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Too Close to Call

Leon Byrd, Jr. and Falmouth swept a doubleheader last night.

 
The Cape League’s move to an eight-team playoff structure has taken some of the fun out of regular-season playoff races. This season, for instance, the four spots in the West were already sewn up before the final week of games began.

But even without the do-or-die quests for playoff berths, the races aren’t without drama. And there’s a lot of drama in the West.

Hyannis, Cotuit and Falmouth have been at the top of the division and within just a few games of each other for pretty much the entire season. With losses by Hyannis and Cotuit, plus a doubleheader sweep by Falmouth, they’re now separated by just two points. Hyannis is in first with 46 points, Cotuit has 45 and Falmouth has 44. They all have 22 wins, with ties representing the point difference.

There have been plenty of tight races over the years in the Cape League, but rarely have they been this tight – and with three teams involved. Since 2000, the smallest point-margin between the top three teams in a division race was three. It happened in both 2001 and 2008. If the current race stays at two, Hyannis, Cotuit and Falmouth will be the most tightly-packed trio since the turn of the century.

In a race like that, any win is big. Two on one day is bigger, and that’s what Falmouth did last night. The Commodores beat Wareham 2-1 in the first game of a twin bill, getting five strong innings from Craig Schlitter (Bryant) and a save from Donny Murray (Holy Cross). Kevin Newman (Arizona) had two hits and Conner Hale (State College of Florida) drove in a run.

In game two, Falmouth looked like it was headed for a split. Wareham carried a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning, the final inning because it was a doubleheader. Instead, the Commodores scored six runs to take a lead then held off Wareham for the win.

Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) made it 4-3 with a two-run double before Dylan Davis (Oregon State) tied the game on an RBI single. Then, with the bases loaded, Troy Stein (Texas A&M) cracked a triple to score three more runs.

Just like that, the Commodores had matched Hyannis and Cotuit with 22 wins.

And they made a close race start to look historically close.

 

Harwich 5, Hyannis 4

The Harbor Hawks nearly gained a little separation in the aforementioned raced when they broke a 0-0 tie with four runs in the top of the ninth. Harwich answered with four runs in the bottom half, though, then won the game in the 10th. Once Hyannis got the lead, it turned to league saves leader Eric Eck (Wofford), but Eck had his first rough outing of the summer as Harwich rallied. Blair DeBord (Kansas State) had an RBI single, one of four hits on the night. Brendon Hayden (Virginia Tech) followed with a two-run double, and Brett Austin (NC State) tied the game with an RBI single. Then in the 10th, Tanner English (South Carolina) brought in Branden Cogswell (Virginia) with a walk-off single, his second 10th-inning walk-off hit of the summer.

 

Orleans 2, Cotuit 0

The Firebirds won for the seventh straight time with a shutout of Cotuit. Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) scattered five hits in five scoreless innings before giving way to an increasingly dominant Orleans bullpen. Kyle Twomey (USC), Luis Paula (North Carolina), Brian Clark (Kent State) and Matt Troupe (Arizona) combined to allow just one run the rest of the way while pitching an inning each. Troupe struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save. The pitchers got all the support they needed in a two-run fifth inning. Jordan Betts (Duke) homered and Vince Conde (Vanderbilt) drove in the other run. For Cotuit, Evan Beal (South Carolina) struck out six in 6.2 innings but was the hard-luck loser.

 

Bourne 2, Y-D 1

Bourne is reportedly saying goodbye to ace Jaron Long, according to Perfect Game’s Frankie Piliere, as Long is set to sign with the New York Yankees. The Braves picked up a victory, though, breaking a 1-1 tie with a run in the ninth to win 2-1. Michael Costello (Radford), who was making his first start after pitching in relief all summer, tossed five shutout innings. Hawtin Buchanan (Ole Miss) got the win in relief and Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State), a two-way guy who’s been more position player than pitcher this summer, picked up the save. Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored the go-ahead run on an errant pickoff throw.

 

Brewster 8, Chatham 1

The Whitecaps snapped a season-long winless streak against Chatham with an 8-1 victory over the first-place Anglers. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) struck out six in five innings of no-hit baseball. The Anglers managed just one hit against the Brewster bullpen. In the meantime, the Whitecaps broke open a close game with five runs in the eighth. Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) led the attack with two hits and two RBI, while Scott Heineman (Oregon) had two hits and one run driven in.

 

What to Watch

Chatham’s Tommy Lawrence (Maine) dueled Jeff Hoffman in his last start and should give the fans another good tilt when Y-D and Daniel Savas (Illinois State) visit Veterans Field tonight. Lawrence has not allowed a run since his first outing, on June 25. Savas is 3-0 and two starts ago, he struck out 12 in eight innings.

