The K-Man

Kolton Mahoney's 13 strikeouts were the most in a CCBL playoff game since 2006. — Kolton Mahoney’s 13 strikeouts were the most in a CCBL playoff game since 2006.

Three pitchers tied for the league lead in strikeouts this season, and all three took the ball for their teams in game one of the playoffs Wednesday night.

The strikeout king emerged.

Kolton Mahoney (BYU) struck out 13 in seven scoreless innings as Orleans blanked Y-D 3-0 to take a 1-0 lead in its East semifinal series. The 13 K’s are the most in a Cape League playoff game since 2006, when Riley Boening fanned 14 for Wareham. There have been double-digit performances since, but never more than a dozen. (The list of double-digit guys includes Chris Sale, J.J .Hoover, Mark Appel and Kyle Freeland. Good company.)

Mahoney, who was presented with the league’s Outstanding Pitcher Award before the game, was tagged for four unearned runs in his final regular-season start, but he wasn’t tagged for much of anything on Wednesday. He allowed four hits – all singles – and struck out the side twice.

In the regular season, the Red Sox finished with the second fewest strikeouts in the league, but they had faced Mahoney twice and struck out 19 times total, including his previous season-high of 11.

When Mahoney gave way to the bullpen, the onslaught continued. Bobby Poyner (Florida) struck out the side in the eighth and Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) punched out two in the ninth. That’s 18 strikeouts, of 27 outs recorded.

For much of the game, Mahoney was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Y-D ace Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara). The game was scoreless until the seventh, when Jerry McClanahan (UC Irvine) cracked a two-run single to give Orleans the lead. An error in the eighth allowed the third run to score.

The win was Orleans’ first playoff victory over Y-D since 2002. They haven’t matched up a ton since then, but Y-D had swept the last two series with the Firebirds.

Falmouth 3, Hyannis 0

The other two strikeout leaders squared off, and Falmouth’s pitching was a little better in a shutout of Hyannis. Matt Hall (Missouri State) went six scoreless innings, scattering five hits while striking out one. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech) and Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) finished off the shutout. Marc Brakeman (Stanford), who hadn’t allowed a run in his last two starts, was touched up for just an unearned run in six innings, as Falmouth took a 1-0 lead on an error in the second. Falmouth added a run on a Conner Hale (LSU) home run and a Jake Madsen (Ohio) RBI single in the eighth. Madsen finished with three hits, while Steven Duggar (Clemson) and Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) had two each.

Harwich 7, Brewster 2

In a game that didn’t begin until 9 p.m. thanks to field work after a storm, Harwich busted out quickly with three runs in the first and never looked back. Skye Bolt (North Carolina) went 2-for-4 with a home run and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI to lead a 10-hit attack. Joe McCarthy (Virginia) added three hits. Zack Erwin (Clemson) struck out seven and gave up just two runs in six innings for the win. Seth McGarry (Florida Atlantic) was terrific in relief, striking out every batter he faced in two innings. Ronnie Glenn (Penn) struck out two more in a scoreless ninth. Brewster, which was again playing short-handed, got a home run from Luke Lowery (East Carolina) but not much else.

Cotuit at Bourne, PPD

The rain that threatened the other games completely washed out the match-up at Doran Park. The series is now set to get underway tonight at 6 p.m., back at Doran Park.

Newman takes MVP honor

In a bit of non-playoff news, Falmouth’s Kevin Newman was presented with his batting title trophy on Wednesday – and then with the MVP award. The only two-time batting champ in Cape League history also now becomes the first player to win the batting title and the MVP honor in the same season since Falmouth’s Conor Gillaspie in 2007. I was a little surprised that Newman won the MVP, since he wasn’t a big power guy (eight extra-base hits), but he was second in the league in OBP, near the top in OPS and top 15 in RBI. Plus, without a completely obvious choice behind him, I don’t have a problem with giving it to the guy who made history.

What to Watch

Orleans at Y-D, 4 p.m.
Harwich at Brewster, 4 p.m.
Falmouth at Hyannis, 6 p.m.
Cotuit at Bourne, 6 p.m.

Orleans will try for the sweep of Y-D but will have to go through a very good pitcher as Y-D is slated to give the ball to Walker Buehler. The Vanderbilt righty has had quite a summer, starting with a College World Series title. He then pitched two very good games for Y-D before a brief stint with Team USA. Back on the Cape now, he carries a 1.35 ERA into today’s game. Orleans will counter with Eric Hanhold (Florida). He has a 3.42 ERA and gave up five runs in his last start – against Y-D.

July 30, 2014July 30, 2014

Still Alive

Gio Brusa and Brewster are four points out of a playoff spot.

