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No hits and a historic pace

Peter Solomon pitched the first five innings of Wednesday's no-hitter.
Peter Solomon pitched the first five innings of Wednesday’s no-hitter.

 
The best pitching staff on the Cape hit its highest note yet Wednesday night – and it may have been just the beginning of a run to history.

Four Harwich pitchers combined on the first no-hitter of the Cape League season in a 10-0 win at Chatham. It was fitting – and not surprising – that the Mariners were the team to do it. They own nine shutouts this season and lead the league in ERA by a wide margin.

The staff is also on a stunning pace. With 83 runs allowed in 38 games, the Mariners are on track to allow just 96 runs in the 44-game season. That would be the fewest allowed by any team since at least 2000, which is as far back as the league’s online records go (and the Cape League online record book for some reason lists the runs allowed mark as a record for the most, rather than the least).

Regardless, you’re looking at one of the best pitching staffs on the Cape in decades. The previous low in runs was 116 by Orleans in 2002, so even if the Mariners fall off their ridiculous pace a bit over the final six games, they’ve got a cushion for beating that number.

And on the road to the potential big finish, the Mariners got their signature moment Wednesday.

Power arm Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) wasn’t at his absolute best – walking five and striking out three – but when he departed after five innings, there was a zero in the hit column for Chatham.

Exactly two weeks before, Solomon had pitched four no-hit innings against Chatham, but the innings came in relief, when the Anglers had already notched two hits.

This time, Chatham remained hitless through the sixth and seventh innings, with Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) righting the ship after a tough outing in the All-Star Game by striking out five in his two innings. Tommy DeJuneas (NC State) walked two in the eighth but didn’t allow a hit. Nick Brown (William & Mary) then struck out two in the ninth and when he got Donovan Casey (Boston College) to ground in to the final out, the Mariners had themselves a combined no-hitter.

It’s the league’s first no-hitter since last June, when the Mariners themselves were shut down by Hyannis’ Devin Smeltzer.

The Mariners also had plenty of offense, with Austin Filiere (MIT) leading the way. Coming in, his average had dipped to .211 but he went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. He’s now tied for the league lead in home runs with seven and is one back of the league lead in RBI.

Pavin Smith (Virginia) added a home run and Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) drove in two runs, but the story of this night – and most nights for Harwich – was the pitching.

With Y-D losing, it led the Mariners back to first place in the East. It authored the league’s top performance of the summer.

And it kept up the pace for a historic season.

 

Wareham 5, Hyannis 0

The Gatemen won their eighth consecutive game with a 5-0 shutout of Hyannis. Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette) – who hasn’t pitched as much as some fellow stars but has had kind of an incredible summer – started the shutout with four scoreless innings and six strikeouts. Leger now has a 0.42 ERA and 29 strikeouts against just one walk in 21 innings of work as a starter and reliever. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) finished the shutout with five strong innings. He fanned four. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) led the Wareham offense with a triple and three RBI. Joey Bartosic (George Washington) added three hits, Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) had two and Cole Freeman (LSU) scored two runs. Wareham is now 21-14-3.

Brewster 3, Bourne 0

The Whitecaps made it three shutouts on the day and gained a bit of breathing room on Chatham for the final playoff spot in the East. The Whitecaps now have a three-point edge. Hunter Martin (Tennessee) set the table for the win with eight shutout innings. He allowed three hits and struck out three while improving to 4-1 on the year. Wyatt Burns (Samford) allowed one hit in the ninth but finished out the win. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) homered and drove in two for the Whitecaps, while Zack Gahagan (North Carolina) and Julian Infante (Vanderbilt) chipped in two hits each.

Orleans 5, Cotuit 4

Cotuit rallied from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits to force extra innings but Orleans walked off in the bottom of the 11th for a dramatic win. Brian Miller (North Carolina) walked and stole second to create a threat in the 11th and Payton Squier (UNLV) brought him in with a base hit. The heroics made a winner out of Will Stokes (Ole Miss), who had pitched a scoreless top of the 11th. Before that, Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) went 3.1 scoreless frames. And long before that, Orleans starter Kevin Smith (Georgia) struck out eight in five innings. Cotuit’s Alec Byrd (Florida State) also shined as the game headed to extras, pitching four scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Riley Adams (San Diego) had a huge day to lead the Orleans offense, going 4-for-5 with his first home run of the summer. The standout catcher is on a seven-game hitting streak in which his average has risen from .316 to .372. Squier added two hits. A.J. Balta (Oregon) added two hits for the Kettleers.

Falmouth 8, Y-D 5

If Wareham weren’t on an eight-game streak, the team the Gatemen are chasing in the West would be the league’s hottest. The Commodores won their third straight and their eighth in the last 10 games, improving to a league-best 25-13. Deacon Liput (Florida) hit his second homer of the summer and drove in three runs to pace a solid offensive showing. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) added two hits and two runs scored, while J.J. Matijevic (Arizona), Joshua Watson (TCU) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) drove in one run apiece. Starting pitcher Brendan King (Holy Cross) was touched up for three runs in four innings – the first runs he had allowed since June 24 – but the Falmouth bullpen kept Y-D at bay. Thomas Ponticelli (San Francisco) earned the win in relief and Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) picked up the save. Y-D got a home run from Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s), his fourth.

 

What to Watch

One last league-wide off-day today before a sprint to the finish line. When action resumes Friday, there will be a couple of intriguing games in the West. Cotuit, still not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, gets a chance to make up some ground as it hosts fourth-place Hyannis in the penultimate Barnstable Patriot Cup game. In Falmouth, the first-place Commodores will try to stop second-place Wareham’s eight-game winning streak.
 

