregon), who was hitting .185 two games ago, went 4-for-5 with three RBI and is now hitting .257. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) – looking solid in the leadoff spot the last few games – added three hits. Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer) and Clay Fisher (UC Santa Barbara) drove in runs.

    On the mound, the Kettleers continued to succeed with a committee approach. Starter Justin Hooper (UCLA) went 3.1 scoreless innings and Taylor Lehman (Penn State) picked up the win with 2.2 innings of relief. Two more bullpen arms closed the deal, with Alec Byrd (Florida State) striking out the side in the ninth to finish the victory.

     

    Harwich 4, Bourne 2

    Orleans was within a game of first-place Harwich a few days ago, but that may be as close as anybody gets for a while. The Mariners won their third straight and again have a three-game cushion at the top. B.J. Myers (West Virginia) delivered his fourth quality start of the summer, though he missed out on what would have been a league-best fourth straight win when he departed with the game tied 2-2. Joseph Dunand (NC State) hit a two-run homer in the eighth to put the Mariners on top, and Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) closed out the victory with two scoreless innings of relief. Myers has a 0.95 ERA and has gone at least seven innings in all of his starts. Dunand drove in three of Harwich’s four runs, with Ernie Clement (Virginia) plating the other. Pavin Smith (Virginia) had two hits and two runs scored. Connor Wong (Houston) had two hits for Bourne, which lost its third straight.

    Y-D 8, Brewster 6

    The Red Sox gave up three runs in the top of the first inning but that was only the beginning of a slugfest that they eventually won. Y-D moved to 12-10 and is tied with Orleans for second place in the East. Brewster, losers of five straight, fell to 9-13. Y-D scored two runs in the eighth to break a 6-6 tie. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) went 4-for-5 with an RBI to pace the Y-D attack, while Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) and Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) had two hits and two RBI each. Kevin Smith (Maryland) added two hits and two runs scored, and 10 different Red Sox players had at least one hit. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and Bryan Pall (Michigan) grabbed his fourth save. Colby Fitch (Louisville) and Zack Gahagan (North Carolina) homered for Brewster.

    Falmouth 6, Orleans 3

    The Commodores won their second straight and moved within a game of first place in the West. Four runs in the sixth inning were the difference, and three of them came in on one swing. Tristan Gray’s (Rice) three-run homer made it a 5-3 game, and Matt McLaughlin (Kansas) added an RBI single to cap the big inning. Justin Hoyt (Jacksonville State) and Brac Warren (Oregon) had scoreless relief outings in the late innings and Stephen Villines (Kansas) tallied his third save. Joshua Watson (TCU) added an RBI for Falmouth and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) had three hits.

     

    What to Watch

    Alex Eubanks (Clemson), who has tossed six scoreless innings in each of his last two starts, gets the ball for Hyannis in its rivalry matchup with Cotuit, whose starter is TBD. The game is set for 5 p.m. in Cotuit.
     

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    Catching Fire

    Brian Miller had three hits as Orleans won its fourth straight game.
    Brian Miller had three hits as Orleans won its fourth straight game.

     
    All of a sudden, the best team in the league since day one has somebody hot on its tail.

    Harwich lost 4-2 to Chatham for its third straight defeat last night. In the meantime, Orleans shut out Hyannis 4-0 for its fourth straight win. The Firebirds are now just a game back of the Mariners for first place in the East.

    Orleans was 7-8 when its win streak began, and the streak has followed a pretty classic good baseball formula – three runs or fewer allowed in each game, at least nine hits and only two errors total across the four-game stretch.

    The pitching was at its best in Saturday’s win. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge), who has allowed a run or less in each of his four starts, went five strong innings, giving up four hits and striking out three. The bullpen then held up its end of the bargain in dominant fashion. Eli Morgan (Gonzaga), Zach Willeman (Kent State) and Zach Logue (Kentucky) didn’t surrender a hit in teaming up for the final four innings.

    At the plate, Keegan McGovern (Georgia) hit his second home run in the win streak, a pinch-hit solo shot in the eighth. Brian Miller (North Carolina) drove in the other three runs for the Firebirds with a 2-for-5 night. Riley Adams (San Diego), Justin Jones (Georgia State) and Will Golsan (Ole Miss) scored a run apiece.

    Success on the mound and at the plate in the win streak has put Orleans in third place in both team ERA and team batting average – making them the most balanced team in the league by that measure. A few more wins, and the Firebirds could become the best in the league by another measure.

