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Coasting

Jacob Noll had three hits Friday and leads the league in batting average.
Jacob Noll had three hits Friday and leads the league in batting average.

 
It’s been a quite start to the summer for Florida Gulf Coast players in Hyannis uniforms. Last week, Devin Smeltzer tossed a no-hitter. And last night, Jacob Noll . . . well, he just pretty much did what he’s been doing since the day he arrived at McKeon Park.

The rising junior went 3-for-4 as Hyannis beat Chatham 5-2 Friday night at Veterans Field. It was the 11th game – in his 12 games as a Harbor Hawks – that he’s had at least one hit, and his sixth multi-hit game. Noll leads the league in hitting with a .432 average, RBI with 11, doubles with seven and is tied for the lead in hits with 19. His seven doubles also rank him second in extra-base hits.

Noll’s success has helped Hyannis stay at the top of the West since week one, with the second-best team batting average in the league. Friday’s win moved the Harbor Hawks to 10-6.

Chatham had won three in a row – including a doubleheader sweep over Hyannis – but the Harbor Hawks got their revenge by rallying from a 2-0 deficit with one in the sixth and four in the seventh. JaVon Shelby (Kentucky) had an RBI single to start the comeback, Jake Rogers (Tulane) had an RBI double to tie it, Austin Hays (Jacksonville) knocked an RBI single to plate the go-ahead run and Noll smacked a two-run double to finish things off.

The comeback made a winner out of Marc Skinner (Troy), who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

As for Noll, it was another big performance, and it upped his batting average .32 points from the already-pretty-good mark of, you know, .400.

Noll has a track record of hitting and hitting a lot. As a redshirt freshman at Florida Gulf Coast, he batted .367 and was second in the nation in hits – behind former Cape League MVP Max Pentecost. Last summer, he batted .316 in the Northwoods League and checked in at 32nd on the league’s top prospects list. This spring, he was right on target again, hitting .348 and stealing 15 bases for good measure.

And now it’s another league, another big year for Noll.
 

Orleans 6, Falmouth 1

Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) tossed five strong innings and Kyle Lewis (Mercer) homered for the fourth time as Orleans bounced back from a loss to Chatham with a 6-1 victory over the Commodores. Serrano, who two years ago was ranked among the best pitchers in the nation out of high school, continued a solid start to his Cape League career, allowing one run in five innings for his third win in as many tries. He struck out two and allowed three hits. He hasn’t allowed more than three hits in any start yet. The bullpen finished the job in style Friday, with Parker Bean (Liberty) going two hitless frames and Jared Price (Maryland) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) each striking out the side in one inning of work. Lewis went 2-for-3, and his two-run homer in the top of the first inning set Orleans on the path to a win. Lewis is now tied with his Team USA-departed teammate Bobby Dalbec for the league lead in homers. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) added two hits and two RBI for the Firebirds and Reggie Southall (USC) scored three runs. Falmouth starter Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri), the 6-8 hard-throwing righty, allowed only three hits but walked six.
 

Y-D 5, Harwich 0

Shane Bieber (UC Santa Barbara) came through with one of the league’s best starts this summer as Y-D shut out Harwich for its fourth straight win. Bieber scattered four hits, struck out six and walked only one in 7.2 innings. Bieber was making his second start coming off a terrific year with Santa Barbara, where he teamed with former Y-D standout Justin Jacome. Doug Willey (Franklin Pierce) finished up the shutout. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) had a sac fly in the first and a two-run single in the seventh, giving the Red Sox most of their offense. Luke Bonfield (Arkansas) added two hits and an RBI, while Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) had three hits and two runs scored from the top of the lineup. The win streak has put Y-D just one game under .500.
 

Wareham 4, Cotuit 3

The Gatemen scored two in the top of the ninth to win their second straight and send Cotuit to its seventh consecutive loss. The Kettleers led 3-0 after two innings, but Wareham chipped away then broke through in the ninth on a Jay Jabs (Frankin Pierce) sacrifice fly and a passed ball that allowed Connor Beck (TCU) to score the go-ahead run. Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy) shut down Cotuit in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the win. David MacKinnon (Hartford) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Gatemen attack. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) went 1-for-3 for Cotuit, resuming an on-base streak that had been snapped at 12 games the night before. Paez leads the league in on-base percentage at .528.
 

