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East Supremacy

Ryan Lindemuth hit a home run and had three RBI as Harwich cruised past Orleans on Wednesday.

Orleans was a perfect 6-0 against its East Division counterparts heading into Wednesday’s game with Harwich.

The streaking Mariners wouldn’t let the Firebirds get to seven.

Harwich won for the sixth time in seven games, riding another solid pitching performance and a late-inning offensive burst to a 7-2 victory. The Mariners are now 8-4 and sitting atop the East. They’re the third team in the league to get to eight wins, joining Cotuit and Hyannis.

Nick Howard (Virginia) was great on the mound on his pitching debut. Facing off against his Cavalier teammate Josh Sborz, Howard struck out eight and allowed two runs in 5.2 innings.

The bigger key was the bullpens. Michael Costello (Radford) went 3.1 scoreless frames for Harwich, striking out three and not giving up a single hit. In the meantime, Harwich got to the Orleans pen with a five-run eighth inning. Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) doubled, starting a parade of key hits. Mark Zagunis (Virginia Tech) had an RBI single, Ben Moore (Alabama) had an RBI single, Brendon Hayden (Virginia Tech) drove in a run with a double, Ryan Lindemuth (William & Mary) knocked one in with a single, and finally – in his second at-bat of the inning – Barbosa brought a run home with a base hit.

Just like that, a 2-2 game has turned into a 7-2 game, and the Mariners were well on their way.

Barbosa finished 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, while Lindemuth went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Everybody in the Harwich lineup reached base at least once.

Chris Marconcini (Duke) hit a home run for Orleans – his third – but the Firebirds managed only six total hits. They dropped to 6-6 on the year.

The Harwich-Orleans game was the only one on the schedule yesterday.

 

What to Watch

The top two teams in the East square off in Harwich at 7 p.m. as the Mariners welcome Chatham to town. Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State), who’s been good in relief, will make his first start for the Mariners. Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro College), a 35th-round pick who’s committed to Texas next year, will make his third start for Chatham. He has a 2.79 ERA with eight strikeouts in 9.2 innings.

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Party Like It’s 2012

Chris Marconcini had six RBI as Orleans out-slugged Y-D 17-12.

 
So. About that lack of offense.

As expected this year, one of the league’s early storylines is the return to typical Cape League offensive numbers after last year’s inflation. For one night, though, Orleans and Y-D didn’t get the memo. The Firebirds won 17-12 at Red Wilson Field.

The combined run total was more than the season run total of eight Cape League teams. The Firebirds and Red Sox also combined for five home runs, which is more than the season total for nine Cape League teams. And the night’s biggest star, Chris Marconcini (Duke), had six RBI, more than anyone in the league had for the season coming into last night.

It was that kind of night.

The fireworks started early. Orleans scored four runs in the top of the first on a Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) grand slam. The score was actually 4-4 going into the fifth before the Firebirds delivered two more big innings, getting five in the fifth and four in the sixth.

The Firebirds got their second grand slam from Marconcini, who finished 3-for-5 with the home run and six RBI. Jordan Betts (Duke) also homered for the second time in as many games.

Y-D did its part for the slugfest too. The Red Sox got home runs from Robert Pehl (Washington) and Taylor Gushue (Florida), while D.J. Stewart (Florida State) had two doubles and two RBI. Trailing 17-6, the Red Sox scored six runs in the ninth and the Firebirds committed three errors in the inning, but the hole was too big.

Orleans held on and for one night, celebrated a whole lot of offense.

 

Harwich 3, Cotuit 2

Harwich (4-3) got no-hit by Cotuit’s Chris Ellis (Ole Miss) for six innings but broke out for three runs in the final three innings to knock off the Kettleers 3-2. The Kettleers (6-2) pushed one across in the ninth, but Chris Oliver (Arkansas) struck out Steven Duggar (Clemson) to end it. That made a winner out of reliever Jonathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State). Derek Fisher (Virginia) had the first hit for Harwich, an RBI double that came after Branden Cogswell (Virginia) had reached on an error. A single, two errors and a sacrifice fly by Mark Zagunis (Virginia Tech) plated two runs in the eighth. The Kettleers made four errors, but Mike Ford (Princeton) was a bright spot, going 3-for-4. He now leads the league in hitting at .476.