With the All-Star Game in the books, the Cape League now very quickly hits its stretch run, with just six days of games before the playoffs begin next Tuesday. While much of the playoff picture is already secure, at least on who will be in it, the first day of the stretch run offered a sign that there may still be some drama for the final spots.

Brewster beat Chatham 12-8 last night to get within four points of the Anglers for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. And in the West, Wareham inched closer to fourth-place Cotuit with a 3-2 victory over Harwich. The Gatemen are now six points back.

Brewster has now won two straight going back to before the All-Star Game. It beat red-hot Y-D 13-3 and made it 25 runs in two games with the win over Chatham.

Luke Lowery (East Carolina) hit his fifth home run of the summer and knocked in two runs, while John Sansone (Florida State) homered for the second time in the last 10 days. Andrew Lee (Tennessee) added three RBI while Braden Bishop (Washington) went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Scott Kingery (Arizona), one of the hottest hitters in the league, had his ninth multi-hit game in his last 14 games. On the mound, Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) followed up his eye-catching All-Star Game performance with five solid innings. He struck out six and allowed four runs.

A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) hit his sixth home run for Chatham, but Brewster had too much with 10 runs in the first five innings.

Wareham hosted East-leading Harwich and got one of its best pitching performances of the summer in a 3-2 victory. Liam O’Sullivan (St. Leo), who was making just his second start after opening the season in the bullpen, went eight innings and allowed just the two runs. He struck out three and scattered five hits. Sean Adler (USC) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

O’Sullivan was almost the hard-luck loser, as Harwich took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on an Ian Happ (Cincinnati) two-run triple. But Wareham answered right back with two runs in the bottom half. Facing Harwich starter Zack Erwin (Clemson), who struck out eight in 5.2 innings, Nick Halamandaris (California), Kyri Washington (Longwood) and Danny Rosenbaum (Louisville) all singled. John Bormann (Texas-San Antonio) followed with a two-run single to give Wareham all the runs it would need.

Hyannis 7, Falmouth 4

Hyannis moved to the verge of clinching a playoff spot with a victory over Falmouth, and they can thank their new ace for setting them on the right path. Marc Brakeman (Stanford), who opened the season in the bullpen, has won two straight starts in dominant fashion. After striking out 11 in six scoreless in his last start, Brakeman struck out nine and went six shutout innings again. He scattered six hits and is now tied for the league lead in strikeouts with 47. He has also walked just seven batters all summer. After Falmouth made a late charge against the Hyannis bullpen, Ian Gibaut (Tulane) closed the door for his second save. Donnie Dewees (North Florida) had three hits to lead the Hyannis offense, while Sam Haggerty (New Mexico) drove in two runs. For Falmouth, Conner Hale (LSU) had three RBI and is tied for the league lead.

Y-D 5, Orleans 3

We’re back to a three-way tie atop the East standings after Harwich’s loss and another Y-D victory over Orleans. The Red Sox also beat Orleans last Friday. This time, Cody Poteet (UCLA) – making his final start of the summer – turned in one last gem with eight strong innings. He struck out eight, scattered seven hits and surrendered three runs. Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save and his fifth consecutive scoreless outing. The Y-D offense backed the strong pitching with two hits and two RBI each for Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) and Josh Lester (Missouri). A.J. Simcox (Tennessee) added three hits.

Bourne 7, Cotuit 1

Bourne snapped a three-game skid and increased its lead in the West to four points with a win over Cotuit. The game was scoreless until the fifth, when Bourne pushed a run across and never looked back. It scored two in the seventh and four in the eighth to pull away. Mark Laird (LSU) went 3-for-5 with an inside-the-park home run and four RBI. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) added three hits, while Brett Sullivan (Pacific), Blake Davey (Connecticut) and Blake Allemand (Texas A&M) had two hits each. Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga) went five scoreless innings for the win. Lucas Laster (Mississippi State) and John Kuzia (St. John’s) closed it out. For Cotuit, Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave up three runs in six innings.

What to Watch

It seems like the third or fourth one in the last week, but we have yet another first-place showdown in the East as Harwich visits Orleans. It should be a good pitching match-up, too, with Jon Harris (Missouri State) going for Harwich against Orleans ace Kolton Mahoney (BYU).

July 27, 2014July 27, 2014

Newman’s Old Tricks

Kevin Newman is hitting .376 this season after winning the batting title with a .375 mark last year.

In the first week of his Cape Cod Baseball League career, Kevin Newman (Arizona) went three games without a hit. That career has now spanned nearly 70 games, and Newman has never again gone three games without a hit. More often than not, he hasn’t even gone two without a hit.