Brewster 7, Bourne 2

Brewster’s offense had gone a little quiet in the days since a 16-run outburst against Cotuit, but it was back on track in a six-run fifth inning Friday that powered a 7-2 win over the Braves. Colin Lyman (Louisville) had two hits and two RBI, while Nick Senzel (Tennessee) had a double and two RBI, giving him a league-best eight extra-base hits. The Whitecaps finished with nine hits and now lead the league in team batting average. Jacob Jenkins (Pacific) allowed one run in five innings for the second time this summer and grabbed his first win.
 

What to Watch

Devin Smeltzer will be on the hill for the first time since his no-hitter when Hyannis hosts Bourne. He’ll face a worthy challenger in Notre Dame’s Ryan Smoyer, the top prospect in the Northwoods League last summer. Smoyer has a 4.32 ERA so far this summer.
 

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Veterans lead Commodores

Falmouth 13

 
falmouthlogoFalmouth had a murderer’s row lineup last summer and rode it to the West Division regular-season championship and the second-best record in the Cape League.

The sluggers from that team have moved on to big things. Casey Gillaspie is the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Kevin Cron has had a solid year for TCU, Rhys Hoskins has hit nine homers for Sacramento State and Dylan Davis has helped Oregon State to a national No. 1 ranking.

But quite a few other Commodores will be back in the fold, as Falmouth is set to bring in one of the league’s more experienced teams this summer. The list includes reigning batting champion Kevin Newman, some key position players and a host of solid bullpen arms.

It’s a good starting point, a luxury that a lot of Cape League teams don’t often have. Falmouth will build on that foundation with a solid group of newcomers, led by guys like Steven Duggar, Tyler Krieger, Tate Matheny and Heath Quinn.

I don’t know if the Commodores will hit the long ball like they did last year, but they’ll take the same success either way.

 

THE SKINNY

Manager: Jeff Trundy
Last Year: 26-18; Lost in West Division Semifinals
Returning Players: 7
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 15
Freshmen: 4

 

NOTABLE

  • Four returning pitchers will lead the Commodores’ staff. Three have been bullpen guys in the past – Garrett Cleavinger, Kevin Mooney and Jared Price – while Kevin McKanna should return to the rotation. McKanna didn’t have a great summer last year, but his spring with Rice – coupled with the experience he gained last summer, could mean big things.

  • Colin Poche has not emerged as a star for Arkansas yet, but he was tabbed as the top prospect in the Northwoods League last summer by both Perfect Game and Baseball America. Perfect Game also ranked the Northwoods as the second-best summer league behind the Cape, so it’s high praise.

  • For the second straight year, Missouri top prospect Alec Rash was on the initial Falmouth roster but has since been removed. Rash has made only 10 appearances this spring. He was an unsigned second-round pick in 2012.

  • Clemson is sending two of its best hitters to Falmouth in sophomores Tyler Krieger and Steven Duggar, two of the ACC’s top sophomores. Both also bring speed to the table.

  • Kevin Newman is the top returning hitter in the league, and there’s no disputing that. Newman won the Cape League batting title as a freshman last year.

  • Leon Byrd and Sam Gillikin were big parts of a really good Falmouth team last year. Neither has the kind of spring they’d like, so I imagine they’ll be excited to be back in Falmouth.

  • Oregon State freshman Trever Morrison’s lists as his favorite athlete former Beaver and current Chicago Cub Darwin Barney. Like Barney, Morrison is defensive wiz for a very good Beaver club, but if he ends up in Falmouth, he’ll get an experience Barney did not. Barney was on the 2006 Falmouth roster but played for Team USA instead.

  • Missouri State’s Tate Matheny ranks third in the Missouri Valley Conference in home runs. The leader? Former Commodore Casey Gillaspie, who just earned conference Player of the Year honors.