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All-Star Trio

Michael Gigliotti is hitting .322 and will start the All-Star Game.
Michael Gigliotti is hitting .322 and will start the All-Star Game.

 
I’ve been looking for the right moment to do a post about Falmouth’s three standouts from Lipscomb, but I probably didn’t need to wait.

For Michael Gigliotti, Jeffrey Passantino and Brady Puckett, there have been plenty of good moments.

Gigliotti has starred with the bat since day one while Passantino and Puckett have led the way for the Commodores’ pitching staff. Wednesday, Gigliotti homered and Passantino pitched four solid innings in a 4-2 win over Harwich.

Lipscomb, which plays in the Atlantic Sun conference and is located in Nashville, hasn’t had a huge Cape presence over the years. Before the current trio, I could only find two Cape Leaguers from the school in the past 10 years: pitcher Hunter Brothers, who also played for Falmouth, and current Major League catcher Caleb Joseph, who split time with Falmouth and Cotuit in 2007.

Lipscomb went 31-27 this spring, but the foundation being laid by the Cape trio this summer could mean good things next year. Gigliotti, Passantino and Puckett each earned an all-star nod. That means Lipscomb is tied with ACC powerhouse Virginia for the most Cape League all-stars. Cape success has always been a good indicator for small programs on the rise. Stony Brook comes to mind as the most emphatic example.

For now, the Lipscomb trio is just focused on leading the way for Falmouth.

Gigliotti hit his first home run of the summer in Wednesday’s win and is now batting .322, good for fifth in the league. He’s also in the top 10 with nine stolen bases and is riding a four-game hit streak.

Passantino gave up one run in four innings Friday, the first earned run he had allowed since his first start of the summer. When your ERA goes up after giving up one run in four innings, you know you’re doing something right. Passantino continues to lead the league in ERA with a 0.75 mark. He has struck out 33 and walked just three, and opponents are hitting .132 against him. Passantino will start for the West in Saturday’s All-Star Game.

Puckett would have also been a good choice to start the All-Star Game. He’s 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA.

Falmouth also got home runs from Joshua Watson (TCU) and Willie Burger (Penn State) in Wednesday’s win. The team improved to 20-12 – best in the West – and owes a big thanks to the trio from Lipscomb.

 

Y-D 5, Hyannis 1

With Harwich losing, the Red Sox’ win over Hyannis sent them into sole possession of first place in the East. Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) struck out seven and pitched 4.2 scoreless innings despite issuing six walks. Hyannis stranded six runners against him. Pat Vanderslice (St. Joseph’s) followed with 2.1 scoreless frames and earned the win. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) led the offense with his second home run of the summer. Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hyannis got a home run from Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) but couldn’t rally from an early 5-0 deficit.

Orleans 8, Brewster 6

The Firebirds rallied from a 4-1 deficit and outlasted Brewster in an eight-inning affair at Stony Brook Field. Adam Haseley (Virginia) went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI to lead the big offensive day for Orleans. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) added two hits and two runs scored and Garrett Benge (Oklahoma State) delivered his first Cape League RBI. Kevin Smith (Georgia) put a momentary stop to the back-and-forth with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, which earned him the win. Smith struck out six of the 14 batters he faced. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) gave up a run in the eighth but escaped further trouble to earn the save. Orleans improved to 16-16-3 with the win and has a five-point edge on fourth-place Brewster.

Wareham 3, Bourne 2

The Gatemen have risen the ranks in the West in part because of success against Bourne and it continued Wednesday. Wareham improved to 4-0-1 against the Braves this season with a 3-2 win. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the eighth and Alex Destino (South Carolina) drove in what would prove to be an important insurance run with a double. Bourne scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on an Evan Mendoza (NC State) RBI groundout but got nothing else off Wareham closer Jake Matthys (Angelo State), who earned his fifth save. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) allowed one run in three innings for the win after starter Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) went five scoreless innings. Wareham improved to 16-14-3 while Bourne fell to 14-17-2.

Chatham 2, Cotuit 1

Chatham won its second straight and moved within one point of fourth place in the East while handing Cotuit its fourth consecutive loss. Two solo home runs by the Anglers bested Cotuit’s one solo shot. Patrick Mathis (Texas) did the honors in the fourth inning with his fourth homer of the summer. Sean Bouchard (UCLA) broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with his first home run, and that was all the offense Chatham would need. Andrew Karp (Florida State) allowed one run in six innings for the win. Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh) and Moises Ceja (UCLA) combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Quinn Brodey (Stanford) hit the home run for Cotuit, his third.

 

What to Watch

Coming off his best start – six shutout innings against Harwich – Colton Hock (Stanford) tries to get Cotuit out of its skid as Y-D comes to town.

 

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Chasing the Throne

An all-star game home run derby needs the league leader in homers.

If the Cape League’s event were held today, that would be impossible. The lead in home runs belongs to a guy now playing for the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League. Matt Davis, who parlayed his big summer with Brewster into a pro contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, already has his professional career underway.

But the derby may yet get its home run king.

Colton Shaver (BYU) hit his sixth home run of the summer in Wareham’s 3-2 win over Harwich Monday night and has a few games to catch Davis’ number as he heads into the derby.

Shaver doesn’t have the batting average of some recent Cape League star hitters – he’s at .250 – but his on-base percentage is nearly 100 points higher than the batting average mark. He’s slugging .480, good for fourth in the league.

Shaver’s home run Monday lifted the Gatemen over East-leading Harwich. They trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth when a Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) RBI single started the comeback. One pitch later, Shaver blasted a two-run shot and the Gatemen remained in the lead from there.

