Chasing the Throne

An all-star game home run derby needs the league leader in homers.

If the Cape League’s event were held today, that would be impossible. The lead in home runs belongs to a guy now playing for the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League. Matt Davis, who parlayed his big summer with Brewster into a pro contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, already has his professional career underway.

But the derby may yet get its home run king.

Colton Shaver (BYU) hit his sixth home run of the summer in Wareham’s 3-2 win over Harwich Monday night and has a few games to catch Davis’ number as he heads into the derby.

Shaver doesn’t have the batting average of some recent Cape League star hitters – he’s at .250 – but his on-base percentage is nearly 100 points higher than the batting average mark. He’s slugging .480, good for fourth in the league.

Shaver’s home run Monday lifted the Gatemen over East-leading Harwich. They trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth when a Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) RBI single started the comeback. One pitch later, Shaver blasted a two-run shot and the Gatemen remained in the lead from there.

Dalton Horton (TCU) pitched three scoreless innings of relief after a solid outing by starter Jeff Bain (California) and Jake Matthys (Angelo State) worked a scoreless ninth for the save. Harwich, with 23 runs in its last two games, had only two runs on seven hits in this one.

Wareham improved to 15-14-3, enough for second place in the West.

Hyannis 8, Bourne 5

Three players had multi-hit games and two hit homers as Hyannis out-slugged Bourne. Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) did the home run damage, with Hudgins’ blast – his third of the summer – opening up a bigger lead in the eighth after Bourne had come within a run. Netzer finished with two hits and scored three runs. Ford Proctor (Rice) added two hits and Cody Henry (Alabama) went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Justin Lewis (Kentucky) made his first start after six relief appearances and went 4.1 scoreless innings for Hyannis. For Bourne, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the summer and Connor Wong (Houston) had three hits and two RBI.

Falmouth 12, Cotuit 0

The Commodores rolled past Cotuit for their third consecutive win. Deacon Liput (Florida) hit a grand slam and J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. The rest of Falmouth’s hits were singles but the Commodores were productive nonetheless, scoring the 12 runs on nine hits. Tristan Gray (Rice) went 2-for-3 with three RBI and leadoff man Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) scored three runs. Cotuit got two hits from Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) but couldn’t do much else against Brendan King (Holy Cross) and three relievers. King struck out eight, allowed three hits and didn’t walk a batter in six scoreless innings.

What to Watch

The four teams that were not in action Monday get back at it today. League strikeout leader Zac Lowther (Xavier) gets the start for Brewster ar Chatham.

July 14, 2016July 14, 2016

Late Innings

Hyannis ranks next-to-last in team ERA in the Cape League, but if opponents are counting on getting their bats in gear when they face the Harbor Hawks, they better do it before the sixth inning.

In two consecutive wins, Hyannis relievers have allowed a total of two hits and no runs from the sixth inning on. The Harbor Hawks’ top four relievers are turning into one of the best crews in the league.

Garrett Cave (Florida International) leads the league in appearances with 14 and saves with seven. He ranks in the top 15 in the league in strikeouts despite pitching only 12.1 innings. With a big fastball, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has scouts keeping the radar guns handy until the late innings.

Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) is just behind Cave in appearances with 11 and has a 1.03 ERA with 20 strikeouts and not a single walk in 17.1 innings. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) has a 0.84 ERA in 10 outings and James Harrington (New Mexico) has yet to allow a run – earned or unearned – in 11.2 innings of relief.

The combined ERA for the quartet is 1.07. And while they can’t pitch every game, a combination of the four has had a hand in a lot of victories. Hyannis has won six of the seven games Harrington has appeared in and is 10-4 when Cave takes the mound.

Tuesday, Hyannis beat Wareham 6-1 with three of the standout relievers finishing the deal. Naylor pitched two scoreless innings and Harrington and Cave tossed one each. Last night, the Harbor Hawks rallied from a late deficit for a 5-4 win over Bourne, but the comeback was made possible by more dominant bullpen work. Stevens struck out three of the five batters he faced in 1.1 scoreless frames and Cave got the last two outs for save number seven.

Cody Henry (Alabama) led the Hyannis offense with two hits and two RBI, with his two-run single giving Hyannis the lead in the top of the ninth.

