Reigning Cape League MVP Max Pentecost leads Kennesaw State into an opening weekend series with Middle Tennessee State.
So winter’s been fun, huh? For the vast majority of you, it’s been long, cold, snowy and icy.
Today, a reprieve.
While the rest of the world celebrates pitchers and catchers reporting to Major League Baseball spring training, college baseball delivers the real thing this weekend, with games getting underway this afternoon in – we hope – sunny locales.
For Cape League fans, the start of college baseball season seems to begin the march to summer, even when spring seems far off.
If you’re looking for a game, ESPN3 has a pair – Niagara vs. Florida State on Friday at 6 p.m. and LSU vs. New Orleans on Saturday at 3 p.m. You’ll see a good crop of 2013 and 2014 Cape Leaguers in both games. LSU once again features shortstop Alex Bregman, likely the best sophomore in the country. He’s on the Harwich roster for 2014.
As always, Baseball America brings the heat with its College Preview. Take note of the list of the top sophomores in the country, which has 2013 CCBL breakout star Ian Happ in the No. 2 spot.
And to whet your appetite on the Cape League, we’ve got eight of ten 2014 rosters posted online, with only Chatham and Wareham missing. Check them out:
A couple of CCBL related things to watch on opening weekend:
Former Hyannis Harbor Hawk Jeff Hoffman of East Carolina, the reigning top prospect in the CCBL, is the likely opening day starter for the Pirates as they take on James Madison. Hoffman is a likely first-round pick in the 2014 draft.
Cape League MVP Max Pentecost had a tremendous summer for the Bourne Braves, and we’ll see if his bat is still scorching six months later when Kennesaw State opens its season against Middle Tennessee State.
Sophomore James Kaprielian takes over as the ace for the defending College World Series champion UCLA Bruins. Kaprielian pitched for Y-D last summer and was Baseball America’s third-best CCBL prospect.
Nathan Kirby gets a start on Saturday for No. 1 Virginia. Kirby lit up the NECBL last year and is ticketed for Orleans in the summer.
The top prospect in the Northwoods League often goes on to Cape League success the next year. Arkansas lefty Colin Poche was Baseball America’s pick in 2013, and he’s set to play for Falmouth in 2014. Poche gets 2014 started this weekend when the Razorbacks host Appalachian State.
Orleans beat Harwich 4-3 to force game three in its East semifinal.
Chatham is into the next round with a sweep of Y-D, the franchise’s first playoff series win since 2001.
The other three games were decided by one run for a second straight night – and they all went in the other direction. Cotuit, Bourne and Orleans avoided sweeps and kept their seasons alive.
Cotuit 5, Falmouth 4
In perhaps the best Cape League game of the summer, the Kettleers came from behind twice after the fifth inning and won the game on a walk-off in the 10th.
It was a fitting finish, too. The Kettleers could probably field two teams with all the players that have come through there this summer, and somehow the team still finished one point out of first place. No matter who was in the lineup, they were getting it done. Yesterday, they got a game-tying two-run homer from Austin Byler (Nevada), a late pick-up. And in the 10th, they won the game on a walk-off RBI single by Garrett Stubbs (USC), who began his Cape League career on August 3.
The Commodores looked poised for a sweep when they went up 3-0 in the fourth on a three-run homer by Kevin Cron (TCU). Meanwhile, ace John Means (West Virginia) cruised through five innings.
But Cotuit wasn’t going down easy. A three-run rally in the sixth capped by Byler’s home run tied the game. After Falmouth went up by one in the seventh, Cotuit tied it again in the eighth, setting the stage for the 10th-inning heroics.
Wesley Cox (Texas-San Antonio), another recent arrival, got the win in relief for the Kettleers.
Game two is slated for today at 5:30 p.m in Falmouth. Probably pitchers are TBA.
Bourne 1, Hyannis 0
Two largely unheralded pitchers staged a duel to match what stars Ryan Kellogg and Kyle Freeland did the night before, and Bourne pushed a run across in the eighth for the win.
Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) delivered his best start of the summer for the Braves, striking out six and scattering six hits in 6.2 innings. His counterpart, Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist), was just as good for Hyannis, striking out seven and allowing only three hits while also going 6.2 innings.
