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Power Pack

Ty Moore hit a grand slam Sunday for his second homer in as many games.
Ty Moore hit a grand slam Sunday for his second homer in as many games.

 

The Chatham Anglers had the best record in the league last summer and picked up where they left off in their first game this year, blowing past Orleans 10-2. It’s been an interesting ride in the weeks since, not quite as smooth as last year. The Anglers scored four total runs in their next four games, looking punchless after their big debut. They’re still sorting out a solid pitching rotation. They’ve generally been pretty up-and-down.

But one thing has stabilized. The Anglers are not punchless.

Chatham won for the fourth straight time on Sunday, topping Hyannis 9-3. It was also the team’s fourth straight big night at the plate. Chatham has scored at least seven runs and hit at least one home run in each of the four victories.

The Anglers lead the league in runs scored, rank second in hits, second in home runs and third in batting average.

And they’ve got a core group that’s consistently delivering.

A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 last night, stretching his hitting streak to 11 games. Nine of the 11 have been multi-hit games. Murray is making a strong case for league MVP honors at this point. He’s third in the league in hitting, tied for first in home runs and tied for second in RBI. He has a 1.042 OPS.

And Murray isn’t alone. Chris Shaw (Boston College) went 2-for-5 last night. He hit home runs on back-to-back days last week and is tied with Murray for the league lead. Ty Moore (UCLA) has been hot too. He hit a grand slam on Sunday, giving home runs in consecutive games, and he’s now hitting .284.

Throw in a solid leadoff man in Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) and some big hitters who have had their moments, and it’s no wonder the Anglers are scoring. Pat Mazeika (Stetson) added two hits Sunday and Robert Baldwin (Yale) had three.

In the win over Hyannis, the pitching came through, too. Charlie Dant (Dayton), who was on a temporary contract but is now full-time, gave up three runs and struck out eight in five innings for the win. Bryan Goossens (Siena) pitched two scoreless innings and Kyle Davis (USC) delivered his seventh scoreless appearance in 10 tries to finish it off.

Chatham is now 12-9-1, one point back of Orleans for second place and just two behind Harwich for first.

 

Orleans 5, Wareham 1

The other budding offensive powerhouse in the East won its second straight with a strong performance against Wareham. David Thompson (Miami) led the way with a homer and four RBI. David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and is now on an eight-game hitting streak after a slow start to the summer. R.J. Ybarra (Arizona State) added an RBI. On the mound, Nathan Bannister (Arizona) made his first start after long relief stints in his first three appearances and responded with six strong innings. He struck out six and allowed one run. The Firebirds are 4-0 in games in which Bannister has pitched. Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) picked up his fourth save.

 

Falmouth 9, Bourne 3

The Commodores picked up their third straight win and knocked off the Western Division leader in the process. Falmouth is now only three points out of first place. Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 4-for-6 to lead a strong offensive performance. Newman now has seven hits in three games since returning from Team USA trials. Shaun Chase (Oregon) added a home run and three RBI, Conner Hale (LSU) had two RBI and Jake Madsen (Ohio) and Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) had two hits each, with Costello also homering. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) allowed three runs in five innings before the bullpen cruised through the last four innings. For Bourne, Blake Davey (Connecticut) hit his third home run.

 

Harwich 5, Cotuit 5 (10 innings)

Harwich and Cotuit played 10 innings at Lowell Park but still couldn’t settle things before darkness fell as they finished in a tie. Grant Kay (Louisville) and Ian Rice (Chipola) each had four hits to lead a 15-hit Cotuit attack. Jake Fincher (NC State) had three hits for the third consecutive game, raising his average from .375 to a league-best .453. On the mound, Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) kept Harwich off the board over the final two innings. For Harwich, C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Matt Winn (VMI) had two hits each. Zack Erwin (Clemson) pitched 5.1 innings of one-run relief.

 

Y-D 3, Brewster 2

Y-D got a strong start from Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara) and a dominant bullpen effort made a one-run lead stand up in a victory over Brewster. Jacome struck out six and allowed two runs in five innings for his third good start of the summer. William Strode (Florida State) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings before Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) took over and did his usual. Bickford struck out four of the eight batters he faced in 2.2 scoreless frames. Bickford, an unsigned first-round pick last year, has three saves and has given up one total hit in those outings. At the plate, Y-D got two hits from Rob Fonseca (Northeastern). League RBI leader Hunter Cole (Georgia) tacked on one more and Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) also drove in a run. For Brewster, Gio Brusa (Pacific) had three hits, including a home run.

 

The East’s hottest teams and the highest scoring teams in the league will meet at Veterans Field when Chatham hosts Orleans. Two Cape League veterans who were once high draft picks out of high school are scheduled to square off. Andrew Chin (Boston College), a fifth-round pick in 2011 and a 15th-rounder this year, will make his 11th career Cape League start for Chatham. He’s had two tough outings in a row after a good start. For Orleans, 2012 third-rounder Kyle Twomey (USC), who’s made nine relief appearances after a full summer in the bullpen last year, is scheduled to make his first start of the 2014 season. He has a 2.84 ERA.

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Byler Says Goodbye

Austin Byler homered in his final Cape League game Monday night.
Austin Byler homered in his final Cape League game Monday night.