For two years running, he’s been the Cape League’s most consistent hitter, and it’s about time to take a step back and marvel.

Last night, Newman went 2-for-5 – his second straight multi-hit game – as Falmouth got within a game of first place with a 7-5 victory over Wareham. Newman was the 2013 Cape League batting champion and he’s well on his way to winning the batting title again in 2014. He hit .375 last year, and – believe it or not – is so consistent that he’s hitting .376 this season. He leads the league, with his next closest competitor .19 points behind.

When Newman won the batting title in 2013, he was the steady, contact guy on a team full of sluggers. He was hitting .338 when he went 6-for-6 on one of the final days of the season to surge to the batting title. He was the first freshman in league history to win it.

This season, Newman is a veteran leader for the Commodores. He of course picked up where he left off, getting two hits in the season opener. He spent part of the summer at Team USA trials but returned and has continued to shine for a solid Falmouth team. He’s shown a little more pop, with seven extra-base hits thus far, compared to only three last year. But mostly, he’s just hit the ball. He will start the All-Star game for the second year in a row.

Newman’s 2-for-5 day on Saturday helped Falmouth inch closer to the top of the standings. Falmouth trailed Wareham 5-4 in the ninth, but a Newman single was part of a three-run inning that turned the game around. Conner Hale (LSU), another veteran standout, had a two-run double as part of a four-hit night and Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) knocked in a run as Falmouth took control. Garrett Cleavinger (Oregon) struck out three in the bottom of the ninth for the save.

West-leading Bourne fell to Hyannis for the second straight day, meaning Falmouth is now just a game back of the Braves for first place.

With just six games left, Falmouth could certainly make a run for the top spot. It’s a safe bet Kevin Newman will do his part.

Hyannis 8, Bourne 7

Hyannis beat Bourne for the second night in a row and moved to 4-2 against the Braves this season with a one-run victory. The Harbor Hawks led 7-2 before Bourne tied the game in the eighth. Jarret DeHart’s RBI single in the bottom half put Hyannis back in front to stay, as Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) rebounded from the tough eighth inning to strike out two in a scoreless ninth. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) and Donnie Dewees (North Florida) both homered for the Harbor Hawks, while John La Prise (Virginia) had two hits. Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana) went seven strong innings for Hyannis. Bourne got another home run from Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt), who has four in 16 games, plus three RBI from Mark Laird (LSU).

Orleans 1, Cotuit 0

Orleans won a very well-pitched game in anti-climactic fashion when Johnny Sewald (Arizona) drew a bases-loaded, walk-off walk in the 11th inning for the only run of the game. Kyle Twomey (USC) started for Orleans and went four scoreless innings. Hayden Stone (Vanderbilt) and Bobby Poyner (Florida) combined for five innings without allowing a hit before Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) pitched two scoreless innings. Four Cotuit pitchers kept things scoreless before Orleans got a base hit, a walk and a hit batsman to load the bases for Sewald, who walked on a 3-1 pitch. For Orleans, David Thompson (Miami) and David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) had two hits each. John Norwood (Vanderbilt) had two hits for Cotuit.

Harwich 9, Chatham 8

Harwich also walked off with a victory in extra innings as Skye Bolt (North Carolina) knocked in the game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the 10th. Chatham had scored four in the top of the ninth to take an 8-6 victory, thanks in large part to Chris Shaw’s (Boston College) league-best seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot. But in the bottom of the ninth, C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) and Bolt scored runs on wild pitches to tie the game. After a scoreless top of the 10th by Kenny Towns (Virginia), Craig Aikin (Oklahoma) reached on an error, Ian Happ (Cincinnati) was intentionally walked and Bolt delivered the game-winning hit. Harwich is now tied again with Orleans for first place in the East, while Y-D fell two points back with a loss.

Brewster 13, Y-D 3

Y-D has pitched extremely well lately, but when it hasn’t done so well, the results have been rough, and Saturday’s game fell in line with that trend. Brewster pounded 16 hits and scored a season-high 13 runs in the lopsided win. Y-D has only lost three times in its last 14 games, but all three losses have been by at least 10 runs. Luke Lowery (East Carolina) homered and drove in three, Andrew Lee (Tennessee) went 4-for-4, Kyle Overstreet (Alabama) had three hits and two RBI, and Gio Brusa (Pacific) knocked in three runs to lead the charge. Kenneth Oakley (UNLV) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win. Three relievers combined for four scoreless innings, with Levi MaVorhis (Kansas State) striking out three in his two innings.