In the eighth, Bourne broke through against Hyannis reliever Jordan DeLorenzo (West Florida), a late arrival who had yet to allow a run. Trent Gilbert (Arizona) singled to start the rally, and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) followed with a bunt single that rolled fair. DeLorenzo retired Mark Laird (LSU) and newly-crowned Cape League MVP Max Pentecost, but Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) knocked an RBI single into right field to score the go-ahead run.
Michael Costello (Radford), who had come on in the seventh and stranded a pair of runners, gave up two singles in the ninth but wiggled out of trouble to finish off a victory for the Braves.
Game two will go off at 6 p.m. today at McKeon Park in Hyannis. Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State), who had pitched out of the bullpen to start the summer before going six shutout innings in his only start, will go for the Braves. Rocky McCord (Auburn), who has allowed one run in his last two starts, gets the ball for Hyannis.
Orleans 4, Harwich 3
Orleans took a lead in the third and held onto it through a few Harwich rallies, winning by a run and forcing a game three.
Ross Kivett (Kansas State), Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) and Chris Marconcini (Duke) knocked in the runs in the third, and the three were enough for Bobby Poyner (Florida). He took a shutout into the seventh before giving up one run. He went seven full innings, striking out three and allowing just four hits.
Closer Matt Troupe (Arizona) came on for the eighth and got into trouble, giving up a walk and two straight singles. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Ian Happ (Cincinnati) scored two and made it a one-run game.
But Troupe buckled down. He stranded Happ on second with a strikeout of A.J. Reed (Kentucky), who had homered an inning before. In the ninth, Troupe struck out two to finish off the victory.
For Harwich, Nick Howard (Virginia) turned in an impressive start, striking out nine in nine in seven innings, but he was the hard-luck loser.
Game three is set for Eldredge Park tonight at 7 p.m., and it might be the best pitching match-up of all the game threes. All-Star Game starter Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) will go for Harwich against Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who struggled in his last start but struck out 10 in six scoreless innings the start before that.
Chatham 9, Y-D 4
Chatham led 2-0 for much of the game but found itself tied 3-3 in the eighth. That’s when the Anglers exploded, getting a grand slam from J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) and scoring six runs to send them on their way to the next round.
Tommy Lawrence (Maine), who lost to Y-D in a playoff start last year, turned it around this time, giving up just one earned run in 5.1 innings. Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) got the win in relief when the Anglers broke through.
After tying the game in the seventh, they took the lead in the eighth on RBI singles by Blake Butera (Boston College) and Landon Lassiter (North Carolina). Then came the big blow. With the bases loaded, Davis smacked a home run out of the same field where he won All-Star Game MVP honors.
Dorris gave up one run in the bottom of the eighth but Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) closed the door in the ninth, sealing the sweep for Chatham and ending Y-D’s season.
James Kaprielian (UCLA) was a bright spot for the Red Sox, striking out nine in five innings. D.J. Stewart (Florida State) homered and Alex Blandino (Stanford) finished a terrific Cape League career with two hits.
Chatham won a playoff series for the first time since 2001, when it won the East and lost to Wareham in the league championship.
The Anglers get a day off while the rest of the teams hit the field for game threes.
Chatham snapped a five-game skid at the right time, winning 6-0 in its playoff opener.
If all the days of the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs are like day one, we’re in for an exciting week.
Three of the four games featured comebacks and were decided by a run. The other featured an ace pitching like one and a top team getting back on track. Chatham and Harwich were victorious in the East while Hyannis and Falmouth came out on top in the West.
Chatham 6, Y-D 0
On a night when he received the P.F.C. Whitehouse Award as the league’s Most Outstanding Pitcher, Chatham’s Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro) pitched like he deserved it. Schiraldi, who grew increasingly dominant as the summer went on, struck out six and allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings as Chatham cruised past Y-D.
Schiraldi was kind of the last man standing among the league’s best pitchers, with Jaron Long signing, and Jeff Hoffman and Erick Fedde departing early. But Schiraldi, who did not make the all-star team, wasn’t just the best of the rest. He was tremendous, especially late in the year. He allowed just five earned runs all summer while winning the league’s ERA title. In his last two starts of the regular season, Schiraldi went 12 scoreless innings.
