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Cotuit Wins It

The Cotuit Kettleers show off their championship hardware.

 
When Cotuit opened the 2013 Cape Cod Baseball League season against Orleans on June 12, Caleb Bryson was in Lima, Ohio, going 1-for-3 for the Hamilton Joes in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League. Garrett Stubbs was not far away from Cotuit, in Plymouth, going 1-for-4 for the NECBL’s Plymouth Pilgrims against the Ocean State Waves. Austin Byler was rehabbing an injury in Nevada. Jake Fincher and Logan Ratledge were on their way to Omaha. Stanford teammates Drew Jackson and Danny Diekroeger hadn’t suited up yet. Mark Payton was weighing his options after just getting drafted in the 16th round. Rhett Wiseman had just finished his season with Vanderbilt. Evan Beal was one day removed from South Carolina’s heart-breaking Super Regional loss to North Carolina. Wesley Cox and Dalton Potts were playing for the Front Royal Cardinals in the Valley League. Bradley Zimmer was in a Cotuit uniform, but he knew he’d soon be packing his bags for a summer with Team USA.

On August 15, they were all on a Cape Cod field together.

And they were celebrating.

Cotuit’s remarkable season of near-constant change ended with a Cape Cod Baseball League championship. If the Kettleers are getting rings, they’re going to need quite a few. Fifty-one players donned a Cotuit uniform this summer. Every week, they lost somebody. Every week, they gained somebody. Somehow, they were one of the league’s best teams while they rode the roster roller-coaster. Whoever was on the field – whoever wasn’t – the Kettleers found a way to play winning baseball more often than not.

They did it one last time Thursday night.

Cotuit completed a championship sweep of Orleans with a 6-1 victory at Eldredge Park, capturing its second Cape League title in four years.

It was clinched on the strength of a championship-worthy all around performance. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) went six scoreless innings, turning in his best start of the year when Cotuit needed it most. The offense took an early lead, putting the pressure on, and pulled away late. The defense didn’t make an error. And the Kettleers had to feel like they were living right when Pat Quinn’s would-be grand slam in the seventh inning went just foul.

Cecilio allowed just four hits. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) pitched a third of an inning and gave up three hits. He’d shut down Orleans’ comeback attempts the night before, but manager Mike Roberts didn’t hesitate to pull him. Wesley Cox (Texas San Antonio) came in, got out of a bases-loaded jam and then finished the job.

The trio held Orleans to one run, just the second time the Firebirds have scored one run since July 17.

And the pitchers had support. Facing Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who had been fantastic late in the season, the Cotuit offense scratched and clawed. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) knocked in a run in the third on an infield single for the 1-0 lead. The Kettleers then went two innings without a hit before another infield single, this one by Drew Jackson (Stanford), scored the second run.

Orleans had designs on a comeback, but came up empty on the bases-loaded chance in the seventh. In the next half-inning, Cotuit blew the doors off with four more runs, despite the fact that Orleans went to dominant closer Matt Troupe (Arizona) when it got into trouble. A squeeze, an error and a two-run single by Nolan Clark (Concordia) made it 6-0.

The Firebirds scored a run in the ninth but Cox finished the game by inducing a ground-out.

Cotuit celebrated.

Cape League champions often have a signature, a brand that defines their seasons or their playoff runs. For Wareham in 2012, it was late-inning magic and overwhelming power. For Y-D’s mini-dynasty from 2004 to 2007, it was terrific talent buying into a winning culture.

This Cotuit team won in many different ways, with many different people. When they lost talent, they brought in talent. When they took the field with newcomers all over the place, it didn’t matter. It turned into a positive. The Kettleers rode players who were thrilled to get a chance in the Cape League.

Their signature is their lack of signature, their ability to play good baseball – and the organization’s ability to build a good baseball team – no matter what.

On a given day, the Kettleers found a way to win that day’s game.

On August 15, with a team that was scattered across the country two months before – and with a whole other team’s worth of former players watching and rooting from Georgia and Texas and California and the New York Penn League – they won a very big one.

 

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Title Series Thoughts

Will Fulmer waits for Bradley Zimmer at second in the final meeting of the regular season between Orleans and Cotuit.

 
Tuesday’s rain gave Cotuit and Orleans an extra day of rest before they square off in the Cape Cod Baseball League championship – and it gives us an extra day to talk about it.

It’ll be a fun series. Cotuit and Orleans are two of the most well-supported franchises in the league, with great fan-bases, great fields and great tradition. It’s the first title round meeting between the two since 1986, when Jeff Conine was in an Orleans Cardinal uniform and Scott Servais was suiting up for Cotuit.

  • The Orleans pitching rotation quietly emerged late in the season as perhaps the best in the league. I say quietly because no Orleans starter cracked the top 20 in strikeouts, and the team’s strikeout leaders were relievers Kyle Twomey and Matt Troupe. But while they weren’t the prototypical, workhorse aces, the group led by Bobby Poyner, Trent Szkutnik, Jared Miller and Corey Miller was fantastic, especially late in the year. Over its final 17 games – when the team went13-3-1 on the heels of a five-game losing streak – Orleans starters gave up two earned runs or fewer in 13 games.

