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New Beginnings

Tim Susnara's RBI single broke a scoreless tie in the 11th as Cotuit topped Harwich.
Tim Susnara’s RBI single broke a scoreless tie in the 11th as Cotuit topped Harwich.

 
Cotuit is the hottest team in the league and its win Friday over Harwich means another hot team has knocked the Mariners from their perch at the top of the league.

The Kettleers beat Harwich 2-0 in 11 innings for their fourth straight win. They’re now 9-3-1 since their 2-14 start.

Friday’s win was their second this week over Harwich. The Mariners – with the league’s best record since a hot start – are still playing pretty well, with a 5-3-2 mark in their last 10. But Y-D has won three in a row, and Friday’s 8-4 victory over Falmouth means the Red Sox now have the best record in the league at 18-11. Y-D and Harwich are still tied atop the East, thanks to two ties for the Mariners.

Cotuit and Harwich were locked in a scoreless tie for 10 innings before a somewhat unlikely rally for the Kettleers, given who they were facing. But Quinn Brodey (Stanford) greeted standout Harwich closer Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) with a single and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Tim Susnara (Oregon), who had come on as a pinch-hitter earlier in the game, lined a base hit up the middle to score Brodey with the first run of the game.

Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) followed with a double and Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer) knocked in a run with a single.

Cotuit reliever Ryan Rigby (Mississippi State) kept Harwich off the board for one more inning, sealing the shutout win. Taylor Lehman (Penn State) had gone 2.2 scoreless innings in relief of starter Colton Hock (Stanford), a power arm who had his best start of the summer with six shutout frames.

Hunter Williams (North Carolina) went seven scoreless innings for Harwich but didn’t factor in the decision.

Meanwhile, Y-D’s win in a 5 p.m. game was already in the books. The Red Sox pounded 14 hits and used a five-run sixth inning – with four of the runs unearned – to blow the game open. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) homered while Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) had two hits and two RBI. Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) earned the win in relief and Sam Delaplane (Michigan State) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings for the save.

Y-D has won three straight and is 18-6 since opening the season 0-5.

 

Brewster 9, Hyannis 7

League home run leader Matt Davis (VCU) parlayed his time on the Cape into a pro contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Without him, Brewster kept slugging, getting 15 hits to edge past Hyannis. Bryce Jordan (LSU) went 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot and is hitting .420. Ryan Gridley (Mississippi State) homered and drove in two while Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had two hits and two RBI. Hunter Martin (Tennessee) allowed three runs in 6.1 innings for the win. Hyannis rallied for four runs in the ninth, but Jacob Wloczewski (Binghamton) and Max Herrmann (Rutgers) got out of trouble to seal the victory.

Wareham 6, Bourne 3

On a seven-game winless streak since a July 4 win over Bourne – a string that included two ties – the Gatemen beat Bourne again to snap the skid. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Robert Metz (George Washington) drove in two runs and Cole Freeman (LSU) had two hits and two runs scored. Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) added a home run. Hogan Harris (Louisiana-Lafayette) earned the win in relief before Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) and Jake Matthys (Angelo State) combined for 2.2 scoreless innings to finish it off. Wareham improved to 13-13-3. Bourne, which got a home run from Connor Wong (Houston), fell to 13-15-1.

Orleans 5, Chatham 3

Orleans built a 5-0 lead and held off a late run by Chatham for a 5-3 win. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs to lead the Firebirds offense, while Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) hit his second homer of the summer. Riley Adams (San Diego) added two hits and two RBI and now has 11 hits in his last eight games. Six different pitchers carried the load for the Firebirds, with Chandler Day (Vanderbilt) and Kevin Smith (Georgia) tossing three innings apiece of one-hit, shutout ball. Chatham rallied on a Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) two-run double in the ninth, but Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) came on to get the final out with the tying run at the plate.

 

What to Watch

Good pitching matchup in Falmouth where Brady Singer (Florida) goes for the Commodores against Charlie Barnes (Clemson) of Hyannis. Singer has gone six and five scoreless innings in his two Cape League starts. Barnes went five scoreless in his last outing.
 