  • Also of note, Matheny is the son of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike.

  • Samford has sent a few sluggers to the Cape the last few years – Phil Ervin to Harwich in 2012 and Caleb Bryson to Cotuit late last year. Heath Quinn is next in line. The freshman has slugged nine homers this spring.

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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Colin Poche
    2. Tyler Krieger
    3. Kevin Newman
    4. Steven Duggar
    5. Tate Matheny

     

    PITCHERS

    *Garrett Cleavinger – LHP – 6’0 220 – Oregon – Sophomore
    Justin Dillon – RHP – 6’4 225 – Sacramento State – RS Freshman
    Chandler Eden – RHP – 6’4 175 – Oregon State – Freshman
    Matt Hall – LHP – 6’1 190 – Missouri State – Sophomore
    *Kevin McKanna – RHP – 6’1 185 – Rice – Sophomore
    Sean McLaughlin – RHP/OF – 5’11 184 – Georgia – Sophomore
    Sutter McLoughlin – RHP – 6’5 225 – Sacramento State – Sophomore
    *Kevin Mooney – RHP – 6’2 215 – Maryland – Sophomore
    Colin Poche – LHP – 6’3 220 – Arkansas – Sophomore
    *Jared Price – RHP – 6’2 190 – Maryland – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     

    Garrett Cleavinger – LHP – 6’0 220
    Oregon
    Sophomore

    Cleavinger had a great freshman year in Eugene then spent last summer in Falmouth. His ERA was over six with the Commodores but he struck out 22 in just 12.1 innings, flashing the potential that put him at No. 57 on Perfect Game’s top 100 CCBL prospects. Cleavinger has continued to be a big piece of the Ducks’ bullpen this spring, making a team-high 32 appearances with a 3.00 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 27 innings.

    Justin Dillon – RHP – 6’4 225
    Sacramento State
    RS Freshman

    A 39th-round pick out of high school, Dillon redshirted last year and has had a solid first season for the Hornets this spring. Pitching in the weekend rotation, Dillon has a 3.57 ERA.

    Chandler Eden – RHP – 6’4 175
    Oregon State
    Freshman

    A 36th-round pick out of high school, Eden hasn’t seen a ton of action for the top-ranked Beavers this spring, pitching in only seven games. He had some summer success last year, earning top prospect honors in the Horizon Air Summer Series, a competition for summer collegiate teams from out west.

    Matt Hall – LHP – 6’1 190
    Missouri State
    Sophomore

    Hall had a 2.50 ERA in a swing role as a freshman last year. His ERA has risen to 4.40 this season in 15 appearances, 10 of which have been starts. He has struck out 43 and walked 25.

    Kevin McKanna – RHP – 6’1 185
    Rice
    Sophomore

    McKanna was a 22nd-round draft pick out of high school. After a decent freshman year, McKanna had some struggles on the Cape, starting five games for Falmouth and finishing with an ERA over six. Back at Rice, he has settled in as a sophomore. In 15 appearances – 11 starts – McKanna has a 2.84 ERA.

    Sean McLaughlin – RHP/OF – 5’11 184
    Georgia
    Sophomore

    McLaughlin was a weekend starter for the Bulldogs as a freshman and also had a decent year with the bat. This year, he’s made only three pitching appearances, while hitting .274.

    Sutter McLoughlin – RHP – 6’5 225
    Sacramento State
    Sophomore

    Another Sacramento State Hornet, McLoughlin has done his work – and done it very well – out of the bullpen. McLoughlin set a program record for saves as a freshman with 17. He’s picked up nine more this year to go with a 1.99 ERA.

    Kevin Mooney – RHP – 6’2 215
    Maryland
    Sophomore

    Mooney made a splash as a freshman when he saved nine games for the Terps. After a strong summer in the Falmouth bullpen, Mooney has been up to the same tricks this spring, saving nine games again. He owns a 3.25 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 27.2 innings.