  • The scary thing for Cotuit is that the pitching is lined up – Poyner, Jared Miller and Szkutnik are the probable starters. Poyner and Szkutnik both finished the regular season with 1.72 ERA’s while Miller’s late-season success makes him look like the real ace of the staff. He had two straight scoreless outings late in the year with a combined 14 strikeouts. In a playoff start against Harwich, Miller struck out eight in seven shutout innings.

  • Not to harp on the Orleans pitching staff, but the bullpen has been fantastic as well. Troupe is at the back end as the most dominant closer in the league, and that’s just one piece of the puzzle. In five playoff games, Orleans pitchers have allowed five earned runs in 17.1 innings. That’s an ERA of 2.63.

  • As you might guess from the above, I give the edge in the series to Orleans based on pitching. Cotuit pitchers have held their own in the playoffs, but there’s still a feeling that things are being patched together, with even a few newcomers making starts. On the bright side, Cotuit’s own dominant closer, Brian Miller, has been great in the playoffs. He hasn’t given up an earned run in 6.1 postseason innings.

  • Cotuit and Orleans played each other in the season opener on June 12. The Cotuit starting lineup on that day featured exactly ONE player who is currently with the team, and that’s Bradley Zimmer, who was gone for most of the summer with Team USA. It’s been a story all year, and it’s even more remarkable when you look at it like that – Cotuit has consistently found ways to win despite constant roster turnover. Cotuit has had 51 players wear its uniform this summer. It’s literally two teams’ worth, and yet here the Kettleers are.

  • Some of Cotuit’s most recent reinforcements have had a big hand in the playoff success. Nevada’s Austin Byler leads the team in postseason batting average at .474, home runs with two and RBI with seven. Catcher Garrett Stubbs, who played two regular-season games, is hitting .455 in the playoffs and delivered a walk-off single in a game-two win over Falmouth to keep Cotuit’s season alive. Caleb Bryson has hit a playoff home run, giving him five in eight games with the Kettleers.

  • The other thing about the newcomers is the psychological lift they provide. This was something I hadn’t thought about until team photographer Joe Cavanaugh mentioned it to me. The Cape League season is long and it’s a grind. But guys like Stubbs and Bryson who are thrilled to be getting a shot aren’t feeling that grind. They’re making the most of every second, and that can be infectious.

  • This will be the second consecutive championship appearance for Cotuit’s Danny Diekroeger. The infielder played for Y-D last summer and started all three games of the title series against Wareham.

  • Orleans had Riley Moore as its starting catcher in the first game of the post-season but got hurt blocking the plate in that game and has been out ever since. Collin Slaybaugh replaced Moore after the injury in the Harwich game and has played every inning since – all 40 of them. If Orleans wins this thing, Slaybaugh is an unsung hero.

  • Cotuit isn’t the only team that’s suffered key personnel losses. Orleans is without Jordan Luplow, who was one of the biggest reasons for their late-season surge. A knee injury sent him home. Zach Fish, one of the team’s best hitters, left late in the regular season.

  • Austin Davidson has been terrific for the Firebirds in the playoffs, with seven RBI in five games. Jordan Betts has also been productive, with seven runs driven in. And how about Geoff DeGroot? The UMass-Lowell junior is a shortstop by trade and was hitting .146 before he went five for his last 11 in the regular season. In the playoffs, he’s hitting .364 with three runs scored, all while playing center field.

  • The last time Eldredge Park hosted a championship series game was in 2005, and attendance was listed at 6,815. At Lowell Park in Cotuit, the last championship game, in 2010, had a listed attendance of 5,391. So, wherever you’re going, get there early.

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    Halfway There

    The Orleans Firebirds have been on fire lately, and will have a chance to keep it going in the championship series.

    Orleans is headed back to the Cape Cod Baseball League championship for the first time since 2005 with a dramatic victory over Chatham. In the West, Bourne broke open a scoreless game in the fourth inning and never looked back en route to a victory over Cotuit, which forces a game three.

    Orleans 6, Chatham 5

    The Firebirds were the hottest team in the league at the end of the regular season, and they’re not cooling off in the postseason.

    After watching a hard-charging Chatham team rally from a three-run deficit to take the lead, Orleans immediately scored two runs to tie it then scored what proved to be the winning run in the eighth. The Firebirds are in the finals for the first time since 2005, when they also beat Chatham in the Eastern Division championship series.

    This Orleans team won 11 of its last 13 in the regular season, and has now won four of five in the playoffs. That’s 15 of 18 overall, and the only non-wins were a two-run loss, a one-run loss and a tie.

    The Anglers still figured to be a very tough out. They had a “team of destiny” kind of feel around them all season, and even after a 7-3 loss in game one, I don’t think anyone would have been surprised to see a game three.

    J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) gave Chatham a 1-0 lead with his second home run of the post-season, a controversial one that was apparently caught by Geoff DeGroot (UMass Lowell) as he flipped over the center field fence. Orleans answered and went up 3-1 before Chatham scored four in the sixth. Connor Joe’s two-run homer gave the Anglers the lead.

