Young talent leads Commodores

Falmouth missed the playoffs last season but has a talented team ready for a return trip.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Luken Baker
2. Brady Puckett
3. J.J. Matijevic
4. Bryce Montes de Oca
5. Brady Singer

NOTABLE

The Falmouth roster no longer includes the guy who stole all the headlines in the preseason. Missouri State All-American Jake Burger is on the Team USA roster. But there’s plenty of talent left . . .

A late addition who stands as a good replacement for Burger is TCU freshman Luken Baker. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year came in highly touted and has been a force at the plate and on the mound. He’s also at his best right now, coming off four home runs in the Big 12 Tournament.

Baker is one of 12 freshmen on the roster – a high number – but there’s quite a pedigree for a lot of them. Florida’s Brady Singer was the highest unsigned high school pick in the draft last year, Tyler Holton and Cole Sands grabbed spots in the Florida State rotation right off the bat, and Josh Watson leads a powerful TCU team in home runs.

The Commodores will have some veterans to lean on around the youth. J.J. Matijevic was a breakout star for the Commodores last summer and is one of the few returning Cape League all-stars. Stephen Villines and Evan Skoug are also slated to be back after a good summer.

Brady Puckett, who’s penciled in as the opening night starter for the Commodores, had a fantastic sophomore season en route to Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year honors. He’s also 6-foot-8.

Cadyn Grenier didn’t have a great first season at Oregon State but has the credentials. He was a 21st-round pick who was mentioned as a possible first-round pick last year.

Dallas Baptist continued its emergence as a baseball power this year and will send three players to Falmouth.

In addition to Baker’s success at TCU, Falmouth has Skoug and Watson hitting in the middle of the Frogs’ order.

Missouri’s Bryce Montes de Oca, another 6-foot-8 pitcher, lit up the radar gun last summer as he continued a comeback after Tommy John surgery in high school. Unfortunately, he was shut down after .1 inning this year and had surgery, but this indicates he starts rehab in June, so he may still pitch for Falmouth.

PITCHERS

Jake Bird – SO – UCLA – Had solid freshman season before struggling to ERA over six this season
Seth Elledge – FR – Dallas Baptist – One of the nation’s leaders in saves, racked up 14 with 1.61 ERA, 31 Ks in 28 innings
Glenn Otto – SO – Rice – Busy reliever for Owls tallied eight saves and struck out 76 in 71.2 innings
Brett Gilchrist – FR – Dallas Baptist – Two-sport standout struggled in first year with DBU, finishing with 14.54 ERA in 10 appearances
Tyler Holton – FR – Florida State – Two-way player having more luck on mound in first year, with 2.92 ERA, team-best 78 Ks
Cole Sands – FR – Florida State – Went 6-6 with 4.21 ERA in weekend rotation for Seminoles, striking out 46 in 66.1 innings
Tyler Jones – SO – Wichita State – Pitched out of the bullpen for Shockers, finishing with 6.18 ERa, 35 Ks in 39.1 innings
Turner Larkins – SO – Texas A&M – Working as a starter and reliever for Aggies, has 2.82 ERA, 35 Ks in in 38.1 innings
Brady Singer – FR – Florida – Highest unsigned high school pick in the 2015 draft, has 4.95 ERA in relief for Gators
Corbin Martin – SO – Texas A&M – Has struck out 33 in in 26.1 innings pitched out of bullpen for Super Regional-bound Aggies
Stephen Villines – SO – Kansas – Standout closer for Jayhawks and Falmouth last summer had 5 SV, 2.13 ERA this year
Bryce Montes de Oca – SO – Missouri – Flamethrower who flashed potential with ‘Dores last year pitched just .1 inning this year
Kyle Nelson – SO – UC Santa Barbara – Standout reliever on Gauchos’ first-ever Super Regional squad has 2.08 ERA, 84 Ks in 69.1 IP
Thomas Ponticelli – FR – San Francisco – Grabbed Saturday starter role as a freshman and finished with 5.94 ERA with 44 Ks
Brady Puckett – SO – Lipscomb – Six-foot-eight righty earned A-Sun Pitcher of the Year after going 9-2, 2.93 ERA, 101 Ks in 107.2 IP
Bo Tucker – SO – Georgia – Posted 3.71 ERA and three saves while striking out a batter an inning out of Georgia bullpen