    Colin Poche – LHP – 6’3 220
    Arkansas
    Sophomore

    A Texas high school star and a fifth-round pick of the Orioles in the 2012 draft, Poche made only eight appearances in his freshman season with the Razorbacks. But last summer, he was catching everybody’s eye again in the Northwoods League, where Perfect Game picked him as the top prospect. This spring Poche has started seven games and made nine relief appearances, posting a 2.55 ERA.

    Jared Price – RHP – 6’2 190
    Maryland
    Sophomore

    Price joined his Maryland teammate Mooney in Falmouth last summer and had a 4.90 ERA in 14 appearances. This spring, his ERA is over seven out of the Terps bullpen, though he has struck out better than a batter an inning.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    *Leon Byrd – 2B/SS – 5’7 170 – Rice – Sophomore
    Shaun Chase – C – 6’1 214 – Oregon – Junior
    Conor Costello – OF/RHP – 6’3 204 – Oklahoma State – Sophomore
    Steven Duggar – OF – 6’2 190 – Clemson – Sophomore
    *Sam Gillikin – OF – 6’2 198 – Auburn – Sophomore
    Tyler Krieger – INF – 6’1 175 – Clemson – Sophomore
    Tate Matheny – OF – 6’0 190 – Missouri State – Sophomore
    Trever Morrison – INF – 5’11 173 – Oregon State – Freshman
    *Kevin Newman – SS/INF – 6’1 180 – Arizona – Sophomore
    Heath Quinn – OF – 6’3 195 – Samford – Freshman
    * – returning player

     

    Leon Byrd – 2B/SS – 5’7 170
    Rice
    Sophomore

    Byrd was drafted in the 25th round out of high school. After a solid freshman year, he was a valuable part of Falmouth’s big summer last year, hitting .252 and stealing eight bases. He’s taken a step back this spring, hitting .239.

    Shaun Chase – C – 6’1 214
    Oregon
    Junior

    A late addition to the Falmouth roster, Chase had a career .194 batting average before a breakout this season. Chase is hitting .292 and leads the PAC-12 in home runs with 12. He has a .370 OBP and a .658 slugging percentage.

    Conor Costello – OF/RHP – 6’3 204
    Oklahoma State
    Sophomore

    Costello spent the 2012 season at Arkansas before transferring to Oklahoma State. After sitting out last year, he’s hitting .226 this year with six home runs.

    Steven Duggar – OF – 6’2 190
    Clemson
    Sophomore

    Duggar was a Freshman All-American for the Tigers last year and made a good impression on the Cape in a brief stint with Cotuit. For the Tigers this spring, Duggar has continued on the upward trajectory, hitting .301 and ranking second in the ACC in stolen bases with 25.

    Sam Gillikin – OF – 6’2 198
    Auburn
    Sophomore

    Gillikin hit under .200 as a freshman but got a shot with Falmouth last summer and made the most of it, earning the everyday center field job and hitting .256. He has hit .214 for the Tigers this spring.

    Tyler Krieger – INF – 6’1 175
    Clemson
    Sophomore

    A late-round pick out of high school, Krieger grabbed hold of the shortstop job for the Tigers as a freshman and turned in a solid season, hitting .252. He was Perfect Game’s sixth-best prospect in the California Collegiate League last summer and has followed that up with a big jump in his sophomore campaign. Still the everyday shortstop, Krieger has also been the Tigers’ leading hitting. He’s at .337 with two homers and has added 19 stolen bases.

    Tate Matheny – OF – 6’0 190
    Missouri State
    Sophomore

    A 23rd round pick out of high school by his hometown Cardinals – who are managed by his father – Matheny still opted for Missouri State, and his Bears are very happy about that. After hitting .336 on his way to a parade of Freshman All-America accolades last year, Matheny hasn’t slipped a bit as a sophomore. He’s hitting .330 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. He ranked third in the Missouri Valley Conference in home runs and earned first-team all-conference honors.

    Trever Morrison – INF – 5’11 173
    Oregon State
    Freshman

    Morrison was a 36th-round pick of the Red Sox last year but headed to Corvallis, where he’s grabbed the starting shortstop job for the No. 1 team in the country. He hasn’t hit a ton, batting .220, but he’s also made just seven errors on the season.