    With the game in the hands of the strong Chatham bullpen, the Anglers seemed to be in good shape, but Orleans quickly answered. In the bottom of the sixth, DeGroot, the ninth-place hitter, doubled and then stole third. He scored on a wild pitch. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) then brought home the tying run on a groundout.

    After a scoreless seventh for both teams, Orleans took the lead in the eighth. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) singled, took second on a balk and third on a passed ball, and scored on a sac fly by Davidson. It was the sixth RBI of the series for Davidson.

    In the ninth, Orleans gave the ball to closer Matt Troupe (Arizona) as he tried to shut down a Chatham team that won five games in the ninth inning or later this season.

    There was no magic this time. Troupe gave up a one-out single but struck out the other three batters to give Orleans a spot in the championship.

    For Chatham, it was a tough ending to a terrific season, the franchise’s best in a long time. I think they’ll be remembered much like the 2005 Chatham team that lost to Orleans – a talented and special group, regardless of where they finished.

    Chatham’s loss also means it’s now been six years since the team with the best record in the regular season went on to win the championship. The 2007 Y-D Red Sox were the last ones.

     

    Bourne 8, Cotuit 1

    Cotuit starter Tommy Kister (The Masters College) no-hit the Braves for three-plus innings, but once they broke the seal, the floodgates soon followed.

    The Braves got their first hit with two outs in the fourth when Jeff Gardner (Louisville) hit a line drive to center that Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) couldn’t come up with on a sliding try. Vinny Siena (Connecticut) followed with a solid base hit to score a run before Trent Gilbert (Arizona) doubled to score two.

    Just like that, it was a 3-0 game, and the Braves never really looked back. They added two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth while keeping Cotuit’s bats quiet the rest of the way.

    Gilbert’s two RBI led the offense, while Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) also drove in two. Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) had an RBI triple, his second in as many games.

    Bourne got a strong start from Christian Colletti (Connecticut), who was making just his second appearance. He struck out eight and allowed just three hits in four shutout innings. Michael Costello (Radford) got the win with three strong innings of relief. With the big lead, Will Cox (Mississippi State) and Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) slammed the door.

    Game three is set for 4 p.m. today in Cotuit. Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina), who’s been a steady performer all summer, is slated to start for Cotuit. Bourne’s starter is TBA.

     

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    Staying Alive

    Orleans beat Harwich 4-3 to force game three in its East semifinal.

     
    Chatham is into the next round with a sweep of Y-D, the franchise’s first playoff series win since 2001.

    The other three games were decided by one run for a second straight night – and they all went in the other direction. Cotuit, Bourne and Orleans avoided sweeps and kept their seasons alive.

     

    Cotuit 5, Falmouth 4

    In perhaps the best Cape League game of the summer, the Kettleers came from behind twice after the fifth inning and won the game on a walk-off in the 10th.

    It was a fitting finish, too. The Kettleers could probably field two teams with all the players that have come through there this summer, and somehow the team still finished one point out of first place. No matter who was in the lineup, they were getting it done. Yesterday, they got a game-tying two-run homer from Austin Byler (Nevada), a late pick-up. And in the 10th, they won the game on a walk-off RBI single by Garrett Stubbs (USC), who began his Cape League career on August 3.

    The Commodores looked poised for a sweep when they went up 3-0 in the fourth on a three-run homer by Kevin Cron (TCU). Meanwhile, ace John Means (West Virginia) cruised through five innings.

    But Cotuit wasn’t going down easy. A three-run rally in the sixth capped by Byler’s home run tied the game. After Falmouth went up by one in the seventh, Cotuit tied it again in the eighth, setting the stage for the 10th-inning heroics.

    Wesley Cox (Texas-San Antonio), another recent arrival, got the win in relief for the Kettleers.

    Game two is slated for today at 5:30 p.m in Falmouth. Probably pitchers are TBA.

     

    Bourne 1, Hyannis 0

    Two largely unheralded pitchers staged a duel to match what stars Ryan Kellogg and Kyle Freeland did the night before, and Bourne pushed a run across in the eighth for the win.

    Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) delivered his best start of the summer for the Braves, striking out six and scattering six hits in 6.2 innings. His counterpart, Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist), was just as good for Hyannis, striking out seven and allowing only three hits while also going 6.2 innings.

    In the eighth, Bourne broke through against Hyannis reliever Jordan DeLorenzo (West Florida), a late arrival who had yet to allow a run. Trent Gilbert (Arizona) singled to start the rally, and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) followed with a bunt single that rolled fair. DeLorenzo retired Mark Laird (LSU) and newly-crowned Cape League MVP Max Pentecost, but Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) knocked an RBI single into right field to score the go-ahead run.

    Michael Costello (Radford), who had come on in the seventh and stranded a pair of runners, gave up two singles in the ninth but wiggled out of trouble to finish off a victory for the Braves.

    Game two will go off at 6 p.m. today at McKeon Park in Hyannis. Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State), who had pitched out of the bullpen to start the summer before going six shutout innings in his only start, will go for the Braves. Rocky McCord (Auburn), who has allowed one run in his last two starts, gets the ball for Hyannis.

