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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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Video Game Numbers

Dylan Davis drove in eight runs in Falmouth's 18-3 victory.

 
Bourne came into Friday’s game against Falmouth with the best ERA in the league.

The Braves didn’t leave it that way.

A 3-2 Bourne lead turned into a 4-3 deficit in the fifth. And then it turned into a video game.

The Commodores’ explosive offense delivered its most explosive performance yet, scoring 16 runs in four innings as Falmouth rolled to an 18-3 victory. It’s the fifth straight win for the Commodores, who remain tied with Hyannis for first place in the West.

Some of the stat lines that the late-innings burst created are downright ridiculous. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) went 3-for-4 with a home run and eight RBI. Most of the time, he was driving in Kevin Newman (Arizona), who went 6-for-6 with five runs scored.

Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had three hits, including a home run and a double. He’s seven for his last 10 with two homers. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had four hits and an RBI. Cameron O’Brien (Northeast Texas CC) homered.

Falmouth has now scored 48 runs in its five-game winning streak, and Cape League offensive leaderboards are being taken over by Commodores. Newman leads the league in batting average, Gillaspie leads in home runs and Hoskins leads in RBI. Falmouth has three of the top six in hitting, three of the top four in home runs and the top three, plus four of the top five, in RBI. They also have the top four in hits.

It all adds up to the league’s best offensive team. Of course, there have been plenty of bad nights, too, and Falmouth may not even win the division. After all their fireworks last night, Cotuit and Hyannis won, too, keeping the division race as tight as could be.

But as long as this lineup stays together, there’s going to be the potential for something like this.

 

Hyannis 6, Wareham 4

The Harbor Hawks remained in a first-place tie thanks to a solid all-around performance against wareham. Peter Fairbanks (Missouri), another pitching reinforcement, gave up three runs in 6.2 solid innings. Bryant Holtmann (Florida State) went .2 innings before giving way to Eric Eck (Wofford), who went the final 1.2 for his 10th save. The offense pounded out 13 hits, with Brian Anderson (Arkansas) getting three, including a home run. Steve Wilkerson (Clemson) also had three hits, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) had two each. For Wareham, Fred Shepard (Amherst) struck out four while giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.

 

Cotuit 5, Chatham 1

The Kettleers remained a point back of Falmouth and Hyannis with a win over East champ Chatham. Newcomer Tommy Kister (The Masters College) delivered a terrific performance, striking out eight and allowing just a run on three hits in his debut. The bullpen pitched a shutout the rest of the way. At the plate, Jake Fincher (NC State) drove in two runs, while Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) knocked in one each. Another newcomer, Caleb Bryson (Samford), homered in his first Cape League at-bat. Chatham has lost three in a row since clinching the division title.

 

Orleans 3, Harwich 2; Orleans 2, Harwich 2

Orleans picked up three points in a doubleheader with Harwich to take over second place in the East by a point. In the first game, they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Ross Kivett (Kansas State) had two hits. The bullpen set the stage for the comeback and then finished off the win, with Luis Paula (North Carolina) going three scoreless innings and Matt Troupe (Arizona) striking out one in a perfect frame for the save. In game two, the scheduled seven-inning tilt went the maximum nine before ending in a tie. Again, Harwich led 2-0, but Orleans tied it in the sixth and it stayed that way until the end. Geoff DeGroot (UMass-Lowell) had a pinch-hit two-run double to tie it. In the ninth, Orleans reliever Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) worked into and then out of a bases-loaded jam to salvage the tie.

 

Y-D 8, Brewster 1

The Red Sox won their second straight, cruising past Brewster. Kevin McAvoy (Bryant) struck out seven and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of work. Two usual position players, Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) and Taylor White (UNLV), followed him to the mound and pitched a scoreless inning each. Trevino led the offense with a homer and Wayne Taylor (Stanford) also homered. Alex Blandino (Stanford) added two hits and two RBI.