What to Watch

The All-Star game is set for today at Bourne’s Doran Park. Gates open at 2 p.m. The home run hitting contest is at 5 p.m., while the game is set for 6:05 p.m. For a full schedule of activities, see the league website.

July 24, 2014July 24, 2014

Some Things Never Change

Brian Serven puts a tag on a Cotuit runner in Wednesday's game. — 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.

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014

The Other Arms

Adam Whitt leads the league in appearances and wins.

In an era of pitch counts and closely-watched elbows, sometimes the most valuable player on a Cape League pitching staff isn’t a dominant ace or a flame-throwing closer. It’s the guy who can take the ball every other day, pitch one inning or four and be counted on to come through, whatever the situation.

Two of those guys helped their teams pick up wins last night.

Adam Whitt (Nevada), the captain of this crew, pitched three scoreless innings of relief as Cotuit beat first-place Bourne 9-5. Marcus Brakeman (Stanford), typically a reliever, stepped in for a start and went five solid innings to help Hyannis snap a seven-game losing streak in an 11-8 victory over Falmouth.

Whitt has been tremendous this summer, an MVP if the award ever went to a middle reliever. After a spring in which he saved seven games for Nevada, Whitt has been a whatever-you-need arm for the Kettleers. He is tied for the league lead in appearances with 10 and – despite all of them coming in relief – he’s in the top 10 in innings pitched. It’s not just quantity either. Whitt leads the league in wins with four and ERA with a 0.77 mark. He has given up two earned runs all summer, in 23.1 innings pitched.

On Tuesday, Whitt came on in the seventh, with his team trailing 5-2. He tossed a scoreless inning, and his team scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles by Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), Jameson Fisher (SE Louisiana) and Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco). Cotuit added two more in the eighth on a home run by John Norwood (Vanderbilt). Whitt ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless eighth and finishing the job with a quiet ninth. The win was Cotuit’s second straight.

In Hyannis, the Harbor Hawks needed even more from their jack-of-all trades. Make your first Cape League start and give us a chance to stop a seven-game losing streak while you’re at it? Brakeman was up to the task. The righty from Stanford had pitched as little as a third of an inning in one appearance and four innings in another. He came in with a 1.50 ERA.

Brakeman got into immediate trouble when Falmouth loaded the bases in the first, but he escaped with minimal damage then settled in. He pitched two scoreless frames before Falmouth added two in the fourth. But Brakeman finished with a one-two-three fifth that included a pair of strikeouts.

The offense stayed close while Brakeman was in there then broke out late to take control. Brakeman’s Stanford teammate Austin Slater had three hits and four RBI, while Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) had three hits and three RBI.

Brakeman didn’t factor in the decision, as Joseph Shaw (Dallas Baptist) got the win and Matt Denny (Misssissippi) got the save.

But for the unsung jack-of-all-trades, that’s all in day’s work.

Harwich 13, Chatham 8

Harwich pounded 20 hits and was on its way to a 13-0 win before Chatham scored eight runs in the top of the ninth. But that was as close as the Anglers got, as Harwich held onto first place with the victory. Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) both homered for the Mariners, while Joe McCarthy (Virginia) had four hits in his second Cape League game. Danny Zardon (LSU) added three hits and two RBI. McCarthy and Zardon each had two doubles. Making his first start after opening the year in the bullpen, Robby Kalaf (Florida International) struck out five and allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings. Ronnie Glenn (Penn) pitched three scoreless innings of relief. Ty Moore (UCLA) and Nick Collins (Georgetown) led Chatham’s late charge.

Orleans 3, Y-D 2

The Firebirds won their fourth in a row, scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth and finishing off Y-D in the ninth. Orleans scratched the key run across with two outs in the eighth, on two singles and an error. That made a winner out of reliever Bobby Dalbec (Arizona), and Jacob Cronenworth (Michigan) pitched a scoreless ninth for his league-best fifth save. David Fletcher (Loyoloa Marymount) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) each had two hits for the Firebirds. Hunter Cole (Georgia) had two hits for Y-D.

Brewster 2, Wareham 0

Three pitchers combined on a shutout and the Brewster offense scored a run in the fifth and another in the seventh to win a pitcher’s duel with Wareham. Cody Ponce (Cal Poly Pomona) allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, the second time this summer that he’s gone six scoreless in a start. Joe McCarthy (Southern New Hampshire) pitched 1.2 innings before Pat Ruotolo (Connecticut) grabbed the save, striking out three of the five batters he faced. Drew Harrington (Louisville) allowed one run in five innings. Braden Bishop (Washington) and Luke Lowery (East Carolina) knocked in the decisive runs.