     

    Orleans 4, Harwich 3

    Orleans took a lead in the third and held onto it through a few Harwich rallies, winning by a run and forcing a game three.

    Ross Kivett (Kansas State), Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) and Chris Marconcini (Duke) knocked in the runs in the third, and the three were enough for Bobby Poyner (Florida). He took a shutout into the seventh before giving up one run. He went seven full innings, striking out three and allowing just four hits.

    Closer Matt Troupe (Arizona) came on for the eighth and got into trouble, giving up a walk and two straight singles. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Ian Happ (Cincinnati) scored two and made it a one-run game.

    But Troupe buckled down. He stranded Happ on second with a strikeout of A.J. Reed (Kentucky), who had homered an inning before. In the ninth, Troupe struck out two to finish off the victory.

    For Harwich, Nick Howard (Virginia) turned in an impressive start, striking out nine in nine in seven innings, but he was the hard-luck loser.

    Game three is set for Eldredge Park tonight at 7 p.m., and it might be the best pitching match-up of all the game threes. All-Star Game starter Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) will go for Harwich against Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who struggled in his last start but struck out 10 in six scoreless innings the start before that.

     

    Chatham 9, Y-D 4

    Chatham led 2-0 for much of the game but found itself tied 3-3 in the eighth. That’s when the Anglers exploded, getting a grand slam from J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) and scoring six runs to send them on their way to the next round.

    Tommy Lawrence (Maine), who lost to Y-D in a playoff start last year, turned it around this time, giving up just one earned run in 5.1 innings. Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) got the win in relief when the Anglers broke through.

    After tying the game in the seventh, they took the lead in the eighth on RBI singles by Blake Butera (Boston College) and Landon Lassiter (North Carolina). Then came the big blow. With the bases loaded, Davis smacked a home run out of the same field where he won All-Star Game MVP honors.

    Dorris gave up one run in the bottom of the eighth but Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) closed the door in the ninth, sealing the sweep for Chatham and ending Y-D’s season.

    James Kaprielian (UCLA) was a bright spot for the Red Sox, striking out nine in five innings. D.J. Stewart (Florida State) homered and Alex Blandino (Stanford) finished a terrific Cape League career with two hits.

    Chatham won a playoff series for the first time since 2001, when it won the East and lost to Wareham in the league championship.

    The Anglers get a day off while the rest of the teams hit the field for game threes.
     

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    Still Wild

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     

    Orleans 1, Chatham 0

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

     

    Harwich 6, Brewster 4

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

     

    Bourne 8, Wareham 0

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

     

    What to Watch

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

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    Video Game Numbers

    Dylan Davis drove in eight runs in Falmouth's 18-3 victory.

     
    Bourne came into Friday’s game against Falmouth with the best ERA in the league.

    The Braves didn’t leave it that way.

    A 3-2 Bourne lead turned into a 4-3 deficit in the fifth. And then it turned into a video game.

    The Commodores’ explosive offense delivered its most explosive performance yet, scoring 16 runs in four innings as Falmouth rolled to an 18-3 victory. It’s the fifth straight win for the Commodores, who remain tied with Hyannis for first place in the West.

    Some of the stat lines that the late-innings burst created are downright ridiculous. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) went 3-for-4 with a home run and eight RBI. Most of the time, he was driving in Kevin Newman (Arizona), who went 6-for-6 with five runs scored.

    Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had three hits, including a home run and a double. He’s seven for his last 10 with two homers. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had four hits and an RBI. Cameron O’Brien (Northeast Texas CC) homered.

    Falmouth has now scored 48 runs in its five-game winning streak, and Cape League offensive leaderboards are being taken over by Commodores. Newman leads the league in batting average, Gillaspie leads in home runs and Hoskins leads in RBI. Falmouth has three of the top six in hitting, three of the top four in home runs and the top three, plus four of the top five, in RBI. They also have the top four in hits.

    It all adds up to the league’s best offensive team. Of course, there have been plenty of bad nights, too, and Falmouth may not even win the division. After all their fireworks last night, Cotuit and Hyannis won, too, keeping the division race as tight as could be.

    But as long as this lineup stays together, there’s going to be the potential for something like this.

     

    Hyannis 6, Wareham 4

    The Harbor Hawks remained in a first-place tie thanks to a solid all-around performance against wareham. Peter Fairbanks (Missouri), another pitching reinforcement, gave up three runs in 6.2 solid innings. Bryant Holtmann (Florida State) went .2 innings before giving way to Eric Eck (Wofford), who went the final 1.2 for his 10th save. The offense pounded out 13 hits, with Brian Anderson (Arkansas) getting three, including a home run. Steve Wilkerson (Clemson) also had three hits, while Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) had two each. For Wareham, Fred Shepard (Amherst) struck out four while giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.

     

    Cotuit 5, Chatham 1

    The Kettleers remained a point back of Falmouth and Hyannis with a win over East champ Chatham. Newcomer Tommy Kister (The Masters College) delivered a terrific performance, striking out eight and allowing just a run on three hits in his debut. The bullpen pitched a shutout the rest of the way. At the plate, Jake Fincher (NC State) drove in two runs, while Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) knocked in one each. Another newcomer, Caleb Bryson (Samford), homered in his first Cape League at-bat. Chatham has lost three in a row since clinching the division title.