The streak continued in the playoffs. Schiraldi allowed a double to D.J. Stewart (Florida State), a single to Alex Blandino (Stanford) and nothing else. Mitch Merten (UC Irvine) followed him to the mound and kept it up, going two hitless innings to finish it off.
The Anglers, who lost five in a row to end the regular season, also woke up the offense. Dante Flores (USC) hit a grand slam in the second inning, and the Anglers never looked back. Connor Joe (San Diego) added a home run and Ryan Plourde (Fairfield), a recent arrival from the NECBL, drove in a run.
In game two today, Chatham sends Tommy Lawrence (Maine) to the hill against Y-D’s James Kaprielian (UCLA), one of the top freshmen pitchers in the league.
Hyannis 4, Bourne 3
Kyle Freeland (Evansville) and Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) staged a pitching duel for the playoff annals, but the game came down to a late rally by the Harbor Hawks. Trailing 3-1, Hyannis scored three runs in the eighth to win 4-3. Is anyone surprised it was a one-run game? Hyannis won eight of them in the regular season.
Freeland, the Cape’s strikeout king, had pitched in relief more than he had started late in the season, but he got the ball for the opener and didn’t disappoint. Freeland struck out 10 and allowed just three hits and an unearned run in seven innings of work.
Kellogg matched him, striking out six and allowing one run in seven innings.
When Freeland and Kellogg departed, the offenses came to life. Bourne scored two in the top of the eighth to take the lead, but Hyannis answered with a decisive three-run rally. Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) doubled in Dominic Jose (Stanford), Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) scored the tying run on a wild pitch and Austin Slater (Stanford) knocked in Spoon with the go-ahead run on a base hit.
Jordan Foley (Central Michigan), who had given up the two runs in the eighth, returned to the mound in the ninth and closed the door, working around a two-out walk and striking out two to seal the victory.
Game two is slated for 6 p.m. in Bourne. Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist), who went six scoreless in his last start, goes for Hyannis against Kyle Kubat (Nebraska), who lost his last three starts but has generally been solid.
Falmouth 6, Cotuit 5
Cotuit looked like it might spring the upset, but Falmouth rallied from a 5-1 deficit to win 6-5.
Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the comeback charge. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) and Troy Stein (Texas A&M) also had two hits, and the Commodores took advantage of three Cotuit errors.
Cotuit got a home run from Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) on its way to the lead, but didn’t score in the final four innings. Preston Johnson (Chipola), Brent Stong (Bradley), Jared Price (Maryland), and Hunter Brothers (Lipscomb) combined on the shutout bullpen performance. Price got the win and Brothers picked up the save.
In game two this afternoon, Falmouth will start John Means (West Virginia), who’s been the team’s best pitcher. Cotuit goes with Evan Beal (South Carolina), who had four strong starts in five tries.
Harwich 6, Orleans 5
Third-seeded Harwich pulled off the day’s only upset when it came back from a 5-4 deficit after blowing a 4-1 lead.
Ian Happ (Cincinnati) and Tanner English (South Carolina) homered for the Mariners, with Happ going 3-for-3. English’s home run came in the sixth and turned the 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead.
The one-run cushion was enough for Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State), who struck out six in four scoreless innings after relieving Dillon Peters (Texas).
Orleans got a grand slam from Jordan Betts (Duke) to take its lead but didn’t score from the fourth inning on.
Bobby Poyner (Florida), who probably takes the ace label for Orleans, goes tonight at Whitehouse Field as the Firebirds try to stay alive. Nick Howard (Virginia), who’s working an 11-inning scoreless streak, starts for Harwich.
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.
Fred Shepard, pictured in last year's league championship series, dominated for Wareham last night.
Monday featured a host of good pitching performances in the Cape League. They were authored by the usual suspects from UCLA and Texas, but also by guys from Maine and Amherst.
Tommy Lawrence (Maine) tossed six shutout innings for Chatham in a 4-2 victory over Brewster, while Fred Shepard (Amherst) went seven scoreless for Wareham in a 5-0 win over Falmouth.
For both, it wasn’t the first time they’ve proven themselves on the Cape League’s stage.
