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Going Three

Parker Dunshee tossed six shutout innings as Chatham edged Orleans.
Parker Dunshee tossed six shutout innings as Chatham edged Orleans.

 
Three of the four opening-round playoff series ended in sweeps Tuesday. The one that’s going to three games is not the one you’d expect.

The fourth-seeded Chatham Anglers, who lost seven of their final eight regular-season games and dropped Monday’s opener, knocked off top-seeded Orleans 1-0 Tuesday night to push their East Division semifinal series to a decisive third game.

The Firebirds, with the best record in the league, had been shut out only once all season, in a 5-0 loss to Y-D on July 10. But Chatham’s Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) and two of his teammates made it two shutouts, right when it counted the most.

Dunshee was as dominant as anybody has been all year against the powerful Firebirds. He allowed two hits, both singles, and struck out eight in six shutout innings. The right-hander was working on an eight-inning scoreless streak heading into the game, but six innings of two-hit baseball against these Firebirds represented a jump to a whole new level. He took a no-hitter into the fifth before Orleans notched a pair of singles, one that didn’t leave the infield.

Brandon Miller (Millersville) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) picked up where Dunshee left off, combining on three perfect innings to finish off the win.

Orleans starter Eric Lauer (Kent State) was almost as good as Dunshee, striking out nine and giving up four hits in five innings. But Chatham’s fourth-inning tally proved to be enough. Dunshee’s Wake Forest teammate Joey Rodriguez, a mid-season addition who hit just .105 in nine regular-season games, delivered the run-scoring hit. Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine), who had led off the inning with a base hit, scored the run.

The Firebirds never really threatened. The fifth-inning singles were their only hits, and Dunshee had no trouble escaping the mini-jam.

Orleans had won five straight, looking the part of the favorite. Thanks to Chatham and Parker Dunshee, the favorite quickly finds itself in a must-win game.
 

Y-D 7, Brewster 3

Y-D’s come-from-behind win in game one put Brewster in a tough spot, and not just because the Whitecaps faced elimination. They would also be facing Red Sox ace Ricky Thomas (Fresno State), who has quite literally been unbeatable this year. It proved to be just as tough as expected. Thomas was right on script, tossing six shutout innings with seven strikeouts as the Red Sox eliminated Brewster with a 7-3 victory. Thomas is now 8-0 on the summer. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) homered to lead the Y-D attack, while Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) chipped in two hits each. Y-D and Brewster both had 11 hits, but the Whitecaps were shut-out for seven innings and could muster only three runs in the eighth as they attempted a comeback. Jack Meggs (Washington) went 3-for-4 to lead Brewster. MVP Nick Senzel – Brewster’s leading hitter and run producer – missed the game with a wrist injury. The loss brings to an end a terrific season for Brewster and first-year manager Jamie Shevchik. The defending champion Red Sox move on.
 

Hyannis 9, Cotuit 5

Hyannis is now 8-0 against Cotuit this season, and the Kettleers won’t get another chance to change that, as the Harbor Hawks’ victory Tuesday sent them home. The West’s top seed started fast for a second straight night, scoring seven runs in the first three innings after getting six Monday. Ryne Birk (Texas A&M), who had one home run in the regular season, hit his second of the playoffs to make it a 3-0 game in the second inning. No. 9 hitter Tristan Hildebrandt (Cal State Fullerton) went 4-for-5 and knocked in three runs. Corey Bird (Marshall) went 2-for-5 and scored twice. Armed with the early lead, Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) allowed two runs in five innings for the win. Cotuit made some headway against the bullpen but would get no closer than the final four-run margin. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) was a bright spot for Cotuit in the loss, going 4-for-5 with two RBI. The loss sent Cotuit to its first opening-round exit since 2012. The Kettleers were league champs in 2013 and West finalists last year.
 