     

    Orleans 3, Harwich 2; Orleans 2, Harwich 2

    Orleans picked up three points in a doubleheader with Harwich to take over second place in the East by a point. In the first game, they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Ross Kivett (Kansas State) had two hits. The bullpen set the stage for the comeback and then finished off the win, with Luis Paula (North Carolina) going three scoreless innings and Matt Troupe (Arizona) striking out one in a perfect frame for the save. In game two, the scheduled seven-inning tilt went the maximum nine before ending in a tie. Again, Harwich led 2-0, but Orleans tied it in the sixth and it stayed that way until the end. Geoff DeGroot (UMass-Lowell) had a pinch-hit two-run double to tie it. In the ninth, Orleans reliever Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) worked into and then out of a bases-loaded jam to salvage the tie.

     

    Y-D 8, Brewster 1

    The Red Sox won their second straight, cruising past Brewster. Kevin McAvoy (Bryant) struck out seven and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of work. Two usual position players, Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) and Taylor White (UNLV), followed him to the mound and pitched a scoreless inning each. Trevino led the offense with a homer and Wayne Taylor (Stanford) also homered. Alex Blandino (Stanford) added two hits and two RBI.

     

    What to Watch

    Falmouth and Cotuit will play each other in the season’s final two games, starting with a 6:30 p.m. tilt in Falmouth tonight.
     

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    Too Close to Call

    Leon Byrd, Jr. and Falmouth swept a doubleheader last night.

     
    The Cape League’s move to an eight-team playoff structure has taken some of the fun out of regular-season playoff races. This season, for instance, the four spots in the West were already sewn up before the final week of games began.

    But even without the do-or-die quests for playoff berths, the races aren’t without drama. And there’s a lot of drama in the West.

    Hyannis, Cotuit and Falmouth have been at the top of the division and within just a few games of each other for pretty much the entire season. With losses by Hyannis and Cotuit, plus a doubleheader sweep by Falmouth, they’re now separated by just two points. Hyannis is in first with 46 points, Cotuit has 45 and Falmouth has 44. They all have 22 wins, with ties representing the point difference.

    There have been plenty of tight races over the years in the Cape League, but rarely have they been this tight – and with three teams involved. Since 2000, the smallest point-margin between the top three teams in a division race was three. It happened in both 2001 and 2008. If the current race stays at two, Hyannis, Cotuit and Falmouth will be the most tightly-packed trio since the turn of the century.

    In a race like that, any win is big. Two on one day is bigger, and that’s what Falmouth did last night. The Commodores beat Wareham 2-1 in the first game of a twin bill, getting five strong innings from Craig Schlitter (Bryant) and a save from Donny Murray (Holy Cross). Kevin Newman (Arizona) had two hits and Conner Hale (State College of Florida) drove in a run.

    In game two, Falmouth looked like it was headed for a split. Wareham carried a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning, the final inning because it was a doubleheader. Instead, the Commodores scored six runs to take a lead then held off Wareham for the win.

    Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) made it 4-3 with a two-run double before Dylan Davis (Oregon State) tied the game on an RBI single. Then, with the bases loaded, Troy Stein (Texas A&M) cracked a triple to score three more runs.

    Just like that, the Commodores had matched Hyannis and Cotuit with 22 wins.

    And they made a close race start to look historically close.

     

    Harwich 5, Hyannis 4

    The Harbor Hawks nearly gained a little separation in the aforementioned raced when they broke a 0-0 tie with four runs in the top of the ninth. Harwich answered with four runs in the bottom half, though, then won the game in the 10th. Once Hyannis got the lead, it turned to league saves leader Eric Eck (Wofford), but Eck had his first rough outing of the summer as Harwich rallied. Blair DeBord (Kansas State) had an RBI single, one of four hits on the night. Brendon Hayden (Virginia Tech) followed with a two-run double, and Brett Austin (NC State) tied the game with an RBI single. Then in the 10th, Tanner English (South Carolina) brought in Branden Cogswell (Virginia) with a walk-off single, his second 10th-inning walk-off hit of the summer.

     

    Orleans 2, Cotuit 0

    The Firebirds won for the seventh straight time with a shutout of Cotuit. Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) scattered five hits in five scoreless innings before giving way to an increasingly dominant Orleans bullpen. Kyle Twomey (USC), Luis Paula (North Carolina), Brian Clark (Kent State) and Matt Troupe (Arizona) combined to allow just one run the rest of the way while pitching an inning each. Troupe struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save. The pitchers got all the support they needed in a two-run fifth inning. Jordan Betts (Duke) homered and Vince Conde (Vanderbilt) drove in the other run. For Cotuit, Evan Beal (South Carolina) struck out six in 6.2 innings but was the hard-luck loser.