CATCHERS

Matt Duce – FR – Dallas Baptist – Delivered strong debut for regional club, batting .321 with 4 HR, 30 RBI
J.J. Matijevic – SO – Arizona – Finished third in Cape League in AVG last year and batted .289 with 4 HR in sophomore season
Evan Skoug – SO – TCU – Major run producer for Frogs batting .290 with 9 HR, 50 RBI, team-best 30 XBH

INFIELDERS

Luken Baker – FR – TCU – Projected as one of the top frosh in the nation and hasn’t disappointed — .382 with 8 HR, 54 RBI plus 1.70 ERA
Tristan Gray – SO – Rice – Returning Commodore hit .295 with five homers for Owls this spring
Dane Myers – SO – Rice – Also a pitcher, hit .264 with two home runs and saved seven games out of Owls bullpen
Cadyn Grenier – FR – Oregon State – Highly touted freshman struggled a bit in debut, hitting .240
Deacon Liput – FR – Florida – 39th round pick out of high school has started all but one game for Gators and is hitting .277 with 13 SBs
Matt McLaughlin – SO – Kansas – Started every game for Jayhawks and hit .256 with two homers

OUTFIELDERS

Ryan Chandler – SO – Rice – Reigning CUSA Freshman of the Year followed with .270 sophomore season, adding 2 HRs, 20 RBI
Michael Gigliotti – SO – Lipscomb – Hit .302 and stole 15 bases a year after strong debut season with Lipscomb
Trevor Larnach – FR – Oregon State – Scuffled with the bat in first season in Corvallis, finishing with average under .200
Josh Watson – FR – TCU – Hitting .282 and leading the Horned Frogs in home runs with 11 in first season

June 27, 2015June 27, 2015

Coasting

Jacob Noll had three hits Friday and leads the league in batting average.

It’s been a quite start to the summer for Florida Gulf Coast players in Hyannis uniforms. Last week, Devin Smeltzer tossed a no-hitter. And last night, Jacob Noll . . . well, he just pretty much did what he’s been doing since the day he arrived at McKeon Park.

The rising junior went 3-for-4 as Hyannis beat Chatham 5-2 Friday night at Veterans Field. It was the 11th game – in his 12 games as a Harbor Hawks – that he’s had at least one hit, and his sixth multi-hit game. Noll leads the league in hitting with a .432 average, RBI with 11, doubles with seven and is tied for the lead in hits with 19. His seven doubles also rank him second in extra-base hits.

Noll’s success has helped Hyannis stay at the top of the West since week one, with the second-best team batting average in the league. Friday’s win moved the Harbor Hawks to 10-6.

Chatham had won three in a row – including a doubleheader sweep over Hyannis – but the Harbor Hawks got their revenge by rallying from a 2-0 deficit with one in the sixth and four in the seventh. JaVon Shelby (Kentucky) had an RBI single to start the comeback, Jake Rogers (Tulane) had an RBI double to tie it, Austin Hays (Jacksonville) knocked an RBI single to plate the go-ahead run and Noll smacked a two-run double to finish things off.

The comeback made a winner out of Marc Skinner (Troy), who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

As for Noll, it was another big performance, and it upped his batting average .32 points from the already-pretty-good mark of, you know, .400.

Noll has a track record of hitting and hitting a lot. As a redshirt freshman at Florida Gulf Coast, he batted .367 and was second in the nation in hits – behind former Cape League MVP Max Pentecost. Last summer, he batted .316 in the Northwoods League and checked in at 32nd on the league’s top prospects list. This spring, he was right on target again, hitting .348 and stealing 15 bases for good measure.

And now it’s another league, another big year for Noll.