 

Cotuit’s Austin Byler (Nevada) ended his Cape League career on Monday night. The 23rd-round pick of the Washington Nationals is expected to sign shortly and begin the next chapter in his baseball career.

His Cape League chapter was short, but it was memorable. In 30 career Cape League games spanning the end of last summer and the beginning of this one, Byler batted .299 with six home runs and 18 RBI. He could have easily won Cape League Playoff MVP honors last year after batting .429 with two homers in the postseason. This year, he hit four home runs in 11 games and will depart the Cape with his name atop the home run leaderboard.

He also went out with a bang.

Byler went 3-for-6 last night with a home run as Cotuit beat up on West-leading Bourne 16-6. It was the first time this season that the Kettleers hit double digits in runs.

Fittingly, Byler started his going away party festivities when he led off the second inning with a home run. It touched off a five-run inning that also included a homer by Ian Rice (Chipola College).

After the Braves made it a 5-4 game in the bottom of the second, Cotuit steadily pulled away. The Kettleers got two more home runs from Drew Jackson (Stanford) and Grant Kay (Louisville), the first of the season for both.

Cotuit scored seven runs – six earned – against Bourne’s Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State), who had allowed just one earned run in his first 12 innings this summer.

Byler, Kay and Jackson Glines (Michigan) each had three hits, while Rice had four RBI. Jackson, Jake Fincher (NC State) and Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) had two RBI each, as did Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), who’s fresh off a College World Series title.

Trey Wingenter (Auburn) got the win in relief. Gabe Berman (Western Michigan) struck out five in 3.1 innings for the save.

 

Harwich 7, Chatham 3

Harwich and Bourne have been matching each other for the best record in the league for about a week. That finally changed Monday, as the Braves lost and Harwich topped Chatham 7-3 to improve to a league-best 12-6 on the season. Jared Poche’ (LSU) struck out seven in seven shutout innings, giving him a 1.06 ERA in three starts this summer. The offense backed him with a five-run third inning and tacked on two in the ninth. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to lead the offense. He’s 4-for-8 with six RBI in his last two games. Angelo Amendolare (Jacksonville) added two hits. Chatham, which fell to 8-9-1, got three RBI from Landon Cray (Seattle).

 

Orleans 11, Brewster 7

The Firebirds remained the hottest team in the league, topping Brewster 11-7 for their fifth straight win. Orleans is 10-8, while Brewster fell to 7-11. David Thompson (Miami) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) combined for seven hits in the middle of the order, with Thompson getting four and Tolman knocking three. Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) added three hits and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) had three RBI. Despite all the offense, Orleans had to withstand a charge from Brewster. Mikey White (Alabama) went 4-for-5, making him seven for his last nine, while Travis Maezes (Michigan) had three hits, including a home run, and four RBI. But after the Whitecaps scored five in the eighth, Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) pitched a perfect ninth to seal the victory for Orleans. Kyle Twomey (USC) was credited with the win after 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

 

Y-D 8, Wareham 6

The Red Sox trailed by two in their last at-bat, but scored four runs in the top of the ninth and held off Wareham in the bottom half for an 8-6 win. Hunter Cole (Georgia) had an RBI single to make it a one-run game in the ninth before Andrew Stevenson (LSU) scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Josh Lester (Missouri) then smacked a two-run single to give his team the lead. Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton), the former first-round pick who seems to be sliding into a late-inning role for Y-D, blew away the Gatemen in the bottom of the ninth, striking out two and needing just nine pitches to finish it off. Cole finished with three hits and two RBI for the Red Sox, while Lester and Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) also had two RBI. Nick Halamandaris (California) homered for Wareham and Chris Chinea (LSU) had three RBI.

 

Falmouth 4, Hyannis 2

Falmouth broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth and didn’t allow another run as it won its second straight with a victory over Hyannis. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech), making his debut in the lineup and batting ninth, delivered a two-run single in the fourth. Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) and Jake Madsen (Ohio) knocked in the other runs. Matt Hall (Missouri State), who came in with the league’s best ERA among qualified starting pitchers, gave up a two-run homer to Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) in the first but settled in from there. He went seven, allowing just the first-inning runs while striking out five. Travis Stout (Jacksonville State) picked up the save. Alec Byrd (Florida State) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief for Hyannis, but the offense couldn’t make up the deficit. Falmouth, at 9-8-1, is just one point back of Hyannis for third in the West.

 

What to Watch

Tuesday is a league-wide day off, so watch the World Cup. When the league gets back to action Wednesday, division leaders Harwich and Bourne will square off at Whitehouse Field.

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Big Arms

Nick Halamandaris makes a play at first earlier this season.
Nick Halamandaris makes a play at first earlier this season.

 

Pitchers have certainly held their own in the Cape League this season, but there haven’t been a ton of dominant performances. Before Saturday’s games, the league’s strikeout leader was a relief pitcher.

But on opposite ends of the Cape Saturday, two pitchers added a little dominance to the equation.

In Falmouth, Wareham’s Kyle Cody (Kentucky) struck out six in seven shutout innings as the Gatemen beat Falmouth 4-0. In Orleans, Kolton Mahoney (BYU) struck out 11 in six innings as the Firebirds beat Y-D 6-3.

Scouts and people who have seen Cody in the past have been waiting for a performance like this. Despite the fact that he pitched only nine innings for Wareham last summer, Perfect Game still picked him as the Cape League’s 30th-best prospect.

