Harwich leads the league in runs scored so far this summer, and that might have been the case even if everyone else wasn’t rained out on Saturday. After scoring eight runs in their opener, the Mariners ran past Hyannis 12-4 Saturday in the only game on the schedule.
Both teams had double-digit hits, but a combination of key hits, three Hyannis errors and 10 walks issued by Hyannis pitchers made Harwich significantly more productive. The Mariners scored two runs in the second, three in the third and busted the game open with six runs in the fourth, with three consecutive walks setting the table for the outburst.
Austin Filiere (MIT) had the only extra-base hit for the Mariners – a double – but there were plenty of run-scoring singles. Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) and Max Burt (Northeastern) had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored apiece. Ryan Brown (College of Charleston) and Kyle Davis (West Virginia) drove in two runs each. Tyler Kirkpatrick (Marist) scored three runs.
Harwich’s own pitchers were knocked around a bit, too, but they didn’t hurt themselves further. Starter Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) allowed four runs on 11 hits in five innings but didn’t walk a batter. Brandon Bass (Notre Dame) shined in three scoreless innings of relief, striking out six of the 10 batters he faced, while also not issuing any walks. Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville) finished off the win with a perfect ninth.
Cody Henry (Alabama) homered to lead Hyannis, which fell to 0-2.
What to Watch
Looks like the weather will cooperate for a full slate of games Sunday. Orleans and Chatham get their annual rivalry series started at 7 p.m. at Veterans Field.
Harwich will aim for a return to the playoffs after a rare down year.
FIVE TO WATCH
1. Nick Feight
2. Zach Schellenger
3. Tyler Wilson
4. Evan White
5. Cal Raleigh
NOTABLE
Nick Feight had an enormous sophomore season, perhaps the best performance among sophomores around the country. The UNC-Wilmington catcher hit .349, blasted 21 home runs and racked up an eye-popping 91 RBI in only 60 games.
Zach Schellenger fanned 30 in 33 innings pitched with Harwich last summer, and it’s safe to say he upped that K-rate this spring. Schellenger struck out 70 in 45.1 innings out of the Seton Hall bullpen.
Pitchers in the Atlantic 10 are apparently playing for second place in the race for the conference’s top pitching honor with Tyler Wilson. The Rhode Island sophomore has won the award in each of his first two years in Kingston and was dominant this year. He also led URI’s upset of South Carolina in the opening round of an NCAA regional, battling back for a strong showing after giving up four early runs. It was URI’s first NCAA tournament win in school history.
Kentucky had a down year, but Evan White didn’t. His .376 average was good for third in the SEC.
If the Mariners didn’t have enough pop behind the plate in Feight, they’ll welcome in Florida State’s Cal Raleigh, who has 10 homers in his first season with the Seminoles.
Antoine Duplantis of LSU stepped right into a starting job and hasn’t disappointed. His athleticism will likely stand out this summer, as you’d expect with his genes. His mother was a heptathlete and volleyball player at LSU and his father was an All-American pole vaulter for the Tigers.
Florida has so much pitching depth that a reliever who’s not even the close went on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft. Once the depth thins out a bit next year, Harwich-bound Jackson Kowar could be next in line as a Gator star. He has fanned 44 in 34 innings as a freshman.
Another Gator freshman, Jonathan India, is ticketed for Harwich, as well. Jonathan India has been one of the team’s top hitters.
If you’re looking for the old small school underdog type to root for, your search is over. Austin Filiere of MIT is slated to play for the Mariners off a huge sophomore season in which he hit over .400 with double-digit home runs. Not many MIT baseball players have been on the Cape or been drafted, for that matter. Filiere is aiming for both.