     

    Y-D 3, Falmouth 1

    The Red Sox aren’t far behind Orleans for label of hottest team in the league. They topped Falmouth for their third straight win Saturday, rallying from a 1-0 deficit with a run in the seventh and two in the ninth despite finishing with only four hits. Mikey Diekroeger (Stanford) knocked an RBI single to tie the game in the seventh. In the ninth, Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) delivered an RBI double to plate the go-ahead run. Matthew Whatley’s (Oral Roberts) sacrifice fly made it 3-1, and Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched the bottom of the ninth for his third save. Cal State Fullerton standout Connor Seabold earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief in his Cape League debut. Diekroeger and Toffey had two hits each, the only hits for the Red Sox. Y-D is 10-9, over .500 for the first time this season. Falmouth got a home run from Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and six innings of one-hit, shutout ball from Florida freshman standout Brady Singer before the Red Sox rallied.

    Chatham 4, Harwich 2

    Losers of four straight, Chatham knocked off first-place Harwich with runs in the seventh and eighth innings to break a 2-2 tie. Stuart Fairchild’s (Wake Forest) third hit of the night plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Patrick Mathis (Texas) hit his second home run of the summer in the eighth for a little insurance, and Moises Ceja (UCLA) tossed a scoreless ninth for his third save. That made a winner out of Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh), who struck out five of the 10 batters he faced in 2.2 scoreless frames. Starter Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) also pitched well, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings. Chase Pinder (Clemson) had three hits and an RBI for the Anglers and Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) also knocked in a run. For Harwich, Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out five in 4.2 innings and leads the league in Ks with 26. Austin Filiere (MIT) had two hits and two RBI.

    Bourne 2, Brewster 1

    Bourne stopped a two-game slide and remained in first place in the West with a win over Brewster. An RBI single by Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Mangum, the SEC batting champ, finished 3-for-4, raising his average to .392. Connor Wong (Houston) and David MacKinnon (Hartford) added two hits each. Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt) allowed one run in five innings and left with the game tied. Doug Norman (LSU) earned the win in relief and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) picked up his third save with his fourth consecutive scoreless outing. Brewster got seven strong innings from Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State), who took the hard-luck loss. Nick Dunn (Maryland) had two hits.

    Wareham 3, Cotuit 2

    Friday, Cotuit won a one-run game for the first time in seven tries. Saturday, Wareham returned the favor, dropping the Kettleers to 1-7 in one-run games with a 3-2 victory at Spillane Field. Three runs in the third inning were all the Gatemen needed as three pitchers combined on a solid showing. Ethan Small (Mississippi State) went four scoreless innings for the win and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) escaped trouble in the eighth and tossed a perfect ninth to finish off the win. Colton Shaver (BYU) upped his league-best RBI total to 20 and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) also drove in a run. For Cotuit, Colton Hock (Stanford) allowed two earned runs in six innings. Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) homered and Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had two hits.

    What to Watch

    Today brings the openers in the two-game home-and-home holiday sets. As has been the case throughout the year, Harwich and Brewster looks an intriguing match-up. Two-time Cape League Pitcher of the Week Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) gets the ball for the Mariners today against Brewster’s high-powered offense.

     

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    Meat of the Order

    Colton Shaver hit a three-run homer in Sunday's win and leads the league in RBI.
    Colton Shaver hit a three-run homer in Sunday’s win and leads the league in RBI.

     
    With only two teams left in the College World Series, Cape Cod Baseball League rosters are getting more solidified by the day. So too are batting orders and lineups, and the Wareham Gatemen appear to have come out of the early-season tinkering process with something special.

    In the last two games, the Gatemen have trotted out as their 3-4-5 hitters Alex Destino (South Carolina), Colton Shaver (BYU) and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest). All three had big sophomore seasons at their respective schools. Combined, they batted .327 with 29 home runs.

    And now that they’re actually combined, they’re doing some damage.

    Destino, Shaver and Sheets combined for seven of Wareham’s 13 hits Friday and drove in eight runs as the Gatemen won a 9-8 slugfest over Brewster. The day before, they delivered four hits and three RBI in a victory over Hyannis.

    Wareham is now 8-6-1, good for second place in the West and the third-best record in the league.

    The Whitecaps not been an easy team to out-slug this season – they lead the league in runs scored, home runs and extra-base hits – but Wareham did it after falling behind 3-0. The Gatemen exploded for six runs in the fifth inning and tacked on a few more down the stretch to hold Brewster off.