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Back in Town

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

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Y-D Charge

Tyler Houston and Y-D vaulted into a third-place tie in the East with Friday's win.
Tyler Houston and Y-D vaulted into a third-place tie in the East with Friday’s win.

 
J.J. Schwarz (Florida) singled in his long-awaited Cape League debut and that was just the start of a good night for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in Harwich. Three pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout as the Red Sox topped first-place Harwich 3-0 and vaulted into a tie for third place in the East.

Schwarz has been a big name in college baseball and prospecting circles since he burst onto the scene as a freshman at Florida last year by hitting .332 with 18 home runs. He didn’t have quite as much success this year but remains near the top of every early 2017 draft preview you’ll see.

Last summer Schwarz was on Y-D’s roster but ended up with Team USA. This year, after Florida’s loss in Omaha, he’s in town and immediately becomes a must-see attraction for scouts. Friday, he singled to lead off the second inning in his first Cape League at-bat and finished 1-for-3.

The bigger story for the Red Sox in terms of impact on Friday’s game was the pitching. Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly) allowed one hit in six shutout innings and struck out four. Coming off a spring in which he had a 3.68 ERA, Uelmen has delivered two scoreless outings in his two Cape starts, having gone five shutout innings his last time out.

Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) followed Uelmen to the hill and pitched a quick seventh inning. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) then notched his first save in emphatic fashion, striking out five of the six batters he faced in two perfect innings.

Harwich, as usual, had good pitching of its own, but a Y-D run in the fifth and two in the sixth provided the difference against starter Hunter Williams (North Carolina). Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) reached on an error and came around on a passed ball in the fifth. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) doubled and Kevin Smith (Maryland) had an RBI to key the sixth inning rally.

Y-D has won two in a row and is 9-9 on the year, hitting the .500 mark for the first time. The Red Sox started the season with five straight losses.

 

Falmouth 5, Bourne 1

Falmouth topped Bourne for its second straight win and moved within one point of the Braves for first place in the West. Willie Burger (Penn State) homered and had two RBI to lead the Commodore offense. Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State) added two hits each. Brady Puckett (Lipscomb) surrendered one run in five innings for his third win of the season and his third consecutive start allowing one run or less. Three relievers combined for four scoreless frames. Bourne got two hits from Mississippi State teammates Jake Mangum and Elih Marrero. Falmouth was without leadoff man and top hitter Kevin Merrell (South Florida), who is apparently injured and has been released, according to the league’s transactions page.

Hyannis 10, Chatham 0

The Harbor Hawks jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and cruised past Chatham at Veterans Field. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion), Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico) and Brett Netzer (Charlotte) led the early burst. Rutherford would finish 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI, while Netzer drove in three. Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) and Kameron Esthay (Baylor) also homered. Eight different Harbor Hawks had hits and six of those hits went for extra bases. Much of the offense came against Chatham’s Jacob Stevens (Boston College), who had tossed five shutout innings in his previous start. Alex Eubanks (Clemson) was the beneficiary of the offense and tossed six shutout innings for a second consecutive start. Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) finished off the win.

Orleans 7, Brewster 2

The Firebirds broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the sixth and tacked on two more in each of the seventh and eighth innings to pull away. The win allowed Orleans to take over second place in the East at 10-8, as Brewster fell to 9-9. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) and Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) had two hits and two RBI apiece. Riley Mahan (Kentucky) added two hits and Justin Jones (Georgia State) scored three runs. John O’Reilly (Rutgers) picked up the win in relief and three of his bullpen mates combined for three scoreless innings to finish it off. For Brewster, Matt Davis (VCU), Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) and Ryan Gridley (Mississippi State) all had two hits. Davis hit his league-best sixth home run. Rooker is now hitting .400.