Dalton Horton (TCU) pitched three scoreless innings of relief after a solid outing by starter Jeff Bain (California) and Jake Matthys (Angelo State) worked a scoreless ninth for the save. Harwich, with 23 runs in its last two games, had only two runs on seven hits in this one.

Wareham improved to 15-14-3, enough for second place in the West.

 

Hyannis 8, Bourne 5

Three players had multi-hit games and two hit homers as Hyannis out-slugged Bourne. Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) did the home run damage, with Hudgins’ blast – his third of the summer – opening up a bigger lead in the eighth after Bourne had come within a run. Netzer finished with two hits and scored three runs. Ford Proctor (Rice) added two hits and Cody Henry (Alabama) went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Justin Lewis (Kentucky) made his first start after six relief appearances and went 4.1 scoreless innings for Hyannis. For Bourne, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the summer and Connor Wong (Houston) had three hits and two RBI.

Falmouth 12, Cotuit 0

The Commodores rolled past Cotuit for their third consecutive win. Deacon Liput (Florida) hit a grand slam and J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI. The rest of Falmouth’s hits were singles but the Commodores were productive nonetheless, scoring the 12 runs on nine hits. Tristan Gray (Rice) went 2-for-3 with three RBI and leadoff man Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) scored three runs. Cotuit got two hits from Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) but couldn’t do much else against Brendan King (Holy Cross) and three relievers. King struck out eight, allowed three hits and didn’t walk a batter in six scoreless innings.

 

What to Watch

The four teams that were not in action Monday get back at it today. League strikeout leader Zac Lowther (Xavier) gets the start for Brewster ar Chatham.
 

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Late Innings

HYA16_bullpen
 
Hyannis ranks next-to-last in team ERA in the Cape League, but if opponents are counting on getting their bats in gear when they face the Harbor Hawks, they better do it before the sixth inning.

In two consecutive wins, Hyannis relievers have allowed a total of two hits and no runs from the sixth inning on. The Harbor Hawks’ top four relievers are turning into one of the best crews in the league.

Garrett Cave (Florida International) leads the league in appearances with 14 and saves with seven. He ranks in the top 15 in the league in strikeouts despite pitching only 12.1 innings. With a big fastball, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has scouts keeping the radar guns handy until the late innings.

Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) is just behind Cave in appearances with 11 and has a 1.03 ERA with 20 strikeouts and not a single walk in 17.1 innings. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) has a 0.84 ERA in 10 outings and James Harrington (New Mexico) has yet to allow a run – earned or unearned – in 11.2 innings of relief.

The combined ERA for the quartet is 1.07. And while they can’t pitch every game, a combination of the four has had a hand in a lot of victories. Hyannis has won six of the seven games Harrington has appeared in and is 10-4 when Cave takes the mound.

Tuesday, Hyannis beat Wareham 6-1 with three of the standout relievers finishing the deal. Naylor pitched two scoreless innings and Harrington and Cave tossed one each. Last night, the Harbor Hawks rallied from a late deficit for a 5-4 win over Bourne, but the comeback was made possible by more dominant bullpen work. Stevens struck out three of the five batters he faced in 1.1 scoreless frames and Cave got the last two outs for save number seven.

Cody Henry (Alabama) led the Hyannis offense with two hits and two RBI, with his two-run single giving Hyannis the lead in the top of the ninth.

The consecutive wins have Hyannis at 13-15 and just one game out of second place in the West.

If the bullpen is involved, that gap may yet close further.
 

Harwich 4, Chatham 0

The Mariners showed off their embarrassment of pitching riches by trotting out Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) and Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) in the same game, and Chatham was held to two hits in a shutout win for Harwich. Wilson, the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, struck out five and gave up only two hits in five innings of work. Solomon, one of the arms getting a lot of buzz this season, returned to the bullpen after a start last time out and went four shutout innings without allowing a hit. He has given up two hits in his last 15.1 innings. The Harwich offense had 14 hits and stranded eight runners, but the four runs were plenty. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington) hit his second home run while Ernie Clement (Virginia) and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) had three hits each.

Y-D 4, Orleans 0

Y-D remained a game back of Harwich in the East with a 4-0 shutout of its own. Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) struck out five and scattered four hits in 6.1 innings and William Montgomerie (Connecticut) went the final 2.2 frames and didn’t surrender a hit. Matt Winaker (Stanford) went 4-for-5 with a run scored to lead the Y-D offense. J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara), Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) and Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) drove in one run each. Y-D has won two straight and is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Falmouth 12, Wareham 3

The Commodores slugged past Wareham and suddenly have a seven-point lead in the West standings. Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) led a 16-hit attack by hitting two home runs and driving in four. Leadoff man Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) added two hits and three RBI and Deacon Liput (Florida) knocked in two runs. Five different Commodores had multi-hit games. Starter Tyler Holton (Florida State) went only two innings, but his FSU teammate Cole Sands shined in relief, striking out six in three scoreless innings for the win.

Cotuit 5, Brewster 2

Cotuit has its first three-game winning streak of the season. Four pitchers combined to hold down the league’s best offense with Ross Achter (Toledo) earning the win in relief. Connor Simmons (Georgia Southern) and Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) didn’t allow a hit over the final 3.2 innings. Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer CC) led the Kettleers at the plate with two hits and two RBI. Recently-crowned CCBL Hitter of the Week Quinn Brodey (Stanford) went 1-for-4 and scored two runs.

 

What to Watch

After an off-day Thursday, two surging teams will meet in Yarmouth when the Red Sox host Falmouth.
 