Bourne 4, Wareham 0

After a 7-1 victory in game one, Bourne pitching was even better in game two, as the Braves shut-out Wareham and punched its ticket to the West finals. Keegan Akin (Western Michigan) went 4.2 innings and struck out four ahead of a dominant relief outing from Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers), who struck out six in 3.1 innings. Austin Conway (Indiana State) pitched a perfect ninth. The co-winner of the league’s top reliever award still hasn’t allowed an earned run this summer. The Bourne offense backed the strong mound work with three runs in the top of the first inning, all on a home run by C.J. Chatham (Florida Atlantic). Wareham starter Brett Hanewich (Stanford) settled in from there, but the damage was done. Chatham added an RBI single in the eighth as the Braves cruised to the victory.
 

What to Watch

With only one first-round series headed to a third game, everybody gets a day off Wednesday except for the Anglers and Firebirds. Game three of their set is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Eldredge Park. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was listed as the game three probable for Orleans after the series opener. Ty Damron (Texas Tech) was listed as the Chatham starter.
 

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Back to Normal

Alex Call waits for a throw at second base against Cotuit earlier this week. The Firebirds clinched the East title Thursday.
Alex Call waits for a throw at second base against Cotuit earlier this week. The Firebirds clinched the East title Thursday.

 
It was back to regularly-scheduled programming in the Cape League’s East Division on Thursday night. After two losses and a tie in their previous three games, the Orleans Firebirds looked like their old selves as they clinched the regular-season division title with a 12-8 victory over Hyannis. With Brewster losing, Orleans now cannot be caught.

The Firebirds were not as sharp as usual on the mound, but their powerful offense was on target. The Firebirds hit two home runs in an eight-run second inning. They finished the night with 18 hits, five of which went for extra bases. Ten different players had at least one hit.

With All-Star Game West MVP Devin Smeltzer (San Jacinto) on the hill for Hyannis, you wouldn’t have predicted a slugfest. But after getting a run in the first, the Firebirds went wild in the second inning. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit a grand slam and Kyle Lewis (Mercer) followed that with a solo shot.

Hyannis eventually found some of its offense, making it an 11-8 game in the eighth, but that was as close as it got.

Dalbec went 2-for-3 and the home run was his league-best 11th. I sound like a broken record, but his pace is incredible. Dalbec has played in 25 games. Eleven of his 26 hits are homers.

Lewis finished 4-for-5 with four RBI as he broke out of an 0-for-11 slump. Bryan Reynolds (Vanderbilt), Jeremy Martinez (USC), Daniel Pinero (Virginia) and Sean Murphy (Wright State) all chipped in two hits.

Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was credited with the win in relief.

Orleans finishes its four-game season series against Hyannis with a 3-1 record. The Harbor Hawks are in line to win the West, but they aren’t there yet. In a season of Orleans success, it was fitting that the Firebirds got there first.

With three games remaining, the Firebirds could still match the record of the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, who went 31-12-1, the best record in the league in at least the last 15 years.
 

Y-D 2, Chatham 1

With fifth-place Harwich losing to Wareham, Y-D had a chance to get some breathing room in the East standings. A seventh-inning rally against Chatham did the trick. The Red Sox won 2-1 and moved four points ahead of Harwich for the final playoff berth and just two points back of Chatham for the third seed. The Anglers broke a scoreless tie with a run in the sixth on a Will Craig (Wake Forest) RBI double. But in the very next half-inning, Y-D pushed the tying run across on a passed ball and plated the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Gio Brusa (Pacific). Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt), who had come on in the sixth, ran with the lead, striking out seven of the 13 batters he faced in 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. Y-D is now 21-20. Chatham is 22-19.
 

Falmouth 11, Brewster 7

Falmouth isn’t dead quite yet. The Commodores snapped a seven-game losing streak with a victory over Brewster. Coupled with a Cotuit loss, the Commodores are only three points out of the final playoff spot in the West. J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss) went 2-for-4 with a home run to lead the offensive breakout for Falmouth. Mitch Longo (Ohio), Evan Skoug (TCU) and Tate Blackman (Ole Miss) each drove in two runs. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had two doubles. Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) got the win, giving up two runs in five innings. Brewster scored five runs in the seventh against the bullpen but the game was called due to darkness after that.
 