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Next in Line

Daniel Savas struck out 12 in eight innings as Y-D topped Harwich.

 
It has not been a good year for Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox pitchers and with ace Erick Fedde taking a detour to Team USA, it didn’t look like this week would be much help.

Daniel Savas had something to say about that.

The righty from Illinois State turned in as dominant a performance last night as anyone on the Cape has delivered this summer. He struck out 12 and allowed one run in eight innings as the Red Sox beat Harwich 5-3.

It was the the third straight win for Savas, who is steadily emerging as one of the top pitchers in the league. He has suddenly vaulted himself into second in the league in strikeouts, despite the fact that he didn’t make his first appearance until June 23 and his first start until July 5.

The performance is only surprising in the sense that you might not have seen it coming. Savas was a late arrival – on a temporary contract, in fact – but his spring was tremendous. He went 10-0 for Illinois State with a 1.79 ERA and five complete games in 15 starts. He struck out 98 in 100.1 innings. Opponents hit just .180 against him.

Savas had a solid freshman season in 2011 before redshirting in 2012. This season represented an impressive return. He was a first-team all-Missouri Valley pick.

After all of that, though, Savas was not drafted this spring. He hit the road for the Cape, and the Red Sox are very happy he did. He’s been just what the doctor ordered for them – they’re 3-0 in games he’s started.

Last night, Savas actually gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Ian Happ (Cincinnati), but it was smooth sailing from there. He struck out the side after the home run, then cruised, allowing just four more hits. He only got stronger as the game went on, retiring the last 11 batters he faced.

He had plenty of support, too. The Red Sox got two RBI from D.J. Stewart (Florida), plus one RBI each by Taylor Smart (Tennessee) and Alex Blandino (Stanford).

The Red Sox are now just one game under .500, and they may get their ace back soon – Fedde is expected back when Team USA’s season ends next week.

But with Savas in the mix, it may get crowded at the top of the rotation.

 

Chatham 11, Cotuit 8

The East and West first-place teams rank third and fourth in team ERA, but their third meeting of the year was a slugfest. Chatham prevailed, running its record against the Kettleers to 3-0 and becoming the first team in the league to 20 wins. They’re now 20-9. The Anglers scored six runs in the fourth, still found themselves in a tied game but took the lead with one in the sixth and three in the seventh. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) hit his second home run, part of a three-hit, three RBI night. Michael Russell (North Carolina) drove in two runs, while Dante Flores (USC), Connor Joe (San Diego) and Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) drove in one each. On the mound, Andrew McGee (Monmouth) had another tough outing, but the bullpen picked up the slack, allowing just one run over the final 4.1 innings. Ryan Leach (Franklin Pierce) got the win and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) notched his fourth save in just his fifth appearance. For Cotuit, Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) went 3-for-4 with his first home run of the summer.

 

Bourne 7, Brewster 0

Jaron Long (Ohio State) was terrific again as the Braves shut out Brewster for their second straight win. Long went six scoreless, striking out three and giving up just three hits. He’s now 5-0 and owns more than a third of his team’s wins. He has allowed one run all summer and just 17 hits in 28 innings pitched. Michael Costello (Radford) and Justin McCalvin (Kennesaw State) finished off the shutout, with McCalvin striking out the side in a spotless ninth. The Bourne offense was led by Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State), who went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Trent Gilbert (Arizona) went 4-for-4.

 

Falmouth 12, Hyannis 1

The Commodores was 0-4 against Hyannis but exacted a measure of revenge last night, pounding 18 hits on their way to the lopsided victory. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) went 2-for-4 and hit his sixth home run, which vaults him into the league lead. Five other Commodores also had multi-hit games, led by Kevin Cron (TCU), who went 4-for-4 with three RBI. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) had three RBI and Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had two, bumping his league-high total to 26. On the mound, Trey Teakell (TCU) – who pitched in a loss to Hyannis last week – went seven strong innings, striking out four and giving up only one hit.

 

Orleans 4, Wareham 0

The Firebirds have been struggling but picked up a much-needed victory with a shutout of the Gatemen. Vanderbilt lefty Jared Miller made his third start and was at his best, tossing seven innings of two-hit baseball. He struck out four. Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) and Matt Troupe (Arizona) finished it off, with Troupe getting his sixth save. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) went 4-for-4 with his second home run of the summer, stretching his hit streak to six games. Vince Conde (Vanderbilt) and Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) had two hits each.

 

What to Watch

Cotuit and Hyannis, the top two teams in the West, will square off for the fourth time this season at 6 p.m. at McKeon Park. The Kettleers are 3-1 in the four match-ups. Kyle Freeland (Evansville), who’s won his last two starts, gets the ball for Hyannis. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco), who has settled in after one bad June start, is on the hill for Cotuit.