PITCHERS
Maddux Conger – FR – Vanderbilt – Limited action but strong performer in Vandy bullpen, with .79 ERA in nine appearances
Austin Bain – SO – LSU – Started two games but pitching mostly in relief for Tigers and has struck out 31 in 28 innings
Brad Bass – JR – Notre Dame – Saved two games and posted 1.91 ERA in 19 relief appearances for Fighting Irish
Jackson Kowar – FR – Florida – Successful as starter and reliever with 3.37 ERA, 44 Ks in 34.2 innings in debut with Gators
Shane McCarthy – SO – Seton Hall – Top starter for Pirates went 6-4 with 2.38 ERA and 84 Ks in 102 innings
B.J. Myers – SO – West Virginia – Worked as a starter and reliever, finishing with 4.05 ERA, 53 strikeouts in 66.2 innings
Packy Naughton – SO – Virginia Tech – Native of West Roxbury, Mass., had ERA over six but struck out 74 in 76 IP this spring
Teddy Rodliff – SO – Stony Brook – Notched seven saves with 3.20 ERa, 26 Ks and just three walks in 39.1 innings
Zach Schellenger – SO – Seton Hall – Returning Mariner saved six games and struck out a whopping 70 batters in just 45.2 innings
Peter Solomon – SO – Notre Dame – Struck out a batter an inning with 1.40 ERA in nine bullpen outings
Hunter Williams – SO – North Carolina – Started seven games with solid numbers for Harwich last year and had 3.10 ERA in swing role at UNC
Tyler Wilson – SO – Rhode Island – Two-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year went 13-1 with 2.29 ERA, 122 Ks in 102.1 IP this year
Tommy DeJuneas – SO – NC State – Finished with six saves and 6.37 ERA while striking out 27 in 29.2 innings pitched this spring
Brian Brown – SO – NC State – Weekend starter for Wolfpack went 7-3 with 3.70 ERA, 79 Ks in 87.2 innings
Nick Brown – JR – William & Mary – Led team in strikeouts by wide margin with 85 in 96 innings, while posting 5.53 ERA
Ethan Landon – RS SO – Michigan State – Pitched well in Spartans’ rotation, tallying 2.75 ERA, 59 Ks in 85 IP
Matt Minnick – SO – Mercyhurst – Went 7-1 and struck out 61 in 54.1 innings for D-II power Mercyhurst
Spencer Stockton – SO – Jacksonville – Finished with 3.21 ERA as a starter for Dolphins
Speros Varinos – JR – Tufts – Fanned 79 in 67 innings and went 7-1 with 2.15 ERA for D-III Jumbos
Ryan McAuliffe – JR – St. John’s – Went 5-2 with 4.32 ERA in weekend rotation for Red Storm
David McKay – SO – Florida Atlantic – Led team in strikeouts with 66 and had 3.74 ERA in weekend rotation
Brett Daniels – SO – North Carolina – Finished third on the team in appearances and posted 2.17 ERA with 34 Ks in 37.1 IP
Liam Conboy – JR – Susquehanna – Racked up nine saves with 33 Ks in 27 IP for D-III squad
CATCHERS
J.D. Andreessen – SO – Campbell – Hit .294 with two homers for emerging Big South squad
Cal Raleigh – FR – Florida State – Standout freshman making quick impact in Tallahassee, hitting .308 with 10 HR and 50 RBI
Nick Feight – SO – UNC Wilmington – All-American led one of nation’s best offenses with .349 AVG, 21 HR, 91 RBI
INFIELDERS
Ernie Clement – SO – Virginia – Second-best hitter for Cavs finished at .351 with a homer and 18 XBH
Jonathan India – FR – Florida – As Gators head to Super Regionals, ranks second on the team with .310 AVG and has 4 HR, 13 SB
Jack Flansburg – JR – Oklahoma – Batted .278 and hit four homers for Sooners, while finishing third on team in RBI
Pavin Smith – SO – Virginia – Hit .329 and finished second to first-round pick Matt Thaiss for team lead in home runs with eight
Joe Dunand – SO – NC State – Hit .297 with four home runs and finished third on the team with 47 RBI this season
Evan White – SO – Kentucky – Ranked third in SEC with .376 average, and added five home runs, 40 RBI and 10 stolen bases
Kyle Davis – SO – West Virginia – Batted .280 with .394 OBP and led Mountaineers with 10 home runs
Kyle Fiala – JR – Notre Dame – Leading hitter for Fighting Irish finished at .301 with 4 HR, 28 RBI, 10 SBs
Austin Filiere – SO – MIT – Starred for D-III MIT with .428 AVG, .546 OBP, 13 HR, 55 RBI and 14 stolen bases
Ryan Tufts – JR – Virginia Tech – Batted .284 with 18 extra-base hits and finished third on Hokies with RBI
Anthony Critelli – JR – Holy Cross – Batted .267 and led team in home runs with nine and RBI with 41
Max Burt – SO – Northeastern – Started every game for Huskies and hit .238
OUTFIELDERS
Ryan Brown – SO – College of Charleston – Freshman All-American last year met sophomore slump this year, finishing with .223 AVG
Antoine Duplantis – FR – LSU – Burst onto scene with .323 AVG, 14 XBH, 36 RBI and 13 stolen bases while starting every game
Steven Foster – SO – Hofstra – Hit .278 while getting on base at .407 clip and stole nine bases
Trey Harris – SO – Missouri – SEC All-Freshman pick struggled with the bat this year, hitting .216 though he drove in 36
Brock Deatherage – SO – NC State – Returning Mariner hit .317 this spring with six homers and stole 14 bases
Logan Farrar – JR – VCU – Hit .295 with three home runs and stole team-best 15 bases
Tyler Kirkpatrick – JR – Marist – Batted .263 with two homers for Red Foxes this spring
Levi MaVorhis, pictured earlier this summer, was part of a cobbled-together for playoff-bound Brewster.