The 6-foot-7 righty had pitched 4.1 innings this summer, but broke out with the big performance on Saturday. He allowed three singles, walked one and threw 67 of 91 pitches for strikes.

Scott Effross (Indiana) followed him to the hill and followed suit, striking out four in two scoreless innings to finish off the shutout. The Wareham offense got RBI from Jake Little (Memphis) and Nick Halamandaris (California).

In Orleans, Mahoney has been strong all summer, having gone six scoreless innings in his last start. The 23rd-round pick this year also tossed a no-hitter for BYU this spring.

Last night, he allowed one hit through five scoreless innings before Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) smacked a game-tying, three-run home run in the sixth. But after the home run, Mahoney struck out the final two batters he faced and his offense rallied immediately with a run in the bottom of the sixth to put him in line for the win. The 11 strikeouts put Mahoney in the league lead with 24 on the year.

Kyle Twomey (USC) and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) relieved Mahoney and finished off the victory. Edwin Rios (Florida International) and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) both homered to lead the Firebirds offense.

 

Cotuit 3, Harwich 1

Cotuit also got a pretty good pitching performance as Logan James (Stanford) allowed one run in five innings with six strikeouts. Adam Whitt (Nevada), who’s been one of the best relievers in the league, struck out seven batters in just 2.2 innings. Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) picked up a save with 1.1 scoreless innings. The Kettleers got an RBI each from Jake Fincher (NC State) and Jeremy Taylor (East Tennessee State). The Kettleers have won two in a row and are now at .500 with an 8-8 mark.

 

Hyannis 6, Bourne 2

The Harbor Hawks got solid pitching, steady offense and five stolen bases in a victory over West-leading Bourne. The Harbor Hawks are now 10-6, just one game back of the Braves. Blake Hickman (Iowa) allowed two runs and struck out four in five innings. He left with the lead, and reliever Marcus Brakeman (Stanford) kept it thanks to four scoreless frames. David Houser (Tennessee) led the offense with two hits and three RBI. Austin Slater (Stanford) also had two hits. For Bourne, Harrison Bader (Florida) homered.

 

Brewster 5, Chatham 4

Wade Wass (Alabama) hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to give Brewster its first lead of the game, and the Whitecaps held on from there to win 5-4. The homer was part of a three-hit, four RBI night for Wass, who was batting just .179 coming into the game. Braden Bishop (Washington) and Kevin Martir (Maryland) added two hits each for the Whitecaps. Andrew Naderer (Grand Canyon) struck out five in in three innings of relief and Evan Hill (Michigan) pitched a scoreless ninth.

 

What to Watch

Orleans, winners of three straight, is now in second place in the East and will visit first-place Harwich tonight at 5:30 p.m. Bobby Poyner (Florida) starts for Orleans, with Jared Poche’ (LSU) going for Harwich.

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A Little Spark

Reilly Hovis tossed three scoreless frames in Orleans' victory on Friday.
Reilly Hovis tossed three scoreless frames in Orleans’ victory on Friday.

 

For most of the summer, I’ve been thinking Orleans looked like one of the best teams in the league without really looking like it. The Firebirds lead the league in home runs and extra-base hits, and their pitchers have allowed the fewest hits in the league. But on the flip side, they only rank fourth in runs scored and batting average, and their pitchers have walked the most batters in the league.

That’s a recipe for the ups and downs the Firebirds have had, but there have been more ups lately. With last night’s 7-3 victory over Wareham, Orleans moved one point back of Chatham for second place in the East.

Trevor Megill (Loyola Marymount) and Nathan Bannister (Arizona) continued to join forces for what amounts to solid starts. Megill, recovering from Tommy John surgery, went two innings. Bannister followed with four, allowing two runs. Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) then sealed the deal with the best performance of the night, striking out four in three scoreless innings.

At the plate, the Firebirds broke open a 3-3 game with two runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth. An error brought the go-ahead run home in the eighth, and Geoff DeGroot (Rutgers) followed with an RBI single. In the ninth, David Thompson (Miami) smacked a two-run single to make it 7-3.

Thompson went 2-for-5 and is now seven for his last 13. DeGroot and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) also had two hits.

Wareham fell to 4-11 with the loss, but Willie Calhoun (Arizona) continued to be a bright spot for the Gatemen. He went 4-for-5 with two doubles, giving him a league-high 11 for the year. Last season, the league leader in doubles finished with 14.

 

Falmouth 5, Y-D 1

Like Orleans, Falmouth also won its third straight, improving to 7-7-1 on the year with a 5-1 victory over Y-D. Jake Madsen (Ohio), who didn’t have an extra base hit coming into the game, went 3-for-4 with three doubles. Nicholas Ramos (Indiana) had two hits and two RBI and Trever Morrison (Oregon State) had a triple and two RBI. On the mound, Casey Mulholland (South Florida) delivered his best start of the summer, allowing just an unearned run on three hits in six innings of work. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon), who had terrific numbers this spring, pitched a scoreless inning, as did Travis Stout (Jacksonville State) and Kevin Mooney (Maryland). Florida Gulf Coast standout Michael Murray made his third start for Y-D and allowed two earned runs in 6.2 innings.