    After base hits by Jonathan Engelmann (Michigan) and Joey Bartosic (George Washington), the Gatemen got on the board with an RBI single by Cole Freeman (LSU). Then it was the meat of the order’s turn. Destino plated a run with a single, leaving two men on for Shaver. The BYU standout smacked a three-run homer to put his team in front. One pitch later, Sheets made it back-to-back home runs with one of his own.

    Sheets added an RBI double to score Destino in the seventh, and Destino delivered a two-run double in the eighth, which ended up providing the one-run winning margin.

    Robert Garcia (UC Davis) was credited with the win in relief and Jake Walters (Alabama) notched his first save.

    Destino, Shaver and Sheets finished 7-for-13 with four runs scored and the eight RBI. Destino – the latest arrival among the three – is now hitting .480 with four multi-hit games in six starts. Shaver is at .289 with three homers and leads the league in RBI with 15. Sheets is batting .327 with two homers and 12 RBI.

     

    Hyannis 9, Chatham 2

    Hyannis had its best offensive day of the season and paired it with a strong starting pitching performance in a victory over Chatham. The Harbor Hawks’ previous season-high in runs was five. With 13 hits, seven extra-base hits and a pair of home runs, they nearly doubled it. Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico) went deep for the second time this season and Dylan Busby (Florida State) hit his first homer in his third game with the Hawks. Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) added three hits and two RBI. The offense was plenty for John Gavin (Cal State Fullerton), who had an ERA of 11.25 after three tough relief outings but shined in his first start. He allowed just two hits in 6.1 scoreless innings, striking out six. Chatham got two runs off the bullpen but nothing else.

    Bourne 4, Orleans 2

    The Braves kept a hold on first place in the West and sent Orleans to its fourth straight loss. Connor Wong (Houston) hit his second home run and his fifth double while driving in a pair of runs to lead the Braves. Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) and Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State) added two hits apiece. Five Braves pitchers took the hill, with no one going more than 3.1 innings. Brendon Little (North Carolina) struck out six of the seven batters he faced and earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) picked up a save. Orleans got a home run from Adam Haseley (Virginia), his second.

    Y-D 5, Harwich 1

    Y-D topped first-place Harwich for its seventh win in its last 10 games and moved out of the basement in the East. The Red Sox and Orleans are now tied for fourth in the division. The Mariners started two-time CCBL Pitcher of the Week Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall), who had yet to allow a run this season. He gave up three in the early going this time and once he settled in, the Red Sox were in front. Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) had an RBI single in the second as Y-D jumped to a 3-1 lead. A Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) home run and a Mikey Diekroeger (Stanford) RBI doubled added some insurance. Mitch Hart (USC) out-dueled McCarthy, allowing one run on five hits and striking out five in seven innings. Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched two scoreless frames for the save.

    Falmouth 3, Cotuit 2

    The Kettleers have pitched significantly better the last three games, but the improvement has only yielded one win. Falmouth rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the middle innings Sunday and held on for a one-run victory. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) knocked in runs for the Commodores, who scored three despite only two hits. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just an unearned run on two hits in six innings for the win. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) earned the save. Colton Hock (Stanford) went five strong innings for Cotuit and Alec Byrd (Florida State) tossed 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

    What to Watch

    Off-day around the league today. Tuesday, Harwich sends league ERA leader B.J. Myers (West Virginia) to the hill for a battle between first place and second place in the East against Brewster.
     

    Posted on

    Red Sox defending title again

    The Y-D Red Sox celebrate in last year's championship series.
    The Y-D Red Sox celebrate in last year’s championship series.

     
    If they make the playoffs, look out. The Y-D Red Sox haven’t been the best team in the regular season in either of the past two years, but won the Cape League championship both times. Pitching looks like the strength on paper for the incoming Sox.

    Five to Watch

    1. Ricky Thomas
    2. Alex Faedo
    3. Jayson Rose
    4. J.J. Schwarz
    5. Deon Stafford

    Notable

  • Ricky Thomas didn’t have a fantastic freshman season for Fresno State but became one of the Cape’s best pitchers last summer, going 7-0 with a 1.01 ERA. And that was just the beginning for Thomas. Back with the Bulldogs, he’s emerging as one of the top sophomore arms in the nation.

  • Alex Faedo would be a Friday starter just about everywhere, but at Florida, he’s a Sunday starter behind junior stars A.J. Puk and Logan Shore. Despite that, it’s Faedo who leads the team in strikeouts.