 

Hyannis 1, Chatham 0

Just three days after losing to Chatham 10-0, Hyannis (5-2) shut down the Anglers for a 1-0 victory, handing Chatham (6-2) its second consecutive 1-0 loss. Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist) struck out three and gave up just two hits in seven scoreless innings. Mike Gunn (Arkansas) and Sarkis Ohanian (Duke) worked the final two innings without allowing a hit. Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro College) struck out five in six innings for Chatham, but Hyannis got to him for one run that proved to be enough. Austin Slater (Stanford) knocked in the only run with one of his two hits. Jay Baum (Clemson) scored the lone run.

 

Bourne 3, Brewster 0

The Braves (4-4) won their fourth straight game with their second consecutive shutout. Arizona State star Ryan Kellogg didn’t disappoint in his Cape League debut, tossing six shutout innings with three strikeouts. Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out four in two innings of relief and Trace Dempsey (Ohio State) struck out two in the ninth to pick up the save. Eric Fisher (Arkansas) led the offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Bobby Boyd (West Virginia) added two hits and Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) had two RBI.

 

Falmouth 8, Wareham 3

The Commodores (4-4) pounded out 12 hits en route to a victory over the Gatemen (1-7). Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) led the big night, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Kevin Cron (TCU) also had two RBI, Kevin Newman (Arizona) had three hits and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had two. Hunter Brothers (Lipscomb) got the win in relief for the Commodores.

 

What to Watch

It should be a great pitching match-up in Bourne, where the red hot Braves send Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) to the mound against Cotuit’s Alex Haines (Seton Hill). Gomber struck out 103 this spring, while Haines was the NECBL’s top prospect last year and a 33rd round pick of the Rockies this year.

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Off to the Races

There’s a whole lot of baseball to be played this summer, but the 2013 Chatham Anglers have already made a little history. Chatham beat Y-D 8-5 on Sunday to improve to 4-0. That start is the franchise’s best since at least 2001, a span that included some pretty good years.

We’ll see what it means for the future. In both 2009 and 2010, Chatham started 3-0 but finished the year under .500.

But for now, the Anglers should feel pretty good.

Win number four came on the strength of the best offensive day any team in the league has had this season. The eight runs came on 11 hits, and three Anglers had multi-hit performances. Three also drove in two runs.

Blake Butera (Boston College), who was 1-for-9 coming in, broke out with a 4-for-5 day. He hit two doubles and knocked in two runs. Richard Prigatano (Long Beach State) also drove in two, and is tied for the early league lead in RBI with five. Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) had two RBI as well.

The eight and nine hitters, A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) and Dante Flores (USC), had two hits each and scored two runs.

The offense was enough for a quartet of pitchers. After starter Matt Gage (Siena) allowed three runs in 4.2 innings, Chad Sobotka (South Carolina Upstate) – who had blown a save the night before – worked 2.1 scoreless frames and got the win. Joe Goodman (High Point) picked up the save.

Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) had three hits for Y-D and Auston Bousfield (Ole Miss) hit a home run. The Red Sox dropped to 2-3.

 

Wareham 2, Bourne 1

Defending champ Wareham got into the win column with a 2-1 victory over Bourne, who remained winless at 0-4. The Gatemen fell behind 1-0 but scored a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to jump in front and kept the score there the rest of the way. Cole Stancil (St. Leo) drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth. Kentucky freshman Kyle Cody gave Wareham a quality start, allowing just an unearned run on two hits in six innings. With the Gatemen in front, Tucker Simpson (Florida) and Ryan Riga (Ohio State) worked perfect innings and Christopher Huffman (James Madison) got the save after stranding runners on first and second in the ninth. For Bourne, Clinton Freeman (East Tennessee State) had two hits and Nigel Nootbaar (USC) pitched three perfect innings of relief, for his second scoreless outing.