 

Cotuit 6, Hyannis 2

Cotuit doesn’t have much in the way of starting pitching on its staff, and coming into Friday, only once all season had a starter gone more than four innings. With the Kettleers riding a two-game losing streak, Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave his team what it needed. Fiori allowed one run in five innings with seven strikeouts as the Kettleers (7-8) topped Hyannis (9-6). Trey Wingenter (Auburn) and Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) combined on four innings of relief as Cotuit allowed just four total hits. At the plate, Cotuit got a home run from Logan Taylor (Texas A&M), plus RBI from Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco), Jake Fincher (NC State) and Dalton Dulin (Mississippi). Hyannis had been 3-0 against rival Cotuit this season.

 

Bourne 8, Brewster 2

Coming off their first home loss of the season, Bourne didn’t take another one, topping Brewster 8-2 to improve to 11-4, tied for the best mark in the league. Making his first start, Josh Rogers (Louisville) gave up just an unearned run in five innings. He struck out four and gave up three hits. His teammate Jacob Sparger (Louisville) followed with three scoreless frames and John Gorman (Boston College) pitched the final inning. Brett Sullivan (Pacific) led the offense with three hits, while Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) and Billy Fleming (West Virginia) had two hits and two RBI each.

 

Harwich 10, Chatham 4

The Mariners continued to match Bourne for the league’s best record with a 10-4 victory over Chatham. Jason Inghram (William & Mary), Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) and Robby Kalaf (Florida Internatinal) limited a Chatham an offense that had scored 29 runs in its last two games. Both Evans and Kalaf have yet to allow a run this summer. Anthony Hermelyn (Oklahoma) paced the Harwich offense with four hits and two RBI while Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) had three hits and two RBI. Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) had two hits and now owns an 11-game hit streak.

 

What to Watch

Ms. Right Field Fog and I will be in Hyannis tonight as the Braves come to McKeon Park for a 6 p.m. start. Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State), who allowed one run in five innings in his first start, gets the ball for the Braves. Hyannis will go to big righty Blake Hickman (Iowa), one of the top prospects in the Northwoods League last summer.

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Let’s Play Two

Brendan Hendriks had four hits and drove in five runs in Cotuit's doubleheader sweep.
Brendan Hendriks had four hits and drove in five runs in Cotuit’s doubleheader sweep.

 

Mike Roberts seems like the kind of guy who would have been right with Ernie Banks when the Cub legend famously said, “Let’s play two.” Roberts and his Cotuit Kettleers are making Ernie proud so far this summer.

The Kettleers have swept each of their Sunday doubleheaders this season. They beat Chatham on the first go-round then held off Brewster 7-4 and 4-3 yesterday. They’re only team that has swept both of its twin bills, and the doubleheader victories account for four of their six wins of the season.

They had lost four in a row heading into yesterday’s set, including a 9-1 thrashing at the hands of Y-D on Saturday. But against the Whitecaps, they got solid performances from their usual parade of pitchers and made the most of their offensive chances. They scored seven runs on only seven hits in the first game. In the second, they trailed 3-2 entering the seventh – the final inning because of the doubleheader – but scored two runs to win it.

Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco) was the offensive hero, going 4-for-8 with five RBI in the two games. He delivered a walk-off RBI double to win game two.

Hendriks, a college teammate of former Kettleer star and first-round pick Bradley Zimmer, has been doing his best impression of late. He ranks second in the league in hitting with a .394 batting average and is six for his last 12.

Jake Fincher (NC State) had two hits in the second game, including a single that started the seventh-inning rally. Ashton Perritt (Liberty) had a pinch-hit RBI single to tie the game.

The comeback made a winner out of Trey Wingenter (Auburn), who went two scoreless innings as the fifth Cotuit pitcher of the game.

In the first game, Hendriks knocked in three runs and Austin Byler (Nevada) homered to lead the offense. Adam Whitt (Nevada) picked up his league-best third win of the year with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

 

Harwich 3, Falmouth 1; Harwich 6, Falmouth 0

Like Cotuit, Harwich was sliding but snapped a two-game skid with a sweep of Falmouth. The Mariners 9-3, tied with Bourne for the best record in the league. In game one, Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) knocked in all the runs Jared Poche (LSU) would need. He struck out six and gave up one run in five innings. Ronnie Glenn (Penn) pitched two innings for the save. In game two, the Mariners got even better pitching. Jon Harris (Missouri State) went six shutout innings, striking out six and scattering five hits. Robby Kalaf (Florida International) pitched the last inning to finish off the shutout. Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) homered to lead the offense.

 

Bourne 3, Y-D 1; Bourne 3, Y-D 1

The Braves posted a pair of 3-1 victories over the Red Sox and have now won four straight overall. In the first game, Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga) struck out seven in four innings of one-run ball before three relievers tossed a scoreless inning each. Joey Strain (Winthrop) pitched the final inning for a save. Harrison Bader (Florida) led the offense with two hits and two RBI. Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) had three hits for Y-D. In game two, the Red Sox led 1-0 into the fifth but the Braves scored three there and never looked back. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 2-for-3 and Blake Davey (Connecticut) knocked in two runs. Dylan Nelson (Radford) allowed one run in five innings for the win and John Gorman (Boston College) notched his league-best fourth save.