  • Mikey Diekroeger is following in the footsteps of brothers Kenny and Danny at Stanford and will follow Danny to the Cape. While Kenny was on a Y-D roster, he never actually played on the Cape. Danny played briefly for Y-D in 2012 and for Cotuit in 2013.

  • Barnstable native Will Toffey will be back for his second summer with Y-D. After a late arrival last year, the Vanderbilt infielder hit .136 in 15 games for the Red Sox.

  • Quite a collection of catchers on the Y-D roster — Florida star J.J. Schwarz, A-10 Player of the Year Deon Stafford of St. Joseph’s and Oral Roberts standout Matt Whatley. While Schwarz has the best credentials, Stafford had the best season with a .400 batting average and 17 homers.

  • Florida was the No. 1 team in the nation for much of the season and is still top five. If the Gators make Omaha, the Red Sox will have a few holes, with Faedo, Schwarz and shortstop Dalton Guthrie all on the roster.

  • The Red Sox could end up with an all-TCU outfield. Three of the four listed on the roster call Fort Worth home.

  • Y-D has welcomed in big-time arms from Cal State Fullerton the last two years — Phil Bickford in 2014 and Chad Hockin last year. Connor Seabold may fit the bill this year, with his 90 strikeouts in just 76.2 innings pitched.

    • PITCHERS

    Michael Baumann – SO – Jacksonville – 2015 Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year had 4.31 ERA this year, fanned 67
    Sam Delaplane – JR – Eastern Michigan – Saved three games and struck out a batter an inning out of Eagles’ bullpen
    Alex Faedo – SO – Florida – Sidekick to stars A.J. Puk & Logan Shore great in his own right with 102 Ks, 3.58 ERA
    Cre Finfrock – SO – Central Florida – Notched a team-high 70 strikeouts as weekend starter
    Mitch Hart – SO – USC – Freshman All-American struggled in sophomore campaign, with ERA over seven
    Jake Higginbotham – FR – Clemson – 27th-round pick out of high school has 4.59 ERA as starter for Tigers
    Oliver Jaskie – SO – Michigan – Moved into weekend rotation and went 7-3 with 3.36 ERA, 55 Ks
    William Montgomerie – SO – Connecticut – Emerged as reliable weekend arm with 2.86 ERA, 78 Ks
    Bryan Pall – SO – Michigan – Three saves, 26 strikeouts in 26 innings as Wolverine reliever
    Jayson Rose – SO – Utah – One of the top starters in Pac-12 is 8-5 with 2.46 ERA, 96 Ks in 95 IP
    Connor Seabold – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Mostly a starter, has racked up 90 Ks and only seven walks in 76.2 IP
    Collin Snider – SO – Vanderbilt – Standout reliever for Commodores has 2.57 ERA, 30 Ks
    Ricky Thomas – SO – Fresno State – Breakout star in CCBL last year dominant for Bulldogs with 2.16 ERA, 108 Ks
    Erich Uelmen – SO – Cal Poly – Solid weekend starter posted 3.76 ERA, 66Ks

    CATCHERS

    JJ Schwarz – SO – Florida – Frosh star has had a bit of a sophomore slump but still hitting .290 with six homers
    Deon Stafford – SO – Saint Joseph’s – A-10 Player of the Year batted .400 with 17 homers this spring
    Matt Whatley – SO – Oral Roberts – Reigning Summit League Newcomer of Year stayed hot at .354, 7 HRs

    INFIELDERS

    Wade Bailey – SO – Georgia Tech – After solid debut last year, hitting .314 with four HRs this season
    Mikey Diekroeger – SO – Stanford – Hitting only .216 but second on team in extra-base hits
    Dalton Guthrie – SO – Florida – Leadoff man and SS for preseason favorite Gators, hitting .323
    Coco Montes – FR – South Florida – Full-time starter as frosh, hitting .221 with two home runs
    Kevin Smith – SO – Maryland – Starting SS since day one hitting .267 with eight homers this season
    Will Toffey – SO – Vanderbilt – Barnstable native hitting .234 with 19 RBI in sophomore season

    OUTFIELDERS

    Nolan Brown – SR – TCU – Poised to be Frogs’ leadoff hitter but injury sent him to redshirt year
    Ryan Johnson – FR – TCU – Hitting .214 in limited action off Horned Frogs’ bench
    Luke Miller – FR – Indiana – Indiana HS star off to strong start with Hoosiers, hitting .283 with 13 XBH
    Connor Wanhanen – SO – TCU – Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 hitting .247 this season