What to Watch

Players from national champion Vanderbilt have been trickling in and a good one will make his debut tonight as Walker Buehler starts for Y-D against Brewster.

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014

Stars and Stripes

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.

June 16, 2014June 16, 2014

Daily Fog: Evened Out

Sam Haggerty and Hyannis were the last unbeaten team in the league - for a few hours. — Sam Haggerty and Hyannis were the last unbeaten team in the league – for a few hours.

Five days into the Cape Cod Baseball League season, nobody’s undefeated and nobody’s winless.

Yesterday’s slate of doubleheaders assured that. Previously unbeaten Harwich and Hyannis squared off and split their doubleheader, Brewster handed Bourne its first loss, and Yarmouth-Dennis broke into the win column twice with a sweep of Wareham.

I think the Red Sox were the happiest if the bunch.

Coming into the year, they looked like one of the most talented teams in the league but didn’t get much going in the first three games of the season, losing 7-2, 3-0 and 2-1. The third of those was the most frustrating as potential ace Michael Murray (Florida Gulf Coast) was charged with two unearned runs in a 2-1 loss.

Sunday, the Red Sox were finally on track.

In game one, they had their best offensive day of the season and beat the Gatemen 7-1. Rob Fonseca (Northeastern), who missed the spring season due to injury, smacked a home run for his first Cape League hit. Jason Goldstein (Illinois) and Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) added two hits apiece, and Michael Foster (Northeastern) drove in two runs.

On the mound, former first-round pick Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) made his Cape League debut and struck out three in three scoreless innings. Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer), who played for Harwich in 2012, followed with three strong innings for the win.

In game two, Josh Staumont (Azusa Pacific) and Tyler Jay (Illinois) combined to allow just an unearned run in seven innings as Y-D won 3-1. A.J. Simcox (Tennessee) knocked in two runs while Fonseca and Brennon Lund (BYU) had two hits each.

Kyle Cody (Kentucky), potentially one of the top pitching prospects in the league, struck out six in three innings for Wareham.

Hyannis 2, Harwich 0; Harwich 5, Hyannis 2

Hyannis staked claim to the title of lone unbeaten – but it didn’t last long. After knocking off unbeaten Harwich to go to 3-0, the Harbor Hawks fell in game two to the Mariners. In the opener, Jordan Minch (Purdue) and Matthew Margaritonda (Marshall) combined on the shutout, scattering seven hits while striking out three. Hyannis was out-hit 7-3, but scratched across runs in the first and third innings. Joe Purritano (Dartmouth) had an RBI, while Bobby Melley (Connecticut) and Matthew Britton (Mississippi State) had one hit each. In game two, Harwich starter Jon Harris (Missouri State) struck out eight in four innings and his offense rallied from a 2-0 first-inning deficit. Ian Happ (Cincinnati), who went 5-for-6 in the doubleheader, had three hits in game two and scored a run. Tyler Servais (Princeton) added two hits and Danny Zardon (LSU) had an RBI.

Brewster 5, Bourne 2; Bourne 4, Brewster 3

The Whitecaps handed Bourne its first loss in game one. Andrew Lee (Tennessee) struck out six and allowed one earned run in two innings for the win, and Evan Hill (Michigan) picked up the save. Gio Brusa (Pacific) hit his first home run of the year and drove in two, while Luke Lowery (East Carolina) also knocked in two. In the second game, Bourne held off a Brewster rally to win by a run. Jake Long (Clemson) got the win in relief with 2.1 scoreless innings and John Gorman (Boston College) notched a save. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) had two hits, an RBI and two runs scored to lead the Braves offense.

Cotuit 4, Chatham 1; Cotuit 3, Chatham 0

Cotuit moved to 3-2 on the year with a sweep of Chatham, who fell to 1-4. Four pitchers combined on a steady performance in game one, with Adam Whitt (Nevada) picking up the win. Casey Schroeder (Polk State College), Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco) and D.C. Arendas (South Carolina) drove in a run each. In game two, four more pitchers teamed up for a one-hit shutout. Dalton Potts (Tennessee Martin) and Bailey Clark (Duke) carried a no-hitter into the fourth. Chatham broke through with its lone hit in the fifth, but that was all Vincent Fiori (South Carolina) gave up. A.J. Minter (Texas A&M) closed things out with 2.2 scoreless frames. Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) had two hits to power the offense.