Wareham 5, Harwich 2

The Gatemen inched closer to a playoff spot while Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) inched closer to hitting .400 for the year in a win over Harwich. Wareham now has a two-point edge on Cotuit for third place in the West and is five points in front of last-place Falmouth. As for Calica, he went 1-for-2, walked once and was hit by a pitch. It’s hard to raise a .439 average, but that line did it — Calica is now at .440 with just three games remaining. If you assume he gets 12 at-bats over those final three games, he would need just one hit in 12 at-bats to finish over .400. His teammates had a good offensive night Wednesday, as well. Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Gavin Stupienski (UNC Wilmington) had two hits and an RBI. Brett Hanewich (Stanford) struck out eight and allowed just one earned run in five innings for the win. Shaun Anderson (Florida) pitched four innings of one-hit relief.
 

Bourne 10, Cotuit 7

Bourne rallied from a 5-0 deficit and won 10-7 in a game that was called after the seventh due to rain. Nick Solak (Louisville) went 3-for-5 with four RBI to spark the comeback efforts. Brendan McKay (Louisville) and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) knocked in two runs apiece, while Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) both had two hits and scored three runs. Joseph Christopher (St. John’s) gave up two unearned runs in 2.1 innings of relief to help set the stage for the comeback. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) got the win in relief. Bourne is 20-19-2 and still has a shot at the West division title. Cotuit fell to 16-25 with its second straight loss.
 

What to Watch

Chatham can clinch a playoff spot and clear up much of the East postseason picture if it wins tonight at Harwich.
 

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Riding the Wave

Jack Meggs knocked in the go-ahead run in the 10th as Brewster beat Falmouth Sunday.
Jack Meggs knocked in the go-ahead run in the 10th as Brewster beat Falmouth Sunday.

 
Apologies for the unannounced hiatus. The Right Field Fog extended family was together on Cape Cod, which was wonderful in general but bad for blogging. Back in business today.
 

Division leaders Orleans and Hyannis have already clinched playoff spots. All of a sudden, Brewster is looking like the team that’s next in line.

The Whitecaps edged Brewster 4-3 in 10 innings Sunday for their fourth consecutive win. At 22-16, they’ve taken over second place in the East and currently own the league’s second-best record.

The last three wins in the four-game streak have come by one run. With a team that’s great at the plate but a little more up-and-down on the mound, the assumption when they get hot is that the pitching is coming around. That’s not entirely true for Brewster, who has allowed 15 runs in its latest win streak.

The relentless, top-to-bottom offense just keeps pounding away. The Whitecaps are not among the league leaders in extra-base hits – despite leading in hits and batting average – but their ability to knock single after single has been good enough for a lot of wins.

Sunday, the Whitecaps did get a strong pitching performance, as J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount) gave up two runs in six innings. But again, it was the offense that came through. After Falmouth tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, Brewster scored one in the top of the 10th and went on to the win.

Leadoff man Colin Lyman (Louisville) started the 10th with a single and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second. With two outs, Jack Meggs (Washington) singled to bring him home.

Trent Paddon (Oregon) worked around two hits in the bottom of the 10th to seal the win.

Meggs and Toby Handley (Stony Brook) finished with two hits each to lead the Brewster offense.
 

Bourne 9, Wareham 1

The Braves pushed their win streak to three with a blowout of Wareham. Nick Solak (Louisville) and Mike Garzillo (Lehigh) both had three hits and three RBI and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) homered. Bourne scored all its runs in two innings, with four in the fourth and five in the sixth. On the mound, Cody Sedlock (Illinois) allowed one run in six innings for the win. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and the recently signed Daniel Jagiello (Long Island) tossed a scoreless frame in his Bourne debut. Bourne is now 18-18-2. Wareham has lost three in a row and is 15-22-1.
 