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Red Hot Sox

Brendan Skidmore and Y-D are 16-6 since their 0-5 start.
Brendan Skidmore and Y-D are 16-6 since their 0-5 start.

 
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox have won the last two Cape League championships as a surging No. 3 seed that got hot at the right time.

This season, Y-D has started its surge a little earlier.

With a 9-5 win over Brewster Tuesday, the Red Sox improved to 16-11, matching Harwich and Falmouth for the most wins in the league. The Mariners have had the best record in the league almost since day one, when they started 5-0. In the meantime, the Red Sox were in the midst of an 0-5 start. But since June 16 – when that streak ended – it’s the Red Sox who own the best mark in the league.

The arrivals of players like Will Toffey (Vanderbilt), J.J. Schwarz (Florida) and J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) provided a boost, and players who were off to strong starts from day one have continued to play well. The pitching has been solid despite lacking the steady rotation that a team like Harwich can boast. And Y-D has made its run up the East standings even smoother by going 9-3 against its mates in the East since stopping the season-opening losing streak.

Tuesday, the Red Sox struck out nine times in 5.1 innings against Brewster’s Zac Lowther (Xavier) – who took over the league lead in strikeouts – but managed to build a lead. When they lost it in the top of the eighth, they quickly came back with four runs in the bottom half to break a 5-5 tie and send them on their way.

Nolan Brown (TCU) and Matt Winaker (Stanford) had RBI singles in the eight-inning push and Muno broke the game open with a two-run double. Having come on in the eighth, Bryan Pall (Michigan) stayed in for the ninth and kept Brewster off the board for his ninth consecutive scoreless outing.

Winaker finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and has six hits in his last six games. Kevin Smith (Maryland) homered and scored three runs. Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) added two hits.

Starting pitcher Connor Seabold (Cal State Fullerton) didn’t factor in the decision, but had a solid showing with two runs in 6.1 innings.

The victory was the fifth in the last six games for Y-D.

 

Orleans 2, Falmouth 1

League ERA leader Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) of Falmouth tossed seven shutout innings, but Orleans got the better of the Commodores in a late bullpen battle for a 2-1 win. Passantino, who struck out 82 and walked only 12 this spring, struck out five and allowed four hits while pitching seven scoreless innings for a second straight start. His ERA now stands at 0.56. On this night, though, he departed with all zeroes on the scoreboard as Orleans’ Kirk McCarty (Southern Miss) went 6.2 shutout innings despite walking five batters. Falmouth broke through for the game’s first run in the top of the ninth on a pinch-hit RBI single by Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) but Orleans won it when Adam Haseley (Virginia) hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Cotuit 3, Harwich 1

The Kettleers topped East-leading Harwich for their second win in a row as they continued to slowly chip away in the West standings, improving to 9-17-1. A two-run double by Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) in the fourth inning gave Cotuit all the runs it needed. Justin Hooper (UCLA) allowed one run in four innings. Eddie Muhl (George Washington) and Ryan Rigby (Mississippi State) combined for five scoreless innings out of the bullpen, with Muhl getting the win and Rigby the save. Harwich got two hits from Nick Dalesandro (Purdue). B.J. Myers (West Virginia) allowed two earned runs in six innings and took his first loss of the summer.

Bourne 7, Chatham 5

Mired in a six game losing streak a few days ago, Bourne won for the second time in a row and moved back into a tie with Wareham for second place in the West. Connor Wong (Houston) went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Danny Reyes (Florida) hit a three-run home run as Bourne rallied from an early 3-0 deficit. Ronnie Rossomando (Connecticut) earned the win in relief and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) escaped a jam of his own making in the ninth, stranding two runners to finish off the win. Chatham got home runs from Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) and John Aiello (Wake Forest).

Hyannis 6, Wareham 1

Hyannis jumped ahead 4-0, led 6-1 after two and kept the score right there for a win over Wareham. Dylan Busby (Florida State) led the early push with a three-run home run in the first inning, his third of the year. Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Ford Proctor (Rice) added RBI hits in the second inning as the lead grew. Mac Sceroler (SE Louisiana) gave up one run in five innings and three relievers allowed just one hit combined over the final four innings. Both James Harrington (New Mexico) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) pitched perfect frames. Wareham got three scoreless innings of relief from Nick Sprengel (San Diego). Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) homered and has 14 hits in his last eight games. He’s now hitting .362 as he emerges as one of the top rising sophomores on the Cape.

 

What to Watch

Falmouth tries to go to 4-1 in its season series with second place-Wareham as it hosts the Gatemen at 6 p.m. Tyler Holton (Florida State) will make his second start for the Commodores. Wareham counters with Dalton Horton (TCU), who gave up two runs in four innings in his Cape debut last time out.
 

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Liking the Rivalry

COT16_quinn brodey
 
Quinn Brodey (Stanford) seems to be enjoying the Barnstable Patriot Cup.

He was hitting .196 on the year when he broke out with a 3-for-5, 5 RBI day in Cotuit’s win over Hyannis July 6. In Sunday’s match-up with the Harbor Hawks, Brodey went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run and scored both runs as the Kettleers grabbed a 2-1 win to even up the rivalry’s season series.

Brodey started Sunday’s scoring immediately, blasting a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning. Hyannis’ Dylan Busby (Florida State) had an answer in the bottom half, hitting a solo shot of his own for his second homer of the summer and a 1-1 tie.

The next six innings maintained that early deadlock. Cotuit starter Matthew Ruppenthal (Vanderbilt) settled in after the home run and didn’t allow another run in three innings of work. Andrew Gonzalez (Michigan State) did the same over 5.1 innings for Hyannis.