Falmouth 6, Orleans 5; Falmouth 9, Orleans 3

Orleans was coming off a 9-0 victory over Chatham but was swept at home by Falmouth. The Commodores scored two in the fifth inning of a back-and-forth game one on a two-run homer by Conner Hale (LSU). Hale was a late addition to this year’s roster who played a key role for the Commodores last year. Kevin Newman (Arizona), another returning player, also homered. Kyle Zimmerman (Wayne State) picked up the win in relief and Kevin Mooney (Maryland) grabbed a save. For Orleans, Christin Stewart (Tennessee) hit his second home run of the summer, making him the the only player in the league with two. In the second game, the Commodores rolled 9-3 behind a nine-hit attack. Leon Byrd Jr. (Rice) went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs, while Matthew Eureste (San Jacinto) went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .556 on a temp contract. Hale went 2-for-4 to add to his big day. On the mound, Matt Eckelman (St. Louis) picked up the win.

What to Watch

Just one game on the docket tonight, a makeup between Brewster and Hyannis. It’s set for 6 p.m. at McKeon Park. Starting pitchers still TBD.

June 11, 2014June 17, 2014

Fresh Start for Whitecaps

It’s hard to be a perennial anything in the Cape Cod Baseball League – powerhouse, doormat or otherwise.

The way the last two seasons have gone for the Brewster Whitecaps, that’s good news. The Whitecaps have had some talented players and have had good summers from a development standpoint, but wins have been hard to come by. Brewster finished last in the East in 2012 and 2013, which has set them up with the longest playoff drought in the league.

With not a single player back from last year, it’s a good time for a fresh start. The Whitecaps have assembled a sophomore-dominated team, with a mix of big prospects like Gio Brusa and Mikey White to go with some steady players with a lot of college innings under their belt.

It’s a whole new year.

THE SKINNY

Manager: John Altobelli
Last Year: 14-29-1; Missed playoffs
Returning Players: 0
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 23
Freshmen: 4

NOTABLE

Blake Fox hasn’t lost a game in his Rice career, and he’s been a part of 18 decisions, so it’s not really a small sample size. The lefty had an ERA under two this season and has ace potential for the Whitecaps.

For a while, Brewster’s roster included highly-touted UCLA sophomore pitcher Hunter Virant. He’s no longer on the squad, which hurts Brewster’s star power, but a host of solid arms could help make up for it. The Whitecaps have five weekend starters on board.

Brewster will have Maryland pitcher Zach Morris on the roster. [Obligatory Saved by the Bell reference].

Arizona seems to always send the same type of player to the Cape – speedy, hard-nosed outfielders who can drive the top of a lineup. Zach Gibbons fits the mold and is headed to Brewster.

Gio Brusa, a guy the Boston Red Sox wanted in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, should be Brewster’s top prospect. He was the third-best prospect in the Alaska League last summer.

Alabama is sending a trio of sophomores Brewster’s way, all of whom are coming off good seasons. Mikey White, who clubbed seven homers this year, looks to be the best of them.

Brewster has become the summer home for players from the fledgling Oregon program. Scott Heineman had a huge impact last year. This year, it’s two talented freshmen – Trent Paddon and Austin Grebeck, the son of former Major Leaguer Craig Grebeck.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Gio Brusa
2. Mikey White
3. Blake Fox
4. Trent Paddon
5. Dalton DiNatale

PITCHERS

Blake Fox – LHP – 6’4 220 – Rice – Sophomore
Evan Hill – LHP – 6’5 190 – Michigan – Sophomore
Andrew Lee – RHP/1B – 6’5 220 – Tennessee – Sophomore
Dave Mahoney – LHP – 6’3 202 – Connecticut – RS Junior
Ryan Mason – RHP – 6’6 215 – California – Freshman
Levi MaVorhis – RHP – 6’1 195 – Kansas State – Sophomore
Joe McCarthy – RHP – 6’5 215 – Southern New Hampshire – Sophomore
Zach Morris – LHP – 6’5 225 – Maryland – RS Sophomore
Kenny Oakley – RHP – 6’3 180 – UNLV – Sophomore
Trent Paddon – RHP – 6’2 235 – Oregon – Freshman
Cody Ponce – RHP – 6’6 240 – Cal Poly Pomona – Sophomore
Pat Ruotolo – RHP – 5’11 240 – Connecticut – Freshman
Dylan Silva – LHP – 6’1 215 – Florida State – Sophomore

Blake Fox – LHP – 6’4 220
Rice
Sophomore

Fox pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman and in the weekend rotation as a sophomore. The common thread? He doesn’t lose. Fox is a perfect 18-0 in his collegiate career. This season, he went 12-0 in 15 starts with a 1.46 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 104.2 innings. He was named first-team all-Conference USA.