 

Hyannis 4, Harwich 0

After a win in its delayed season opener, Hyannis made it two in a row with a shutout of Harwich (2-2). Andrew Thome (North Dakota) scattered five hits in seven scoreless innings and Sarkis Ohanian (Duke) sealed the deal with two innings of one-hit ball. The Harbor Hawks were shut-out for six innings by Kentucky’s Chandler Shepherd, who struck out six and allowed just one hit, but they pushed across four runs over the final three innings against the Harwich bullpen. Levi Borders (South Florida) went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Landon Curry (Indiana State) and J.C. Coban (Penn State) knocked in one each. Mark Zagunis (Virginia Tech) and C.J. Hinojosa (Texas) continued hot starts for Harwich with two hits each.

 

Cotuit 7, Falmouth 1

The Kettleers (3-1) posted their second straight win and their most lopsided of the summer so far. It was a 1-0 game most of the way before Cotuit scored six runs in the late innings. Connor Castellano (Sante Fe CC) hit a home run and drove in three, while Mike Ford (Princeton) went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Alex Haines (Seton Hill), the NECBL’s top prospect last year, struck out seven in four scoreless innings. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) picked up the win with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. Falmouth starter Craig Schlitter (Bryant) allowed just a run in five innings, but the bullpen gave up six runs.

 

Orleans 4, Brewster 3

Orleans (2-1) rallied past Brewster (0-3) for a 4-3 victory. The Firebirds trailed 3-0 but scored a run in the third, two in the seventh and one in the eighth to grab the lead. Jordan Betts (Duke) scored the eventual winning run on an error in the eighth. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) had two hits and two RBI to lead the Firebirds and Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) also drove in a run. On the mound, the Firebirds used six pitchers. Garrett Cole (UMass-Lowell) was credited with the win, and Matt Troupe (Arizona) picked up his second save with a second straight dominant outing. Troupe has recorded six outs in his two saves, all by strikeout.

 

What to Watch

Chatham will try to make it five in a row when it hosts Falmouth at 7 p.m. Andrew Chin (Boston College), a fifth-round pick out of high school, is slated to get the start for the Anglers. He pitched three scoreless innings of relief and got the win on opening night. Falmouth counters with John Means, who had a solid season for West Virginia.

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Rained Out Rally

Like this rainbow over Wareham on opening night, Harwich got something good out of the rain on Thursday.
Nobody in the Cape League is happy that rain is interrupting the beginning of the season.

But the Harwich Mariners didn’t mind last night.

In the only game that was not postponed, Harwich hosted Y-D. The Mariners led 4-0 into the ninth inning when Y-D exploded for six runs. But then the rain really started coming down, and it forced the game to be called. League rules dictate that if a full inning hasn’t been completed, the score reverts back to the last full inning.

Six runs came back off the board, and Harwich won 4-0.

This isn’t quite Andrew Miller’s fog game – when he struck out 12 in four innings only to see it wiped from the records – but it’s a weird one. Y-D was in position for a 2-0 start, with a serious rally to build on. Instead, both teams are 1-1.

In proceedings that were official, Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) shined on the mound for the Mariners, scattering five hits in six scoreless innings. Mark Zagunis, the Virginia Tech standout who was making his debut, had two hits and an RBI, while C.J. Hinojosa (Texas), one of the Mariners’ star freshmen, also had two hits and an RBI. Ryan Lindemuth (William & Mary) also drove in a run.

What to Watch

Rain may play tricks again, but let’s hope not. Harwich and Orleans get together in a battle of two of the league’s best teams last season. A.J. Reed, one of the top returning hitters and pitchers in the league, is slated to get the ball for the Mariners. Trent Swart, who was the ace of Duke’s staff this season, will start for Orleans.