They had pitchers in the outfield and lost their finale 12-2. But I guess that’s what happens when you make a run this surprising.
For the Brewster Whitecaps, the run continues.
Harwich beat Brewster 12-2 in the last game of the season for both teams last night, but Chatham lost to Orleans, meaning the Whitecaps have grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot in the East.
As detailed yesterday , the Whitecaps were eight points back of Chatham with seven games to play but delivered their best baseball of the summer in a late surge. Chatham lost six of its last seven, so this is what we’re left with.
We’ll see if Brewster can put anything together in the playoffs. Pitchers Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) and Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) were on the outfield corners last night, so the Whitecaps will hopefully get some reinforcements. Harwich pounded out 15 hits in finishing the season with a bang. The Mariners ended up with a 26-16-2 record.
The Brewster game was over well before the Chatham-Orleans game, meaning the door was open for the Anglers, but they couldn’t step through. Starting pitcher Max Tishman (Wake Forest) was touched up for five unearned runs as Chatham made four errors. Orleans then scored six runs off Kyle Davis (USC), who’s been Chatham’s best pitcher all summer. Chris Shaw (Boston College) hit his eighth home run and will likely finish as the league leader, but it wasn’t enough. David Thompson (Miami) had four hits and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) had three to lead the Firebirds. With the win, Orleans grabbed the No. 2 seed by a point over Y-D.
Brewster will be making its first playoff appearance since 2011, which is also the last time Chatham didn’t make it.
Bourne 5, Wareham 0
The Braves still have one game to play but have already secured the best record in the league thanks to their third straight victory, and their second straight shutout. Six pitchers combined on the shutout, with the win going to reliever Max Knutson (Nebraska). John Gorman (Boston College) and Joey Strain (Winthrop), the last two pitchers to the mound, both struck out the side in an inning each. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 4-for-4 with a home run to bring his batting average to .358, which is second best in the league. Mark Laird (LSU) added three hits and Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) homered. The teams will meet again in the season finale tonight.
Falmouth 4, Cotuit 2
Falmouth beat Cotuit 4-2, which means the seedings in the West are now set. Behind Bourne and Falmouth, Hyannis will be the No. 3 seed and Cotuit will be the No. 4. With the right combination of results, Cotuit could have jumped Hyannis but is now two points back with one to play and can do no better than a tie, with Hyannis getting the tiebreaker. Five Falmouth pitchers limited Cotuit to just four hits. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) was credited with the win and Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) got the save. The Commodore offense was led by Kevin Newman (Arizona), who was in danger of losing his grip on the batting title and responded with a 3-for-4 night. He now has a .370 average and is in line to win his second straight crown. Conner Hale (LSU) added two hits and two RBI and he’ll likely finish as the league leader in RBI.
Y-D 3, Hyannis 2
Y-D scored a run in the eighth to finish the season with a 3-2 victory over Hyannis. Josh Lester (Missouri) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate what proved to be the winning run. Andrew Stevenson (LSU) and Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) had two hits each to lead the Y-D attack, while Brennon Lund (BYU) and newcomer Marcus Mastrobuoni (Cal State Stanislaus) had an RBI each. Both teams used a lot of pitchers, with Y-D’s Josh Staumont (Azusa Pacific) picking up the win and Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer) grabbing the save.
What to Watch
Two makeup games on the docket tonight to conclude the 2014 regular season. Neither game will have any bearing on playoff seedings, but keep an eye on Falmouth as Kevin Newman tries to clinch the batting title. He’s at .370. Second-place Richard Martin Jr. of Bourne is at .358 and will also likely be in action.
Kevin McCanna (Rice) made some good starts for Falmouth last year but allowed at least three runs in each of his last four starts, including seven runs in his season finale. He left the Cape with an ERA north of six.
