Red Hot Return

Gio Brusa is riding an 11-game hit streak for Y-D, who has won four in a row.

Baseball America listed Gio Brusa (Pacific) as the Cape League’s fourth-best prospect last summer. The other players in the top five all were selected among the first 73 picks in the 2015 draft. Brusa was selected with pick number 701, in the 23rd round. The 6’3, 225-pound outfielder was coming off an injury-hampered junior season and he had reportedly indicated to teams before the draft that he was leaning toward a return to Pacific.

With another year of college ahead, Brusa headed for the Cape and hooked on with the Y-D Red Sox, after spending last summer in Brewster. He got off to a shaky start, going 3-for-23 out of the gates, but since then, he has looked the part of the guy who kept good prospect company last year.

Brusa is on an 11-game hitting streak and hit his fifth home run in that span last night as Y-D beat Harwich 5-3. Brusa is now hitting .277, is tied for the league lead in home runs with five and ranks sixth in the league in RBI with 14.

Again, he has done essentially all of this in 11 games.

Brusa’s hot streak has helped the Red Sox find their footing, too. Tuesday’s win was their fourth in a row. They’re 7-4 in the month of July and have moved one game over .500 at 15-14.

Tuesday, they were tied with Harwich 1-1 before Brusa’s three-run homer powered a four-run fifth inning.

Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Tommy Edman (Stanford) added two hits and an RBI each. Edman is on a hot streak of his own, with hits in nine straight games.

Stater Brett Adcock (Michigan) allowed two runs in 4.2 innings before a strong showing by the Y-D bullpen. Dalton Lehnen (Cincinnati) got the win in relief and Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt) picked up his first save. Bowden, a late arrival after Vandy’s run in Omaha, has struck out 12 in 6.1 scoreless innings this summer.

Y-D is now tied with Brewster for third place in the East and only one game back of Chatham for second. With Brusa streaking toward a second straight all-star summer, the defending champion Red Sox may be primed for another run.

Brewster 6, Chatham 0

Alec Rash (Missouri) delivered perhaps the best performance of his college and Cape League career as Brewster shut out Chatham. Rash, a former second-round pick of the Phillies that has struggled at Missouri, tossed six innings of one-hit ball against the Anglers. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. Three relievers followed him to the hill and finished off the shutout, as Chatham managed just three hits. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) led the Brewster offense with two hits and two RBI. League batting and RBI leader Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 1-for-5 and knocked in his 19th run. J.C. Escarra (Florida International) and Ryan Peurifoy (Georgia Tech) also had RBI. Brewster is now just one game back of Chatham for second place in the East.

Hyannis 5, Falmouth 2

The Harbor Hawks stopped Falmouth’s four-game winning streak and upped their West division lead to four games with a 5-2 victory. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) delivered his best start since his no-hitter last month, giving up one earned run and striking out five in 6.2 innings of work. Aaron Civale (Northeastern) notched his third save in relief of Smeltzer. Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Hyannis attack. Austin Hays (Jacksonville) homered, while Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) and Arden Pabst (Georgia Tech) had two hits each.

Orleans 8, Wareham 2

East-leading Orleans also gained a little more distance, pushing its lead to five games with a win over Wareham and a Chatham loss. Eric Lauer (Kent State), who’s doing his best to keep up with teammate Mitchell Jordan, struck out nine and gave up one run on two hits in five innings of work. Lauer is now second in the league in strikeouts to Jordan with 39 and fifth in ERA with a 1.45 mark. Catcher Sean Murphy (Wright State) went 3-for-5 for the second time in four games, raising his average to .235 and continuing his emergence as another big bat in the powerful Firebirds lineup. Bryson Brigman (San Diego) added two RBI.

Cotuit 3, Bourne 1

The Kettleers moved within two games of second-place Bourne in the tightly-packed West standings with a 3-1 win over the Braves. Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt) had two hits, a home run and an RBI, giving him six hits in five games since his late arrival. Brett Stephens (UCLA) added two hits. Matthew Milburn (Wofford) allowed just an unearned run in 5.2 innings for the win. Justin Dunn (Boston College) tallied his fourth save.

What to Watch

Daulton Jefferies (California), who had a 2.57 ERA with Team USA, makes his return to Wareham as the Gatemen visit Chatham tonight.