In the eighth, Cotuit broke through, with Brodey leading the charge. He doubled with one out and scored the go-ahead run soon after on a Cal Stevenson (Arizona) RBI single.

Taylor Lehman (Penn State) and Eddie Muhl (George Washington) had pitched scoreless relief outings and Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) came on after Cotuit took the lead for his second save with two scoreless frames.

The win also helped Cotuit gain some ground on Hyannis. The Kettleers improved to 8-17-1 and are 6-3-1 after their 2-14 start. Slowly chipping away in the standings, they’re five points back of the fourth-place Harbor Hawks, who fell to 11-15.

 

Falmouth 6, Wareham 2

The Commodores won their sixth straight game and gained some distance on the team closest to them with a 6-2 victory over Wareham. Brendan King (Holy Cross) went four scoreless innings and Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) picked up the win with three strong innings of relief. He allowed just two unearned runs. Justin Hoyt (Jacksonville State) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) each tossed a scoreless inning to finish off the win. Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) hit his second home run of the summer and Deacon Liput (Florida) went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had two hits and scored two runs. Falmouth is now 16-10 and has matched Harwich for the most wins in the league. Wareham, which got two hits from Alex Destino (South Carolina) fell to 12-11-3.

Harwich 1, Chatham 1

After playing Wareham to a tie Saturday — the second in a row for the Gatemen — Harwich had its second tie in a row after 12 innings weren’t enough at Veterans Field Sunday. Solo home runs in the fourth inning were all the Mariners and Anglers would get. Joseph Dunand (NC State) did the honors for Harwich, while Patrick Mathis (Texas) — slumping since a hot start — answered for Chatham in the bottom of the fourth. Pitching and missed opportunities were the story for the rest of the game. Harwich stranded 12 runners on base and Chatham left eight. Harwich starter Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) was his usual consistent self, allowing just the one run in six innings. He has gone six innings in each of his five starts, all of which rate as quality starts. Five relievers followed him to the hill and allowed five hits combined in six innings of relief. For Chatham, Parker Rigler (Kansas State) made just his second start after opening the year in the bullpen and scattered five hits in six innings. Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh) led the way for the relief corps with three innings of one-hit ball.

Brewster 4, Orleans 4

Things were also knotted up at Stony Brook Field, where Orleans rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the top of the ninth and held off Brewster in the bottom half before the teams ran out of daylight. The Firebirds had been shut out on four hits through seven innings by Kade McClure (Louisville) and Max Herrmann (Rutgers). An unearned run in the eighth made it 4-1 and set the stage for the ninth-inning rally. Singles by Will Golsan (Ole Miss) and Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) started the charge, and Brian Miller (North Carolina) knocked in Golsan with a base hit. After a pitching change, Adam Haseley (Virginia) came through with a two-run single to tie the game. Zach Logue (Kentucky) and Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) teamed up for a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Miller, Riley Mahan (Kentucky) and Payton Squier (UNLV) had two hits to lead the Firebirds. Before the Orleans comeback, Brewster got two hits from Brent Rooker (Mississippi) and two runs scored by Colby Fitch (Louisville).

Bourne 3, Y-D 1

Bourne rallied from a 1-0 hole in the late innings and snapped its six-game losing streak with a victory over Y-D. The Braves tied the game 1-1 in the sixth on an RBI single by David MacKinnon (Hartford). In the eighth, Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) had an RBI single for the go-ahead run and Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) then struck out two in a perfect ninth for his fourth save. Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) picked up the win in relief. Starter Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) went six strong innings, striking out five and allowing one run. Dibrell took over the league strikeout lead with 31 as he continues a back-and-forth with Harwich’s Packy Naughton in that department. Despite leading for most of the game, Y-D managed only two hits. Starter Jared Janczak (TCU) went five scoreless innings.

 

What to Watch

Off-day today. When the action resumes Tuesday, Falmouth sends league ERA leader Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) to the hill as it looks for its seventh win in a row at Orleans.
 

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Walk-off Welcome

chatham
 

He hit .379, earned first-team all-conference honors and helped lead his team to Omaha, so Tanner Gardner (Texas Tech) was already a welcome addition for the Chatham Anglers.

Then came his debut.

Gardner made his first appearance on the Cape Wednesday and hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning as Chatham beat Wareham 6-5.

The Anglers had fallen behind 5-3 in the top of the 11th but put two men on and watched Gardner go to work. I don’t recall a Cape League debut with such an emphatic opening statement. The sophomore outfielder was down 1-2 in the count when he launched the game-winner over the fence in right field.

The dramatic win improved Chatham’s record to 11-12. With Orleans dropping its third straight, the Anglers are only one game out of third place in the East.

Gardner finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) – who singled ahead of Gardner’s walk-off – went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) added two hits and an RBI.

Connor Moore (Seattle), who stranded two runners on in the top of the 11th, earned the win. Long before the rally, college teammate Nick Meservey went three scoreless innings in his second start of the summer.

Wareham got four hits from Joey Bart (Georgia Tech), who bumped his average from .276 to .353.

The loss was costly for the Gatemen, who fell into second place as Falmouth jumped into first.

 

Falmouth 13, Brewster 8

Falmouth’s leap into first place came via a slugfest win over sliding Brewster. The Commodores had 14 hits and reached a season-high in runs in improving to 13-10 on the year. Matt McLaughlin (Kansas) hit a grand slam to power the big third inning and finished 2-for-3 with five RBI. Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) went 3-for-3, scored four runs and drove in two. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) added two hits and two RBI. Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) nabbed the win in relief of starter Jake Bird (UCLA), who was touched up for four runs in 3.1 innings after a dominant start last time out. Brewster lost for the sixth straight time and fell to 9-14 and last place in the East. The Whitecaps still lead the league in runs scored, but have also allowed the most. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had two hits and now leads the league with a .386 average. Zack Gahagan (North Carolina) added two hits and two RBI and Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) hit his fourth home run.