    Kevin Newman – SS/INF – 6’1 180
    Arizona
    Sophomore

    Newman hit .336 on his way to Freshman All-America honors last year but even that didn’t signal what was to come. Playing for Falmouth last summer, Newman hit .375 to become the first freshman in Cape League history to win the batting title. This spring, Newman has hit .292 for the Wildcats.

    Heath Quinn – OF – 6’3 195
    Samford
    Freshman

    Quinn went 4-for-5 in his first collegiate game in February and didn’t slow down much on his way to Southern Conference Freshman of the Year honors. Quinn is hitting .321 with nine homers, 47 RBI, a .401 OBP and a .534 slugging percentage.

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    Three Comebacks and an Ace

    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.

     

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    Still Wild

    Kyle Freeland and Hyannis remained in a first-place tie with a victory over Y-D.

     
    The Western Division race finally gained some clarity on Saturday night.

    But the race for the championship will still come down to the season’s final day.

    With Falmouth’s 9-5 victory over Cotuit last night, the Kettleers have been eliminated from title contention. They’re three points out, and with only one game left, they can’t make up that ground. But Hyannis also won last night, 6-1 over Y-D, to remain tied with Falmouth for first place.

    It’ll come down to today, the third third time in the past four years that a division champion will be decided on the final day. It was the East race in both 2010 and 2011.

    Falmouth won its sixth straight to stay in the first-place tie. Trailing 5-1 in the seventh, the Commodores scored five runs to take the lead and added three in the ninth to pull away.

    Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had two hits and added two RBI to his league-leading total. Troy Stein (Texas A&M) also had two RBI, while Kevin Cron (TCU) had three hits. Kevin Newman (Arizona), who may well be on his way to the batting title, had two more hits after his 6-for-6 night. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had two hits and an RBI.

    Once the Commodores got the lead, the bullpen closed the door on Cotuit. Jared Price (Maryland) and Hunter Brothers (Lipscomb) struck out two in a scoreless inning each to preserve the lead.

    For all the success Falmouth has had in the last week, Hyannis just will not go away. The Harbor Hawks have won three of their last four.

    On Saturday, they got a terrific pithing performance from Rocky McCord (Auburn). He went five scoreless innings in his last start and followed it up with 5.2 strong frames. He allowed one run and struck out three. Kyle Freeland (Evansville) struck out two in 1.1 innings before Jordan DeLorenzo (West Florida), who was making just his second appearance, picked up a save with two scoreless innings.

    Jose Lopez (Seton Hall) struck out eight in 6.2 innings, but Hyannis scored two unearned runs off of him and added more against the Y-D bullpen. Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) had two hits and an RBI. Austin Slater (Stanford) added two hits, and Landon Curry (Indiana State) went 1-for-2 with an RBI.

    All the same teams will meet again today. As far as Hyannis and Falmouth are concerned, we’ll see if either blinks. If they remain tied, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head competition, and Hyannis would own the edge.

     

    Orleans 1, Chatham 0

    Chatham lost its fourth in a row, while Orleans won its 10th in the last 12 with a 1-0 shutout. Corey Miller (Pepperdine) went five scoreless for the win. Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State), Brian Clark (Kent State) and Matt Troupe (Arizona) finished it off, with Troupe taking over the league lead in saves at 11. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) delivered the only offense with a solo home run.

     

    Harwich 6, Brewster 4

    The Mariners remained within striking distance of Orleans for second place with a victory over the Whitecaps. Harwich scored runs in the eighth and ninth to break a 4-4 tie. Nick Howard (Virginia) went 3-for-4 with two RBI and A.J. Reed (Kentucky) hit a home run to lead the Harwich offense. Derek Fisher (Virginia) added two his and Blair DeBord (Kansas State) knocked in two. On the mound, Logan Jernigan (NC State) gave up just two earned runs in 6.2 innings. Sam Howard (Georgia Southern) went 2.1 scoreless innings for the win.