Fresh off a good year in Houston, McCanna returned to Falmouth this year and got off to a strong start, but on July 8, he hit that unlucky seven again. McCanna surrendered seven runs in an 11-8 loss to Hyannis.
Last year, he never got a chance to rebound from his seven-run showing. This time, he did.
And he has.
Since that loss to Hyannis, McCanna has gone three consecutive starts without allowing a single run, a string that continued last night as Falmouth knocked off first-place Bourne 5-3.
He’s gone from poor finish last year to as good a finish as you could ask for in 2014. McCanna now has a 2.47 ERA and, with victories in each of his three scoreless outings, he now leads the league in wins with six.
Last night, McCanna’s performance helped Falmouth get within one game of Bourne for the top spot in the West. McCanna struck out four, walked three and scattered six hits in five scoreless innings. He found himself in trouble on a number of occasions, but wiggled out, stranding the bases loaded in the first and third innings.
His offense backed him with a 13-hit attack. Shaun Chase (Oregon) hit his fifth homer, Steven Duggar (Clemson) had three hits and Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Four relievers followed McCanna to the mound, with Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) getting a save to finish off the victory.
Falmouth has won four of five and has now won the season series with Bourne, taking four of six. With four games left, it’ll be a sprint to the finish line as they chase the top seed.
Harwich 6, Orleans 3
The Mariners regained sole possession of first place in the East with a 6-3 victory over Orleans and a Y-D loss to Chatham. Jon Harris (Missouri State) was solid on the mound for the Mariners, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings, and Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State) pitched 3.2 scoreless innings to finish it off. It was the third save for Frebis, who has turned in seven scoreless outings in 10 total appearances. Harwich did their damage against Orleans ace Kolton Mahoney (BYU). Mahoney only allowed two earned runs but three errors behind him led to six runs total. Mahoney had not allowed more than four runs in any start this year. Joe McCarthy (Virginia) led the Harwich offense with two hits and three RBI. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) added two RBI.
Chatham 6, Y-D 5
Chatham cannot rise any higher than the fourth seed in the East, but the Anglers must take care of business to be assured of that spot and they took a step in the right direction by holding off Y-D. Jordan Hillyer (Kennesaw State) got the win with 5.2 solid innings, and Kyle Davis (USC) kept a Y-D rally from getting off the ground for his fifth save. Nicholas Sciortino (Boston College), a reinforcement making his first appearance of the summer, went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Chris Shaw (Boston College) and Bryant Burleson (Texas Tech) added two hits and an RBI apiece. Chatham touched up Y-D starter Kevin Duchene (Illinois) for five runs in five innings. He had allowed two runs or fewer in four straight starts.
Cotuit 12, Hyannis 10
In the first of two meetings on consecutive days, Cotuit out-slugged Hyannis and moved within a point of the Harbor Hawks for third place in the West. The game was tied 10-10 heading into the top of the ninth, where Cotuit’s Jackson Glines (Michigan) knocked a two-run single to give his team the lead. That was all standout reliever Adam Whitt (Nevada) needed. The league’s ERA leader struck out two in a perfect ninth to seal the victory for Cotuit. Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) had four hits and scored three runs from the leadoff spot for the Kettleers. Drew Jackson (Stanford) added three hits, while Glines and Kyle Holder (San Diego) had two each. For Hyannis, Carl Wise (College of Charleston) had five RBI in the losing effort.
Wareham 6, Brewster 6
The two teams trying to sneak into their respective last playoff spots both helped themselves a bit as Wareham and Brewster played to a 6-6 tie after darkness ended the game in the 10th. Blake Lacey (USC) had three hits and Nick Halamandaris (California) had two RBI for the Gatemen, who scored two in the top of the ninth to force the tie. John Sansone (Florida State) drove in two runs for Brewster. Jason Richman (Georgia Southern) kept Brewster off the board with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief for Wareham. The Gatemen are seven points out of a playoff spot with four games to play. Brewster is five games out in the East.
What to Watch
Playoff implications in a lot of games. Keep an eye on two match-ups in the West. Bourne will play Orleans as it tries to hold onto first place, while Falmouth hosts Wareham as it tries to catch the Braves. The Falmouth-Wareham match-up features a good pitching match-up, with Kyle Cody (Kentucky) starting for the Gatemen against Alex Young (TCU).
Brian Serven puts a tag on a Cotuit runner in Wednesday’s game.
The wedding and honeymoon were pretty much perfect. What did I miss?
