So far, yet so close

Max Burt scored what proved to be the winning run for Harwich in the 11th inning.
Max Burt scored what proved to be the winning run for Harwich in the 11th inning.

 
They are near opposites. Harwich is 6-1, Hyannis 0-7. The Mariners have scored 40 runs and allowed 13. The Harbor Hawks have scored 13 and allowed 40.

But there was little separating the two in an 11-inning classic Friday night at McKeon Park.

They played scoreless inning after scoreless inning, and though Harwich had more chances, the teams got all the way to the 11th without a run going on the board. The Mariners eventually broke through in the top of the 11th.

For Harwich, it was an impressive win that showcased the pitching that has defined the team’s hot start. Do a little math on those 13 runs allowed in seven games and you see how good Mariner hurlers have been.

For Hyannis, it had to have been a frustrating night in a frustrating start. The Harbor Hawks didn’t blink against a team that’s had a lot more early success than them but ended up with the same result that they’ve found every time out.

Both starting pitchers went five strong innings. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed two hits and struck out five. Mac Sceroler (SE Louisiana) – a 36th-round pick of the Phillies in last week’s draft – struck out six and scattered six hits in his five scoreless frames.

Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville), Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) combined for six innings of three-hit baseball. Al Pesto (Duke) went two scoreless innings for Hyannis and Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) was into his fourth inning when Harwich struck.

Having stranded 12 runners to that point, the Mariners got a single from Max Burt (Northeastern). A sac bunt and a groundout sent him to third. Ernie Clement (Virginia) then smacked an 0-1 pitch for a base hit to score the game’s first – and only – run.

Schellenger came on for the bottom of the 11th, having tossed two perfect innings so far this summer. He gave up his first hit this time – a one-out double by Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) – but struck out cleanup man Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico) and No. 5 hitter Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) to end the game.

Schellenger has now struck out seven in three innings of work and leads the league with three saves. Tyler Kirkpatrick (Marist) and Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) had three hits each for the Mariners. UNC-Wilmington star Nick Feight made his debut and went 0-for-5.

Hyannis got two hits from Rutherford.
 

Brewster 4, Chatham 2

There was also an extra frame in Chatham, where Brewster topped the host Anglers thanks to a pair of runs in the 10th. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) drew a bases-loaded walk for the go-ahead run and Ryan Gridley (Mississippi State) delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. And Chatham likely didn’t feel too confident at that point. Brewster reliever Zac Lowther (Xavier) – the Friday starter for a regional squad – came on with one out in the seventh inning and struck out the first two batters he faced. Then he struck out two more in the eighth. When the dust settled and Lowther pitched a scoreless 10th to finish off the win, he had struck out nine of the 12 batters he faced in 3.2 one-hit, shutout innings. Quite a Cape League debut for Lowther, who ranks eighth in the league in strikeouts – after 3.2 innings. For Chatham, J.B. Bukauskas (North Carolina) struck out nine in five innings.

Wareham 6, Falmouth 5

The Gatemen held off a late push and stopped Falmouth’s four-game win streak with a 6-5 win at Spillane Field. K.J. Harrison (Oregon State) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Wareham offense. Joey Bartosic (George Washington) and Preston Grand Pre (California) each drove in a run and scored a run. Starter Jake Walters (Alabama) allowed one run in four innings. Cole Stapler (Nicholls State) got the win in relief, striking out six in three innings. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) gave up two runs in the top of the ninth but got out of a bases-loaded jam with the lead intact. Willie Burger (Penn State) led Falmouth with two hits and an RBI. Both teams are now 5-2.

Bourne 9, Orleans 5

The Braves raced to an 8-0 lead in the first two innings and stayed in front throughout as they improved to 6-1. They’ve also scored the most runs in the league with 49 in seven games. Connor McVey (Cincinnati) and Evan Mendoza (NC State) had two-run doubles to lead the charge in the first inning. McVey, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) and David MacKinnon (Hartford) all had RBI in the four-run second inning. On the night, McVey and Yurchak finished with three hits each. Willy Yahn (Connecticut) and Connor Wong (Houston) had two apiece. Keith Weisenberg (Stanford) earned the win in relief for the Braves. James Ziemba (Duke) and Conner O’Neil (Cal State Northridge) combined for 3.2 scoreless innings after Weisenberg departed. Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) was a bright spot for Orleans with a grand slam in the third inning.

Y-D 3, Cotuit 2

Fresh off its first victory, Y-D made it two in a row in dramatic fashion. With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) drew a one-out walk, took second on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on a walk-off single by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton). Y-D, 0-5 just two days ago, is now 2-5 and only one game out of fourth place in the East. Cotuit fell to 1-6. The late heroics were part of a big day for Skidmore, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and drove in all three Y-D runs. Nolan Brown (TCU) – whose college team is in Omaha in a redshirt year for him – also had three hits for the Red Sox. Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) got the relief win for the Red Sox after Will Gaddis (Furman) allowed just an unearned run in seven innings. For Cotuit, Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) knocked in runs.