     

    Bourne 2, Y-D 1

    Bourne is reportedly saying goodbye to ace Jaron Long, according to Perfect Game’s Frankie Piliere, as Long is set to sign with the New York Yankees. The Braves picked up a victory, though, breaking a 1-1 tie with a run in the ninth to win 2-1. Michael Costello (Radford), who was making his first start after pitching in relief all summer, tossed five shutout innings. Hawtin Buchanan (Ole Miss) got the win in relief and Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State), a two-way guy who’s been more position player than pitcher this summer, picked up the save. Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored the go-ahead run on an errant pickoff throw.

     

    Brewster 8, Chatham 1

    The Whitecaps snapped a season-long winless streak against Chatham with an 8-1 victory over the first-place Anglers. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) struck out six in five innings of no-hit baseball. The Anglers managed just one hit against the Brewster bullpen. In the meantime, the Whitecaps broke open a close game with five runs in the eighth. Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) led the attack with two hits and two RBI, while Scott Heineman (Oregon) had two hits and one run driven in.

     

    What to Watch

    Chatham’s Tommy Lawrence (Maine) dueled Jeff Hoffman in his last start and should give the fans another good tilt when Y-D and Daniel Savas (Illinois State) visit Veterans Field tonight. Lawrence has not allowed a run since his first outing, on June 25. Savas is 3-0 and two starts ago, he struck out 12 in eight innings.

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    First Place Duel

    Kyle Freeland struck out six in two innings and combined with Jeff Hoffman on a shutout of Chatham.

     
    For all the parity in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, there have been just four 1-0 games. Two of them have come in the budding rivalry between division leaders Hyannis and Chatham.

    And knowing Hyannis’ propensity for winning close games, you can guess how they’ve gone.

    The Harbor Hawks posted their second 1-0 win of the season against the Anglers last night, and this one was the most impressive. Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) and Kyle Freeland (Evansville) combined for 16 strikeouts as the Harbor Hawks shut down the Anglers. Chatham pitchers did their part in the pitcher’s duel too, but Hyannis scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to win it.

    Hyannis is now 21-12-1 and leading the West by two points over Cotuit. Chatham is 23-10-1 and has a whopping 12-point cushion on second-place Harwich in the East.

    Wednesday’s match-up shaped up as a pitcher’s duel. Hoffman is perhaps the league’s top prospect while Chatham starter Tommy Lawrence (Maine) was rolling in with a 14.1 inning scoreless streak.

    Neither blinked.

    Hoffman is on a short leash this summer and Wednesday’s game was scheduled to be his last start. He went out with a bang, striking out 10 and allowing just four hits in seven scoreless innings. After a rough outing in his second start, Hoffman finished his short stint in Hyannis with a pair of shutout performances. He struck out 33 in 24.1 innings.

    Freeland picked up where Hoffman left off. He allowed three hits in two innings but all the outs he recorded came via the strikeout. Freeland leads the league in strikeouts with 39, despite coming out of the bullpen in two of his seven appearances. Hoffman and Freeland combined to shut-out a Chatham team that had scored 39 runs in its last four games, all wins.

    Lawrence kept up with the Hyannis aces, turning in his second straight quality start. He struck out four and gave up three hits in six innings. Chad Sobotka (South Carolina Upstate) worked a scoreless seventh and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) struck out the side in the eighth.

    Just when it was looking like the battle would go on forever, though, Hyannis broke through. Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) hit a fly ball down the right-field line that was ruled fair and bounced past a diving Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion). Spoon raced to third and when the ball got away on a bad relay, he scampered home with the winning run.

    Hyannis is now 3-1 against Chatham this season, with each win coming by one run. Chatham’s lone victory came by a 10-0 score.

     

    Orleans 5, Bourne 4

    The Firebirds edged Bourne for their fourth straight win and are suddenly just a point back of Harwich for second place in the East. I wouldn’t have expected the win streak to continue with unbeaten Jaron Long (Ohio State) on the mound for Bourne, but Orleans touched him up for two unearned runs and,with his all-star start coming Saturday, he departed after two innings. The Firebirds offense was led by Jordan Betts (Duke), who had three hits. Will Fulmer (Vanderbilt) had two hits and an RBI. On the mound, Josh Sborz (Virginia) gave up two earned in 3.1 innings before Kyle Twomey (USC) dominated. He struck out five in 3.2 innings of relief for the win. It was the best outing of the summer for the former third-round pick. Brian Clark (Kent State) and Matt Troupe (Arizona) followed him to the mound and pitched an inning each, with Troupe recording his eighth save.

     

    Y-D 7, Harwich 6

    The Red Sox are also making a run in the East and they’re now two points back of Harwich thanks to an 11-inning win over the Mariners. The Red Sox strung four hits together in the top of the 11th, with the last one a D.J. Stewart (Florida State) RBI single to put them in front. Darrell Hunter (Oregon) then worked a perfect bottom of the 11th for his sixth save. Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) picked up the victory with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. The Red Sox offense was led by Alex Blandino (Stanford), who went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI.