The consecutive wins have Hyannis at 13-15 and just one game out of second place in the West.

If the bullpen is involved, that gap may yet close further.

Harwich 4, Chatham 0

The Mariners showed off their embarrassment of pitching riches by trotting out Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) and Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) in the same game, and Chatham was held to two hits in a shutout win for Harwich. Wilson, the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, struck out five and gave up only two hits in five innings of work. Solomon, one of the arms getting a lot of buzz this season, returned to the bullpen after a start last time out and went four shutout innings without allowing a hit. He has given up two hits in his last 15.1 innings. The Harwich offense had 14 hits and stranded eight runners, but the four runs were plenty. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington) hit his second home run while Ernie Clement (Virginia) and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) had three hits each.

Y-D 4, Orleans 0

Y-D remained a game back of Harwich in the East with a 4-0 shutout of its own. Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) struck out five and scattered four hits in 6.1 innings and William Montgomerie (Connecticut) went the final 2.2 frames and didn’t surrender a hit. Matt Winaker (Stanford) went 4-for-5 with a run scored to lead the Y-D offense. J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara), Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) and Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) drove in one run each. Y-D has won two straight and is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Falmouth 12, Wareham 3

The Commodores slugged past Wareham and suddenly have a seven-point lead in the West standings. Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) led a 16-hit attack by hitting two home runs and driving in four. Leadoff man Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) added two hits and three RBI and Deacon Liput (Florida) knocked in two runs. Five different Commodores had multi-hit games. Starter Tyler Holton (Florida State) went only two innings, but his FSU teammate Cole Sands shined in relief, striking out six in three scoreless innings for the win.

Cotuit 5, Brewster 2

Cotuit has its first three-game winning streak of the season. Four pitchers combined to hold down the league’s best offense with Ross Achter (Toledo) earning the win in relief. Connor Simmons (Georgia Southern) and Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) didn’t allow a hit over the final 3.2 innings. Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer CC) led the Kettleers at the plate with two hits and two RBI. Recently-crowned CCBL Hitter of the Week Quinn Brodey (Stanford) went 1-for-4 and scored two runs.

What to Watch

After an off-day Thursday, two surging teams will meet in Yarmouth when the Red Sox host Falmouth.

July 10, 2016July 10, 2016

Home Run Hitter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Falmouth 4, Chatham 2

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

Wareham 3, Harwich 3

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

Y-D 3, Bourne 1

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

Orleans 7, Hyannis 1

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

What to Watch

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

July 9, 2016July 9, 2016

Matching shutouts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hyannis ran its record to 11-13.

Y-D 8, Orleans 6

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

Brewster 2, Chatham 1

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

Cotuit 3, Wareham 3

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

What to Watch

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

July 6, 2016July 6, 2016

New Beginnings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harwich 4, Bourne 2

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

Y-D 8, Brewster 6

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

Falmouth 6, Orleans 3

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

What to Watch

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

July 5, 2016July 5, 2016

Back in Town

J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.

J.J. Matijevic came back to the Cape with a bang.

An all-star last summer and probably the top returning player currently on a Cape League roster, Matijevic (Arizona) made his season debut on the Fourth of July and smacked a two-run homer that sent Falmouth to a 2-0 win over Cotuit.

Matijevic finished third in the league in hitting last summer, batting .333 with four home runs. He hit .287 with four homers this spring and was a key part of Arizona’s runner-up finish in the College World Series.

He wasted little time returning to Falmouth after Thursday’s final game in the CWS championship series. Monday, he was in the starting lineup for the Commodores, batting second and playing first base.

His homer in the fifth inning – after a Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) walk – was all the offense Falmouth needed. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just two hits and fanned seven in seven shutout innings. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) finished the shutout with a scoreless inning each.

Tristan Gray (Rice) added two hits for the Commodores and Joshua Watson (TCU) – another late arrival from Omaha – also had two.

Falmouth and Cotuit split their holiday series, with the Commodores improving to 11-10 after Monday’s win.