Y-D 7, Orleans 3

Y-D scored a key win to move ahead of Orleans for second place in the East. The Red Sox – not too far removed from an 0-5 start to the season – are 13-5 since and are tied with Falmouth for the second-best record in the league. Wednesday, Y-D was out-hit 12-7 but capitalized on miscues and scored five unearned runs. J.J. Schwarz (Florida) hit his first Cape League home run, a three-run shot in the fourth inning that broke the game open. Red-hot Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) saw his four-game hit streak end but picked up an RBI. Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton), Kevin Smith (Maryland) and Corey Dempster (USC) drove in one run each. On the mound, Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) allowed nine hits in 3.2 innings but limited the damage. William Montgomerie (Connecticut) followed with 4.1 scoreless innings for the win. Orleans, which lost its third straight, got four hits from Riley Mahan (Kentucky).

Harwich 1, Bourne 0

It’s hard to win a pitcher’s duel with Harwich, as the Bourne Braves found out. The Mariners got 11 shutout innings from four pitchers – allowing just four hits along the way – and broke through for the lone run of the game in the top of the 11th. Ernie Clement (Virginia) scored on a groundout to shortstop off the bat of Joseph Dunand (NC State). Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) followed with a scoreless bottom of the 11th to finish off the win, picking up where three of his fellow pitchers left off. Making his second start of the summer, power arm Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) allowed one hit in seven innings and struck out six. Notre Dame teammate Brad Bass and LSU’s Austin Bain kept the Braves off the board. Bourne starter Brady Miller (Western Oregon) went six scoreless innings.

Cotuit 5, Hyannis 1

The Kettleers won for the fifth time in seven games and notched their first victory over rival Hyannis. Quinn Brodey (Stanford), who came into the game hitting .196, went 3-for-3 with a home run and drove in all five of Cotuit’s runs. Clay Fisher (UC Santa Barbara) added two hits and two runs scored. Rio Gomez (Arizona), who pitched in limited action for CWS runner-up Arizona, made his second appearance for Cotuit and struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced in 3.2 innings. Eddie Muhl (George Washington) got the win in relief and Jared Padgett (Mississippi State) pitched three hitless innings for the save. Hyannis got a home run from Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion), his third of the summer.

What to Watch

It’s a league-wide off day Thursday as teams head to Fenway Park for a workout. Friday, there’s plenty of good pitching to choose from, with Brady Puckett (Lipscomb) and his 1.71 ERA going for Falmouth, Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly) looking for his third consecutive scoreless start for Y-D and Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) making his third start for Harwich.
 

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High Score

Nick Dunn of Maryland is hitting .381 for the Whitecaps.
Nick Dunn of Maryland is hitting .381 for the Whitecaps.

 
For a while there, the Brewster Whitecaps’ league lead in runs scored could be explained by the 11 and 14 runs they tallied in their second and third games. That’s a nice head start.

Now, with the season about to hit the three-week mark, the Whitecaps still lead the league in scoring – and you can’t just point to the head start anymore.

Their lead has grown.

After a 13-10 slugfest win over Hyannis Wednesday, the Whitecaps have scored 111 runs, 38 more than the next closest team. They’re averaging 6.5 runs per game and are on pace to score 287 runs this season. That’s more than a powerful Orleans team scored last year (219), more than slugging Harwich racked up in 2014 (234), more than a power-hitting Falmouth team tallied in 2013 (254), and more even than Y-D scored in the juiced-ball 2012 season (278).

It will be a tough pace to maintain, but the Whitecaps are showing no signs of slowing down.

In Wednesday’s game, every starter had at least one hit and one run, and the lead was 10-2 before the game was three innings old.

Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) homered for the second straight game and has matched teammate Matt Davis (VCU) for the league lead with five. Noda is also tied for the league lead in RBI with 15.

Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) homered, as well, giving the Whitecaps 17 long balls in their 17 games. That leads the league, too.

Warmoth finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. His running mate at the top of the order, Nick Dunn (Maryland), also went 2-for-4 with three RBI, as did No. 9 hitter Beau Jordan (LSU). Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had a hit and two RBI, while running his hit streak to 10 games. Last year’s NECBL MVP, Rooker is batting .391.

All the offense ended up being enough to get past Hyannis, which had its own big day with the bats. Brewster’s Zac Lowther (Xavier) had the best showing on the mound and earned the win in relief. The Whitecaps moved to 9-8 on the year.

 

Falmouth 4, Wareham 0

Jake Bird (UCLA) and three relievers combined on a shutout as Falmouth topped Wareham. It was the second six-inning, no-run outing of the summer for Bird, who was coming off an up-and-down spring with the Bruins. Bird struck out four and allowed four hits this time. Tyler Jones (Wichita State), Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) and Stephen Villines (Kansas) pitched one inning each in finishing off the shutout. Trevor Larnach (Oregon State), Tristan Gray (Rice) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) drove in one run each to lead the Commodores at the plate, while Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had two hits to run his average up to .318. Coming off two strong springs at Lipscomb, Gigliotti has started every game for the Commodores and has gotten a hit in all but two of them.