Orleans 6, Falmouth 1

Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) tossed five strong innings and Kyle Lewis (Mercer) homered for the fourth time as Orleans bounced back from a loss to Chatham with a 6-1 victory over the Commodores. Serrano, who two years ago was ranked among the best pitchers in the nation out of high school, continued a solid start to his Cape League career, allowing one run in five innings for his third win in as many tries. He struck out two and allowed three hits. He hasn’t allowed more than three hits in any start yet. The bullpen finished the job in style Friday, with Parker Bean (Liberty) going two hitless frames and Jared Price (Maryland) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) each striking out the side in one inning of work. Lewis went 2-for-3, and his two-run homer in the top of the first inning set Orleans on the path to a win. Lewis is now tied with his Team USA-departed teammate Bobby Dalbec for the league lead in homers. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) added two hits and two RBI for the Firebirds and Reggie Southall (USC) scored three runs. Falmouth starter Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri), the 6-8 hard-throwing righty, allowed only three hits but walked six.

Y-D 5, Harwich 0

Shane Bieber (UC Santa Barbara) came through with one of the league’s best starts this summer as Y-D shut out Harwich for its fourth straight win. Bieber scattered four hits, struck out six and walked only one in 7.2 innings. Bieber was making his second start coming off a terrific year with Santa Barbara, where he teamed with former Y-D standout Justin Jacome. Doug Willey (Franklin Pierce) finished up the shutout. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) had a sac fly in the first and a two-run single in the seventh, giving the Red Sox most of their offense. Luke Bonfield (Arkansas) added two hits and an RBI, while Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) had three hits and two runs scored from the top of the lineup. The win streak has put Y-D just one game under .500.

Wareham 4, Cotuit 3

The Gatemen scored two in the top of the ninth to win their second straight and send Cotuit to its seventh consecutive loss. The Kettleers led 3-0 after two innings, but Wareham chipped away then broke through in the ninth on a Jay Jabs (Frankin Pierce) sacrifice fly and a passed ball that allowed Connor Beck (TCU) to score the go-ahead run. Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy) shut down Cotuit in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the win. David MacKinnon (Hartford) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Gatemen attack. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) went 1-for-3 for Cotuit, resuming an on-base streak that had been snapped at 12 games the night before. Paez leads the league in on-base percentage at .528.

Brewster 7, Bourne 2

Brewster’s offense had gone a little quiet in the days since a 16-run outburst against Cotuit, but it was back on track in a six-run fifth inning Friday that powered a 7-2 win over the Braves. Colin Lyman (Louisville) had two hits and two RBI, while Nick Senzel (Tennessee) had a double and two RBI, giving him a league-best eight extra-base hits. The Whitecaps finished with nine hits and now lead the league in team batting average. Jacob Jenkins (Pacific) allowed one run in five innings for the second time this summer and grabbed his first win.

What to Watch

Devin Smeltzer will be on the hill for the first time since his no-hitter when Hyannis hosts Bourne. He’ll face a worthy challenger in Notre Dame’s Ryan Smoyer, the top prospect in the Northwoods League last summer. Smoyer has a 4.32 ERA so far this summer.

June 26, 2015June 26, 2015

Knocking on the Door

Parker Dunshee, pictured on the mound earlier this season, didn't pitch Thursday but scored the go-ahead run as a pinch-runner in the 10th. — Parker Dunshee, pictured on the mound earlier this season, didn’t pitch Thursday but scored the go-ahead run as a pinch-runner in the 10th.

Coming into Thursday’s game with Chatham, Orleans had won five straight games over its East Division brethren, but most of those wins came against the last-place Y-D Red Sox. In 14 games, the Firebirds had played the Red Sox four times..

Chatham finally got a crack at the Firebirds Thursday – the first meeting of the year between the rivals – and the Anglers served notice that the East may yet put up a fight. The Anglers won a terrific pitchers duel 2-1 in 10 innings for its third straight win, and moved within two points of first-place Orleans in the East standings. The Firebirds are 10-4 while Chatham is now 9-5.

Chatham’s T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) and Orleans’ Eric Lauer (Kent State) were as good as advertised in their part of the duel. Each allowed just one hit in six innings of work, though Chatham did manage an unearned run off Lauer. Zeuch struck out five and kept his season ERA at 0.00. Lauer fanned six, with the only run scoring in the third on an error.

Neither starter factored in the decision, after Chatham’s lead was erased in the seventh when Kyle Lewis (Tennessee) tripled and scored on a groundout by Jeremy Martinez (USC).