     

    Cotuit 5, Brewster 4

    The Kettleers held off a late rally by the Whitecaps to win 5-4 and stay two points back of first-place Hyannis in the West. Evan Beal (South Carolina) was dominant on the mound, striking out seven in seven shutout innings. It was a return to form for Beal, who had given up six runs in his last outing after two straight scoreless starts. Brewster scored four in the ninth off the Cotuit bullpen, but Joel Seddon (South Carolina) eventually closed the door when he induced a double play and finished things with a strikeout. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) continued his hot streak with a 2-for-4, two RBI night. He’s 11 for his last 21. Logan Ratledge (NC State) added two hits and an RBI. And the win wasn’t the only good news for Cotuit. According to Greg Joyce of the Cape Cod Times, Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) will be returning to Cotuit after spending most of the summer with Team USA.

     

    Falmouth at Wareham, ppd. to July 30

     

    What to Watch

    Orleans will try for its fifth straight win as it hosts Cotuit at 7 p.m. Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) went seven shutout innings in his last start and gets the ball for the Firebirds. Cotuit counters with Christian Cecilio (San Francisco), who has turned in four solid starts in a row.
     

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    One Night in Wareham

    Jonathan Holder, pictured last year, combined with Sean Newcomb on a gem as Wareham shut out Hyannis last night.

     
    Last summer in Wareham was defined by home runs, comebacks and a championship. This summer has been defined by what could have been.

    While I’m not sure the 2013 Gatemen had the makings of a repeat champ, they never even got the chance to try thanks to the fact that nearly half their expected team was in Omaha for the College World Series. Factor in Team USA and other losses, and it’s been a rough summer. The playoffs are the longest of long shots at this point.

    For one night, the Gatemen flashed what could have been.

    Sean Newcomb (Hartford), who started on opening night and then missed nearly a month with mono, made his first start since returning and tossed seven shutout innings. Jonathan Holder (Mississippi State), who was in Omaha longer than any of the other Gatemen, relieved Newcomb and went two scoreless frames as the Gatemen shut out West-leading Hyannis 3-0.

    Had those two – an ace and a dominant closer – been healthy or in town all summer, maybe the season looks a little different for the Gatemen. That didn’t happen, so they had to settle for one night.

    Newcomb may still end up as one of the league’s top pitching prospect, despite the light workload. The hard-throwing lefty had gone six shutout innings in his first start. This time, he cruised for seven innings, striking out four and giving up just four hits. Newcomb didn’t do so well in his relief appearances, which will skew his numbers, but he has a 0.00 ERA in his two starts.

    Holder has been dominant ever since he arrived, but he hasn’t gotten a chance to close many games since the Gatemen have struggled. Last night, Holder was at his best. Five of the six outs recorded came on strikeouts as he out-did his previous season strikeout total in one shot. He has yet to allow a run in five appearances.

    Hyannis, which had scored 14 runs in its last two games, couldn’t keep up with the Gatemen aces. Wareham also backed their pitchers with Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville), Adam Toth (Baylor) and Ethan Gross (Memphis) each driving in a run.

    With Newcomb and Holder on the mound, three runs was plenty. It could have been like that all summer, a tag team making sure even a light-hitting team was winning every time they got the ball. It didn’t work out that way, but it made for one very good night.

     

    Falmouth 14, Brewster 3

    Locked in a 0-0 game in the fourth, Falmouth exploded for all 14 of its runs in the next five innings en route to a blowout victory over the Whitecaps in a game that was called after eight innings due to darkness. Kevin Newman (Arizona) led the hit parade with another in a long line of huge games by Falmouth players. He went 5-for-6 with six RBI. He had 10 RBI on the season coming into the game. Richard Martin, Jr. (Florida) had three hits and three RBI and is now seven for his last 15. Kevin Cron (TCU) added two hits and two RBI, while Sam Gillikin (Auburn) had three hits, Dylan Davis (Oregon State) had two and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had two. On the mound, Kevin McKanna (Rice) gave up two earned runs in six innings for the win. His Rice teammate Zech Lemond followed him to the hill and pitched two hitless frames to finish it off.

     

    Cotuit 8, Bourne 5

    The Kettleers moved into a tie with Hyannis atop the West thanks to a win over Bourne and the Harbor Hawks’ loss. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) homered, his third of the year, and Jake Fincher (NC State) went 3-for-5. Two guys who could be big late-season additions, Mark Payton (Texas) and Austin Byler (Nevada) also chipped in. Payton had two RBI and Byler had one. Payton hit .393 for Texas this spring, while Byler hit .346 with eight home runs for Nevada. On the mound, Jared Walsh (Georgia) gave up two runs in five innings for the win. Adam Ravenelle (Vanderbilt) picked up the save.

     

    Orleans 4, Y-D 3

    This time last week, the Firebirds were trying to hold off Brewster for fourth place in the East. Thanks to last night’s win – their third in a row – they’ve now leap-frogged Y-D for third place and are just three points out of second. Y-D led 4-0 before the Firebirds tied it with four in the sixth and took the lead with one in the seventh. Luis Paula (North Carolina) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for the win and Matt Troupe (Arizona) struck out three in two innings for his seventh save. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) led the offense with four hits. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) and Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State) drove in two runs each. For Y-D, Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) homered and Alex Blandino (Stanford) had three hits. James Kaprielian (UCLA) struck out seven in six innings.