 

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Mad Max

Max Pentecost went 5-for-5 with two home runs for the Bourne Braves last night.

 
Around 9:30 last night, I was cruising the Cape Cod Baseball League box scores from the evening, trying to get an idea of what I might write about today. I saw that Max Pentecost was having a big night, but his Bourne Braves were losing at the time. I didn’t check again.

Late into the night, Pentecost’s big performance turned huge.

The rising junior at Kennesaw State went 5-for-5 with two home runs, including a two-run bomb that broke a tie game in the 12th and sent the Braves on their way to an 8-6 victory over Orleans.

Every once in a while, you get a masterful performance in the Cape League, and without a doubt, this was one of them.

Pentecost came in hitting .329 with three home runs, already a solid line. He’s been getting some love lately as potentially the top catching prospect on the Cape.

After Wednesday, you can drop the catching tag from that and just call him one of the best.

Pentecost reached base all seven times, adding a walk and a hit-by-pitch to his 5-for-5 night.

And the five hits weren’t just any five hits. He hit a solo home run in the third to put the Braves ahead 2-1. In the fifth, he singled as part of a three-run rally. In the seventh, with his team trailing 6-5 and two outs, Pentecost singled to bring in the tying run.

Apparently, he was just setting the stage for even more heroics.

After three scoreless innings, Pentecost waited in the on-deck circle with two outs in the 12th and watched as Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) worked a walk. That gave Pentecost a chance and he didn’t waste it, smashing a home run over the fence in left to give the Braves the lead.

Pentecost’s teammate Justin McCalvin loaded the bases in the bottom of the 12th but wiggled out with a game-ending double-play.

That secured a marathon win – and hero status for Pentecost.

The Georgia native was a potential early-round pick out of high school but he had to have Tommy John surgery. He still only fell to the seventh round, but headed to Kennesaw State. After being named the seventh-best prospect in the NECBL last summer, he hit three home runs this spring.

Now he’s officially one of the best on the Cape. Thanks to his big night, he ranks second in the league in hitting, is tied for the lead in home runs and sits third in RBI.

And he owns the 2013 Cape League season’s most memorable performance.

 

Hyannis 10, Falmouth 8

Falmouth’s big bats touched up top pitching prospect Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) for eight runs in 3.2 innings, but it was Hoffman’s Harbor Hawks who got the last laugh. Hyannis rallied for 10 runs over the final five innings to win 10-8 and grab sole possession of first place in the West with a 15-7 record. Falmouth slipped to 14-9. The comeback started with three runs in the fifth and continued with six in the sixth. Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) led the charge with three hits and two RBI, while Jay Baum (Clemson) and Dominic Jose (Stanford) also knocked in two runs each. Andrew Istler (Duke) stopped the bleeding after Hoffman’s rough outing and got the win. Jay Shaw (Alabama) and Jordan Foley (Central Michigan) finished it off. For Falmouth, Kevin Newman (Arizona) and Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had three hits each.

 

Y-D 6, Chatham 4

Chatham ace Andrew McGee (Monmouth) had his first bad start of the summer and Y-D (11-12-1) took advantage, knocking off the first-place Anglers (15-8-1). Brandon Downes (Virginia) hit his first home run for the Red Sox, Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) had three hits and D.J. Stewart (Florida State) drove in two runs. Daniel Savas (Illinois State), who went seven shutout innings in his last start, gave up three earned in 5.2 innings for the win. He struck out seven. Darrell Hunter (Oregon) worked three scoreless innings with four strikeouts for the save. Chatham got a home run from Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion) and two hits from Dante Flores (USC).

 

Brewster 6, Cotuit 5

The Whitecaps (8-15) won for the second straight time and the fifth time in seven games, as they knocked off Cotuit (14-10). Corey Taylor (Texas Tech) delivered three strong innings of relief for the win and Brad Schreiber (Purdue) got the save. Kyle Overstreet (Alabama) homered for the Whitecaps, while Scott Heineman (Oregon) had three hits and stole two bases. Mike Ford (Princeton) went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead Cotuit.

 

Harwich 8, Wareham 3

The Mariners (13-11) stopped a two-game skid with a victory over the Gatemen (5-19). Harwich broke open a 3-2 game with five runs in the seventh. Derek Fisher (Virginia) led the big offensive night, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. He’s atop the batting average leaderboard at .397. Ryan Lindemuth (William & Mary) added two hits and two RBI. Jalen Beeks (Arkansas) turned in six strong innings on the mound, allowing two runs and striking out four for the win.

 

What to Watch

Just two games on the schedule tonight, but it could be a fun one in Bourne. The Braves host Falmouth at 6 p.m., with ace Jaron Long (Ohio State) on the hill – and we saw what Falmouth can do to a top starter last night. With Pentecost now in the mix, the game also features the league’s top five home run hitters.