July 14, 2015July 14, 2015

The Next Wave

Former Harwich Mariner D.J. Lemahieu is one of eight Cape League alumni set for their first MLB All-Star Game.

The Cape Cod Baseball League has 15 alumni in the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, six more than it had last year. As top prospects continue to take the bigs by storm, that all-star number is a sign that there’s a new wave of Cape Cod talent in the majors, too.

Eight of the Cape’s All-Stars are first-time participants, bolstering the league’s ranks in MLB stardom. Chris Sale and Buster Posey had taken the torch in recent years from the Evan Longorias and Chase Utleys of the world. Now, players like Dallas Keuchel, Kris Bryant, D.J. LeMahieu and Brandon Crawford are joining them. It’s also the first All-Star Game for Yasmani Grandal, Brad Boxberger, Joe Panik and former Cape League MVP A.J. Pollock.

Keuchel, who had a 3.20 ERA for Wareham in 2007 and a 2.63 ERA in 2008, will start on the mound for the American League. The Houston Astro is 11-4 with a 2.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts on the year.

Todd Frazier is making his second All-Star appearance, but you could put the former Chatham A in the same up-and-coming category. Frazier won the Home Run Derby in style Monday and will represent the hometown Reds in the starting lineup.

Jason Kipnis and Josh Donaldson are also making their second appearances.

While the MLB season is at its halfway point, the Cape League season is about two-third of the way over. As has been the case for a while now, the most lasting team impression continues to belong to the Orleans Firebirds. At 20-8, they have the best record in the league by four games and are playing .714 baseball. If they continue at that pace, they’ll go 31-13, which would be the best mark in the league since a dominant Y-D team went 31-12-1 and won its second consecutive Cape League title.

While the return of Bobby Dalbec and Bryson Brigman from Team USA makes Orleans even stronger, it’s pitching that may really carry the day for the Firebirds. They lead the league in team ERA at 2.08 and starting pitchers Mitchell Jordan, Eric Lauer, Kyle Serrano and Corbin Burnes sure look like the league’s best starting rotation.

Orleans’ Dalbec and Kyle Lewis are tied for the league lead in home runs with five each. Interestingly, that’s not all that rare of a feat at the end of a season. In 2014, Chatham’s Chris Shaw ranked first and teammate A.J. Murray was tied for second. In 2013, Falmouth’s Casey Gillaspie led the way and Rhys Hoskins was tied for second.

Cape leaderboards are often populated by guys who get off to quick starts, even when they slow down a little. It’s always easy to miss those who have heated up more recently, like Y-D’s Tommy Edman and Falmouth’s Heath Quinn. Edman, a star in the NECBL last year, was hitting .208 a week into the Cape season but has seen his average rise steadily upward. He’s now batting .325, good for fifth in the league. And the bat is just a bonus – he has made only one error while playing mostly second base for the Red Sox. Quinn, who was at .23 after a week, is now hitting .317 with seven extra-base hits.

Wareham’s Andrew Calica is approaching the minimum number of plate appearances per team game to qualify for the league batting average leaderboard. If he stays anywhere near his current pace, he’ll take that list by storm. Since making his debut June 23 — two weeks into the season — Calica is hitting .469 in 15 games and has delivered nine multi-hit games.

Stat-line that I haven’t had a chance to focus on anywhere else: Harwich’s Cavan Biggio has reached base in 20 of the 22 games he’s played. He has a .420 on-base percentage.

Also very good at getting on base? Chatham’s Will Craig, who has a .390 on-base percentage despite a .208 average. He has drawn a league-best 20 walks.

Virginia Tech must have had one heck of a bullpen this spring. Hokies Luke Scherzer and Aaron McGarity rank first and third in the league in saves, while teammate Kit Scheetz leads the league in appearances and has a 2.46 ERA for Orleans.

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 18, 2015June 18, 2015

Joining the Club

Charlie Warren, pictured last summer, scored a run as Wareham beat Hyannis Wednesday.

Some statistics lie. Others tell a pretty good story. Runs scored and runs allowed can generally be counted among the more reliable. They tend to have a direct impact on the columns that accompany them in the standings – wins and losses.