What to Watch

Update: Apologies – was looking at the Sunday schedule somehow, so no Cotuit-Hyannis tonight.

 

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.
 

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.
 

Anglers have depth, experience

CHA
 
After a solid summer, Chatham is poised for a repeat as it welcomes in a team that’s older than most in the Cape League.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. J.B. Bukauskas
2. James Karinchak
3. Tanner Gardner
4. Chase Pinder
5. Nick Meservey

 

NOTABLE

  • The Anglers’ web roster includes everybody right now – temps and full contracts – so be prepared for a lot of names, some of which might not be around all summer.
  • I wrote last summer about the North Carolina aces that Chatham has had over the years. They have another one lined up in J.B. Bukauskas, though it remains to be seen if he’ll pitch on the Cape at all after accepting a Team USA invite.
  • Several teams on the Cape this summer will play with two or three rising seniors on the roster. Chatham has 20 of them listed on the roster right now. Some of them are on temporary contracts, but even in terms of full contract guys, the Anglers are very old by Cape League standards. They’ll risk losing some to the draft, but could be a veteran team if all pans out.
  • Chatham lost a couple of big names from its initial roster. Seattle’s Tarik Skubal was dominating the WAC before a season-ending injury. UC Irvine’s Keston Hiura, a Perfect Game Summer All-American last year in the West Coast League, hit .358 with seven homers but is no longer on the Anglers roster.
  • Tanner Gardner hit over .400 for much of the year at Texas Tech. He’s now at .376 as the Red Raiders head to the Super Regionals, having earned all-Big 12 honors.
  • Bryant and Boston College are part of a banner year for New England college baseball, with the Bulldogs earning Top 25 love and a No. 2 seed in a regional and the Eagles still alive in Super Regionals. The Anglers will give several of those teams standouts a chance to build on the success, with four Eagles and a Bulldog ticketed for Chatham. The best of the bunch are Bryant ace James Karinchak and BC standout freshman Jacob Stevens.
  • The Anglers have two returning catchers in BC’s Nick Sciortino and Richmond’s Kyle Adams. Neither had a lot of success with the bat last year but can provide a pretty good foundation behind the plate.
  • Chatham was set to have to players from Seattle. With Skubal’s injury, they’re down to one – but he’s a good one. Nick Meservey earned WAC Pitcher of the Year honors and could be a potential ace for the Anglers.
  • The ACC batting champ wasn’t freshman star Seth Beer or former Angler Will Craig or likely top-five pick Corey Ray. It was Pittsburgh’s Charles LeBlanc, who hit .405 and is bound for Chatham.
  • Chatham has made a concerted effort to find some small-school guys hungry to success on the Cape in recent years. Several fit the mold this year, including Joe Tietjen of UNC Asheville, Matt Vernon of Appalachian State and D.J. Artis of Liberty. All had big springs and will be eager to prove themselves this summer.
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    PITCHERS