Wareham 2, Bourne 1

A holiday sweep of Bourne has Wareham alone in first place in the West. The Gatemen rode strong pitching and an opportunistic offense to their third consecutive victory and their second in a row over the Braves. Zachary Pop (Kentucky) gave up one run in five innings in his second start of the summer and Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette) was again dominant in relief. Leger, who has made two starts and two relief appearances, has given up three hits in 11 innings with 15 strikeouts this season. Monday, he surrendered one hit in three scoreless innings and struck out four. Casey Mize (Auburn) followed Leger and pitched the ninth for the save. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 to lead the offense and his RBI single in the second – following an error – staked Wareham to a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Bart scored what proved to be the winning run on a passed ball, making both of Wareham’s runs unearned. That made for a hard-luck loss for Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) who struck out eight and six innings and now leads the league in strikeouts.

Harwich 11, Brewster 7

For the first time all season, an opponent scored more than five runs against Harwich – and the Mariners won anyway. They racked up 20 hits – which might be a league-season high – and broke a 7-7 tie with a grand slam in the top of the eighth for a slugfest win over Brewster. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington), back after a stint at Team USA trials, came through with the grand slam after a single and two walks loaded the bases. It was Feight’s first homer of the summer. Austin Filiere (MIT) also homered and drove in two, Antoine Duplantis (LSU) had two hits and two RBI and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) had three hits each. Harwich raised its team batting average from .246 to .260. Brewster had plenty of offense of its own, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) going 4-for-4 with two RBI, Matt Davis (VCU) getting three hits and Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) driving in three runs. It was the fourth straight loss for Brewster.

Chatham 6, Orleans 3

The longest win streak in the league met its end at Veterans Field as Chatham topped Orleans 6-3. The Anglers took a lead in the fifth, added to it in the seventh and held off a push by Orleans. Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) struck out eight and allowed just an unearned run in 5.2 innings for the win. Austin Magestro (UNC Wilmington) notched a four-out save. Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) and Jordan Romero (LSU) led the Anglers at the plate with two hits and an RBI apiece. Chase Pinder (Clemson), Sean Bouchard (UCLA) and Patrick Mathis (Texas) drove in one run each. Orleans – which had won five in a row – got a home run from Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) but only six hits on the day.

Hyannis 8, Y-D 5

The second-longest win streak in the league also came to an end as Hyannis stopped Y-D’s four-game heater. The Harbor Hawks broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth on a Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) RBI double and a two-run single by Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee). Garrett Cave (Florida International) ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless ninth for the save. That made a winner out of James Harrington (New Mexico), who tossed three perfect innings of relief. Hudgins was one of four Harbor Hawks with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-3, Dylan Busby (Florida State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Trey Truitt (Mercer) went 2-for-5. Y-D got two hits and two RBI from J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara).

What to Watch

The best pitching staff in the league will try something a little different in the rotation as dominant reliever Austin Bain (LSU) makes his first start when Harwich hosts Bourne. Bain has 12 strikeouts in seven scoreless relief innings this summer.

June 29, 2016June 29, 2016

Close Calls

Willy Yahn scored a run as Bourne edged Cotuit.

The best team batting average and second-best on-base percentage in the league have helped the Bourne Braves race to the top of the West with a 10-5-1 record. Their knack for winning close games has helped, too.

With a 5-4 win over Cotuit Tuesday, the Braves went to 6-1-1 in games decided by two runs or less. That means half the team’s games have been close, and the Braves have won all but one of them.

There have been late heroics, like a walk-off on opening night and a victory in 10 innings the next night. There have also been games like Tuesday, where the bullpen finishes strong and holds up an early lead.

The Braves jumped on Cotuit with five runs in the top of the first inning. They wouldn’t score again and Cotuit got within a run, but the last three pitchers to take the mound pitched a hitless inning each to preserve the slim lead.

The first run of the game came home on a wild pitch. David MacKinnon (Hartford) then knocked a two-run single, Evan Mendoza (NC State) plated a run with a base hit and MacKinnon raced in on a passed ball. Just like that, it was 5-0.

Bourne starter Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) – making his first appearance since hooking on with the Braves after being released by Chatham – allowed one run in four innings before the Kettleers scored two in the fifth. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had a pair of RBI to lead the comeback effort.