Cotuit 7, Wareham 6

Cotuit got on its first win streak of the season, beating Wareham for a second consecutive victory. Jackson Klein (Stanford) went 4-for-5 with three RBI and homered for the second straight game. Recent arrival Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) – a former Orleans Firebird who was picked in the 11th round of last month’s draft by the Giants – went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Cal Stevenson (Arizona) and Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer) added two hits each, with Dorrian hitting his first home run of the summer. Taylor Lehman (Penn State) was credited the win in relief after surrendering one run in 3.1 innings. Wareham rallied within a run in the ninth on a three-run homer by Colton Shaver (BYU) – his fifth of the year – but Alec Byrd (Florida State) struck out Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) to end the game.

What to Watch

Falmouth and Y-D will both try to make it three wins in a row when they square off in Falmouth at 6 p.m. Oliver Jaskie (Michigan) makes his first start for Y-D. For Falmouth, Florida’s Brady Singer – the highest unsigned high school pick in the 2015 draft (second round by the Blue Jays) – will make his Cape League debut.
 

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Top three

BOU16_team
 
On a night when Harwich took its first loss of the 2016 season, Falmouth and Bourne seized the chance to match the Mariners for the league’s best record. The Commodores beat Hyannis 8-2 and the Braves blew past Chatham 12-4. Both teams are 5-1 along with Harwich, who lost to Wareham 3-2.

Falmouth took over the label of hottest team in the league with its fourth straight win. The Commodores scored three runs in the first inning and got six strong innings from Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year. Puckett was touched up for three runs in an opening night start against Chatham, but allowed just an unearned tally in this one. He scattered five hits and struck out two. Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) fanned four in two innings of relief and Tyler Jones (Wichita State) finished off the win with a scoreless ninth.

The offensive attack was spearheaded by the top of the order. Kevin Merrell (South Florida), Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State), Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went a combined 8-for-15 with seven runs scored and six RBI. They accounted for all but two of Falmouth’s hits.

Merrell is now hitting .481 from the leadoff spot, with two hits in each game of Falmouth’s win streak. Lawrence, a late addition who hit .355 for Murray State this spring, has homered in each of his two appearances with the Commodores.

While Falmouth is the hottest team in the league, Hyannis fell to 0-6 and is the last remaining winless club.

Over at Doran Park, Bourne fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning but had a few big innings of their own in rallying for the lopsided win. The Braves scored three runs in the fourth and seventh innings and exploded for six in the sixth inning.

Connor Wong (Houston) went 4-for-6 with two RBI and is now hitting .400 in his second go-round on the Cape. David MacKinnon (Hartford) and Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) chipped in three hits each, while Toby Handley (Stony Brook) had two RBI. Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) had two hits and two runs scored and has now hit safely in every game this season.

J.T. Perez (Cincinnati) settled in after giving up the four early runs and didn’t allow another one in four innings of work. As Bourne rallied, its relief corps took control, with Christian Taugner (Brown), Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) and Zach Cook (Winthrop) combining for five scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

In the losing effort, Chatham got two RBI from Patrick Mathis (Texas), who is tied for the league lead with nine, and two RBI from Chase Pinder (Clemson), who went 1-for-4 in his Chatham debut. Chase’s brother, Chad, played for Virginia Tech and Chatham and was a second round pick of Oakland in 2013.
 

Wareham 3, Harwich 2

The Gatemen handed Harwich its first loss thanks to a run in the top of the ninth inning. K.J. Harrison (Oregon State) – the 2015 Pac 12 Freshman of the Year – made his first appearance in Wareham and drew a one-out walk in the ninth. He took second on a wild pitch and came home on an RBI single by Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest). Reliever Casey Mize (Auburn), who had already pitched two scoreless innings, added one more to finish off the win. Pavin Smith (Virginia) led off the inning with a base hit but was cut down at second trying to stretch it to a double. Mize then worked around a walk to close out the win. Sheets led the Wareham offense with two RBI. Before Harrison scored the go-ahead run, he knocked in the first run with an RBI double. Harwich got three hits from Smith. Starter Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) was strong in a no-decision, striking out nine in six innings.