 

Hyannis 5, Orleans 4; Hyannis 1, Orleans 0

The Harbor Hawks scored a late run in each game to grab a sweep of Orleans. The first game went to extra innings after Orleans had scored three runs in its final at-bat on back-to-back homers by Timmy Robinson (USC) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) to tie the game. But in the eighth, Hyannis pushed the winning run across on an Austin Slater (Stanford) RBI. In game two, the teams were scoreless until the sixth, when Slater struck again on an RBI single. His Stanford teammate Marcus Brakeman, who was dominant, finished it off from there. Brakeman struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced in three scoreless innings. Sarkis Ohanian (Duke) started the game and went four scoreless for the Harbor Hawks.

 

Chatham 4, Wareham 2; Wareham 7, Chatham 3

The only doubleheader split happened at Spillane Field, where Chatham took the first game before Wareham responded for a win in game two. The Anglers fell behind 2-0 in the first inning of game one but scored one in the third and three in the fifth. Jake Fraley (LSU), Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) and Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) knocked in a run each, while Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) and Ty Moore (UCLA) had two hits each. Charlie Dant (Dayton) allowed just two unearned runs in four innings and Lou Distasio (Rhode Island) went one scoreless frame before giving way to standout reliever Kyle Davis (USC). Davis, who leads the league in appearances and strikeouts, went two scoreless for his second save. In the nightcap, Wareham got five good innings from recent Omaha arrival Drew Harrington (Louisville). Chatham managed three in the seventh but nothing more. The Gatemen offense got three hits from Willie Calhoun (Arizona) plus a home run from Blair Beck (Kansas).

 

What to Watch

With the doubleheaders in the books, it’s a league-wide day off on Monday.

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One Away

Jake Fincher slides into second in Saturday's game.

 
After nothing but close games in the first-round of the playoffs, the division championship series got underway with two games that were a little more lopsided. Cotuit rolled past Bourne and Orleans pulled away late to hand Chatham its first playoff loss.

 

Cotuit 9, Bourne 2

The last time the Cotuit Kettleers were in the West finals and the last time they were the No. 3 seed, they won the 2010 Cape Cod Baseball League championship. They took a step in the same direction yesterday when they jumped to an early lead and cruised over Bourne 9-2 in game one of the Western Division championship series.

The Kettleers scored five runs in the second inning and never really looked back, adding to the lead as they went. Dalton Potts (Tennessee Martin), making just his second start of the summer, stranded two men in three of his five innings and held the Braves to just a run. John Hochstatter (Stanford), Joel Seddon (South Carolina) and Eric Karch (Pepperdine) finished the job.

The Cotuit offense once again got huge contributions from its late-season reinforcements. Caleb Bryson (Samford) hit his fifth home run in his sixth game to start the scoring, and Austin Byler (Nevada) blasted a two-run shot a batter later to give Cotuit the lead. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) added two RBI, while Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco), who’s back from an injury that kept him out of part of the first-round series, went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

The Kettleers finished with 13 hits. Jake Fincher (NC State), Logan Ratledge (NC State) and Garrett Stubbs (USC) chipped in two each.

The Braves, who are playing without MVP Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State), had 10 hits of their own but scored just the two runs. That’s been an issue all year – the Braves ranked second in the league in batting average but just seventh in runs scored.

Game two is set for today at 6 p.m. at Doran Park.

 

Orleans 7, Chatham 3

The Firebirds broke open a 4-3 game with three in the eighth and three pitchers allowed just three hits en route to a victory over Chatham. Orleans, who won two straight against Chatham to end the regular season, has now won three straight.

Corey Miller (Pepperdine), who won one of those two regular-season meetings, went five strong innings for the Firebirds, allowing three unearned runs on three hits. He struck out six.

Then the bullpen took over. Luis Paula (North Carolina) and Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) pitched the last four innings without allowing a hit. In the playoffs, Orleans relievers have now allowed four runs in 14 innings.

The offense spotted Miller a four-run lead with two in the first and two in the second. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and Jordan Betts (Duke) knocked in two. Vince Conde (Vanderbilt) added two hits and an RBI.

Game two is slated for 7 p.m. in Orleans. Shawn O’Neill (La Salle) goes for the Firebirds. He has pitched mostly as a reliever this summer. Aaron Garza (Houston), who’s winless despite some solid starts, gets the ball for Chatham.

 

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Finish Line

Caleb Bryson hit his fourth home run in three games as Cotuit played spoiler with a victory over Falmouth.

 
The marathon Western Division race that’s been close almost the entire summer ended on a stormy Sunday night with a walk, rather than a sprint, to the finish line.

When Cotuit shocked Falmouth with a 9-3 victory in the earliest start of the day, it meant there would be, at worst, a tie for first place. Hyannis then lost to Y-D 2-0 after a rain delay, creating just such a tie. Hyannis and Falmouth will share the division title, the first time two teams have shared a crown in the Cape League since 2003, when Brewster and Orleans finished tied atop the East standings. Hyannis will be the top seed by virtue of a 4-2 head-to-head record against Falmouth.

The one-point margin separating Hyannis, Falmouth and Cotuit makes it the tightest three-team race since at least 2000.

The funny thing about the way it all ended is that Cotuit, the team that was eliminated from first-place contention on Saturday, still had its say. The Kettleers were going to finish in third no matter what they did Sunday, and Falmouth came to Lowell Park riding a six-game winning streak.