Hyannis 5, Y-D 1

With Bourne making its run, Hyannis kept the Braves at arm’s length with a victory over Y-D, which maintains the team’s three-point cushion in the West. Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) was back to his dominant self after a rough outing in his last start. He struck out seven and allowed one run in eight innings for the win. Jake Rogers (Tulane) homered while Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) had three hits to pace a 12-hit attack. Rogers, a terrific defensive catcher, was hitting .175 just two weeks ago but has gone 10-for-22 since to up his average to .274. Corey Bird (Marshall) and Blake Tiberi (Louisville) chipped in two hits each.
 

Harwich 8, Chatham 3

The Mariners hit three home runs and got solid showings from three pitchers to beat Chatham 8-3. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) went deep twice while his Georgia Tech teammate Connor Justus had a home run and four RBI. Preston Palmeiro (NC State) added a hit and scored two runs. Jake Fraley (LSU) homered for Chatham and Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) had three hits, but the Anglers couldn’t get much else going. Scott Tully (Notre Dame) allowed two runs in six innings for the win. Harwich is now 17-20-1 and three points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the East.
 

Cotuit 4, Orleans 2

Cotuit allowed Orleans just one extra-base hit and continued its run toward a playoff spot with a victory over the league-leading Firebirds. The Kettleers have won two straight and hold a three-point lead on Falmouth for fourth place in the West. Daniel Brown (Mississippi State) had his best performance of the summer in quieting the Orleans bats. Brown struck out six and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of work. Jack Anderson (Penn State) and Justin Dunn (Boston College) finished off the win. The Cotuit offense steadily pushed in front with single runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Brody Weiss (Riverside CC), Spencer Gaa (Bradley), Jeren Kendall (Vanderbilt) and Will Haynie (Alabama) each drove in a run, with Kendall and Haynie both hitting solo home runs. Haynie now has seven home runs on the year.
 

What to Watch

It’s a league-wide off day today. When teams return to the fields Tuesday, there will be an interesting match-up in Orleans, where the first-place Firebirds will host surging Brewster. Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) is slated to start for Orleans as he looks to go 7-0.
 

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Streaking Sweep

Brady Conlan catches a high throw at first during game one of Sunday's doubleheader.
Brady Conlan catches a high throw at first during game one of Sunday’s doubleheader.

 
Hyannis had the most impressive doubleheader Sunday in the league, beating Brewster by 8-0 and 9-2 scores to run its league-best record to 6-1. But in terms of necessity, the bigger Sunday sweep belonged to the defending champion Y-D Red Sox.

After an 0-4 start, fresh off their first win, the Red Sox rolled past Cotuit 4-1 and 4-0 to get to 3-4 and leave their shaky first few games firmly in the past. Y-D used a four-run fifth inning to turn things around in Sunday’s first game. In the nightcap, a four-run third inning and a combined shutout from three hurlers sealed the victory.

The Red Sox had stumbled out of the gates, scoring only six runs and giving up 28 in their first four games.

Y-D broke out Saturday with 12 hits and a strong showing on the mound in a 5-0 win over Bourne, and it was more of the same Sunday.

Jacob DeVries (Air Force) pitched into the final frame of the first seven-inning affair, scattering seven hits and allowing just one run. After Will Haynie (Alabama) touched DeVries up for a one-out double, Brett Adcock (Michigan) relieved him, got an out, then made things interesting with two walks to load the bases. But with the go-ahead run at the plate, Adcock induced a pop-up to end the game.

Nick Ruppert (Dartmouth) had two RBI in the big fifth inning, while Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) and Nathan Rodriguez (Arkansas) knocked in one run each. The Red Sox had four hits – their only four hits of the game – in that inning, and also took advantage of two Cotuit errors.

In game two, Y-D pitching was even a little better as a trio combined for the team’s second shutout in three games. Christian Morris (Indiana) gave up three hits in five innings, before Dalton Lehnen (Cincinnati) and Gabriel Cramer (Stanford) finished the job with a scoreless inning each.