Lawrence, who’s part of a long line of Maine Black Bears to don a Chatham uniform, had a 3.55 ERA last summer in a swing role for the Anglers. He struck out 35 in 38 innings.
This spring, Lawrence built on the solid summer by going 11-3 with a 2.32 ERA for Maine. He was unanimously selected as the America East Conference Pitcher of the Year.
Lawrence was welcomed back to Chatham this year and is having an even better time on his second go-round. Lawrence gave up two runs in his first appearance but hasn’t given up another since. He now owns a 1.03 ERA.
On Monday, he made his second start and was dominant. He struck out five and gave up just four hits. Brewster tried a rally after Lawrence had departed but could get no closer than two runs. Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion) and Connor Joe (San Diego) led the offense with one RBI each. It was Chatham’s fourth straight win.
In Falmouth, Shepard had a similar night. He struck out five and scattered six hits in seven innings against Falmouth’s powerful lineup. The win was his first of the year. Matt Walsh (Franklin Pierce) drove in two runs to lead the Wareham offense.
Shepard has had even more to prove than a guy like Lawrence. Amherst is a Division III program, and Shepard was coming off a tough sophomore year when he hooked on with the Gatemen on a temporary contract last summer. He ended up providing some valuable innings and started the decisive game of the league championship series, which Wareham went on to win.
Not surprisingly, with that playoff performance on their minds, the Gatemen brought Shepard back this summer when they had some holes to fill on their roster. He’s responded with a solid campaign and he now ranks third in the league in strikeouts.
It’s a success story for sure, and the same could be said for Lawrence. You’ll see a lot of hot radar guns on the Cape, and arms that get first-round love. But sometimes it’s just as fun to see a couple of small-school pitchers proving that they belong too.
Harwich 5, Cotuit 0
Harwich got a terrific performance from Dillon Peters (Texas) and shut out Cotuit 6-0. Peters, who had a great spring in Austin, gave up three runs in his first Cape start last week. This time, Peters gave up just two hits in seven scoreless innings and struck out five. Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) and Jake Drossner (Maryland) finished off the shutout. The Harwich offense was led by Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston), who went 3-for-4. Mitch Morales (Florida Atlantic) drove in two runs.
Hyannis 3, Bourne 3
Hyannis and Bourne played 12 innings before the league curfew kicked in and they settled for a 3-3 tie. Skyler Ewing (Rice) went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Harbor Hawks while Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) had two hits and an RBI. Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) knocked in two runs and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) drove in one for Bourne. A host of pitchers turned in solid relief performances, none more impressive than Jordan Foley (Central Michigan). He recorded nine outs – eight by strikeout.
Y-D 4, Orleans 3
On a day when the Red Sox lost ace Erick Fedde to Team USA (he could return after Team USA is done) and outfielder Eric Filia to an injury, they picked up a win to ease some of the sting, holding off an Orleans charge for a 4-3 victory. James Kaprielian (UCLA) didn’t factor in the decision but was dominant on the mound, striking out 10 in six innings. He allowed one run on four hits. Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) led the offense with a home run and two RBI. Kyle Wood (Purdue) also drove in a run. For Orleans, Ross Kivett (Kansas State), a 10th round pick this year who opted not to sign, went 4-for-5 with an RBI. He owns a 10-game hitting streak.
What to Watch
The top two teams get together at Whitehouse Field when Harwich hosts Chatham at 7 p.m. Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky), who’s been terrific this summer, goes for Harwich. Andrew Chin (Boston College), coming off his first tough outing of the year, starts for Chatham.
Dylan Davis and his Falmouth teammates have hit 13 home runs in the last six games.
In 2012, the year of the home run in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the Falmouth Commodores were a middle-of-the-road power-hitting team, well off the pace of the Harwich’s and Wareham’s of the world.
Apparently, the power was just going to be a year late.
The Commodores have flashed power potential throughout the 2013 season, and in the last week, they’ve exploded. They hit three home runs last night in a 9-1 thrashing of Brewster that ran their record to 13-8.
Nearly all of the power has been provided by the team’s big four – Rhys Hoskins, Casey Gillaspie, Kevin Cron and recent arrival Dylan Davis. They are the league’s top four home run hitters. Davis has five, while the other three each have four homers.