Y-D 10, Brewster 8

Y-D grabbed its first win with an emphatic rally. Trailing 4-1 in the eighth, the Red Sox scored eight runs then held off Brewster’s own comeback attempts for the victory. A two-run homer by Kevin Smith (Maryland) and a two-run double by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) were the big blows in the eight-run inning. Smith finished the night with four hits and Skidmore had three. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt), making his 2016 Cape debut, went 2-for-5. Corey Dempster (USC) knocked in two runs. The late push by Y-D spoiled a strong start by Brewster’s Hunter Martin (Tennesse), who allowed one run in 6.1 innings. Brewster also got a huge day at the plate from Matt Davis (VCU), who homered twice and drove in five. He’s hitting .400 and leads the league in home runs with four.

Orleans 6, Cotuit 5

Fresh off its first win, Cotuit took a 5-4 lead in the third inning, but Orleans scored two in the seventh and went on to a 6-5 win. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt), Drew Lugbauer (Michigan), Scott Hurst (Cal State Fullerton) and Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits each to lead the Firebirds, with Paul driving in a pair of runs. Kevin Smith (Georgia) – a different Smith than the one who had four hits for Y-D – got the win in relief and Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) earned his first save. Cotuit got two hits and two RBI from Jordan Pearce (Nevada).

What to Watch

North Carolina standout J.B. Bukauskas makes his second start for Chatham and potentially his last before Team USA training begins June 27. The Anglers host Brewster, which is starting Bryan King, a solid performer at McNeese State this spring.
 

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Breakthrough

COT16_team
 
Tim Susnara hit .176 last summer and was hitless in two games this year. David Gerics and Ross Achter are on temporary contracts.

Wednesday, they provided the heroics as Cotuit grabbed its first win of the season.

Susnara’s pinch-hit, two-run single broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth while Gerics and Achter combined for a solid pitching performance in a 5-3 win over Brewster at Lowell Park.

Not much has gone right in the early going for the Kettleers, who rank last in the league in team batting average and eighth in ERA. But with the victory Wednesday, they’re at 1-4 and they avoided the 0-5 starts that have caught Y-D and Hyannis.

Susnara (Oregon) stepped to the plate for Dayton Dugas (Wichita State) with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. Facing Hansen Butler (North Carolina), a returning Whitecap, Susnara worked the count full and smacked a base hit to plate two runs.

In the seventh, Cal Stevenson (Arizona) scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run, but Achter (Toledo) didn’t need it. After Gerics (Pomona-Pitzer) allowed two runs in 4.2 innings, Achter – a solid starter for Toledo this spring – put four zeroes on the board before the Whitecaps grabbed a run in the ninth. The Whitecaps threatened for more when they loaded the bases, but Achter struck out Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) to end the game.

Achter earned the win and struck out four. Jackson Klein (Stanford) and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) knocked in one run each for the Kettleers and Albee Weiss (Cal State Northridge) homered.

 

Falmouth 3, Y-D 0

The Commodores notched their second straight shutout and their third consecutive victory with a 3-0 triumph over Y-D. Jake Bird, who had a good freshman season at UCLA before struggling a bit this year, was terrific in his Cape debut, pitching six no-hit innings with five strikeouts. Y-D touched up Keegan Baar (Michigan State) for its first two hits but no runs. Justin Hoyt (Jacksonville State) and Stephen Villines (Kansas) finished out the shutout, with Villines grabbing his second save, which is tied for the league lead. Matt Duce (Dallas Baptist) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) hit solo home runs to lead the Falmouth offense, with Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State) adding an RBI groundout. Y-D remained winless as it managed only the two hits.

Chatham 8, Bourne 3

The Anglers smacked 13 hits and got solid pitching to hand Bourne its first loss of the season. Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) led the Chatham offense with three hits and an RBI. D.J. Artis (Liberty) continued his hot start with two hits and two RBI, and Sean Bouchard (UCLA) delivered the same line in his Cape debut. Patrick Mathis (Texas) also chipped in two RBI, his sixth and seventh of the year, and stretched his season-long hit streak to five. Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win. Three relievers had scoreless outings, including Seattle U standout Nick Meservey, who was making his first appearance in Chatham. For Bourne, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) had two RBI.