     

    Harwich at Chatham, ppd to August 1

     

    What to Watch

    It’s a league-wide off day today. When the teams get back to action Wednesday, look for a battle of division leaders as Chatham visits Hyannis.

     

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    Next in Line

    Daniel Savas struck out 12 in eight innings as Y-D topped Harwich.

     
    It has not been a good year for Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox pitchers and with ace Erick Fedde taking a detour to Team USA, it didn’t look like this week would be much help.

    Daniel Savas had something to say about that.

    The righty from Illinois State turned in as dominant a performance last night as anyone on the Cape has delivered this summer. He struck out 12 and allowed one run in eight innings as the Red Sox beat Harwich 5-3.

    It was the the third straight win for Savas, who is steadily emerging as one of the top pitchers in the league. He has suddenly vaulted himself into second in the league in strikeouts, despite the fact that he didn’t make his first appearance until June 23 and his first start until July 5.

    The performance is only surprising in the sense that you might not have seen it coming. Savas was a late arrival – on a temporary contract, in fact – but his spring was tremendous. He went 10-0 for Illinois State with a 1.79 ERA and five complete games in 15 starts. He struck out 98 in 100.1 innings. Opponents hit just .180 against him.

    Savas had a solid freshman season in 2011 before redshirting in 2012. This season represented an impressive return. He was a first-team all-Missouri Valley pick.

    After all of that, though, Savas was not drafted this spring. He hit the road for the Cape, and the Red Sox are very happy he did. He’s been just what the doctor ordered for them – they’re 3-0 in games he’s started.

    Last night, Savas actually gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Ian Happ (Cincinnati), but it was smooth sailing from there. He struck out the side after the home run, then cruised, allowing just four more hits. He only got stronger as the game went on, retiring the last 11 batters he faced.

    He had plenty of support, too. The Red Sox got two RBI from D.J. Stewart (Florida), plus one RBI each by Taylor Smart (Tennessee) and Alex Blandino (Stanford).

    The Red Sox are now just one game under .500, and they may get their ace back soon – Fedde is expected back when Team USA’s season ends next week.

    But with Savas in the mix, it may get crowded at the top of the rotation.

     

    Chatham 11, Cotuit 8

    The East and West first-place teams rank third and fourth in team ERA, but their third meeting of the year was a slugfest. Chatham prevailed, running its record against the Kettleers to 3-0 and becoming the first team in the league to 20 wins. They’re now 20-9. The Anglers scored six runs in the fourth, still found themselves in a tied game but took the lead with one in the sixth and three in the seventh. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) hit his second home run, part of a three-hit, three RBI night. Michael Russell (North Carolina) drove in two runs, while Dante Flores (USC), Connor Joe (San Diego) and Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) drove in one each. On the mound, Andrew McGee (Monmouth) had another tough outing, but the bullpen picked up the slack, allowing just one run over the final 4.1 innings. Ryan Leach (Franklin Pierce) got the win and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) notched his fourth save in just his fifth appearance. For Cotuit, Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) went 3-for-4 with his first home run of the summer.

     

    Bourne 7, Brewster 0

    Jaron Long (Ohio State) was terrific again as the Braves shut out Brewster for their second straight win. Long went six scoreless, striking out three and giving up just three hits. He’s now 5-0 and owns more than a third of his team’s wins. He has allowed one run all summer and just 17 hits in 28 innings pitched. Michael Costello (Radford) and Justin McCalvin (Kennesaw State) finished off the shutout, with McCalvin striking out the side in a spotless ninth. The Bourne offense was led by Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State), who went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Trent Gilbert (Arizona) went 4-for-4.

     

    Falmouth 12, Hyannis 1

    The Commodores was 0-4 against Hyannis but exacted a measure of revenge last night, pounding 18 hits on their way to the lopsided victory. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) went 2-for-4 and hit his sixth home run, which vaults him into the league lead. Five other Commodores also had multi-hit games, led by Kevin Cron (TCU), who went 4-for-4 with three RBI. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) had three RBI and Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) had two, bumping his league-high total to 26. On the mound, Trey Teakell (TCU) – who pitched in a loss to Hyannis last week – went seven strong innings, striking out four and giving up only one hit.

     

    Orleans 4, Wareham 0

    The Firebirds have been struggling but picked up a much-needed victory with a shutout of the Gatemen. Vanderbilt lefty Jared Miller made his third start and was at his best, tossing seven innings of two-hit baseball. He struck out four. Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) and Matt Troupe (Arizona) finished it off, with Troupe getting his sixth save. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) went 4-for-4 with his second home run of the summer, stretching his hit streak to six games. Vince Conde (Vanderbilt) and Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) had two hits each.

     

    What to Watch

    Cotuit and Hyannis, the top two teams in the West, will square off for the fourth time this season at 6 p.m. at McKeon Park. The Kettleers are 3-1 in the four match-ups. Kyle Freeland (Evansville), who’s won his last two starts, gets the ball for Hyannis. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco), who has settled in after one bad June start, is on the hill for Cotuit.