A quick glance at those numbers in the Cape League standings shows three teams that should be above everybody else. Orleans, Hyannis and Wareham have all scored 44 runs, best in the league. They have all allowed 30 or under, with run differentials of at least 14. No one else in the league has a differential better than five.

And yet, only two of those teams are above everybody else where it counts. Hyannis and Orleans are 7-2. Wareham is 4-5.

The Gatemen have been the victims of two 1-0 losses and a game they lost in which they scored 11 runs. They have found some unique ways to lose.

Wednesday night, they were happy to find a unique way to win. Taking full advantage of four Hyannis errors, the Gatemen scored five unearned runs off potential Harbor Hawks ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) and won 7-0 over the previously red-hot Harbor Hawks.

Hyannis had won five in a row since its only loss, which incidentally came at the hands of the Gatemen in the first week of the season. Wareham had lost four in a row heading into Wednesday.

The Gatemen began capitalizing in the second inning. Deeg’s own error on a sacrifice bunt attempt came back to hurt when the Gatemen pushed three runs across on the extra out. Jarett Rindfleisch (Ball State) had a sacrifice fly and Mark Karaviotis (Oregon) brought in two runs with a two-out single.

An error on a stolen base attempt and another on a ground ball allowed two runs to score in the fifth. Andrew Knizner (NC State) had a two-run double in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Hyannis never got back into the game, as three Wareham pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout. Bailey Clark (Duke) went five innings for the win, Daulton Jefferies (California) allowed one hit in three innings and Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy) pitched a scoreless ninth.

Wareham’s losing skid was over. And for one night at least, the Gatemen were right where the numbers say they should be.

Bourne 4, Falmouth 3

Winless until Tuesday, Bourne has now won two straight after a dramatic 4-3 victory over Falmouth last night. The Braves trailed 3-1, tied it with two in the sixth and won it in the bottom of the ninth when Mike Garzillo (Lehigh) raced home with the winning run on a passed ball. Garzillo had singled to start the inning. The walk-off passed ball came with two outs and the bases loaded. Garzillo had previoulsy tied the game in the sixth with an RBI double. Charles Galiano (Fordham) also had an RBI double in that frame. Bryan Baker (North Florida), who pitched the final two innings in relief, picked up the win.

Harwich 4, Chatham 0

Harwich won for a second consecutive night over the Anglers, and this one was even more impressive than the first. Geoff Bramblett (Alabama) tossed 6.1 innings of two-hit ball and the Mariners had a steady night at the dish for the 4-0 win. Bramblett, who improved to 2-0, gave up just two singles – one of the infield variety – and struck out six. Anthony Ciavarella (Monmouth) and Williams Durruthy (Florida International) finished off the shutout. Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, continuing a strong start to his second summer in Harwich. He hit .203 last year but is at .360 so far this year as he rides a four-game hitting streak. Connor Justus (Georgia Tech) also had two hits and an RBI. Harwich has won three straight and is 5-3-1, good for second place in the East behind Orleans.

Orleans 6, Y-D 5

Orleans won its fourth in a row and matched Hyannis for the league’s best record with a victory over Y-D. The Firebirds got three hits and an RBI from Bryson Brigman (San Diego). Kyle Lewis (Mercer) added two hits and two runs scored. Eric Lauer (Kent State), who had gone five scoreless in his first start, allowed two runs in five innings this time in moving to 2-0. Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) had three hits and three RBI for Y-D, which scored three runs in the ninth to get within one before Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) wiggled out of trouble for the save.

Cotuit 4, Brewster 3

The Whitecaps dropped their fifth straight since a 3-0 start as Cotuit scored a run in the eighth for the narrow margin. An RBI single by Jackson Klein (Stanford) brought in the go-ahead run. Cotuit also got two RBI from Brody Weiss (Riverside CC). Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) earned the win with four strong innings of relief. After Brewster scored a run in the top of the eighth – and his team answered – Woodcock worked a perfect ninth to finish off the win.

What to Watch

Just one game on tap today, a make-up of the fogged-out match-up between Chatham and Brewster. The Anglers will have T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) on the hill for his second start. He went 5.2 innings without giving up an earned run in his first start. Brewster counters with Jacob Jenkins (Pacific), who will be making his first appearance.