Orleans 4, Harwich 1

Orleans rallied from an early 1-0 deficit for a victory over first-place Harwich. Now at 9-8, the Firebirds are tied for second place in the East with Brewster. Riley Adams (San Diego) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) drove in two for the Firebirds, who managed three runs off Harwich starter Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island). Armed with the lead, Orleans used six pitchers to finish the job, and the five who came out of the bullpen didn’t allow a run. Chandler Day (Vanderbilt), a highly touted freshman, struck out the side in his one frame. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) a recent arrival who’s back from last year, struck out two in the ninth for a save. For Harwich, Ernie Clement (Virginia) went 2-for-4 and is hitting .424, tied for the league lead.

Cotuit 8, Chatham 2

Cotuit picked up its third win of the year thanks to a big inning and solid outings by five pitchers. Alonzo Jones (Vanderbilt) tripled with the bases loaded to key a five-run fifth inning and Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer) had an RBI single. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) finished with two hits and three runs scored, while Jackson Klein (Stanford) homered and drove in two runs. On the mound, the Kettleers didn’t have a pitcher go more than three innings, but cobbled it together and shut down Chatham for the final five innings. J. Connor Simmons (Georgia Southern) was credited with the win. Alec Byrd (Florida State) led the way with three scoreless innings of relief. For Chatham, Jake Palomaki (Boston College) had two hits and an RBI.

Y-D 4, Bourne 1

One of the first three pitchers to make four Cape starts, Will Gaddis (Furman) continues to make them count. Gaddis, who struck out 92 this spring in his sophomore season, tossed eight shutout innings as Y-D beat West-leading Bourne. Gaddis struck out six, walked one and allowed only three hits. He has a 1.37 ERA and leads the league with 24 strikeouts. Wednesday, he was staked to a lead as Y-D scored a run in the second and two in the third. Tyler Houston (Butler) led the charge with three hits and an RBI. Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and late arrival J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) had two hits in his Cape debut. For Bourne, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) pushed his hitting streak to seven and is tied with Clement for the league lead in hitting.

What to Watch

Off-day around the league Thursday. When the holiday weekend begins Friday, Brewster will visit Orleans in a battle for second place in the East.
 

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Close Calls

Willy Yahn scored a run as Bourne edged Cotuit.
Willy Yahn scored a run as Bourne edged Cotuit.

 
The best team batting average and second-best on-base percentage in the league have helped the Bourne Braves race to the top of the West with a 10-5-1 record. Their knack for winning close games has helped, too.

With a 5-4 win over Cotuit Tuesday, the Braves went to 6-1-1 in games decided by two runs or less. That means half the team’s games have been close, and the Braves have won all but one of them.

There have been late heroics, like a walk-off on opening night and a victory in 10 innings the next night. There have also been games like Tuesday, where the bullpen finishes strong and holds up an early lead.

The Braves jumped on Cotuit with five runs in the top of the first inning. They wouldn’t score again and Cotuit got within a run, but the last three pitchers to take the mound pitched a hitless inning each to preserve the slim lead.

The first run of the game came home on a wild pitch. David MacKinnon (Hartford) then knocked a two-run single, Evan Mendoza (NC State) plated a run with a base hit and MacKinnon raced in on a passed ball. Just like that, it was 5-0.

Bourne starter Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) – making his first appearance since hooking on with the Braves after being released by Chatham – allowed one run in four innings before the Kettleers scored two in the fifth. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had a pair of RBI to lead the comeback effort.

Reliever Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) gave up one run in 1.2 innings before giving way to the big finish. Sean Leland (Louisville), Ronnie Rossomando (Connecticut) and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) combined for three near-perfect innings. The only base runner reached on a walk and was later erased on a double play. Wantz earned his second save and struck out two in the ninth, giving him 15 Ks in 10.1 innings.

With the win, the Braves have a one-game lead on Wareham for first place in the West. Bourne has won three in a row.
 

Wareham 1, Chatham 0

The Gatemen kept pace with Bourne thanks to a shutout of Chatham. Jeff Bain (California) went four innings to start the scoreless string. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) then delivered the most dominant stint, striking out seven in three perfect innings of relief on his way to earning the win. Ryan Selmer (Maryland) and Christian Taugner (Brown) tossed one inning each to finish off the shutout. Four Chatham pitchers were almost as good, with starter Andrew Karp (Florida State) striking out five in four innings to lead the way. But Wareham’s one run in the sixth inning was enough. Harrison Wenson (Michigan) led off the inning with a double. With two outs, Cole Freeman (LSU) brought him home with a base hit for the only run the Gatemen would need. Wareham improved to 9-6-1 while Chatham is one of three East teams sitting at 8-8.

Harwich 5, Brewster 1

B.J. Myers (West Virginia) picked up his league-best third win by shutting down the Cape’s highest scoring offense as Harwich topped Brewster. Myers struck out six and scattered five hits in seven shutout innings. He’s now 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA and has gone at least seven innings in each of his three starts. The only run he’s allowed was in his first start. Nick Brown (William & Mary) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) finished off the win for the Mariners. Pavin Smith (Virginia) went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Harwich offense, and Cal Raleigh (Florida State) had two RBI. Harwich improved to a league-best 12-4. Brewster got a home run from Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) – his fourth – plus two hits by Nick Dunn (Maryland). Tyler Zuber (Arkansas State) pitched six solid innings of relief for the Whitecaps and struck out six, putting him into a tie for the league lead with 21 Ks.