 

What to Watch

Falmouth and Cotuit will play each other in the season’s final two games, starting with a 6:30 p.m. tilt in Falmouth tonight.
 

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More Magic

Jimmy Pickens hit a home run and a walk-off bunt single to lead Chatham to a division-clinching victory.

 
The Chatham Anglers have a lot going for them this season – solid starting pitching, a terrific bullpen, some ever-increasing pop in the batting order and a team on-base percentage that would make Billy Beane proud.

A little magic doesn’t hurt either.

Chatham clinched the Eastern Division title on Wednesday night with its fifth walk-off victory of the summer, a 6-5, 10-inning thriller over Y-D. The division crown is Chatham’s first since it shared the title with Y-D in 2001.

The Anglers were coming off an 8-1 loss to Brewster heading into Wednesday’s game, and they fell behind Y-D 5-0 despite having Tommy Lawrence (Maine) on the mound. Lawrence hadn’t given up a run since June, but was touched up for four in five innings.

Chatham got one back in the sixth on a Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) sacrifice fly but went to the ninth trailing 5-1. If Chatham was to deliver more heroics, it would be the toughest road yet.

The Anglers did it anyway.

Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) smashed a two-run home run to get Chatham closer and to breathe new life into the comeback. It was the fourth home run in as many games for Pickens, who suddenly ranks second in the league in long balls.

Michael Russell (North Carolina) followed with a base hit and Gonsolus got Chatham within one on an RBI double. Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) then brought home the tying run with a single.

After keeping Y-D off the board in the top of the 10th, Chatham went back to work. Blake Butera (Boston College) was hit by a pitch and Dante Flores (USC) walked. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton), who was 3-for-5, was intentionally walked, bringing Pickens to the dish, with the chance to be a hero.

The way he’d been hitting, the script called for a grand slam. Pickens bunted instead, Y-D had no play and Butera sprinted home with the winning run.

Pickens finished the day 4-for-6 with three RBI, while Davis was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. The emergence of those two – they’re hitting .483 and .436 over the last two weeks – is another reason to like Chatham’s chances, but they’re not the only heroes.

Magic like Chatham’s comes from a team effort – and the Anglers are pretty good at that.

 

Orleans 8, Brewster 2

Orleans owns the 2013 season’s longest winning streak, and it just keeps going. The Firebirds stretched it to eight last night with an 8-2 victory over the Whitecaps. The Firebirds led 3-2 before scoring five in the ninth to pull away. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI to lead the offense, and four of his teammates added two hits each. On the mound, Bobby Poyner (Florida) went five shutout innings, giving up just two hits while striking out one. Conor Harber (Western Nevada CC), Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) and Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) pitched a scoreless inning apiece out of the bullpen.

 

Hyannis 2, Bourne 0

Cotuit and Falmouth both won, but the Harbor Hawks stayed one point ahead thanks to a shutout victory over the Braves. Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist) delivered his best start of the summer, striking out five and allowing just four hits in six innings. Kevin Doherty (Virginia) made his Cape League debut and worked a scoreless frame before Jordan Foley (Central Michigan) finished off the shutout with a two-inning save. Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) and Brian Anderson (Arkansas) each had two hits and scored a run to pace the offense. For Bourne, Kris Gardner (Wichita State) was the hard-luck lose after his best start of the season. He allowed just two unearned runs in seven innings.

 

Falmouth 13, Harwich 1

The Commodores won their third straight with their second 13-run performance of the summer. Facing Harwich standout Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky), Falmouth took a 2-0 lead in the first before blowing the game open and chasing Shepherd with six runs in the fifth. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) hit his league-best eighth home run, part of a 2-for-3, four RBI night. Troy Stein (Texas A&M) also homered and drove in two, while Kevin Cron (TCU) went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Starting pitcher John Means (West Virginia) didn’t need all the offense. He struck out seven and allowed just one hit in six innings, taking a no-hitter into the fifth. Falmouth remains two points back of Hyannis in the West.