Two weeks of an eight-week Cape League season is a pretty good chunk of time. I feel like I went on a field trip that not everybody went on, and now that I’m back to school, it’s tough to get my bearings.
Then again, some things don’t seem to be changing.
Bourne continued to dominate the West last night with a 12-4 win over Cotuit, its third in a row. In the East, Harwich and Orleans remain at the top of the standings, although there was finally a change in order with a 4-3 extra-innings win by Orleans last night that put the Firebirds into first place.
Bourne has the best record in the league at 23-11-1. In their current three-game streak, they’ve allowed four runs in each game and have scored plenty more, capped by last night’s win over Cotuit. Samuel Kmiec (Winthrop) delivered a strong start, allowing one run in 5.1 innings. He’s won two starts in a row after a rough start to the season.
The offense backed Kmiec with 15 hits. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida), Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) led the way with three hits apiece. Allemand and Mark Laird (LSU) each had two RBI.
Over in Harwich, first place in the East finally changed hands, as Orleans beat Harwich 4-3 in 11 innings. The game was tied 2-2 until the Firebirds pushed two runs across in the top of the 11th, one on a wild pitch and the other on a Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) RBI single. Harwich got within a run in the bottom of the 11th on a Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) RBI double, but Orleans reliever Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) retired two of the league’s best hitters – Anthony Hermelyn (Virginia Tech) and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) – to end the game.
Stone allowed one run in two innings for the win. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) delivered four huge innings of scoreless relief to keep the game tied. Harwich’s Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) played the same role as Dalbec, with 4.1 scoreless innings.
Orleans is now 21-13-2 while Harwich dropped to 20-13-2.
Y-D 8, Chatham 4
One big difference since I last checked in two weeks ago: the Y-D Red Sox. Y-D beat Chatham 8-4 last night for its ninth win in its last 11 games. The Red Sox are now 20-15, just a two points out of second place and four points out of first. A balanced offensive attack led the way against Chatham standout Kyle Davis (USC), with five players knocking two hits each. Davis, typically a reliever, came in with a 1.35 ERA but was touched up for seven runs in four innings. Jesse Jenner (San Diego) had two hits and two RBI to lead the charge. Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) went 2-for-3 for his 12th multi-hit game of the summer. On the mound for Y-D, Cody Poteet (UCLA) allowed two earned runs in five innings. Three relievers combined on four scoreless innings. Chatham got three hits from Nick Collins (Georgetown). The loss was the Anglers’ fourth in a row.
Hyannis 3, Wareham 0
Blake Hickman (Iowa) delivered his second consecutive impressive start and Hyannis overcame dominant Wareham pitching to shut out the Gatemen. Hickman had gone seven scoreless innings in his previous start, a 3-0 win over Brewster. This time, he went 6.1 scoreless frames, striking out five and allowing four hits. Ryan Perez (Judson) followed Hickman to the mound and picked up a save with 2.2 shutout innings. Wareham’s Kyle Cody (Kentucky) and Sean Adler (USC) combined for six perfect innings, but Hyannis broke through for three runs in the seventh. John La Prise (Virginia) led the offense with a hit and two RBI.
Falmouth 7, Brewster 3
The Commodores remain comfortably in second place in the West after rebounding from a loss to Bourne Tuesday with a win over Brewster. Conner Hale (LSU) hit his fourth home run while Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) had two hits and three RBI. Jake Madsen (Ohio) added three hits and two RBI. Alex Young (TCU) struck out seven and gave up two runs in five innings. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) got the win in relief. Scott Kingery (Arizona) and Luke Lowery (East Carolina) both homered for Falmouth.
What to Watch
Three games on tap tonight, including a good one in Yarmouth, where the red-hot Red Sox take on West-leading Bourne.
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.
Kevin Newman had two hits and a game-tying RBI in his return from Team USA.
Most of the players who left Cape Cod for the Team USA trials made the squad. Two players who didn’t get a spot made their returns to the league last night and did their part in the Cape’s patriotic traditions.
In the first game of the annual July 3 and 4 two-game sets, Falmouth’s Kevin Newman (Arizona) had two hits and a game-tying RBI in a win over Cotuit, and Bourne’s Jimmy Herget (South Florida) closed out a victory over Wareham with two scoreless innings of relief.