But Cotuit cruised, scoring four runs in the first inning and opening up a 9-0 cushion before Falmouth tacked on some runs in the late innings. Caleb Bryson (Samford), a late pick-up by the Kettleers, hit two home runs and has now hit four in three games. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) drove in two runs each and Jake Fincher (NC State) had three hits.

Vaughn Hayward (Bryant), whose brother Garrett played for Falmouth as a temp earlier in the summer, got a spot start for Cotuit and shined, going 4.2 innings without allowing a run. Josh Hochstatter (Stanford) finished the job.

The only bright spot for Falmouth was that Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 2-for-2 and coasted to the Cape League batting title. He went 10-for-12 in his last three games, shooting his average from .338 to a season-ending mark of .375.

Sunday’s results mean Cotuit and Falmouth will meet again in the playoffs, fresh off their two straight games to end the regular season.

 

Y-D 2, Hyannis 0

Three Y-D pitchers combined on a shutout to keep Hyannis from claiming an outright division title. Sam Lindquist (Stanford) allowed three hits in four innings, Graham Tebbit (Hofstra) struck out four in three innings in his Cape debut and Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) worked two hitless innings for the save. Brandon Downes (Virginia) went 3-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season and Matt Honchel (Miami) drove in the other run. The Red Sox finished fourth in the East.

 

Orleans 12, Chatham 3

The Firebirds held onto second place in the East with a 12-3 victory over Chatham that included a team effort to get the field in shape after a storm. Orleans scored eight runs in the first two innings and never looked back, winning for the 11th time in its last 12 games. Chris Marconcini (Duke) went 2-for-4 with four RBI, while Will Fulmer (Montevallo) had three hits and three runs scored. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) had two hits and drove in two runs. Four pitchers combined on a solid performance, with Kyle Twomey (USC) getting the win. For Chatham, Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) hit his seventh home run to finish second in the league, but the loss was the fifth in a row. Chatham clinched the division title last Wednesday and then didn’t win again.

 

Harwich 5, Brewster 1

Scott Heineman (Oregon) finished his terrific summer by playing every position on the field for the Whitecaps. In the meantime, Harwich finished strong with a 5-1 victory. Heineman went 0-for-4 while he was busy moving around the diamond, starting at catcher then jumping around the infield and the outfield until taking the mound and recording a strikeout for the last out of the eighth. For Harwich, Tyler Burgess (Missouri State) went five scoreless innings for the win. A couple of position players took their turns on the mound too, with Ian Happ (Cincinnati) giving up two runs and Tanner English (South Carolina) striking out two in a scoreless ninth. Happ had a double, a triple and two RBI to lead the offense.

 

Bourne vs. Wareham, Canceled

The Braves and Gatemen played three innings before rain drenched Doran Park. With the game having no impact on the standings, it was canceled.

 

What to Watch

Teams have a day off today before the playoffs begin Tuesday. Check back here for some playoff preview thoughts.

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Video Game Numbers

Dylan Davis drove in eight runs in Falmouth's 18-3 victory.

 
Bourne came into Friday’s game against Falmouth with the best ERA in the league.

The Braves didn’t leave it that way.

A 3-2 Bourne lead turned into a 4-3 deficit in the fifth. And then it turned into a video game.

The Commodores’ explosive offense delivered its most explosive performance yet, scoring 16 runs in four innings as Falmouth rolled to an 18-3 victory. It’s the fifth straight win for the Commodores, who remain tied with Hyannis for first place in the West.

Some of the stat lines that the late-innings burst created are downright ridiculous. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) went 3-for-4 with a home run and eight RBI. Most of the time, he was driving in Kevin Newman (Arizona), who went 6-for-6 with five runs scored.

Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had three hits, including a home run and a double. He’s seven for his last 10 with two homers. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had four hits and an RBI. Cameron O’Brien (Northeast Texas CC) homered.

Falmouth has now scored 48 runs in its five-game winning streak, and Cape League offensive leaderboards are being taken over by Commodores. Newman leads the league in batting average, Gillaspie leads in home runs and Hoskins leads in RBI. Falmouth has three of the top six in hitting, three of the top four in home runs and the top three, plus four of the top five, in RBI. They also have the top four in hits.

It all adds up to the league’s best offensive team. Of course, there have been plenty of bad nights, too, and Falmouth may not even win the division. After all their fireworks last night, Cotuit and Hyannis won, too, keeping the division race as tight as could be.

But as long as this lineup stays together, there’s going to be the potential for something like this.

 

Hyannis 6, Wareham 4

The Harbor Hawks remained in a first-place tie thanks to a solid all-around performance against wareham. Peter Fairbanks (Missouri), another pitching reinforcement, gave up three runs in 6.2 solid innings. Bryant Holtmann (Florida State) went .2 innings before giving way to Eric Eck (Wofford), who went the final 1.2 for his 10th save. The offense pounded out 13 hits, with Brian Anderson (Arkansas) getting three, including a home run. Steve Wilkerson (Clemson) also had three hits, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) had two each. For Wareham, Fred Shepard (Amherst) struck out four while giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.

 

Cotuit 5, Chatham 1

The Kettleers remained a point back of Falmouth and Hyannis with a win over East champ Chatham. Newcomer Tommy Kister (The Masters College) delivered a terrific performance, striking out eight and allowing just a run on three hits in his debut. The bullpen pitched a shutout the rest of the way. At the plate, Jake Fincher (NC State) drove in two runs, while Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) knocked in one each. Another newcomer, Caleb Bryson (Samford), homered in his first Cape League at-bat. Chatham has lost three in a row since clinching the division title.