 

Cotuit 6, Wareham 3

Cotuit also kept pace in the West race with a victory over Wareham. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) gave up a run in 4.2 innings before the bullpen took over. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) picked up the win and Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) grabbed the save with four strikeouts in two innings. Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) led the offense with three hits, including a triple, and two RBI. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) also had three hits, while Austin Byler (Nevada) had two hits and an RBI. For Wareham, Sean Newcomb (Hartford) struck out seven in three innings while giving up two runs.

 

What to Watch

We’ll finally get a little separation in the West with Falmouth visiting Hyannis. The Falmouth starter is TBA, while Hyannis goes with newcomer Logan Carman (Southern Maine), a Division III All-American. In the East, Chatham is hosting a doubleheader with Harwich, beginning at 4 p.m.

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No Average Joe

Connor Joe, pictured earlier this summer, went 5-for-5 with two home runs as Chatham beat Bourne.

 
Twice in the past few weeks, solid players have cemented themselves as Cape League stars with five-hit, two-homer nights. Kevin Cron did it for Falmouth and Max Pentecost pulled off the same trick for Bourne.

Connor Joe (San Diego) joined the party on Friday night.

The Chatham slugger went 5-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI as the Anglers beat Bourne 10-7.

It was a coming-out party for a guy who’s been solid all summer. Joe came into the game hitting .300. He leaves it at .333 with team-highs of three homers and 20 RBI.

Joe, like everybody else on the San Diego roster, was in the shadow of Kris Bryant this spring. But Joe more than held his own, ranking behind only Bryant on the team in batting average and sitting third in home runs with seven.

Joe started the summer with two hits in the season opener and has been a model of consistency since. Through the first 24 games he played, he never went more than one game without a hit. That string actually ended this week, when Joe went 0-for-3 on both Tuesday and Thursday.

I’d say he made up for it.

Joe hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat, doubled in his second and homered again the third time he came to the plate. He singled in his final two at-bats, the second of which started the game-turning rally. Despite all of Joe’s pop, Chatham found itself tied with Bourne 7-7 going into the ninth. Joe led off with a single and eventually came around – along with two of his teammates – on a bases-loaded double by Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry).

Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) worked a scoreless bottom of the ninth to seal the victory, Chatham’s 21st of the year. At the plate, J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) also drove in a run for Chatham.

For Bourne, the aforementioned had another big night, going 4-for-4 with four RBI. He now leads active players in batting average and is tied for the league lead in RBI.

But this night belonged to Mr. Joe, another star in the making.

 

Hyannis 6, Cotuit 3

The Harbor Hawks scored three in the eighth on their way to a victory over Cotuit, which puts them back atop the West Division with 37 points. Cotuit and Falmouth are both one point back. Skyler Ewing (Rice) delivered an RBI double to break the tie and Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) knocked in two with a single to up the lead to three. Griffin finished with three RBI, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Brian Anderson (Arkansas) joined Ewing with one each. Kyle Freeland (Evansville) gave up two earned runs in 6.2 innings and moved into a tie for the league lead in strikeouts. Jordan Foley (Central Michigan) went 1.1 scoreless innings before Eric Eck (Wofford) worked a perfect ninth for his league-leading eighth save.

 

Falmouth 5, Orleans 0

The Commodores pitched well for the third straight night as they shut out Orleans to improve to 18-12. Falmouth has allowed two runs in its last three games. Daniel Koger (Auburn) allowed just one hit in five innings before four relievers finished the job. Richard Martin, Jr. (Florida) led the offense with a 3-for-5 night. The infielder has struggled this summer, coming in hitting .150, but he hit a home run and tripled as part of his breakout performance. Sam Gillikin (Auburn) added an RBI.