    Reagan Bazar – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Towering righty (6-7, 250) had 1.93 ERA in nine relief appearances for Ragin’ Cajuns
    Kale Breaux – JR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances out of bullpen, with 19 Ks
    J.B. Bukauskas – SO – North Carolina – Turned in breakout sophomore season with 3.10 ERA, team-best 111 Ks in 78.1 innings
    Moises Ceja – JR – UCLA – Led Bruins in ERA with 2.60 mark in 25 relief appearances and fanned 23 in 27.2 innings
    Tanner Chock – JR – Presbyterian – Struck out 72 in 86 IP, 4.60 ERA for Blue Hose, who had program’s best-ever showing in Big South
    Tom Cosgrove – SO – Manhattan – Turned in breakout sophomore season for Jaspers with 3.70 ERA, 80 Ks in 90 IP
    Tony Dibrell – SO – Kennesaw State – After solid NECBL showing last year, tallied 4.64 ERA while striking out 66 in 54.1 IP this spring
    Christopher Farish – RS SO – Wake Forest – After redshirt and injury-limited year, made 35 appearances and struck out 35 in 28 innings
    Michael Fitzgerald – RS JR – Northeastern – Saved 11 games and struck out 32 in 38.2 innings, while leading team in appearances
    Jason Foley – JR – Sacred Heart – Went 4-4 with 5.68 ERA and fanned 47 in 58.2 innings
    Trevor Gay – SO – North Carolina – Led Charlotte in appearances last season before transferring to North Carolina, where he sat out this year
    Caleb Gilbert – FR – LSU – Has 5.04 ERA in 25 appearances, mostly out of the pen, to go with 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings
    Lincoln Henzman – JR – Louisville – Standout reliever for Super Regional-bound Cards has 4.50 ERA, 27 Ks in 24 innings
    Reed Howell – SO – Appalachian State – Led team in appearances by wide margin and posted 3.83 ERA with 37 Ks in 49.1 innings
    James Karinchak – JR – Bryant – NEC Pitcher of the Year for breakout Bryant team went 12-3 with 2.00 ERA, 112 Ks in 94.2 innings pitched
    Andrew Karp – SO – Florida State – Has 7.43 ERA in eight relief appearances for Seminoles
    Erikson Lanning – FR – Texas Tech – In midst of Up-and-down freshman season with 2-3 record, 5.91 ERA, 27 Ks
    Simon Matthews – JR – Georgetown – Moved into weekend rotation and went 5-4 with 2.45 ERA and 59 Ks in 95.1 IP
    Isaac Mattson – SO – Pittsburgh – Followed strong debut in Panthers bullpen with more of the same this year – 3.71 ERA, 31 Ks
    Nick Meservey – JR – Seattle – WAC Pitcher of the Year posted 2.32 ERA, 79 Ks in 81.1 innings
    Matt Pidich – RS SO – Pittsburgh – New Jersey native had good numbers in limited action last year, did not pitch this season
    Parker Rigler – JR – Kansas State – JUCO transfer served as weekend starter, went 4-9, with 4.89 ERA and 73 Ks in 77.1 IP
    Jacob Stevens – FR – Boston College – Has burst onto the scene for upstart Eagles, going 4-3, 2.14 ERA, team-best 68 Ks

     

    CATCHERS

    Kyle Adams – SO – Richmond – Back for second year in Chatham off breakout sophomore season – .321, three homers, 33 RBI
    Joseph Freiday – SO – Virginia Tech – Former Massachusetts Gatorade POY hit .226 with three homers while splitting time behind plate this year
    Alex LeFevre – RS JR – Connecticut – Transfer from junior college ranks hit .283 in part-time role for Huskies
    Jordan Romero – JR – LSU – JUCO transfer is tied for the team lead in home runs with nine and hitting an even .300
    Nick Sciortino – JR – Boston College – Returning Angler hit .169 last summer but has been solid this spring with .277 AVG
    Gunnar Troutwine – SO – Wichita State – Hit .278 and led Shockers with seven home runs in sophomore campaign
     

    INFIELDERS

    John Aiello – SO – Wake Forest – Hit only .226, but nearly half of 44 hits went for extra bases
    Sean Bouchard – JR – UCLA – Finished second on team with .295 AVG and chipped in two homers and 36 RBI
    Orlando Garcia – SO – Texas Tech – Batting .261 with seven home runs for Super Regional-bound Red Raiders
    Cam Hanley – JR – Northeastern – Hit .247 while starting 24 games for Huskies
    Charles LeBlanc – SO – Pittsburgh – Native of Canada won ACC batting title at .405, drove in 46 and stole seven bases
    Hunter Lee – SO – High Point – Started every game and hit .295 with 30 RBI
    David MacKinnon – JR – Hartford – Earned spot with Wareham last summer and hit .292 then batted .392 with 4 HR for Hawks
    Jake Palomaki – JR – Boston College – Infield and leadoff stalwart hitting .265 with team-high 19 stolen bases
    Jeremy Vasquez – SO – Florida – Following good summer in Northwoods by hitting .289 for Gators
    Matt Vernon – JR – Appalachian State – Hit .317 with 8 HR, 42 RBI, all team-bests for Mountaineers en route to all-conference nod
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    D.J. Artis – FR – Liberty – Red Sox 40th-round pick last year had big debut, finishing at .369 with two home runs and 23 stolen bases
    Donovan Casey – SO – Boston College – Hitting .266 with big contributions in postseason and has also pitched some for Eagles
    Matt Cook – SO – Wheaton – Harwich native hit .268 for D-III powerhouse Wheaton
    Stuart Fairchild – SO – Wake Forest – Started every game and hit .293 while ranking second on team in RBI with 47
    Tanner Gardner – SO – Texas Tech – One of nation’s top batting average guys all year, now at .376 with 3 HR, 18 2B, 43 RBI
    Brock Lundquist – SO – Long Beach State – Followed up all-conference freshman year by hitting .315 with three home runs
    Patrick Mathis – SO – Texas – Hit .297 with six home runs for Longhorns
    Chase Pinder – JR – Clemson – Brother of former Angler Chad, hitting .294 with 11 home runs for Super Regional club
    Joe Tietjen – JR – UNC Asheville – Earned second-team all-Big South honors by hitting .344 with 10 homers, 55 RBI