After two scoreless innings, Chatham manufactured a run in the top of the 10th. Will Craig (Wake Forest) walked and his college teammate Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) – a pitcher – pinch-ran for him at first. A sac bunt moved him to second and he tagged up on a fly ball to get to third. He then raced home on a wild pitch with the go-ahead run. Not bad for a pitcher.

Andre Scrubb (High Point) came on for the bottom of the 10th and worked around a two-out walk for his fifth consecutive scoreless outing and his fourth save.

Hyannis 2, Cotuit 1

Hyannis bounced back from three straight losses in dramatic fashion, walking off with a 2-1 win over Cotuit to move to 3-0 against the Kettleers this season. The Harbor Hawks led 1-0 from the second inning on and got a dominant start from Nick Deeg (Central Michigan), who struck out six in eight innings and now leads the league in Ks. But Cotuit touched him up for a run in the seventh to tie the game, which set up the Harbor Hawks’ late heroics. In the bottom of the ninth, Ben DeLuzio (Florida) singled on a 1-2 pitch with two outs, and Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) scampered in from third with the winning run. Thomas Burrows (Alabama) got the win in relief. Noll had two hits, including a single to start the ninth and pushed his league-best batting average to .400. For Cotuit, Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) struck out five and allowed just a run in 5.2 innings. Cotuit fell to 4-11 while Hyannis upped its record to 9-6.

What to Watch

Orleans may find itself in another pitchers duel as it visits Falmouth tonight. Kyle Serrano (Tennessee), who struck out eight in five innings in his last start, goes for the Firebirds against Falmouth’s Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri), who has struck out 13 in 11.1 innings.

June 20, 2015June 20, 2015

Still Hot

It could have been a rough day for the Orleans Firebirds. Friday’s game was their first without a trio of early standouts who departed for Team USA. The club also released three pitchers with ace potential who are currently in Omaha and who have also earned Team USA invites.

But on the field, the Firebirds just kept rolling. Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) struck out eight in five innings and six different players had hits as Orleans beat Harwich 5-1 at Whitehouse Field. It was the fifth straight victory for the Firebirds, who moved to 8-2 and overtook Hyannis for the best record in the league.

It was an impressive first act as a new-look squad, considering what Orleans lost. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) was hitting .310 and leading the league with four home runs and nine RBI. Bryson Brigman (San Diego) was leading the league in hitting at .385, and Colby Woodmansee (Arizona State) was batting .348 while manning shortstop. In Wednesday’s game, their last in Orleans, that trio combined for four hits, three RBI and two runs scored. They may return to Orleans, since Team USA has a short tour this summer, but their departures are still a big blow for now. And that’s not even counting the trio of pitchers who showed up on the transactions list yesterday. Logan Shore and A.J. Puk of Florida and Connor Jones of Virginia all had the potential of being the best arms on the Cape.

Clearly, though, Orleans – like any CCBL team this time of year – will focus on what it still has. And it was pretty good Friday night.

Serrano turned in his second solid start of the summer, allowing one run on three hits in five innings and striking out eight. Chandler Blanchard (Pepperdine) followed with two scoreless frames and Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) chipped in one inning each.

At the plate, the Firebirds had only one more hit than the Mariners but took advantage of them with a four-run fourth inning and another run in the sixth. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) went 1-for-3 with two RBI and Adam Pate (North Carolina) had an RBI. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) went 1-for-4 with a double.

It was enough for the Firebirds to stay hot, even on a rough day.

Brewster 4, Y-D 3

The Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, tying the game in the ninth and walking off with a 4-3 win over the Red Sox in the 10th. Tyler Ramirez (North Carolina) drew a bases-loaded walk to plate the winning run, after the Whitecaps had loaded the bases with two walks and a single. Brewster also trailed 3-2 in the ninth when a sacrifice fly by Eli White (Clemson) from the No. 9 spot in the order tied the game at 3-3. Colin Lyman (Louisville) and Brandon Gold (Georgia Tech) also knocked in runs for the Whitecaps. Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) kept the Whitecaps in reach as they rallied, tossing two scoreless innings of relief for the win. The win bumped Brewster ahead of Y-D in the standings at 4-6. The Red Sox fell to 3-7 with their third straight loss. Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) was again a bright spot for Y-D, going 3-for-5 for the third consecutive game.