Evan Hill – LHP – 6’5 190
Michigan
Sophomore

Pitching as a weekend starter right out of the gate, Hill walked nearly as many as he struck out as a freshman but managed to post an ERA under four. This season, he improved his strikeout-to-walk numbers and had an ERA of 3.24. He’s pitched as a starter all but once in his two years with the Wolverines.

Andrew Lee – RHP/1B – 6’5 220
Tennessee
Sophomore

Lee didn’t pitch at all as a freshman, focusing all his energies on hitting. This year, he went the other way, seeing just six at-bats while emerging as a valuable arm on the mound. Making 7 starts and 16 relief appearances, Lee had a 3.90 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 56 innings.

Dave Mahoney – LHP – 6’3 202
Connecticut
RS Junior

Mahoney has been at UConn since 2011, when he redshirted. Since then, he’s been busy, making 71 appearances out of the bullpen in three seasons. This year, he finished with a 5.06 ERA.

Ryan Mason – RHP – 6’6 215
California
Freshman

Mason eased his way into a big role on the Bears’ pitching staff this spring. In nine starts and seven relief appearances, he went 7-1 with a 3.04 ERA.

Levi MaVorhis – RHP – 6’1 195
Kansas State
Sophomore

MaVorhis showed glimpses of big things in a Big 12 All-Freshman campaign last year. This spring he slid into K-State’s Friday starter role and delivered, posting a 3.95 ERA.

Joe McCarthy – RHP – 6’5 215
Southern New Hampshire
Sophomore

McCarthy earned All-Freshman honors in the Division II Northeast 10 Conference last year, after striking out a batter an inning while pitching mostly as a reliever. He went 5-1 this year with a 4.03 ERA.

Zach Morris – LHP – 6’5 225
Maryland
RS Sophomore

Morris led the Cincinnati Bearcats in ERA as a freshman in 2012 but transferred to Maryland, where he sat out the 2013 season. In his return to action this year, he made seven starts and three relief appearances while turning in a 2.77 ERA.

Kenny Oakley – RHP – 6’3 180
UNLV
Sophomore

Oakley pitched well in a swing role as a freshman in 2013 then saved five games in the Texas Collegiate League, where Perfect Game had him as the 16th-best prospect. This spring, he started 14 games and put up a 3.15 ERA. He struck out 79 in 97 innings.

Trent Paddon – RHP – 6’2 235
Oregon
Freshman

A California high school star, Paddon made a strong debut with Oregon this spring. In 21 appearances mostly out of the bullpen, he had a 3.38 ERA. He struck out 41 and walked only 11 in 50.2 innings. Paddon got a taste of summer ball last year when he played in the West Coast Collegiate League as a rising freshman.

Cody Ponce – RHP – 6’6 240
Cal Poly Pomona
Sophomore

Ponce has had two good seasons on the mound for Division II Cal Poly Pomona. This season, he had a 2.48 ERA as a starter, striking out 49 in 72.2 innings. He had four complete games.

Pat Ruotolo – RHP – 5’11 240
Connecticut
Freshman

A native of Peabody, Mass., Ruotolo emerged as a reliable bullpen arm for the Huskies this spring, making 25 appearances and sporting a 2.86 ERA. He struck out 49 in 44 innings.

Dylan Silva – LHP – 6’1 215
Florida State
Sophomore

Silva saw spot duty as a freshman in 2013 but made an impression when he allowed just one earned run in 11 innings of work. He played a bigger role this season and continued to pitch well, putting up a 1.98 ERA in 17 appearances. He struck out 28 in 23.2 innings.

POSITION PLAYERS

Braden Bishop – OF – 6’1 190 – Washington – Sophomore
Gio Brusa – OF/RHP – 6’3 190 – Pacific – Sophomore
Dalton DiNatale – INF/OF – 6’4 205 – Arizona State – Sophomore
Zach Gibbons – OF – 5’11 182 – Arizona – Sophomore
Austin Grebeck – OF – 5’8 152 – Oregon – Freshman
Luke Lowery – C/1B – 6’2 237 – East Carolina – Sophomore
Travis Maezes – INF – 6’0 188 – Michigan – Sophomore
Kevin Martir – C – 6’0 200 – Maryland – Sophomore
Justin Montemayor – INF/OF – 6’3 225 – Houston – Sophomore
Kyle Overstreet – INF – 6’1 210 – Alabama – Sophomore
Georgie Salem – OF – 5’11 210 – Alabama – Sophomore
John Sansone – INF – 5’11 200 – Florida State – Sophomore
Josh Vidales – INF – 5’8 160 – Houston – Sophomore
LaMonte Wade – INF/OF – 6’1 180 – Maryland – Sophomore
Mikey White – INF – 6’1 200 – Alabama – Sophomore

Braden Bishop – OF – 6’1 190
Washington
Sophomore

Bishop was a 36th-round pick out of high school and had a good debut for Washington last year. This season, he established himself as one of the best players in the Pac 12 when he hit .304 with a .394 OBP, 10 extra-base hits and a league-high 21 stolen bases.

