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 26, 2016June 26, 2016

What a Relief

Taylor Lehman dominated in relief as Cotuit snapped an eight-game losing streak.

The Cotuit Kettleers could breathe a sigh of relief Saturday – thanks to some relief.

Taylor Lehman (Penn State) pitched five no-hit innings out of the bullpen to maintain an early lead and the Kettleers snapped an eight-game slide with a 6-3 victory over Yarmouth-Dennis at Lowell Park.

The Kettleers had issues in just about every facet of the game in their 1-12 start, and pitching was near the top of the list, with the team ERA hovering over five. Friday, they got a strong showing from a pair of pitchers in a hard-luck 2-1 loss to Hyannis. Saturday, there was more success, with the finish proving even better than the start.

Ross Achter (Toledo) held his own for four innings, allowing three runs. Then came Lehman, the 6-foot-8 left-hander. Both of his prior appearances had been starts. He allowed three earned runs in his first outing then was touched up for five in 3.2 innings the next time out.

Saturday, he relieved Achter to start the fifth and worked around a walk for a scoreless frame. And then he was rolling. Lehman retired the final 13 batters he faced after the fifth-inning walk. Since the walk was erased by a caught stealing, Lehman ended up facing the minimum in his five innings. He finished the game with a strikeout, his third.

The breakout performance helped the Kettleers stay in front after they had taken a 4-2 lead in the first inning. Ryan Hagan (Mercer) had a sacrifice fly and Cory Voss (New Mexico) delivered a two-run double to key the rally. Cotuit added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings, with Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer CC) and Jackson Klein (Stanford) knocking them in.

The Kettleers improved to 2-12 while Y-D went to 6-8.

Bourne 4, Falmouth 2

With first place in the West on the line, the Braves topped Falmouth to stay in the top spot. Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt) went six strong innings in his second start of the summer, allowing two runs and striking out four. Doug Norman (LSU) and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) finished the job by combining for three hitless innings. The offense was led by Justin Yurchak (Binghamton), who took over the league lead in hitting with his fourth consecutive multi-hit game. A transfer from Wake Forest who sat out this spring, Yurchak is now batting .438. Evan Mendoza (NC State) added two RBI and Connor Wong (Houston) knocked in one. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) went 1-for-4 to stretch his hitting streak to nine games.

Chatham 2, Brewster 0

The league’s top scoring offense was shut-out for the first time all season as a pair of Chatham pitchers led the Anglers to a key 2-0 win. Both teams are now 8-6, tied for second in the East. Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) and Simon Mathews (Georgetown) did the honors on the shutout, scattering a combined five hits. Chock surrendered only two in five innings but left with the game in a scoreless tie. Mathews followed with four scoreless frames and earned the win when Chatham scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Brewster starter Kade McClure (Louisville) struck out eight in six shutout innings before the Anglers break through against the bullpen. Hunter Lee (High Point) broke the 0-0 tie with an RBI single and Jake Palomaki (Boston College) homered the next inning.

Harwich 2, Orleans 1

The Mariners broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth and topped Orleans to improve to 11-3. They still haven’t lost consecutive games this season. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington) delivered the key hit with an RBI double in the eighth and he finished 2-for-4 while pushing his hit streak to four. A walk to Austin Filiere (MIT) put a runner on and pinch-runner Steven Foster (Hofstra) moved to second on a wild pitch before Feight’s clutch hit. The rally made a winner out of Austin Bain (LSU), who went two scoreless inning in relief. Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) notched the save. Starter Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) had gone six strong innings, allowing one run and striking out nine to take over the league lead in Ks. Joseph Dunand (NC State) added an RBI for the Mariners. Will Golsan (Ole Miss) knocked in the lone run for Orleans.

Wareham 5, Hyannis 4

Wareham lost a one-run lead in the top of the eighth but got it back in the bottom half and went on to a 5-4 win over Hyannis. Harrison Wenson (Michigan) plated what proved to be the winning run in the eighth with an RBI single after Colton Shaver (BYU) had started the rally with a single. Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine), who had given up the lead a half-inning before, returned to the mound for the ninth and pitched around a walk to seal the win. Shaver went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Wareham offense. Joey Bartosic (George Washington) and recent arrival Cole Freeman (LSU) added two hits apiece. Hyannis got three hits from Dylan Busby (Florida State). With the win and Falmouth’s loss to Bourne, the Gatemen leapfrogged into second place.

What to Watch

The league’s Pitcher of the Week in the first two installments of the season will try to go for a third as Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) makes the start for Harwich at Y-D. McCarthy has yet to allow a run this season. He’s up against Mitch Hart (USC), who struggled in his first start but tossed five shutout innings his last time out.

June 7, 2016June 7, 2016

Wareham ready to go

Wareham has a talented team on deck that has a chance to be close to a finished product early on.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Colton Shaver
2. Alex Destino
3. Jake Walters
4. Gunner Leger
5. K.J. Harrison

NOTABLE

The Gatemen have a new head coach, as Jerry Weinstein takes over for Cooper Farris. Weinstein has an extensive resume in the college and professional ranks, most recently serving as the Rockies’ developmental supervisor.

Wareham didn’t have a fantastic season last year, but it did include Andrew Calica hitting over .400. As individual accomplishments go, that will be tough to top.