Orleans 11, Wareham 7

Trailing 7-4, Orleans scored seven runs in the eighth inning to stun Wareham. Twelve men came to the plate in the big rally, with singles by Chris Triano (Keystone College) and Riley Adams (San Diego) getting things started. Amazingly, Wareham recorded two outs with those two still on base, but the rally went on a long time after that. Payton Squier (UNLV) had a pinch-hit two-run single and Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) knocked in the tying run with a base hit. With the bases loaded, Riley Mahan (Kentucky) hit a triple to give Orleans the lead. Adam Haseley’s (Virginia) RBI single capped the rally. Wareham put a runner on in the ninth as it looked for a rally of its own, but Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) worked around it for a scoreless final frame. Hasely and Mahan had three hits each to lead the Firebird attack. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) hit a grand slam for Wareham.

What to Watch

Falmouth is riding a streak of two consecutive shutouts and will look for another with Lipscomb star Brady Puckett on the hill for a home game against Hyannis. Puckett, the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year, allowed three runs in his first Cape start on opening night.

 

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Bringing the bats

ORL15_file

 

Pitching is often ahead of hitting in the early days of a summer league season, but that wasn’t really the case on opening night in the Cape Cod Baseball League Friday. Every team scored at least two runs and the longest outing by any pitcher was five innings.

The team that did the most scoring is a familiar one.

After watching 10 standouts from last year’s 30-win, offensive juggernaut go in the first four rounds of the Major League Draft, the new Orleans Firebirds didn’t miss a beat. With 15 hits, they broke things open in the late innings in a 9-4 victory over Brewster at Stony Brook Field.

It was a familiar name – though maybe not to Orleans fans – who led the charge. Former Wareham Gateman Logan Sowers (Indiana) – who hit under .200 in 29 games last summer – got nearly a fourth of last year’s season total in hits in one night. Coming off a bounce-back spring in which he hit eight home runs, Sowers went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Each of his hits knocked in a run.

Riley Mahan (Kentucky) also had a fast start, going 4-for-6, knocking in one and scoring three runs from the No. 2 hole. Joe Baker (Texas) added two hits and two RBI and Riley Adams (San Diego) also chipped in two hits. Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) and Dane Hutcheon (Montevallo) had one RBI each, with Lugbauer plating the first run of the Cape League season.

Lefty Sean Guenther (Notre Dame) was the beneficiary of the hot start, allowing one run in five innings for the opening night win. He struck out four and surrendered two hits. Relievers Connor Alexander (Memphis) and Logan Roberts (Lane CC) finished the job.

While Brewster managed only four runs, it did show some pop. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) and Matt Davis (VCU) both homered.

 

Falmouth 7, Chatham 4

Even a great pitching matchup wasn’t immune to an offensive opening night as Falmouth beat Chatham and North Carolina star J.B. Bukauskas. Falmouth scored five runs off Bukauskas in 4.2 innings, though only three were earned. Bukauskas, who is also a Team USA invite, struck out eight, more than any pitcher in the league on opening night, but took the loss. Falmouth starter Brady Puckett, a standout at Lipscomb this spring, surrendered three runs in four innings of work and saw Chatham jump to a 3-0 lead. But a four-run sixth inning sent the Commodores on their way. Willie Burger (Penn State) homered for Falmouth while leadoff man Kevin Merrell (South Florida) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and Matt McLaughlin (Kansas) had two hits. Brendan King (Holy Cross) got the win in relief and Stephen Villines (Kansas) – who saved six games for Falmouth last year – notched his first this season. Falmouth got three hits and two RBI from Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State).
 

Harwich 8, Cotuit 3

Cotuit made three errors in the first two innings as Harwich jumped to a 7-2 lead. The Mariners went on to the 8-3 win. Austin Filiere, a star at MIT and a rare Engineer to earn a Cape League spot, made his debut count by blasting a three-run home run in his first at-bat. A bases-loaded triple by Logan Farrar (VCU) in the second inning broke things open. Filiere and Farrar also scored one run each while Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) had three hits and three runs scored. Cotuit got early RBI from Jordan Pearce (Nevada) and Ben Ruta (Wagner) but Harwich starter Hunter Williams (North Carolina) settled in and allowed just those two runs in five innings, with five strikeouts. Keith Rogalla (Creighton) started for Cotuit and allowed eight runs, but only one was charged as earned. Ross Achter (Toledo) pitched three scoreless innings of relief.
 