Reliever Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) gave up one run in 1.2 innings before giving way to the big finish. Sean Leland (Louisville), Ronnie Rossomando (Connecticut) and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) combined for three near-perfect innings. The only base runner reached on a walk and was later erased on a double play. Wantz earned his second save and struck out two in the ninth, giving him 15 Ks in 10.1 innings.

With the win, the Braves have a one-game lead on Wareham for first place in the West. Bourne has won three in a row.

Wareham 1, Chatham 0

The Gatemen kept pace with Bourne thanks to a shutout of Chatham. Jeff Bain (California) went four innings to start the scoreless string. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) then delivered the most dominant stint, striking out seven in three perfect innings of relief on his way to earning the win. Ryan Selmer (Maryland) and Christian Taugner (Brown) tossed one inning each to finish off the shutout. Four Chatham pitchers were almost as good, with starter Andrew Karp (Florida State) striking out five in four innings to lead the way. But Wareham’s one run in the sixth inning was enough. Harrison Wenson (Michigan) led off the inning with a double. With two outs, Cole Freeman (LSU) brought him home with a base hit for the only run the Gatemen would need. Wareham improved to 9-6-1 while Chatham is one of three East teams sitting at 8-8.

Harwich 5, Brewster 1

B.J. Myers (West Virginia) picked up his league-best third win by shutting down the Cape’s highest scoring offense as Harwich topped Brewster. Myers struck out six and scattered five hits in seven shutout innings. He’s now 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA and has gone at least seven innings in each of his three starts. The only run he’s allowed was in his first start. Nick Brown (William & Mary) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) finished off the win for the Mariners. Pavin Smith (Virginia) went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Harwich offense, and Cal Raleigh (Florida State) had two RBI. Harwich improved to a league-best 12-4. Brewster got a home run from Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) – his fourth – plus two hits by Nick Dunn (Maryland). Tyler Zuber (Arkansas State) pitched six solid innings of relief for the Whitecaps and struck out six, putting him into a tie for the league lead with 21 Ks.

Hyannis 6, Falmouth 3

The Harbor Hawks handled Falmouth for their seventh win in nine games since their 0-7 start. Andrew Gonzalez (Michigan State) got the start and was hit for three runs in 4.1 innings, but five Hyannis relievers teamed up for a dominant showing, allowing only two hits over the final 4.2 innings. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) was credited with the win and Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) picked up the save. The bullpen efforts set the stage for a rally and the Harbor Hawk offense obliged with three runs in the third and three more in the fifth. A two-run home run by Cody Henry (Alabama) was the biggest blow. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) added three hits and an RBI, with Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) also driving in runs. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had three hits.

Orleans 5, Y-D 3

The Firebirds snapped a four-game slide with a victory over Y-D. Kirk McCarty (Southern Mississippi) struck out seven and allowed two runs in 5.1 innings for the win. Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) earned the save. Keegan McGovern (Georgia) homered and drove in two to pace the offensive attack for Orleans, while Brian Miller (North Carolina) and Riley Mahan (Kentucky) drove in one run each. Justin Jones (Georgia State) scored a pair of runs. Orleans went to 8-8. Kevin Smith (Maryland) had three hits for Y-D, which dropped to 7-9.

What to Watch

Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) makes his second start of the summer when Harwich visits Orleans.

June 25, 2016June 25, 2016

Eagles Have Landed

Chatham has welcomed in some good players from Boston College over the years – first-round pick Chris Shaw comes to mind – but they haven’t often welcomed in a group of Eagles coming off a spring like this.

Boston College made the program’s first-ever trip to a Super Regional this season and pushed host Miami to the limit before ending up one game shy of Omaha. As they embarked for their summer destinations, there was undoubtedly a desire to keep the momentum rolling into next year.

The Anglers have been one of the beneficiaries. In Friday’s game, BC’s Jacob Stevens went five scoreless innings for a 3-1 win over Bourne and teammate Donovan Casey went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Fellow Eagle Jake Palomaki added a run scored.

Chatham moved to 7-6 with the victory, good for a third-place tie with Orleans in the East.

Friday’s game was the Cape debut for Stevens, who showed early signs that he’ll be building on his big freshman year. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound right-hander was a stalwart in the weekend rotation for the Eagles, finishing with a 2.54 ERA en route to ACC All-Freshman honors. His 70 strikeouts ranked second on the team, just two behind the leader – none other than first-round pick Justin Dunn.