 

Brewster 8, Y-D 4

Scott Heineman (Oregon), the league leader in stolen bases and one of its best hitters, added some power to his game. He hit two home runs, his first two of the summer, to lead the Whitecaps past Y-D. Both were solo shots for Heineman, who is now hitting .343. Trevor Mitsui (Washington) also homered for Brewster, who scored seven of its eight runs in the first four innings. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) went six strong innings for his second win, and he’s tied with Hyannis’ Freeland for the league lead in strikeouts. Y-D got home runs from Alex Blandino (Stanford) and Taylor Gushue (Florida) but it wasn’t enough.

 

Harwich 9, Wareham 1

The Mariners out-hit the Gatemen by one but out-scored them by eight in a blowout victory. Nick Howard (Virginia) picked up the win with five shutout innings. He scattered five hits but none of those – and none of the other six for Wareham – went for extra-bases. Harwich, meanwhile, got a home run from Ian Happ (Cincinnati) for the second straight night, giving him four on the summer. Derek Fisher (Virginia), Brett Austin (NC State) and Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston) had two hits and an RBI each.

 

What to Watch

Four of the top five teams in the league will be squaring off against each other. Cotuit hosts Harwich at 5 p.m. and Chatham welcomes Falmouth to town for a 7 p.m. start.
 

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The Long Way

Jaron Long moved to 4-0 with another impressive start on Friday.

 
When I was choosing the midseason awards winners, I shied away from Bourne’s Jaron Long (Ohio State) for Outstanding Pitcher because he was off the innings and appearances pace of the league’s best. He’d made three starts, while others had made five.

It’s too bad the midway point didn’t come a few days later, because Long might have been the best pick.

The rising senior righty improved to 4-0 on Friday with his fourth dominant start of the summer. He gave up two hits in six shutout innings and struck out five as Bourne topped Harwich 3-2.

Long now leads the league in wins with four and ERA with a 0.41 mark. He has struck out 20 and walked only two all season. He’s given up just 14 hits in 22 innings of work – and just one extra-base hit. In three of his four outings, he’s allowed no runs. And three of his wins have come against Hyannis, Chatham and Harwich, three of the league’s best teams.

Long is in his second summer with Bourne. He was solid last year, with a 3.26 ERA.

The other thing about last year? He was 3-0. Together with the 4-0 start this year, that means Long has not taken a loss in his Cape League career.

Bourne has given up enough run support every time out this season, even when it was just one run in a shutout of Chatham in his first start. On Friday, the Braves got two hits and an RBI from Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State), plus two RBI from Vinny Siena (UConn). Once Long departed, Harwich touched up Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State) for two runs, but Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) came on for the final two innings and put the game away. English struck out two in two scoreless frames.

That made a winner of Long – again. Is it too late to change my pick?

 

Cotuit 5, Falmouth 1

The Kettleers (15-10) orchestrated an impressive first-inning turnaround on their way to a victory over the Commodores (14-9). Falmouth loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first inning, but Cotuit starter Evan Beal (South Carolina) struck out the side to end the inning. And it was not an easy side to strike out – Beal went through Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State), Dylan Davis (Oregon State) and Kevin Cron (TCU), who have combined for 12 home runs this year. After that, the Kettleers surged themselves, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first and never looking back. Mike Ford (Princeton), Drew Jackson (Stanford) and Jake Fincher (NC State) drove in first-inning runs, part of big nights for all of them. Jackson and Fincher had two hits each while Ford had three and took over the league lead in hitting at .390. On the mound, Beal continued to dominate after his first-inning magic act, going six shutout innings with five strikeouts. Eric Karch (Pepperdine) picked up a three-inning save.