Lots of players — hitters and pitchers — coming off big springs and ticketed for Wareham. The best news for the Gatemen? There may not be many detours. The Gatemen have six players in Super Regionals, less than a lot of Cape League teams. There’s also only one current Team USA invite on the roster.

Robert Garcia, Gunner Leger and Jake Walters could make a pretty strong top of the rotation for the Gatemen. All three were the top starters for their teams and put up terrific numbers.

Pepperdine’s Ryan Wilson saved six games this spring and struck out well over a batter an inning. Definitely a potential closer for the Gatemen.

Alex Destino is listed as a pitcher/first baseman on the Wareham roster, but has only pitched one inning for South Carolina this year. It wil be interesting to see if he gets any time on the mound. Given his offensive success, he wouldn’t have to be a two-way guy to contribute. Destino has 10 home runs as the Gamecocks head to Super Regionals.

Seven of the 14 hitters on the Wareham roster hit at least eight home runs this spring. That’s no small feat in the world of college baseball.

The highest total belongs to D-II Azusa Pacific’s Adrian Tovalin, who blasted 22 of them. He was one of the national leaders in D-II.

Wareham has quite a trio of catchers, all of whom hit around .300. And Colton Shaver and Harrison Wenson could be the best offensive catchers on the Cape. Shaver has 23 home runs in two years at BYU and Wenson hit eight for Michigan this spring.

K.J. Harrison won the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year honor for Oregon State last year and followed it with a pretty strong sophomore season. His teammate, Nick Madrigal, is the one Team USA invite.

Wake Forest was a powerful offensive team in the ACC this spring, and Gavin Sheets did much of the damage with nine home runs.

Luke Bonfield is off to Wareham after playing for Y-D last summer. He’s coming off a good spring for Arkansas.

PITCHERS

Jeff Bain – SO – California – Has pitched well in swing role for two seasons, finishing with 3.43 ERA, 32 Ks in 42 innings this year
Brett Conine – FR – Cal State Fullerton – Pitched mostly in relief and had 5.10 ERA in 15 appearances with 24 strikeouts in 30 IP
Robert Garcia – SO – UC Davis – Made 11 relief appearances before shining in starting role, finishing with 2.73 ERA, 78 Ks, .208 OBA
Ty Harpenau – FR – Texas Tech – Mid-week starter and reliever has 6.85 ERA, 32 Ks for Super Regional bound Texas Tech
Anthony Herron – JR – Jefferson College – Missouri State commit had 1.76 ERA, 89 Ks in 66.2 IP in junior college ranks
Gunner Leger – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year starred as Friday starter this year, with 2.26 ERA, 81 Ks
Casey Mize – FR – Auburn – Had solid season in bullpen and mid-week rotation, finishing at 3.52 with 59 Ks in 69 IP
Zachary Pop – SO – Kentucky – One of Northwoods top prospects last year had 5.21 ERA this spring in relief and mid-week starts
Ryan Selmer – RS SO – Maryland – Led team in appearances and saved four games with 4.50 ERA
Ethan Small – FR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 20 Ks in 10.1 IP, though ERA is high thanks to two rough outings
Nick Sprengel – FR – San Diego – Went 5-7 with 5.92 ERA as starter and reliever but fanned 70 in 65.1 innings
Jake Walters – SO – Alabama – Top starter for Tide finished with 2.67 ERA, 84 Ks in 84.1 innings
Ryan Wilson – SO – Pepperdine – Started three games before taking on closer’s role and finished with six saves, 0.63 ERA

CATCHERS

Joey Bart – FR – Georgia Tech – 27th-round pick out of high school started 41 games as a freshman and hit .296
Colton Shaver – SO – BYU – Hit 13 homers as a frosh and didn’t slow down much this year, batting .335 with 10 long balls, 57 RBI
Harrison Wenson – JR – Michigan – Johnny Bench Award semifinalist hit .289 with team-high 8 HR and 56 RBI

INFIELDERS

Alex Destino – SO – South Carolina – One of top prospects in Coastal Plain League last year hitting .325 with 10 HR, 59 RBI
Cole Freeman – SO – LSU – JUCO transfer hitting .324 while starting every game in first season with Tigers
Preston Grand Pre – SO – California – Batted .290 with five steals and .349 OBP while manning second base for Golden Bears
K.J. Harrison – SO – Oregon State – PAC 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 saw average dip a bit to .265 but still hit 10 HR, 28 XBH
Nick Madrigal – FR – Oregon State – 17th-round pick, highly-touted recruit hit .333, made only five errors at second base in debut
Gavin Sheets – SO – Wake Forest – Finished second on the team behind All-American Will Craid with .326 average, nine homers, 45 RBI
Adrian Tovalin – SO – Azusa Pacific – Had huge year for D-II Cougars, hitting .365 with 22 home runs

OUTFIELDERS

Luke Bonfield – SO – Arkansas – Hit .211 in 27 games for Y-D last summer and batted .304 with eight home runs this spring
Carl Chester – SO – Miami – Grabbed full-time spot this year and is hitting .338 with 2 HR and team-high 16 steals
Jonathan Engelmann – SO – Michigan – Hit .257 as a sophomore in 39 games
Austen Wade – SO – TCU – Saw limited action last year before emergence this season has led to .307 AVG, 25 RBI, 13 SB