Chatham 4, Cotuit 1

Every run was scored in the seventh inning, and Chatham tallied a few more on its way to a second straight victory and a spot in second place in the East. With the Anglers trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Zack Short (Sacred Heart) and Aaron Knapp (California) had RBI singles, and Will Craig (Wake Forest) came off the bench for a pinch-hit, two-run single. The rally made a winner out of reliever C.J. Burdick (San Diego) who allowed one run in 1.2 innings. Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) picked up the save. Though he did not factor in the decision, starter Jesse Adams (Boston College) pitched six scoreless innings for the Anglers. Cotuit’s Austin Sexton (Mississippi State) allowed two runs in 6.1 innings, both of which scored after he departed in the seventh. Jackson Klein (Stanford) homered for the Kettleers, who fell to 4-6.

Bourne 4, Hyannis 2

The Braves only picked up their first win Tuesday – seven games into the season – but haven’t lost since. Friday, they knocked off first-place Hyannis, handing the Harbor Hawks their second straight defeat. Bourne starter Alex Robles (Austin Peay) gave up two runs on three hits in the top of the first inning but settled in and allowed just three more hits and no runs over the final five innings. Nick Solak (Louisville) – who arrived for the first win and now hasn’t lost in a Braves uniform – broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run triple in the seventh. Corey Julks (Houston) also knocked in a run. Cody Sedlock (Illinois) got the win in relief and Austin Conway (Indiana State) picked up his first save.

Falmouth 6, Wareham 4

Falmouth smacked 13 hits and broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth on its way to a victory over Wareham. Caleb Hamilton (Oregon State) and Tristan Gray (Rice) knocked in the runs in the eighth. Mitch Longo (Ohio) paced the offense with three hits and an RBI. Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri) made his first start after two dominant relief stints and gave up one run on one hit in five innings of work. He struck out one. Morgan Earman (Arizona) earned the win out of the pen and Stephen Villines (Kansas) got the save.

What to Watch

Hyannis will try to get back on track as it visits Harwich. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast), who struck out nine in his first start, gets the ball for the Harbor Hawks. Cory Wilder, who had a 3.50 ERA in NC State’s weekend rotation this spring, will start for the Mariners.

June 19, 2015June 19, 2015

Delayed Gratification

Nate Mondou and Chatham moved to 5-4 with a shutout of Brewster.

The Chatham Anglers were shut-out the last time they played Brewster, on June 11. They had a chance to return the favor the next night but their rematch at Veterans Field was fogged out.

A week later, there was no fog to stop the makeup game and nothing to hold down the delayed payback. Three pitchers combined on a shutout and Chatham made a first-inning run stand up in a 1-0 victory over the Whitecaps in the Cape League’s only game Thursday night.

Todd Czinege (Villanova) hit the home run, his first extra-base hit in four games this summer. His solo shot came with one out in the first, on a 1-2 pitch no less. Brewster starter Jacob Jenkins (Pacific) allowed just one other hit in five innings and Hansen Butler (North Carolina) followed with three scoreless frames, but Chatham’s 1-0 lead held up.

T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) struck out six and scattered five hits in five scoreless innings. He picked up his second win and maintained his 0.00 ERA. Brandon Miller (Millersville) followed with three dominant innings of relief, striking out five and allowing one hit. Andre Scrubb (High Point) struck out the side around a two-out single in the ninth for the save.

Brewster lost for the sixth straight time – since that June 11 win over Chatham – and is 3-6. The Anglers moved to 5-4.

What to Watch

It looks like a good pitching match-up when Falmouth visits Wareham tonight at Spillane Field. Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri) is set to make his first start for Falmouth after two dominant relief outings. The 6’7, 265-pound flamethrower has an interesting story and seems poised for a breakout summer. Wareham will start Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona), who follows in the footsteps of Pomona teammate Cody Ponce on the Cape. Ponce shined for Brewster last summer and was a second-round pick in June. Olson actually had some better numbers than Ponce this spring, going 12-0 with a 1.73 ERA and a team-best 92 strikeouts.

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.