Hyannis 6, Falmouth 3

The Harbor Hawks handled Falmouth for their seventh win in nine games since their 0-7 start. Andrew Gonzalez (Michigan State) got the start and was hit for three runs in 4.1 innings, but five Hyannis relievers teamed up for a dominant showing, allowing only two hits over the final 4.2 innings. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) was credited with the win and Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) picked up the save. The bullpen efforts set the stage for a rally and the Harbor Hawk offense obliged with three runs in the third and three more in the fifth. A two-run home run by Cody Henry (Alabama) was the biggest blow. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) added three hits and an RBI, with Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) also driving in runs. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had three hits.

Orleans 5, Y-D 3

The Firebirds snapped a four-game slide with a victory over Y-D. Kirk McCarty (Southern Mississippi) struck out seven and allowed two runs in 5.1 innings for the win. Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) earned the save. Keegan McGovern (Georgia) homered and drove in two to pace the offensive attack for Orleans, while Brian Miller (North Carolina) and Riley Mahan (Kentucky) drove in one run each. Justin Jones (Georgia State) scored a pair of runs. Orleans went to 8-8. Kevin Smith (Maryland) had three hits for Y-D, which dropped to 7-9.

What to Watch

Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) makes his second start of the summer when Harwich visits Orleans.
 

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Meat of the Order

Colton Shaver hit a three-run homer in Sunday's win and leads the league in RBI.
Colton Shaver hit a three-run homer in Sunday’s win and leads the league in RBI.

 
With only two teams left in the College World Series, Cape Cod Baseball League rosters are getting more solidified by the day. So too are batting orders and lineups, and the Wareham Gatemen appear to have come out of the early-season tinkering process with something special.

In the last two games, the Gatemen have trotted out as their 3-4-5 hitters Alex Destino (South Carolina), Colton Shaver (BYU) and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest). All three had big sophomore seasons at their respective schools. Combined, they batted .327 with 29 home runs.

And now that they’re actually combined, they’re doing some damage.

Destino, Shaver and Sheets combined for seven of Wareham’s 13 hits Friday and drove in eight runs as the Gatemen won a 9-8 slugfest over Brewster. The day before, they delivered four hits and three RBI in a victory over Hyannis.

Wareham is now 8-6-1, good for second place in the West and the third-best record in the league.

The Whitecaps not been an easy team to out-slug this season – they lead the league in runs scored, home runs and extra-base hits – but Wareham did it after falling behind 3-0. The Gatemen exploded for six runs in the fifth inning and tacked on a few more down the stretch to hold Brewster off.

After base hits by Jonathan Engelmann (Michigan) and Joey Bartosic (George Washington), the Gatemen got on the board with an RBI single by Cole Freeman (LSU). Then it was the meat of the order’s turn. Destino plated a run with a single, leaving two men on for Shaver. The BYU standout smacked a three-run homer to put his team in front. One pitch later, Sheets made it back-to-back home runs with one of his own.

Sheets added an RBI double to score Destino in the seventh, and Destino delivered a two-run double in the eighth, which ended up providing the one-run winning margin.

Robert Garcia (UC Davis) was credited with the win in relief and Jake Walters (Alabama) notched his first save.

Destino, Shaver and Sheets finished 7-for-13 with four runs scored and the eight RBI. Destino – the latest arrival among the three – is now hitting .480 with four multi-hit games in six starts. Shaver is at .289 with three homers and leads the league in RBI with 15. Sheets is batting .327 with two homers and 12 RBI.

 

Hyannis 9, Chatham 2

Hyannis had its best offensive day of the season and paired it with a strong starting pitching performance in a victory over Chatham. The Harbor Hawks’ previous season-high in runs was five. With 13 hits, seven extra-base hits and a pair of home runs, they nearly doubled it. Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico) went deep for the second time this season and Dylan Busby (Florida State) hit his first homer in his third game with the Hawks. Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) added three hits and two RBI. The offense was plenty for John Gavin (Cal State Fullerton), who had an ERA of 11.25 after three tough relief outings but shined in his first start. He allowed just two hits in 6.1 scoreless innings, striking out six. Chatham got two runs off the bullpen but nothing else.

Bourne 4, Orleans 2

The Braves kept a hold on first place in the West and sent Orleans to its fourth straight loss. Connor Wong (Houston) hit his second home run and his fifth double while driving in a pair of runs to lead the Braves. Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) and Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State) added two hits apiece. Five Braves pitchers took the hill, with no one going more than 3.1 innings. Brendon Little (North Carolina) struck out six of the seven batters he faced and earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) picked up a save. Orleans got a home run from Adam Haseley (Virginia), his second.

Y-D 5, Harwich 1

Y-D topped first-place Harwich for its seventh win in its last 10 games and moved out of the basement in the East. The Red Sox and Orleans are now tied for fourth in the division. The Mariners started two-time CCBL Pitcher of the Week Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall), who had yet to allow a run this season. He gave up three in the early going this time and once he settled in, the Red Sox were in front. Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) had an RBI single in the second as Y-D jumped to a 3-1 lead. A Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) home run and a Mikey Diekroeger (Stanford) RBI doubled added some insurance. Mitch Hart (USC) out-dueled McCarthy, allowing one run on five hits and striking out five in seven innings. Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched two scoreless frames for the save.

Falmouth 3, Cotuit 2

The Kettleers have pitched significantly better the last three games, but the improvement has only yielded one win. Falmouth rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the middle innings Sunday and held on for a one-run victory. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) knocked in runs for the Commodores, who scored three despite only two hits. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just an unearned run on two hits in six innings for the win. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) earned the save. Colton Hock (Stanford) went five strong innings for Cotuit and Alec Byrd (Florida State) tossed 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

What to Watch

Off-day around the league today. Tuesday, Harwich sends league ERA leader B.J. Myers (West Virginia) to the hill for a battle between first place and second place in the East against Brewster.