     

    Bourne 8, Wareham 0

    Three pitchers combined on a shutout as the Braves beat Wareham. Making his first start of the summer, Christian Colletti (Connecticut) struck out three in five scoreless innings. Cody Livingston (Southern Miss) went three innings and Will Cox (Mississippi State) finished it off. Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) and Mark Laird (LSU) had three hits each to lead the offense. Vinny Siena (Connecticut) backed his college teammate Colletti with two RBI.

     

    What to Watch

    Falmouth visits Cotuit at 4:30 and Hyannis hosts Y-D at 6 in the West race.
     

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    Armed and Ready

    Chris Ellis turned in his third strong start of the summer for Cotuit on Thursday.

    This is the time of year when hitters in the Cape Cod Baseball League usually start to settle in, but at least for a few teams, last night belonged to the pitchers. The five winning teams on the Cape slate combined to allow just three runs. Nobody allowed more than one run.

    Two of the victories were shutouts that continued hot starts for the guys who helped author them.

    In Bourne, Jaron Long (Ohio State) made his second start and was just as dominant as he was the first time. After going five shutout innings in his first start, he went six scoreless this time as the Braves rolled over Hyannis 9-0. Long gave up three hits and struck out six. For the season, Long has now allowed just eight hits in two starts – and amazingly, all the hits have been singles.

    Long is back for his second summer on the Cape. He was solid last year, but this year he’s taken it to a new level.

    Josh Laxer (Ole Miss) followed Long to the hill and didn’t let the shutout slip. He struck out four and didn’t give up a hit in three innings. The Bourne offense did the rest, with all nine starters getting a hit. Jeff Gardner (Louisville) and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) each had two hits and an RBI.

    In Cotuit, the Kettleers didn’t have quite as much offense as Bourne – but they didn’t need it. Chris Ellis (Ole Miss) turned in his third great outing in as many tries as Cotuit eased past Wareham 3-0. Ellis went six scoreless, striking out one and scattering four hits. He’s now given up one earned run on eight hits in 14 innings.

    Joel Seddon (South Carolina) finished the job for Ellis, going three innings for the save. He gave up two hits and stretched his season-long scoreless innings streak to 8.2

    Wareham starter Fred Shepard (Amherst) was solid for the third time this season, giving up three earned and striking out five in seven innings, but the Kettleers got to him just enough to grab control. Will Remillard (Coastal Carolina) and Tim Kiene (Maryland) both hit their first home runs of the year and that was all the offense Cotuit needed.

     

    Harwich 2, Chatham 1

    The best individual pitching performance of the night belonged to Harwich’s Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State), who went five no-hit innings against the Anglers. It looked like Harwich might waste it when Chatham tied the game in the sixth off reliever Gunner Carroll (Army), but Carroll avoided further damage and Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) kept the game tied with four scoreless innings of work. That set the stage for Tanner English (South Carolina), who came up with one out in the 10th, fell behind 0-2, worked it full and then cracked a walk-off home run to give Harwich (9-4) its third straight win. English was 1 for his last 16 coming into that at-bat but he picked a good time to break out of the slump. Fitzgerald got the win for the Mariners. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had the other RBI while Derek Fisher (Virginia) went 2-for-3. Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) went 1-for-4 and stayed atop the batting average leaderboard with a .405 mark. He also stole three bases to take over the league lead with 10. Chatham (7-5-1) got five strong innings from Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro College).

     

    Y-D 8, Orleans 1

    The Red Sox (5-7-1) were finally on the right side of a lopsided score as they cruised past Orleans (6-7). Alex Blandino (Stanford), Brandon Downes (Virginia) and Auston Bousfield (Ole Miss) each drove in two runs to pace the offense while Andrew Daniel (San Diego) and Taylor White (UNLV) had two hits each. The pitching staff, which was struggling mightily this time last week, got a quality start from Kyle Wood (Purdue), who struck out two and gave up just a run on four hits in 5.2 innings. In its five victories, Y-D has out-scored the opposition 32-8.