Newman, the defending Cape League batting champ, went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his last game before the USA trials, on June 18. He picked up exactly where he left off on Thursday, returning to the leadoff spot in the order and going 2-for-4 with an RBI again. The RBI was a big one, too. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and his team trailing 2-1, Newman smacked a single to score Sam Gillikin (Auburn) with the tying run.
Falmouth then won the game 3-2 in the 10th on a bases-loaded walk to Jake Madsen (Ohio).
Gillikin and Steven Duggar (Clemson) joined Newman with two hits apiece. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Starter Casey Mulholland (South Florida) allowed just an unearned run. He owns two straight starts now without an earned run allowed.
For Herget, the return to the Cape wasn’t quite so dramatic, but he gives first-place Bourne an unquestioned boost, and the Braves used it to finish off their 14-6 victory. Herget struck out three and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings. Brett Morales (Florida) got the win for the Braves with three scoreless innings of relief.
Bourne trailed 6-3 after four innings, but the offense broke out and made the shutout work of Morales and Herget count. Bourne scored 10 runs in the final four innings to blow the game open.
Mark Laird (LSU) finished with two hits and four RBI, Brett Sullivan (Pacific) had three hits and two RBI and Billy Fleming (West Virginia) had two hits and two RBI.
Bourne has won two in a row since a three-game losing streak.
Y-D 8, Hyannis 2
Y-D topped Hyannis for its fourth straight victory and continued an offensive surge. In three of the victories, Y-D has scored eight runs. In the other, nine runs. The Red Sox are now 9-11 while Hyannis dropped to 10-10. Hunter Cole (Georgia) led the offense with three hits and three RBI, giving him eight hits in the win streak. Rob Fonseca (Northeastern), A.J. Simcox (Tennessee), Josh Lester (Missouri) and Andrew Stevenson (LSU) had two hits each. On the mound, Cody Poteet (UCLA) allowed one run in five innings, a nice rebound after he gave up five runs in his previous start. Y-D has now gotten at least five innings from its starter in three of the victories in the streak. For Hyannis, John LaPrise (Virginia) went 3-for-3 in his second game since arriving from the College World Series.
Chatham 9, Orleans 7
Chatham stopped Orleans’ six-game winning streak with a late rally. Just when it seemed like the Firebirds would keep that streak going after tying the game with two runs in the top of the eighth, the Anglers answered with two in the bottom of the eighth on a Landon Cray (Seattle) RBI double and a Ty Moore (UCLA) RBI single. Kyle Davis (USC), who had allowed the home run that tied the game, then worked around a double to pitch a scoreless ninth and seal the win. Moore and Cray led the offense with two hits and two RBI, while Chris Shaw (Boston College) hit his fourth homer of the year. A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) had two hits to stretch his hitting streak to nine games. It’s also now an eight-game streak of at least two hits. For Orleans, Johnny Sewald (Arizona) homered. David Thompson (Miami) and Brett Lang (UNC-Charlotte) had three hits each.
Harwich 10, Brewster 5
Harwich raced to a 7-0 lead and got another solid performance from a starting pitcher in a victory over Brewster. Michael Boyle (Radford) allowed three runs in six innings of work with eight strikeouts. Brewster hit two home runs off him, but the eight strikeouts were also a season-high for Boyle, who has a 1.56 ERA. The Harwich offense was led by four RBI each from Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) and C.J. Hinojosa (Texas). Annunziata homered. Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) added three hits and three runs scored from the top of the lineup. Luke Lowery (East Carolina) and Scott Kingery (Arizona) had the Brewster home runs.
What to Watch
With Arthur bearing down, the Cape may not have any Fourth of July baseball this year, although games are still on as of this morning.
A.J. Murray hit a walk-off home run as Chatham beat Hyannis.
Sunday night was a big one for home runs in the Cape Cod Baseball League, with seven of 10 teams hitting at least one and those squads combining for 10 total.
They saved the biggest one for last.
In the bottom of the 12th at Veterans Field, Chatham’s A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) hit a walk-off solo home run to give the Anglers a 5-4 victory over Hyannis.
Chatham was coming off a one-run loss to Brewster in which it was the victim of a late Whitecaps home run. This time, after tying the game in the eighth, the Anglers held Hyannis down and finally broke through in the 12th.
Murray led off the inning against Hyannis closer Ian Gibaut (Tulane), who had given up two runs – and no homers – in five appearances this summer. Murray jumped off the first pitch Gibaut threw – and made it the only pitch Gibaut would throw.
The homer was the third of the year for Murray, which puts him in a tie for the league lead.