Wareham 6, Y-D 3

Colton Shaver (BYU) had probably the best spring of any Cape League player in action Friday and he got his summer off to a roaring start as Wareham beat defending champion Y-D. Shaver, who hit 10 home runs for BYU this year, homered and went 2-for-4 with three RBI in leading an 11-hit Wareham attack. The homer sparked a three-run sixth inning that put the Gatemen in control. Niko Buentello (Auburn) added three hits and an RBI while Brett Netzer (Charlotte) also homered. Jake Fishman (Union College) allowed one run in five innings for the win. For Y-D, Matt Winaker (Stanford) hit a home run and Kevin Smith (Maryland) had two hits.
 

Bourne 3, Hyannis 2

The only low-scoring game of opening night was also the most dramatic as Bourne walked off (literally) with a 3-2 win over Hyannis. The Braves were out-hit 12-6, but the game was tied 2-2 in the ninth when Connor Wong (Houston) drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the winning run. The walkoff made a winner out of Zach Cook (Winthrop) who pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief after a scoreless relief outing by David Drouin (Hartford). Starter J.T. Perez (Cincinnati) pitched well with seven strikeouts and two runs allowed in five innings. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) had three hits and an RBI to lead the Harbor Hawks.
 

What to Watch

Orleans and Wareham, two of the hottest teams Friday, will square off at Eldredge Park at 7 p.m. Joe Ryan, who had a solid spring for Cal State Northridge, goes for the Firebirds against Nick Sprengel (San Diego), who had a high ERA but struck out more than a batter an inning in his freshman year with the Toreros.
 

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Firebirds building on big year

Screen shot 2016-06-05 at 9
 
 
The 2015 Firebirds were one of those once-in-a-few-years Cape League teams that more closely resembles an all-star squad, and the result was 31 wins. With nobody back from that team, the 2016 Firebirds have a tough act to follow.

Five to Watch

1. Riley Adams
2. Michael Mediavilla
3. Zach Warren
4. Chandler Day
5. Zach Kirtley

Notable

  • Vanderbilt’s Donny Everett, who died in a drowning accident last week, was slated to play for Orleans this summer. The Firebirds Twitter account joined the college baseball community in offering condolences.

  • Two other Commodores, Chandler Day and Ethan Paul, will head for Orleans. Day is a highly-touted freshman pitcher, while Paul had a solid season in the Vanderbilt infield.

  • Zach Willeman followed Eric Lauer to the mound a few times this season for Kent State and will follow his footsteps to Orleans this summer. Lauer was terrific for the Firebirds last year and even better for the Golden Flashes this spring. Willeman was the Kent State closer.

  • The Kent State connection isn’t the only one from last year’s Orleans’ rotation. Kyle Serrano’s Tennessee teammate Zach Warren is bound for Orleans after a pretty good sophomore season

  • Gonzaga’s Eli Morgan had the best starting pitching numbers among incoming Firebirds, going 10-2 with 99 strikeouts.

  • Will Stokes isn’t even the official closer at Ole Miss. That job belongs to former Falmouth Commodore Wyatt Short, but Stokes still managed to save seven games. He and Short combined for 18.

  • Miami has been one of the best teams in the nation and Michael Mediavilla has certainly pulled his weight. He’s 10-1 on the year and went seven strong innings in a regional win Saturday.

  • San Diego catcher Riley Adams is one of just five sophomores among the 15 Johnny Bench Award semifinalists. He had a strong sophomore campaign, improving across the board from a freshman season that was also pretty good.

  • Virginia’s Adam Haseley was a key part of last year’s College World Series championship, but he and the 2016 Cavaliers were bounced out of their own regional Sunday by East Carolina.