Friday, Stevens struck out two and walked two while allowing only three hits. When he departed after five innings, Chatham had a 2-0 lead and would stay in front the rest of the way.

Stevens’ lead was sparked by his college teammates, as Casey drove in Palomaki to make it 1-0 in the first inning. Batting first and third in the order, Palomaki and Casey are off to strong starts. Palomaki, who hit .258 and stole 19 bases for the Eagles, is batting .310 and has scored six runs in nine games. Casey, coming off a spring in which he hit .273, is at .357 for the Anglers and his 2-for-4 night was his third consecutive two-hit game. He has a hit in all but one of the seven games he’s played.

With the Eagles coming through, Chatham also got two hits and a run scored from Sean Bouchard (UCLA). Chase Pinder (Clemson) also scored a run. Three relief pitchers took the mound after Stevens and finished off the win, with Moises Ceja (UCLA) earning his second save.

Brewster 3, Harwich 2

The league’s highest-scoring offense broke through late against the league’s best pitching staff as Brewster rallied past first-place Harwich. The Whitecaps trailed 2-1 before tying the game in the eighth and walking off with a 3-2 win in the ninth. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) doubled in the eighth and came around on an error on a ball off the bat of Brent Rooker (Mississippi State). Beau Jordan (LSU) then brought home Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) in the ninth with a walkoff RBI single. Jordan, Warmoth and Rooker all finished 2-for-4 to lead the charge for the Whitecaps. Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State) gave the Whitecaps some good pitching of their own, allowing one run in five innings. Tyler Zuber (Arkansas State) was credited with the win thanks to two scoreless innings of relief. Harwich got another strong performance from a starting pitcher as Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one run in seven innings before Brewster got to the Mariner bullpen. The Whitecaps grabbed sole possession of second place in the East with an 8-5 mark.

Hyannis 2, Cotuit 1

Hyannis made two early runs stand up and went to 2-0 in the Barnstable Patriot Cup with a win over sliding Cotuit, which dropped its eighth in a row. Cody Henry (Alabama) scored an unearned run in the second inning and Chris Cullen (South Carolina) had a sacrifice fly to score Dylan Busby (Florida State) in the fourth. That was all the Harbor Hawk pitchers would need, as Alex Eubanks (Clemson) went six shutout innings and Al Pesto (Duke) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) closed out the win. Cave struck out the side around a hit in the ninth for his fourth save. Keith Rogalla (Creighton) and Cal Becker (Sonoma State) pitched well for the Kettleers.

Y-D 12, Wareham 4

Y-D built a 6-0 lead and answered a four-run Wareham rally with six more runs in a 12-4 blowout at Spillane Field. Seven different Red Sox knocked in runs, with Tyler Houston (Butler) and Kevin Smith (Maryland) plating two each. Matt Winaker (Stanford), Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) and Paul Rufo (Binghamton) had two hits each. Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) ran with the early lead, tossing five shutout innings with five strikeouts.

Falmouth 7, Orleans 3

Falmouth rallied from a 3-0 deficit with seven unanswered runs in the middle innings en route to a win over Orleans. Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs to lead the comeback efforts. Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) homered and drove in two. Seven different Commodores crossed the plate. The rally helped make a winner out of Brendan King (Holy Cross), who started and allowed three runs in five innings. Three Falmouth relievers combined to surrender just one hit over the final four innings.

What to Watch

The top three teams in the West are all within one point of each other in the standings, and two of them will meet Saturday as Bourne hosts Falmouth at Doran Park.

June 21, 2016June 21, 2016

Powered Up

Matt Davis and Brewster have had the league's top offense thus far. — Matt Davis and Brewster have had the league’s top offense thus far.

(Note: Apologies for the lack of Daily Fog Monday and the late post today. I’m in Alaska for the Summer Nine book project, which you can read more about here, and I have no idea what time it is!)

Brewster’s Matt Davis (VCU) earned Cape League Player of the Week honors for his fast start, and it’s a good bet he won’t be the last Whitecap hitter to get some recognition.