It made a winner out of the other hero, Kyle Davis (USC), who continued to look like perhaps the most valuable pitcher in the league. He leads the league in appearances with eight, ranks second in the league in strikeouts with 20 and has a 1.35 ERA. He was at his bullpen-saving best on Sunday, coming on in the ninth and pitching four scoreless innings to keep the game tied. He allowed just one hit and struck out four. In the top of the 12th, he struck out the last two batters on four pitches each to give Chatham a little surge of momentum ahead of Murray’s blast.
Murray finished the night 3-for-4 with two RBI. Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) added two hits. Nick Collins (Georgetown), in as a pinch-hitter, knocked in the tying run in the eighth with a single.
Hyannis got a home run from Carl Wise (College of Charleston) and four hits from Donnie Dewees Jr. (North Florida). Ryan Perez (Judson) struck out five in three scoreless innings of relief and is now tied with Davis for second in the league in K’s.
Chatham improved to 8-8-1 while Hyannis fell to 10-7.
Orleans 15, Harwich 8
No one’s been very close to first-place Harwich since the first week of the season, but the Firebirds drew within two games thanks to their fourth straight win, a blowout of the Mariners. The Firebirds (9-8) scored five runs in each of the first two innings. After Harwich (11-6) chipped away to make it 10-7 going into the eighth, Orleans delivered another five-run inning to put the game away. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) and R.J. Ybarra (Arizona State) hit back-to-back home runs to account for the five runs in the eighth. Dalbec finished with four RBI. Geoff DeGroot (Rutgers), Edwin Rios (Florida International) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) all had three hits. For Harwich, Angelo Amendolare (Jacksonville) had three hits and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had three RBI.
Wareham 7, Cotuit 6
Cotuit (8-9) joined in the home run party with two, but the Gatemen (6-11) had a little more offense in the end in a 7-6 victory. Jake Little (Memphis) homered for the Gatemen, his third of the year, while Willie Calhoun (Arizona) went 2-for-4 with his 12th double. Charlie Warren (Rice) added two hits while Corey Ray (Louisville) had two RBI. Wareham finished with 10 hits and now leads the league in team batting average. The Gatemen bullpen also delivered, with four pitching combining on 6.1 innings of one-run ball. Nick Fuller (UMass-Dartmouth) was credited with the win and Ryan Olson (San Diego) picked up the save. For Cotuit, Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) and Austin Byler (Nevada) each hit their third home run of the summer.
Falmouth 8, Bourne 3
The Commodores touched up Bourne standout Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga) for three runs then really broke out against the bullpen and pulled away for an 8-3 victory. Sopko had struck out 13 and given up one run in 10 innings thus far, but Falmouth got a leadoff home run from Sam Gillikin (Auburn) in the first inning and tacked on single runs in the second and fourth innings. Sopko departed in the sixth, and Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) – who went 4-for-4 – broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single. Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) delivered an RBI double in the seventh. In the eighth, Afenir doubled home a run and Nicholas Ramos (Indiana) knocked in two with a base hit. The late surge made a winner out of reliever Kyle Zimmerman (Wayne State), who went two scoreless innings. Bourne still leads the West with an 11-6 record. Falmouth improved to 8-8-1.
Y-D 9, Brewster 7
Y-D held off a late charge by Mikey White (Alabama) and Brewster to snap a two-game skid. The Red Sox (6-11) led 9-4 going into the ninth before the Whitecaps (7-10) made it interesting. After a sacrifice fly by Wade Wass (Alabama), White hit his second home run of the game – a two-run shot – to get his team within two runs. But with a runner on first, Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) came out of the Y-D bullpen and struck out Andrew Lee (Tennessee) to end the game. The win went to starter Bryan Bonnell (UNLV), who allowed three runs in six innings. The Y-D offense was led by Andrew Stevenson (LSU) and Josh Lester (Missouri), who had two hits each. Jason Goldstein (Illinois) had one hit and four RBI, while Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) drove in two.
What to Watch
The league leaders in ERA among qualified starting pitchers will square off as Falmouth visits Hyannis. Matt Hall (Missouri State), who has a 0.56 ERA, will go for the Commodores against Hyannis and Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana), who has a 1.56 ERA.
Patrick Mazeika’s three-run homer gave Chatham a lead in Tuesday’s slugfest.
Yarmouth’s Red Wilson Field has the shortest fences in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Home runs are more common there, and in turn, big run totals flow a little more easily.
And every once in a while, the floodgates really open.