 

Hyannis 3, Orleans 2

The Harbor Hawks (15-7) won a one-run game for the eighth time this season, breaking a tie with a run in the sixth and then slamming the door for the win over Orleans (11-13). Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) homered while Dominic Jose (Stanford) and Jay Baum (Clemson) each knocked in a run. Griffin’s home run gave the Harbor Hawks the lead in the sixth and they finished strong from there. Mike Gunn (Arkansas) pitched a scoreless frame and Sarkis Ohanian (Duke) worked one-third of an inning before giving way to closer Eric Eck (Wofford). Eck got out of a first-and-third jam with strikeouts of Orleans power hitters Chris Marconcini (Duke) and Zach Fish (Oklahoma State). He then worked around two hits in the ninth to finish the job for his league-leading seventh save.

 

Chatham 4, Brewster 1

The Anglers (16-8-1) snapped a two-game skid with a 4-1 victory over the Whitecaps (8-16), who had won two in a row themselves. Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro) was just the stopper the Anglers needed, striking out four and giving up just a run on three hits in six innings of work. Schiraldi is now 2-1 and has turned in four straight impressive starts. David Speer (Columbia), who has hooked on with Chatham after getting released by Bourne, worked two scoreless frames in his first Anglers appearance. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) picked up the save. Connor Joe (San Diego) went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Michael Russell (North Carolina) had two hits and knocked in a run. Dante Flores (USC) also had two hits. For Brewster, Nicholas Vazquez (Pittsburgh) had two hits. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) struck out nine in five innings and now leads the league in K’s, but he took the loss.

 

Y-D 2, Wareham 1

After a combined seven scoreless innings, Y-D (12-12-1) broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the top of the 10th on its way to a 2-1 victory over the Gatemen (5-20). Taylor Smart (Tennessee) walked to start the 10th and took second on a wild pitch. Mississippi State standout Jonathan Holder entered the game for the Gatemen at that point, but the Red Sox continued the rally anyway. Alex Blandino (Stanford) singled to push Smart to third, and Taylor White (UNLV) brought him home with a base hit. Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) then pitched a scoreless bottom half to seal the victory. Neither starter factored into the decision but both were solid – Clay Smith (St. Louis) allowed one run in eight innings for Y-D. Tucker Simpson (Florida) gave up one run in seven innings for Wareham.

 

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit continue the Barnstable Patriot Cup series with a 5 p.m. match-up at Lowell Park. The Kettleers are 2-1 in the series so far, but the Harbor Hawks have a better overall record at 15-7. Cotuit is 15-10. Patrick Andrews (Clemson), who’s 2-0 with a 2.64 ERA, starts for Hyannis. Cotuit’s starter is TBA.
 

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Coastal Duo

Ben Smith delivers a pitch for Cotuit earlier this summer.

 
Ben Smith and Patrick Corbett left Coastal Carolina in the spring knowing they’d be back together this summer in Cotuit.

I’m not sure they knew they’d be this together.

The Coastal Carolina teammates have each pitched in four games for the Kettleers – the same four games. Smith has started four, and Corbett has come on in relief in the same four.

It’s mostly a quirky coincidence, but it’s also been very effective.

Smith suddenly leads the league in strikeouts with 22 while Corbett has yet to allow an earned run in 8.1 innings of work. Cotuit has won three of the duo’s four games, with the only loss a walk-off by Chatham – when Smith and Corbett had already departed.

That Chatham game marked the first use of the tag team. Smith started and went 2.2 innings. Corbett followed him to the mound and went 2.1. Five days later, in a 6-3 win over Orleans, Smith stretched out to five strong innings, while Corbett chipped in for one out in the eighth. Their next game against Wareham, they were in full-on tag team mode, with Smith going six innings and Corbett finishing the job with three.

Last night, the Kettleers beat Brewster 8-2 with Smith and Corbett combining for seven strong innings. Smith struck out seven and gave up two runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work. Corbett came on in the fifth and struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) then worked two scoreless frames to finish it off.

The Cotuit pitchers had plenty of run support. Logan Ratledge (NC State) hit his second home run – in his second game with the Kettleers. The rest of the attack was balanced. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), Yale Rosen (Washington State), Kevin Bradley (Clemson), Jake Fincher (NC State) and Galli Cribbs, Jr. (Clarendon) all drove in one run each.