Gio Brusa – OF/RHP – 6’3 190
Pacific
Sophomore

Brusa was drafted in the 37th round in 2012, but would have gone much higher if he hadn’t been set on attending Pacific. As a freshman, he hit .256 before emerging as one of the best prospects in the Alaska League last summer. Perfect Game had him rated third. This spring, the offensive potential started to shine through as Brusa had a similar batting average at .257 but cracked 22 extra-base hits and drove in 40.

Dalton DiNatale – INF/OF – 6’4 205
Arizona State
Sophomore

The brother of former Miami and Brewster standout Dave DiNatale, Dalton makes the trek to the Cape off a solid sophomore campaign. He batted .294 with three homer, 16 extra-base hits and 36 RBI, which ranked second on the team.

Zach Gibbons – OF – 5’11 182
Arizona
Sophomore

After seeing regular duty last year, Gibbons jumped to the leadoff spot in the Wildcats order this season and excelled there. He hit .338 with a .414 on-base percentage. He also stole seven bases.

Austin Grebeck – OF – 5’8 152
Oregon
Freshman

The son of former Big Leaguer Craig Grebeck, Austin made his presence felt in part-time duty for the Ducks this spring. He hit .254, smacked eight doubles and had an on-base percentage of .369. Like his teammate Paddon, he also played in the West Coast Collegiate League last summer and was named the circuit’s 18th-best prospect.

Luke Lowery – C/1B – 6’2 237
East Carolina
Sophomore

The brother of former Johnny Bench Award winner Jake Lowery – who attended James Madison – Luke is making his mark at East Carolina. He hit .284 this season and smacked four home runs. He was the 11th-best prospect in the Coastal Plain League last year.

Travis Maezes – INF – 6’0 188
Michigan
Sophomore

A native of Ann Arbor, Maezes has had two very good seasons for his hometown Wolverines. As a freshman, he hit .313 with 16 extra-base hits. This season, he batted .302 with a .413 OBP, 25 extra-base hits and 19 stolen bases.

Kevin Martir – C – 6’0 200
Maryland
Sophomore

Martir played at catcher and DH as a freshman and hit .279. He hit .269 this year and popped four home runs for the Terps.

Justin Montemayor – INF/OF – 6’3 225
Houston
Sophomore

After a strong freshman year, Montemayor had a big hand in Houston’s breakout season this year, which saw the Cougars rise into the national top 10. Montemayor hit .298 with a .345 OBP and drove in 31 runs on his way to a first-team all-conference nod.

Kyle Overstreet – INF – 6’1 210
Alabama
Sophomore

Part of a trio of Alabama hitters who are headed to Brewster, Overstreet was an SEC all-freshman pick in 2013 and followed that with a solid sophomore season. He hit .278 this year with four homers and 30 RBI.

Georgie Salem – OF – 5’11 210
Alabama
Sophomore

Like Overstreet, Salem has been solid in two years in Tuscaloosa, hitting .282 this year with 14 extra-base hits and 22 RBI. Last summer, he played in the Northwoods League and was named the 16th-best prospect by Perfect Game.

John Sansone – INF – 5’11 200
Florida State
Sophomore

A 39th-round pick out of high school, Sansone has been a regular contributor for two years running in Tallahassee. After hitting .233 last year, he dropped to .221 this year, but did have 15 extra-base hits and a .361 on-base percentage.

Josh Vidales – INF – 5’8 160
Houston
Sophomore

Like Montemayor, Vidales built on a strong freshman campaign to help lead Houston’s breakout this season. He hit .285 on the year with 30 RBI and stole 11 bases. He was named the MVP of the American Athletic Conference tournament after going 5-for-5 in the title game.

LaMonte Wade – INF/OF – 6’1 180
Maryland
Sophomore

Wade was a versatile performer as a freshman, playing the infield, outfield and pitching. He stayed off the mound entirely this year, and finished with a .247 average, 15 extra-base hits and 25 RBI. He was the 11th-best prospect in the Cal Ripken League last year, according to Perfect Game.

Mikey White – INF – 6’1 200
Alabama
Sophomore

White was a second-team All-SEC pick as a freshman and delivered an even better sophomore season. He hit .300, reached base at a .399 clip and ranked second on the team with seven home runs.