Last night at Red Wilson, Chatham and Y-D combined for six home runs, 31 hits and 30 runs in a 16-14 Chatham victory. The 30 combined runs is the most in a Cape League game since 2010, when Y-D beat Orleans 23-10 in a playoff game . . . at Red Wilson Field. Two teams also hit 30 in the 2010 regular season, when Harwich beat Y-D 16-14 . . . at Red Wilson Field. (Two totals near 30 – a 17-12 game last year and a 16-10 game in 2012 – also happened in Yarmouth).
Red Wilson’s latest show belonged to the Anglers, who scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning and stopped the slugfest in the bottom half. With the sun setting on the three-hour, 20-minute game, it was called after eight.
Chatham hit two home runs and Y-D hit three. Chris Shaw (Boston College) had one of the blasts for Chatham as part of a big night. He went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and an RBI. Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) hit the other home run for the Anglers on his way to a 1-for-2, four-run, three-RBI game.
The Anglers trailed 13-11 going into the eighth, but exploded immediately. Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) led off with a double and A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) traded places with him on an RBI double. After a base hit by Shaw, Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) doubled in the tying run. Y-D went to its bullpen, but Mazeika greeted reliever Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer) with a three-run homer, the biggest and the final blow in the night’s power surge.
Kyle Davis (USC), who’s been one of the best relievers in the league this summer, came on to try and close the door for Chatham. Though even he couldn’t escape without giving up a run – his second of the year – Davis stranded two runners when he ended the game with a strikeout. Davis got the save for Zack Burdi (Louisville), who had gotten out of a jam in the seventh.
Simmons and Landon Cray (Seattle) had three hits each for Chatham, while Murray and Mazeika drove in three runs apiece. Chatham has now scored the second-most runs in the league after ranking in the middle of the pack before last night.
Y-D got two home runs from Hunter Cole (Georgia), plus one each from Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) and Ryan Hissey (William & Mary).
Hyannis 14, Cotuit 2
The Harbor Hawks weren’t at Red Wilson Field but may as well have been in the late innings of a 14-2 victory over Cotuit at Lowell Park. Leading 3-0 into the seventh, Hyannis scored 11 runs over the final three innings. The Harbor Hawks (9-4) have now scored the most runs in the league and are 3-0 against rival Cotuit (6-7). Bobby Melley (Connecticut), who was hitting .250 coming in after a huge spring for the Huskies, broke out with a 4-for-4, four RBI night. Kyle Survance (Houston) homered and drove in two, Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Jarret DeHart (LSU) had two RBI. Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana), pitching without a big lead, went six scoreless innings with three strikeouts for his third win in as many starts.
Bourne 5, Orleans 2
Making his ninth career Cape League start, Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) turned in perhaps his best performance as the West-leading Braves (10-3) topped Orleans (5-8). Kellogg went six scoreless innings, striking out four and scattering six hits. Thomas Hatch (Oklahoma State) and Lucas Laster (Mississippi State) finished off the win. Kellogg’s battery mate and ASU teammate Brian Serven homered for the Braves. Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) and Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) added two hits each.
Harwich 4, Wareham 1
The Mariners remained even with Bourne for the best record in the league thanks to a victory over Wareham. Michael Boyle (Radford) allowed just an unearned run in 5.1 innings for the win. Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) struck out four in 2.2 innings of relief and Seth McGarry (Florida Atlantic) pitched a perfect ninth for his first save. Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) homered to lead the offense, while Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) had three hits from the top of the lineup. Barrett owns a six-game hitting streak and is batting .400 on the year.
Falmouth 8, Brewster 3
The Commodores (5-7-1) snapped a five-game winless streak with a victory over Brewster (5-8). Steven Duggar (Clemson) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the offense, which hadn’t scored more than five runs since June 15. Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) added three RBI, while Trever Morrison (Oregon State) and Conner Hale (LSU) had two hits each. Matt Eureste (San Jacinto North) went 1-for-4 and continues to lead the league in hitting with a .414 average. On the mound for Falmouth, Matt Hall (Missouri State) turned in one of the team’s best starts of the summer, striking out five in seven scoreless innings. Hall is now tied for the league lead in strikeouts.
What to Watch
A good pitching match-up is lined up in Orleans, where the Firebirds send Brett Lilek (Arizona State) to the mound against Harwich’s James Mulry (Northeastern). Lilek, a standout this spring, struck out six in four scoreless innings in his first Cape League start. Mulry has a 1.39 ERA in two starts.
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.