     

    Falmouth 4, Brewster 1

    The Commodores (8-5) got solid performances from three pitchers and broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the seventh to beat Brewster (3-9). Brandon Magallones (Northwestern) gave up just an unearned run in 5.2 innings, while Jared Price (Maryland) got the win with 1.1 scoreless innings. Donny Murray (Holy Cross) also pitched a scoreless frame, as did Zech Lemond (Rice), who was making his Cape League debut after a big spring as the Owls’ closer. Kevin Cron (TCU) led the Falmouth offense, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and his league-leading seventh double. He’s now carrying an eight-game hitting streak. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) added two hits and an RBI.

     

    What to Watch

    The top two teams in the league are set to meet in Cotuit at 5 p.m. as the Kettleers host the Harwich Mariners. The clubs have matching 9-4 records. Alex Haines (Seton Hill), who has struck out 14 and hasn’t allowed a run in two starts, is scheduled to start for Cotuit. Keaton Haack (Alabama), who went 5.1 strong innings in a Harwich win over Cotuit, is slated to get the ball again for the Mariners.

    Posted on

    Perfect Early

    Chatham's Erich Weiss runs for third base in last night's game.
    Rain still had its say on day three of the Cape Cod Baseball League season, with two games getting postponed due to field conditions. Hyannis still hasn’t played a game, in fact.

    But the sun was out long enough for three games to get in – and for two teams to move to 2-0.

    Chatham walked off with a 5-4 win over Cotuit after blowing a 4-2 lead, while Falmouth put up its second six-spot of the season in a 6-0 shutout of Bourne

    The Anglers took a lead with a three-run third inning and seemed to be cruising. Even when Cotuit loaded the bases in the seventh, Joe Goodman (High Point), a potential stand-out setup man who had an ERA under 1.00 this spring, wiggled out. He then worked a scoreless eighth. But Cotuit got to Chatham’s Chad Sobotka (South Carolina-Upstate) with two runs. Connor Castellano (Santa Fe CC) drew a walk and eventually scored on a passed ball. Hunter Cole (Georgia) also walked and scored on a groundout.

    But that just set the stage for some magic. Joshua Eldridge (Old Dominion) led off the bottom of the ninth with his second hit of the night in his first start. After a strikeout, Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) walked, putting the winning run in scoring position. Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry) delivered, knocking a 2-0 pitch for a walk-off single to score Eldridge. It was the second big hit in as many games for Planas-Arteaga, who drove in two runs in the eighth inning on opening night.

    Chatham is now 2-0 for the first time since 2010. Eldridge also had an RBI for the Anglers, and Richard Prigatano (Long Beach State) drove in two in his season debut.

    Cotuit’s Yale Rosen (Washington State) hit the league’s first homer of the season.

     

    Falmouth 6, Bourne 0

    Four Falmouth pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Commodores improved to 2-0. Trey Teakell (TCU), one of the top prospects in the Alaska League last summer, started this summer with a bang, allowing just one hit in six innings. Garrett Hayward (Duke), Jared Price (Maryland) and Jim Ploeger (Arkansas Pine Bluff) each pitched an inning to close it out. The offense was led by the middle of the Falmouth order, which is shaping up as the best in the league at this early stage. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) went 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Kevin Newman (Arizona) followed up his three-hit opening night with another hit and an RBI.

     

    Y-D 5, Brewster 2

    The only team to play all three of its games, Y-D could be 3-0 if not for Thursday’s rally that wasn’t. In general, the Red Sox have made the most of the action, though, and improved to 2-1 with the win over the Whitecaps. Samuel Coonrod (Southern Illinois) allowed just an unearned run in five innings and Jeremy Null (Western Carolina) picked up the save. Andrew Daniel (San Diego) led the charge at the plate with two hits and three RBI. Returning all-star Robert Pehl (Washington) had his first hit of the summer and drove in a run.

     

    What to Watch For

    Falmouth will try to improve to 3-0 as it visits a Hyannis team that will be playing its first game. Daniel Koger is slated to get the ball for Falmouth. Hyannis’ starter is TBA.