Billingsley, Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) had two hits apiece to lead the offense.

 

Hyannis 8, Brewster 0; Hyannis 9, Brewster 2

The aforementioned Harbor Hawks were indeed impressive in their sweep of Brewster, who had come in at 3-1. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State), who’s been mostly a reliever in two seasons in Starkville, made the start in game one and struck out seven while giving up only two hits in six shutout innings. Marc Skinner (Troy) pitched the seventh to finish out the victory. Bobby Melley (Connecticut) continued his hot start with three hits and three RBI, pacing a nine-hit attack. Hyannis led 3-0 after one, then scored five in the final inning. In the second game, four pitchers chipped in on a solid effort, with Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) picking up the win on one perfect inning. Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) led the offense this time, going 2-for-4 and driving in four of the nine runs. After going hitless for the first time all season in the doubleheader opener, Justin Arrington (Baylor) went 2-for-3. Hyannis, at 6-1, is not only in first place in the West, but also has the only winning record in the division.
 

Orleans 6, Wareham 2; Orleans 1, Wareham 0

It was also a sweep at Eldredge Park, where the Firebirds mashed three home runs in the opener then eked out a pitchers duel in the second game. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) hit his third home run of the young season to power the game-one win, while Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) knocked his second as part of a 3-for-3 day. Sean Murphy (Wright State) went 2-for-3 and hit his first homer. Kyle Cedotal (SE Louisiana) tossed five scoreless innings for the win, and Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) delivered his third scoreless relief outing of the summer. In the second game, Orleans was limited to three hits by Wareham starter Anthony Kay, a standout at UConn this spring, and reliever Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona), but the Firebirds scratched one run across and held down the Wareham offense completely. Dalbec’s second home run of the doubleheader provided the only offense. Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) gave up one hit in five innings. Stephen Nogosek (Oregon) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) closed the shutout. Orleans, now 5-2, moved into first place in the East with the sweep.
 

Harwich 1, Bourne 1; Harwich 6, Bourne 2

Bourne picked up a tie in the opener (there’s an innings limit in doubleheader games) but remained winless as Harwich took a 6-2 victory in the nightcap at Whitehouse Field. Cameron Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) homered in the third inning of the first game but Harwich answered in the fourth on an RBI double by Drew Ellis (The Citadel). Neither team would score again through nine full innings. Kyle Driscoll (Rutgers) and Austin Conway (Indiana State) were lights-out in the Bourne bullpen – with Conway striking out five of seven batters he faced – while Spencer Trayner (North Carolina) and Williams Durruthy (Florida International) did the job for Harwich. In game two, Preston Palmeiro (NC State) and Michael Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) drove in two runs apiece to power the six-run burst. Bourne was within a run in the sixth before Harwich pulled away. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) picked up the win with 5.2 solid innings. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) – the rare two-way player on the Cape – picked up the save in his first outing on the mound.
 

Chatham 6, Falmouth 4; Falmouth 3, Chatham 2

The only split of the busy Sunday came at Veterans Field, where Chatham took the opener but watched Falmouth score the go-ahead run in the ninth to win the second game. Trenton Brooks (Nevada) went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the first game. Kyle Adams (Richmond) added two RBI, while Will Craig (Wake Forest) had two hits and scored a run. James Mulry (Northeastern) pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the win and Andre Scrubb (High Point) got the save. Brooks was hot again in the second game, notching his third straight two-hit game and upping his league-best average to .500. But Falmouth had the last laugh, breaking a 2-2 tie on a Boomer White (Texas A&M) RBI single. The hit scored Mitch Longo (Ohio), who had reached on an error, taken second on a sac bunt and stolen third. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) grabbed his second save in as many days with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
 

What to Watch

It’s a league-wide off-day Monday. Getting back to action Tuesday, Hyannis and Cotuit will renew their rivalry with a 5 p.m. game at Lowell Park.