 

Orleans 3, Harwich 2; Orleans 2, Harwich 2

Orleans picked up three points in a doubleheader with Harwich to take over second place in the East by a point. In the first game, they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Ross Kivett (Kansas State) had two hits. The bullpen set the stage for the comeback and then finished off the win, with Luis Paula (North Carolina) going three scoreless innings and Matt Troupe (Arizona) striking out one in a perfect frame for the save. In game two, the scheduled seven-inning tilt went the maximum nine before ending in a tie. Again, Harwich led 2-0, but Orleans tied it in the sixth and it stayed that way until the end. Geoff DeGroot (UMass-Lowell) had a pinch-hit two-run double to tie it. In the ninth, Orleans reliever Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) worked into and then out of a bases-loaded jam to salvage the tie.

 

Y-D 8, Brewster 1

The Red Sox won their second straight, cruising past Brewster. Kevin McAvoy (Bryant) struck out seven and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of work. Two usual position players, Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) and Taylor White (UNLV), followed him to the mound and pitched a scoreless inning each. Trevino led the offense with a homer and Wayne Taylor (Stanford) also homered. Alex Blandino (Stanford) added two hits and two RBI.

 

What to Watch

Falmouth and Cotuit will play each other in the season’s final two games, starting with a 6:30 p.m. tilt in Falmouth tonight.
 

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One Night in Wareham

Jonathan Holder, pictured last year, combined with Sean Newcomb on a gem as Wareham shut out Hyannis last night.

 
Last summer in Wareham was defined by home runs, comebacks and a championship. This summer has been defined by what could have been.

While I’m not sure the 2013 Gatemen had the makings of a repeat champ, they never even got the chance to try thanks to the fact that nearly half their expected team was in Omaha for the College World Series. Factor in Team USA and other losses, and it’s been a rough summer. The playoffs are the longest of long shots at this point.

For one night, the Gatemen flashed what could have been.

Sean Newcomb (Hartford), who started on opening night and then missed nearly a month with mono, made his first start since returning and tossed seven shutout innings. Jonathan Holder (Mississippi State), who was in Omaha longer than any of the other Gatemen, relieved Newcomb and went two scoreless frames as the Gatemen shut out West-leading Hyannis 3-0.

Had those two – an ace and a dominant closer – been healthy or in town all summer, maybe the season looks a little different for the Gatemen. That didn’t happen, so they had to settle for one night.

Newcomb may still end up as one of the league’s top pitching prospect, despite the light workload. The hard-throwing lefty had gone six shutout innings in his first start. This time, he cruised for seven innings, striking out four and giving up just four hits. Newcomb didn’t do so well in his relief appearances, which will skew his numbers, but he has a 0.00 ERA in his two starts.

Holder has been dominant ever since he arrived, but he hasn’t gotten a chance to close many games since the Gatemen have struggled. Last night, Holder was at his best. Five of the six outs recorded came on strikeouts as he out-did his previous season strikeout total in one shot. He has yet to allow a run in five appearances.

Hyannis, which had scored 14 runs in its last two games, couldn’t keep up with the Gatemen aces. Wareham also backed their pitchers with Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville), Adam Toth (Baylor) and Ethan Gross (Memphis) each driving in a run.

With Newcomb and Holder on the mound, three runs was plenty. It could have been like that all summer, a tag team making sure even a light-hitting team was winning every time they got the ball. It didn’t work out that way, but it made for one very good night.

 

Falmouth 14, Brewster 3

Locked in a 0-0 game in the fourth, Falmouth exploded for all 14 of its runs in the next five innings en route to a blowout victory over the Whitecaps in a game that was called after eight innings due to darkness. Kevin Newman (Arizona) led the hit parade with another in a long line of huge games by Falmouth players. He went 5-for-6 with six RBI. He had 10 RBI on the season coming into the game. Richard Martin, Jr. (Florida) had three hits and three RBI and is now seven for his last 15. Kevin Cron (TCU) added two hits and two RBI, while Sam Gillikin (Auburn) had three hits, Dylan Davis (Oregon State) had two and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had two. On the mound, Kevin McKanna (Rice) gave up two earned runs in six innings for the win. His Rice teammate Zech Lemond followed him to the hill and pitched two hitless frames to finish it off.

 

Cotuit 8, Bourne 5

The Kettleers moved into a tie with Hyannis atop the West thanks to a win over Bourne and the Harbor Hawks’ loss. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) homered, his third of the year, and Jake Fincher (NC State) went 3-for-5. Two guys who could be big late-season additions, Mark Payton (Texas) and Austin Byler (Nevada) also chipped in. Payton had two RBI and Byler had one. Payton hit .393 for Texas this spring, while Byler hit .346 with eight home runs for Nevada. On the mound, Jared Walsh (Georgia) gave up two runs in five innings for the win. Adam Ravenelle (Vanderbilt) picked up the save.