  • Brian Miller, North Carolina infielder, is not to be confused with Brian Miller, Vanderbilt reliever who starred for Cotuit in 2013. This Miller looks like he could be a fixture at the top of the Orleans order after hitting .345 and stealing 21 bases.

    • PITCHERS

    Brandon Bielak – SO – Notre Dame – Struck out almost a batter an inning with 2.10 ERA pitching mostly out in relief
    Chandler Day – FR – Vanderbilt – Highly-touted, projectable freshman held his own in debut, with 4.26 ERA in 10 appearances
    Sean Guenther – SO – Notre Dame – Saved five games as a freshman before pitching mostly as a starter with 4.62 ERA this year
    Calvin LeBrun – SO – Gonzaga – Went 5-4 with 4.97 ERA while pitching mostly out of the bullpen for Zags
    Zach Logue – SO – Kentucky – Split time as reliever and starter and posted 2.68 ERA, 38 Ks
    Kirk McCarty – SO – Southern Miss – Ace of Golden Eagle’s staff is 8-1 with 3.15 ERA and 89 strikeouts
    Michael Mediavilla – SO – Miami – Saturday starter leads ‘Canes in strikeouts with 69 and holds 10-1 record with 3.23 ERA
    Eli Morgan – SO – Gonzaga – Second-best starter for Bulldogs went 10-2, 3.66 ERA, 99 Ks in 103.1 innings
    Jason Morgan – SO – North Carolina – Weekend starter went 3-3 with 4.10 ERA and 47 Ks
    Joe Ryan – SO – Cal State Northridge – Pitched as both starter and reliever and finished with 3.35 ERA
    Kevin Smith – FR – Georgia – Went 5-1 in swing role with 3.91 ERA, 40 Ks for Bulldogs
    John Sparks – SO – Austin Peay – Struggled out of the pen for Governors, finishing with ERA over 10
    Will Stokes – SO – Ole Miss – Has saved seven games with 2.93 ERA in team-high 30 appearances
    Zach Warren – SO – Tennessee – Had solid season in weekend rotation with 4.04 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 58 Ks
    Zach Willeman – SO – Kent State – Finished top 10 in the nation in saves with 14 while posting 2.70 ERA

    CATCHERS

    Riley Adams – SO – San Diego – Had terrific season for Toreros, batting .327 with 6 HR, team-best 25 extra-base hits
    Drew Lugbauer – SO – Michigan – Standout in NECBL last summer hit .294 with 7 home runs as a sophomore

    INFIELDERS

    Joe Baker – SO – Texas – Followed strong freshman year with bit of a sophomore slump, finishing at .245 with 1 HR
    Garrett Benge – SO – Oklahoma State – Solid performer for Cowboys hitting .298 with four homers
    Will Golsan – SO – Ole Miss – Has started every game but one for Rebels and is batting .273 with three homers, 31 RBI
    Zach Kirtley – SO – St. Mary’s – Starred as a freshman and was top player for tourney team this year – .326, 7 HR, 43 RBI
    Riley Mahan – SO – Kentucky – Followed all-star campaign in Perfect Game League with .316, 5 HR sophomore season
    Ethan Paul – SO – Vanderbilt – Fourth-leading hitter for Commodores with .283 AVG, 4 HR, 9 SB

    OUTFIELDERS

    Adam Haseley – SO – Virginia – Omaha standout in championship run last year still hot, with .304 AVG and 1.73 ERA as a pitcher
    Scott Hurst – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Hitting .214 in 50 games for Titans
    Garrett McCain – SO – Oklahoma State – Batting .203 in part-time duty for Cowboys
    Keegan McGovern – SO – Georgia – Hit .263 with 6 HR, team-best 35 RBI in sophomore campaign
    Brian Miller – SO – North Carolina – Led Tar Heels with .345 AVG and stole 21 bases in 26 tries
    Sean Watkins – SO – Loyola Marymount – Hit .256 at the plate, saved seven games with 2.86 ERA out of bullpen