And get this – the 17 home runs totaled by those four alone are more than the home run totals of any team in the league.
It’s been quite a surge. Thirteen of the 17 have come in the last six games. Hoskins (Sacramento State), who’s been among the league leaders for most of the year, has hit one in that stretch. Gillaspie (Wichita State) has started heating up and has hit two. Cron (TCU), a former third-round pick out of high school who had a rough spring, has caught fire and hit four in the last five games.
And then there’s Davis. The rising junior at Oregon State played briefly with Brewster last summer but has been a huge pick-up for Falmouth, easily the best late arrival of the summer. Davis hit two home runs in his second game of the summer, one the next day and one more the day after that. He took a break for one game, then hit his fifth home run in the win over Brewster last night.
Five home runs in six games is a rare Cape League feat, even with the year of the home run taken into account. Home run king Tyler Horan had six in six games at one point last year, but no one else did that – or did what Davis has done. Even Cape League MVP Phil Ervin didn’t have a stretch like that.
Obviously, all the power has been a great thing for the Commodores, who have won four of five after a pretty good hot streak before that. In addition to the homers against Brewster, they had hits from nearly every spot in the lineup. On the mound, Kevin McKanna (Rice) made his first start and gave up just a run in five innings for the win. Kevin Mooney (Maryland) and Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) sealed the deal.
If the Commodores keep getting solid pitching and keep getting guys on base for their big hitters, look out.
Because the power surge may not be over.
Wareham 12, Hyannis 7
The Gatemen didn’t show quite as much pop as Falmouth, but theirs was more welcomed. Mired in a season of offensive struggles, Wareham delivered its best game of the season in a matinee at McKeon Park, winning the slugfest to improve to 5-17. Hyannis dropped to 13-7. Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville) went 3-for-4 with three RBI while Will Schwanke (Arkansas) had two hits and three RBI to lead the way. Brett Pirtle (Mississippi State) and Ethan Gross (Memphis) added three hits apiece. Tino Lipson (UC Davis), who had missed about two weeks of action, went 2-for-5 in his second game back. Wareham did a lot of the damage against Hyannis starter Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara), who had been lights out in previous outings. On the mound for the Gatemen, Ryan Riga (Ohio State) got the win in relief.
Chatham 3, Y-D 2
Chatham is consistently finding ways to win – and win a lot. The Anglers stretched their win streak to five and ran their league-best record to 15-6-1 with their second straight walk-off victory. After falling behind 2-0 in the sixth, they immediately tied it. Then in the ninth, Dante Flores (USC) doubled home Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) with the winning run. The late heroics were part of a 3-for-5 night for Flores, who took over the league lead in hitting at .386. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) added two hits while Michael Russell (North Carolina) drove in both of the sixth-inning runs. Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) picked up the win. James Kaprielian (UCLA) made his first start for Y-D and was impressive, striking out seven in five shutout innings, but the Anglers got to the Y-D bullpen.
Cotuit 6, Harwich 2
The Kettleers (13-9) kept pace with Falmouth thanks to a victory over Harwich (12-10). The Coastal Carolina tag team of Ben Smith and Patrick Corbett was at it again, with each of them going four innings and striking out four. Corbett got the win. Mike Ford (Princeton) hit his third home run of the summer, while Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Drew Jackson (Stanford) each hit their first. Yale Rosen (Washington State) and Nolan Clark (Concordia) had two hits each. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) went 3-for-4 to lead Harwich.
Orleans 7, Bourne 1
The Firebirds (10-11) roughed up Bourne standout Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) for seven runs in three innings and handed the Braves (9-12) their third straight loss. Corey Miller (Pepperdine) went five scoreless innings for Orleans. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) hit a grand slam in the second inning to power the offense, while Riley Moore (Arizona) had three hits and two RBI. For Bourne, Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) was a big bright spot, going 5-for-5 at the plate. Two relievers – Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State) and Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) – also pitched well, with Lindgren striking out four in two innings in his first appearance and English striking out five in just two innings.
What to Watch
East leading Chatham will host West tri-leader Hyannis at 7 p.m. at Veterans Field. Aaron Garza (Houston), who’s been solid all summer, goes for Chatham against Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist).