June 17, 2015June 17, 2015

Lending a hand

Corey Julks and his Bourne teammates got a little help Tuesday night.

The Bourne Braves would have broken the spell at some point, but I’m sure they didn’t mind welcoming a few reinforcements to help the cause Tuesday night. Two players making their season debut knocked in both runs and a pitcher making his first appearance slammed the door in relief as the Braves picked up their first win of the season 4-2 over Brewster.

Bourne had played the first week of the season with only about half of the position players on its initial roster, and with four pitchers in Omaha plus a handful of others who were late arriving from Super Regional play. Combine all that with some slow starts by the hitters who were in town – the Braves are last in the league in team batting average – and it adds up to an 0-6-1 start.

Tuesday, the Braves got a lift. Nick Solak (Louisville) and Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) were just activated Monday and jumped right into the starting lineup.

Solak was the second-leading hitter for a Louisville team that nearly made Omaha while Fernandez hit .316 with seven homers for Riverside. Tuesday, they picked up where they left off. Solak went 2-for-3 and drove in a run with a single and another on a double. Fernandez went 2-for-5 and drove in the other two runs with an eighth inning base hit.

Corey Julks (Houston), who was a bright spot in the rough opening week, went 2-for-3 and scored a run.

Bourne trailed 2-1 after five but scored one in the seventh and two in the eighth.

And another newcomer made the comeback count. Nick Jensen-Clagg (Kent State), a solid starter for the Golden Flashes who was activated Sunday, made his debut out of the bullpen in the fifth inning. Brewster had just scored its two runs, but Jensen-Clagg got out of the inning with a groundout then proceeded to dominate. He didn’t allow a run or a hit over the final 4.1 innings and struck out eight of the 13 batters he faced, without issuing a walk.

With the Braves in front, he struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth then induced a fly-out to end it.

Bourne is in the win column.

Hyannis 7, Cotuit 3

The beat goes on for the red-hot Harbor Hawks, who won their fifth straight and pushed their league-best record to 7-1. They scored two in the first Tuesday at Lowell Park then pulled away late for their second win over the Kettleers this summer. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) went 3-for-5 with three RBI, giving him eight RBI in just four games. JaVon Shelby (Kentucky), Colby Bortles (Ole Miss) and Ben DeLuzio (Florida State) knocked in one run apiece. On the mound, Mike King (Boston College) tossed five scoreless innings and struck out five for the win.

Orleans 5, Y-D 1

East-leading Orleans also stayed hot, topping the Red Sox for its third straight win and moving to 6-2. Bobby Dalbec – who told the league’s official site that he’ll return after his Team USA stint – continued his torrid start with his league-best fourth home run. He also leads the league in RBI with nine. Bryson Brigman (San Diego), who is also heading to Team USA, added a hit and an RBI. Joe Ravert (La Salle) started and gave up one run in four innings. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) claimed the win in relief with two scoreless innings. For Y-D, Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) went 3-for-5.

Falmouth 1, Wareham 0

Three pitchers combined on a shutout and Falmouth scored a run in the seventh to get to .500 with a 1-0 victory over the Gatemen. Alex Phillips (San Jacinto) gave up two hits in five innings, Seth Gustin (Holy Cross) worked two hitless frames and Wyatt Short (Ole Miss) pitched the eighth and ninth for the save. The lone run came in the seventh, when J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss) doubled and raced home on an RBI single by Heath Quinn (Samford). Those were the only two hits of the day for Falmouth. Zac Houston (Mississippi State) tossed five innings of no-hit ball for the Gatemen with nine strikeouts.

Harwich 4, Chatham 3

The Mariners trailed 3-0 but scored four in a row for a victory over the Anglers. Harwich moved to 4-3-1 while Chatham dropped to 4-3. Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Preston Palmeiro (NC State) and Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) also drove in one run apiece. Starter Scott Tully (Notre Dame) and four relievers combined to shut-out Chatham for the final five innings. Joe DiBenedetto (Seton Hall) was credited with the win and Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) the save. Scherzer came on with a runner on first in the ninth, walked two, but then escaped the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout.