The win was Cotuit’s 11th of the year, best in the league.

If they need another one five days from now, they’ll know who to call.

 

Hyannis 4, Harwich 2

The Harbor Hawks (10-4) matched up against Harwich’s Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky), who hadn’t allowed a run in two starts. Shepherd struck out nine in six innings, but Hyannis touched him up for three runs on its way to an impressive victory. Steve Wilkerson (Clemson), Skyler Ewing (Rice) and Jeff Schalk (UAB) all homered for the Harbor Hawks, while Chase Griffin (Georgia State) drove in the other run. The three home runs matched the team’s season total going into last night. Hyannis also got strong pitching. Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara) struck out four in six scoreless innings on the same night his brother Jonathan picked up a win for the Philadelphia Phillies. Eric Eck (Wofford) picked up his third save with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth. For Harwich, Derek Fisher (Virginia) went 3-for-4 while Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had two hits and an RBI. The Mariners are 9-7 and have dropped three in a row.

 

Chatham 7, Bourne 5

The Anglers (10-5-1) joined Cotuit and Hyannis in the double-digit win club with their third straight win. They scored five runs in the first inning and never trailed, holding off a charge from Bourne to win. Hunter Redman (Texas Tech) had a huge night to lead the offense, going 4-for-4 with an RBI. He had three hits for the season before that. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) added two hits and an RBI, while Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion) knocked in two runs. North Carolina standouts Landon Lassiter and Michael Russell made their Cape debuts and had one hit apiece for the Anglers. On the mound, Joe Goodman (High Point) picked up the win in relief and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) picked up a save in his debut. Bourne (7-9) got three hits from Trent Gilbert (Arizona) and two RBI from Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State).

 

Orleans 11, Falmouth 5

The Firebirds (8-7) scored double-digit runs for the second time this year and moved over .500 with the victory over Falmouth. They finished with 17 hits off of a parade of Falmouth pitchers, doing all their damage in the first four innings. Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) led the charge, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) had two hits and three RBI. Leadoff man Greg Allen (San Diego State) went 2-for-6, stretching his hit streak to six games. He has also had three straight multi-hit games and is now hitting .333, good for third in the league. Corey Miller (Pepperdine) picked up the win with five solid innings. Four relievers worked one inning each. Kevin Newman (Arizona) had three hits for Falmouth (9-7).

 

Wareham 6, Y-D 3

The Gatemen (3-13) snapped a give-game skid with a much-needed victory over Y-D (7-8-1). Kurt McCune (LSU), a former Friday starter for the Tigers who spent the spring working his way back from injury, was solid in his first Cape start of the year, striking out two and allowing two runs in five innings. Trey Killian (Arkansas) was terrific in relief, giving up one run and striking out five in a four-inning save. The offense got two hits and two RBI from Trevor Podratz (Hawaii), plus three hits and an RBI from Cole Stancil (St. Leo). The team’s 12 hits were a season-high for the Gatemen.

 

What to Watch

Teams square off tonight in the first of two holiday rivalry games, with all the same teams meeting tomorrow on the other’s home field for the Fourth of July. Cotuit hosts Falmouth tonight at 5 p.m. in a battle of two of the West’s best teams. Chris Ellis (Ole Miss), who has given up one earned run in three starts, goes for the Kettleers against Trey Teakell (TCU), who has a 1.47 ERA in three starts. In the East, Orleans hosts Chatham at 7 p.m., with Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) on the mound. He allowed two runs in his first start. Aaron Garza (Houston), who owns a 2.34 ERA, starts for Chatham.

 

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Streaking Start

Connor Castellano is off to a great start for the 4-1 Cotuit Kettleers.

 
The beginnings of a Cape Cod Baseball League summer are often short on clear lines. Everybody’s shuffling – and a lot of times, everybody’s 3-2 or 2-3.