 

Orleans 4, Y-D 3

This time last week, the Firebirds were trying to hold off Brewster for fourth place in the East. Thanks to last night’s win – their third in a row – they’ve now leap-frogged Y-D for third place and are just three points out of second. Y-D led 4-0 before the Firebirds tied it with four in the sixth and took the lead with one in the seventh. Luis Paula (North Carolina) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for the win and Matt Troupe (Arizona) struck out three in two innings for his seventh save. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) led the offense with four hits. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) and Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State) drove in two runs each. For Y-D, Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) homered and Alex Blandino (Stanford) had three hits. James Kaprielian (UCLA) struck out seven in six innings.

 

Harwich at Chatham, ppd to August 1

 

What to Watch

It’s a league-wide off day today. When the teams get back to action Wednesday, look for a battle of division leaders as Chatham visits Hyannis.

 

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The Real Kettleers

Yale Rosen slides in safely for Cotuit during a game this week.

 
You could make a pretty good team out of players who have left Cotuit this summer. From Max Schrock, Will Remillard, Aramis Garcia and Brad Zimmer to Trevor Seidenberger and Dusty Isaacs, you’d be in good shape.

The latest loss is the biggest. Mike Ford arrived for his second summer in Cotuit coming off a draft in which he didn’t hear his name called despite a spring that will go down in Ivy League annals. Ford’s goal was to hook on with a Major League team – and he’s done it. He is expected to sign with the New York Yankees this week.

Ford, who was fresh off a 4-for-4, two home run day, was an MVP candidate. He could make the all-departed Kettleers squad a Cape League contender.

But I have a feeling the real Kettleers would still find a way.

On the day they said farewell to Ford, Cotuit beat Bourne 2-1 and took a three-point lead on Hyannis for first place in the West. The Kettleers – despite all the personnel losses, and despite having had 41 different players don their uniform – have the second-best record in the league.

On Tuesday, they got another strong pitching performance from Jared Walsh (Georgia), who continues to lead the league in ERA at 0.36. The only caveat is that Walsh hasn’t pitched deep into games – he doesn’t have a win or a loss – but he’s been so steady that he’s often set Cotuit on a path to victory.

He went 4.1 scoreless innings against the Braves, striking out three and allowing just one hit. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) allowed his first run of the year in relief but kept Cotuit in front and picked up the victory. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) turned in his third-straight two-inning stint and picked up the save.

Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) was strong in six innings of work for the Braves, but two unearned runs made the difference. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) led the Cotuit offense with two hits, while Yale Rosen (Washington State) and Jake Fincher (NC State) had one RBI each.

Cotuit would have loved to have Mike Ford adding a home run to the victory or any of the former Kettleers chipping in. That’s not going to happen, but it sure looks like the Kettleers will be making the best of it anyway.

 

Harwich 3, Chatham 0

Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky) turned in his third scoreless start of the summer and his bullpen finished the job as the Mariners (16-13) knocked off first-place Chatham (9-9-1). Shepherd had gone six shutout innings twice before, and this one may have out-done the first two. He struck out eight and gave up just three hits against a Chatham team that’s been the best in the league. Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State) worked two scoreless innings in relief before Chris Oliver (Arkansas) struck out the side around a walk in the ninth for the save. Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Mariner attack. Derek Fisher (Virginia) and Branden Cogswell (Virginia) drove in the other runs. Harwich has won three straight.

 

Orleans 6, Hyannis 5

The Firebirds had dropped five in a row and – with Brewster hot on their heels – they were in danger of falling into the East basement. They stopped the streak and avoided that drop in the most dramatic fashion possible. With his team trailing 5-4 and Hyannis closer Eric Eck (Wofford) on the mound, Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) drove in the tying and winning runs with a base hit as Orleans walked off with a 6-5 victory over a Hyannis team that generally doesn’t lose close games. The Firebirds had also rallied for two runs in the eighth after Hyannis had gone up 4-2. The rally made a winner out of Brian Clark (Kent State), who went three innings and actually gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State) had four hits to lead the Firebirds, who had said goodbye to an injured Greg Allen (San Diego State) earlier in the day. For Hyannis, Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Skyler Ewing (Rice) both hit their fourth home runs of the season. Ewing went 4-for-5 and now ranks third in the league in hitting.

 

Falmouth 5, Y-D 1

The Commodores had gone 1-4 in their last five, with the only win coming against Y-D. They matched up with Y-D again Tuesday and used a four-run seventh to pick up another victory, snapping a two-game skid. They’re now 16-12, a point back of Hyannis for second in the West. Troy Stein (Texas A&M) went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI to lead Falmouth. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) and Leon Byrd, Jr. (Rice) drove in one run each. On the mound, John Means (West Virginia) went six innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out three. Donny Murray (Holy Cross) got the victory.

 

Brewster 5, Wareham 1

The Whitecaps (11-17) won for the fifth time in seven tries and remained two points out of fourth in the East. Brandon Leibrandt (Florida State) was dominant for a second-straight start, allowing just an unearned run on three hits in five innings. He now has a 1.59 ERA and hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last two starts. Nick Lynch (UC Davis) went 1-for-3 with three RBI to pace the offense, while Nicholas Vazquez (Pittsburgh) and Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) also drove in runs. For Wareham, Sean Newcomb (Hartford) was a bright spot. The big lefty – who started on opening night then missed a big chunk of time with illness – had his best performance since returning. He struck out five in three innings of relief.

 

What to Watch

Just two games on the schedule today. Orleans visits Hyannis and Wareham heads to Bourne. Both are 6 p.m. starts. In Hyannis, Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) will make his third start of the summer.