What to Watch

Harwich takes on Chatham for a second straight night, this time at Veterans Field. Geoff Bramblett (Alabama) and Dan Castano (Baylor) will be on the hill after solid first starts last week.

June 13, 2015June 13, 2015

Heating up

Bobby Dalbec, pictured last summer, hit a grand slam in Friday's win. — Bobby Dalbec, pictured last summer, hit a grand slam in Friday’s win.

The defending Cape League champion Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox have struggled with the bats early on in 2015, hitting .156 through four games and scoring just six runs. The Red Sox offense had a young offense anyway, and five hitters are currently in Omaha.

Friday, Y-D played a team that’s had no such trouble.

Orleans has 11 players at the College World Series, but most of them are pitchers – and the offensive standouts who are already in town have more than made up for any gaps. The Firebirds, hitting .310 as a team on they year, pounded 15 hits and three home runs in a 12-3 victory over Y-D last night at Red Wilson Field.

A quick glance at the Firebirds lineup and accompanying college statistics reveals a big-time lineup, and it hasn’t disappointed.

Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) led the Pac 12 with 15 home runs this spring and is slated to join Team USA shortly, but in the meantime, the returning Firebird blasted a grand slam as part of a 2-for-5 night Friday.

Kyle Lewis (Mercer), the Southern Conference Player of the Year, hit his second home run in four games, and is one of only two players in the league with two. He’s also tied for the league lead in hits and is hitting .412.

Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State), who had a big year for the Buckeyes, also homered Friday and is batting .333.

Throw in Adam Pate (North Carolina), who’s hitting .400 at the top of the lineup, Colby Woodmansee (Arizona State) and Bryson Brigman (San Diego), and it’s easy to see why the Firebirds are producing. The team is now 3-1 on the year and is averaging six runs per game.

The pitching staff – even with a potential ace in Connor Jones starting for Virginia in Omaha today – has also been very good. The Firebirds have allowed only six earned runs. Friday, starter Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) gave up two in five innings of work for the win.

It has all added up to a hot start. And the way this lineup looks, it may continue.

Cotuit 3, Falmouth 0

The Kettleers had some success in many games last year using four of five relievers for a few innings each, a kind of bullpen day almost every day. Friday, they were at it again, with four pitchers combining on a shutout of Falmouth. Austin Solecitto (ASA College) started and went 2.1 innings, Mitch Stallings (Duke) was credited with the win in 2.2 innings of relief, Cal Becker (Riverside) chipped in an inning and Matthew Kinney (Florida State) pitched the final three innings for the save, as Cotuit moved to 3-1. Will Haynie (Alabama) hit his second home run of the summer to lead the offense, while Matt Albanese (Bryant) had two hits. Falmouth, which dropped to 1-3, had eight hits but stranded 10 runners.

Wareham 4, Bourne 2

The Gatemen won their third straight since an opening night loss while Bourne remained winless. Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) stretched his hitting streak to four games with a 2-for-3 night and an RBI. Darryn Shepard (Baylor) added two hits. David MacKinnon (Hartford) had two hits for the second straight game. Ian Hamilton (Washington State) started on the hill and went five shutout innings. A pair of players on temporary contracts finished it off, with Stephen Woods Jr. (Albany) tossing three quiet innings of relief and Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy College) picking up the save. For Bourne, Cameron Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) had three hits.

Hyannis 3, Harwich 1

It’s a three-way tie atop the West with Hyannis joining Wareham and Cotuit at 3-1. The Harbor Hawks got three hits from Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) the early league batting leader, plus RBI from JaVon Shelby (Kentucky) and a familiar name in Bobby Melley (Connecticut). Melley is a Centerville native who’s now back with Hyannis. On the mound, Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) allowed one run in five innings. Marc Skinner (Troy) picked up the win in relief and Thomas Burrows (Alabama) had the save. Sheldon Nuese (Oklahoma) homered for Harwich, who fell to 1-3.

Brewster at Chatham, PPD

Chatham and Brewster played just over two innings Friday before the fog made its first appearance of the season and forced a postponement.

What to Watch

It’s a battle of 3-1 teams at McKeon Park as Orleans visits Hyannis. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) who has already made his Cape debut in relief, is slated to start for the Firebirds. Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) goes for Hyannis.