Not so in 2013.

Chatham is 5-0, the best start for any Cape League team since the 2007 Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, a club that won the league title and featured Buster Posey and Gordon Beckham. Hyannis is 3-0, having made up for lost time after its first two games were postponed. And Cotuit has ridden a three-game winning streak to a 4-1 start.

All three are impressive. The most interesting streak belongs to Cotuit.

Chatham and Hyannis are succeeding in part because they have the teams they thought they’d have. For both, only six players who weren’t on initial rosters are playing now – which is among the lowest numbers in the league at this point.

On the flip side, 33 players have taken the field for Cotuit – and 17 of them were not on the team’s roster a few weeks ago. Whether they’re temporary contracts or late pickups, it’s a juggling act for the Kettleers.

They have made it work.

Cotuit’s only loss was by a run in a walk-off to undefeated Chatham. The Kettleers moved to 4-1 on Monday with a 6-1 victory over Brewster.

Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) led the charge in the latest win, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and an RBI. Hunter Cole (Georgia) continued his hot start with a 2-for-4 day, and he’s not hitting .400. Connor Castellano (Sante Fe CC), a TCU commit who’s in town on a temporary contract, had another big night, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and his fourth stolen base. He ranks second in the league in hitting, is tied for the league lead in RBI, and ranks second in stolen bases.

Another temp, Eric Karch (Pepperdine), got the start on the mound and the victory on Monday. He struck out four and allowed one run in five innings. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) followed with two scoreless innings. And for good measure, another temp, Trevor Seidenberger (TCU) finished the job with three strikeouts over the final two frames.

The roster juggling will continue over the next few weeks as Cotuit decides who’s staying and who’s going. But if five games are any indication, the winning will continue too.

 

Chatham 4, Falmouth 2

The Anglers ran their record to 5-0 with another steady performance. Andrew Chin (Boston College), who pitched out of the bullpen for a win on opening night, picked up another victory with five strong innings. He struck out two and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth. The Chatham offense – which has scored the most runs in the league and has the best batting average by more than 50 points – also kept it up and did its part. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) hit the team’s first home run and Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) also drove in a run. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) had one hit apiece. Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi), who saved 13 games this spring, made his second appearance of the summer and worked a scoreless frame for his first save. For Falmouth, Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) hit a home run and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had a double. Richard Martin, Jr. (Florida) stole his league-leading sixth base.

 

Hyannis 5, Wareham 4

The Harbor Hawks moved to 3-0 with a comeback win over the Gatemen (1-3). Wareham led 3-0 into the seventh, with Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisiana) cruising on the mound, but Hyannis scored a run there and four in the eighth to take a lead it never lost. Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) led the charge with two hits and an RBI, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas), Dominic Jose (Stanford) and Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) all drove in a run. Patrick Andrews (Clemson) got the win in relief and Eric Eck (Wofford) picked up the save, getting out of a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the ninth.

 

Bourne 6, Orleans

Bourne picked up its first victory of the season in dramatic fashion, walking off with a win in the bottom of the 10th inning. Michael Martin (Harvard) knocked in Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) with a base hit to give the Braves the victory. The alternative would have made for a frustrating night – the Braves pounded out 17 hits, a league-high this season. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) led the way with three hits apiece, while Clinton Freeman (East Tennessee State) had two hits and two RBI. On the mound, the Braves used seven pitchers. Cody Livingston (Southern Mississippi) picked up the win.

 

What to Watch

Several pitchers who were impressive on opening night will make their second starts tonight. Erick Fedde (UNLV) goes for Y-D at Cotuit after striking out eight in his debut, while Andrew McGee (Monmouth) tries to build on a nine-strikeout debut as Chatham visits Hyannis in a battle of the only unbeaten teams in the league. In Falmouth, standout lefty Brandon Finnegan (TCU) will make his second and final start before departing for Team USA.