Brewster won its fourth straight game Monday, 11-6 over Falmouth, and offense has set the stage for the success. The Whitecaps lead the league in runs scored, averaging about seven per game, and rank second in batting average. In extra-base hits – always a good measuring stick of which team truly has the best offense – the Whitecaps lead the league by a wide margin, with 20 doubles, 10 home runs and four triples. They lead two of those three individual categories and are second in doubles.

And Monday, they did damage against a team with the second-best ERA in the league and a starting pitcher who went five scoreless innings in his first start. The Whitecaps touched up Jacob Godfrey (Arizona State) for nine runs – seven earned – in the first three innings of the game and cruised from there, finishing with 13 hits.

Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) – in his third game of his second summer with the Whitecaps – hit a first-inning grand slam and Brewster was off-and-running. Johnson added one more RBI and finished 2-for-5. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had his best day as a Cape Leaguer, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Nicholas Dunn (Maryland) went 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Julian Infante (Vanderbilt) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Zack Gahagan (North Carolina) also homered.

Staked to the big early lead, Brewster used seven pitchers and remained in control throughout.

Harwich 3, Y-D 0

Harwich Mariner pitching continues to be the story of the early part of the Cape League season. The Mariners ran their record to a league-best 8-2 with a 3-0 victory over Yarmouth-Dennis Monday. They’ve won three of their last four games, with all the wins coming by shutout. The Mariners have allowed 14 runs in 10 games, by far the lowest number in the league. It was B.J. Myers’ (West Virginia) turn Monday. Coming off seven innings of one-run ball against Y-D in his first start, he struck out three, walked one and gave up four hits in 7.1 scoreless innings. Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) did the rest, continuing his dominant start to the season with 1.2 scoreless frames for his fourth save. At the plate, Ernie Clement (Virginia) went 4-for-5 and scored two runs from the leadoff spot. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) each had two hits and an RBI.

Hyannis 5, Bourne 2

Winless through seven games, Hyannis has suddenly won three in a row. Five pitchers combined to hold Bourne to two runs on seven hits in Monday’s win. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) earned the win in relief with Garrett Cave (Florida International) picking up a save. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-4 with two RBI and has now driven in five runs in the three-game win streak. Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) added two hits and two RBI, Trey Truitt (Mercer) had two hits for his second consecutive multi-hit game and Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) scored two runs. Bourne got two hits from Jake Mangum, who is picking up where he left off after hitting over .400 at Mississippi State this spring. He’s 5-for-13 since arriving on the Cape.

Chatham 7, Wareham 1

Two pitchers who had tremendous springs combined for 6.2 strong innings as Chatham beat Wareham. NEC Pitcher of the Year James Karinchak (Bryant) struck out six in three innings of one-hit ball and WAC Pitcher of the Year Nick Meservey (Seattle) gave up just an unearned run on two hits in 3.2 innings. Matt Pidich (Pittsburgh) and Moises Ceja (UCLA) picked up where they left off with 2.1 scoreless frames, as Wareham finished the day with just three hits. The Anglers needed the shut-down performances because the game was close throughout. But with a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth, the Anglers scored five runs to blow the game open. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) had two hits and two RBI. Sean Bouchard (UCLA), D.J. Artis (Liberty) and Hunter Lee (High Point) also knocked in runs. With the win, Chatham moved back to .500 at 5-5.

Orleans 10, Cotuit 4

The Firebirds improved to 6-4 and handed Cotuit its fifth straight loss. Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) led the big offensive day, going 3-for-3 and driving in five runs as he continued his hot start. Kirtley – who hit .323 with seven homers this spring – has four multi-hit games in five starts for the Firebirds. Brian Miller (North Carolina) added two hits, three runs scored and an RBI, and Riley Mahan (Kentucky) had a run and an RBI. Kirk McCarty (Southern Mississippi) went five scoreless innings in his first start for Orleans. Eli Morgan (Gonzaga), who struggled mightily in his last outing, struck out five in two scoreless innings of relief. For Cotuit, Vanderbilt star Jeren Kendall made his second appearance as he gets some time on the Cape before heading to Team USA.

What to Watch

League-wide off day today. When the action resumes, Harwich’s pitching may get another boost as Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) makes his debut at Cotuit.

June 19, 2016June 19, 2016

Another Breakthrough

Perhaps the Hyannis Harbor Hawks just prefer a matinee. In a 2 p.m. game at McKeon Park Saturday, the Harbor Hawks finally broke through for their first win of the season, beating Wareham 5-4.

The night before, Hyannis lost a 1-0, extra-inning decision to Harwich, probably its most frustrating loss of all. The Gatemen – who took the train to Hyannis as part of a promotion – took a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning Saturday, but Hyannis rallied with four in the eighth and held off a final push in the ninth for the win.

Trey Truitt (Mercer) was hit by a pitch to start the rally and Ford Proctor (Rice) doubled for his third hit of the day. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) plated both of them and gave Hyannis the lead with a two-run single. After two more hits, Cody Henry (Alabama) knocked a two-run double to make it 5-2.

Wareham managed two runs in the ninth, but James Harrington (New Mexico) induced a ground ball to end the game, stranding runners on first and second. Harrington was credited with the save. The win went to reliever Trysten Barlow (Mississippi State). Starter Alex Eubanks(Clemson) didn’t factor in the decision but had a good day, allowing one run in six innings while fanning three.

Proctor, who had a strong freshman season for Rice, led the Hyannis offense with a 3-for-4 day in his third start on the Cape. Rutherford – who has a hit in six of Hyannis’ eight games – went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Hyannis is now 1-7 overall, matching Cotuit’s record. Those teams will meet for the first time this season today.

Orleans 1, Harwich 0

Harwich was on the winning end of a game that was 0-0 most of the way Friday, but was on the losing end Saturday as Orleans walked off with a 1-0 win in the bottom of the ninth. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Brian Miller (North Carolina) brought him home with the winning run on a base hit. Before that, pitching had dominated to the tune of eight scoreless innings. Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) got the win in relief for Orleans. He was the third of three relievers who maintained starter Joe Ryan’s (Cal State Northridge) shutout. Ryan scattered six hits in five innings. Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out six in six scoreless innings for Harwich. For the Orleans offense, Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits for the third straight game since his arrival. Ernie Clement (Virginia) had a three-hit day for Harwich.

Y-D 5, Bourne 1

Break up the Red Sox. Winless two days ago, Y-D won its third straight Saturday with a 5-1 victory over West-leading Bourne. Tyler Houston (Butler) led an 11-hit attack with three hits and two RBI. Kevin Smith (Maryland) and Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) added two hits each. The Red Sox staked starter Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) to an early 2-0 lead and he ran with it, allowing just an unearned run in five innings for the win. Collin Snider and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) closed out the victory. Jake Mangum (Mississippi State), one of the nation’s leading hitters this spring, made his debut for Bourne and started in the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4.

Chatham 5, Falmouth 2

The Anglers gave up two runs in the first inning but nothing else and rallied from the early deficit to move back to .500 at 4-4. Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) settled in after Falmouth touched him up early, going five innings for the victory. Jason Foley (Sacred Heart) pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Moises Ceja (UCLA) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. Kyle Adams (Richmond) and Chase Pinder (Clemson) had RBI single to start the rally in the fourth inning. A single run in the fifth and two more in the ninth provided some insurance. Pinder would finish with a 3-for-4 day. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) and Sean Bouchard (UCLA) had two hits each. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had an RBI and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went 3-for-4. Kevin Merrell (South Florida) continued his blistering start with his sixth multi-hit game of the summer.

Brewster 7, Cotuit 5

Brewster leads the league in runs scored and had another solid day in a victory over Cotuit. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) hit his first home run and Matt Davis (VCU) went 2-for-4 with two RBI to take over the league lead with 11. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) – the NECBL MVP last year – went 2-for-4 in his second start for the Whitecaps this summer. A.J. Graffanino (Washington) added two RBI. Aaron Soto (Tennessee) allowed five runs in six innings but all the offense made him a winner. His college teammate Jacob Westphal (Tennessee) earned the save. For Cotuit, Cory Voss (New Mexico) hit a grand slam and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) had two hits.

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit meet for the first time this season at Lowell Park. Charlie Barnes, who led Clemson in strikeouts this summer, makes his second for Hyannis after allowing four runs in four innings his first time out. Justin Hooper (UCLA), a 6-foot-7 freshman, is set to make his debut for Cotuit.