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One More Time

Ricky Thomas delivers a pitch in game two of the Cape League championship series Monday. The lefty improved to 9-0 in pushing the series to three games.
Ricky Thomas delivers a pitch in game two of the Cape League championship series Monday. The lefty improved to 9-0 in pushing the series to three games.

 
Summer gets another day. Or maybe two, depending on the rain in the forecast.

Either way, the Cape League championship series is headed to game three.

Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) sparked a resurgent offensive day with a three-run homer in the first inning and Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) stayed perfect in his Cape League career as the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox forced a decisive game of the league championship series with a 9-3 win yesterday at Red Wilson Field.

It’s the first time since 2012’s series between Wareham and Y-D that we’re headed to a game three. Cotuit in 2013 and Y-D last year both won in sweeps.

The way Sunday’s series opener went – and the way the entire playoffs have gone – another sweep seemed to be a strong possibility this year. Hyannis was a perfect 5-0 in the postseason after its 8-1 win Sunday.

But they say in baseball that momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher. And Thomas tends to win that battle.

The lefty allowed two earned runs in 7.2 innings, struck out 10 and walked one in improving to 9-0 this summer. His overall ERA is 1.07 and he finishes with 62 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched. Just a remarkable summer for him.

On Monday, though, it wasn’t all Thomas. He had plenty of help.

Facing Vance Tatum (Mississippi State), who had an ERA under two and clinched the Harbor Hawks’ first-round series, Y-D went to work immediately. A single and a walk with one out in the first set up the homer by Walton, and the Red Sox never looked back. They opened up a 6-0 lead before Hyannis cut the lead in half in the fourth. But Y-D would tack on three more insurance runs, and Thomas would settle right back in. He retired the last three batters in the fourth inning in order and would go on to retire 10 in a row.

Tommy Edman (Stanford) joined Walton in the home run column, while Dallas Carroll (Utah) had four hits, a run scored and an RBI. Mike Donadio (St. John’s), Joshua Vidales (Houston) and Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) had two hits each.

Despite their run to the finals, the Red Sox were hitting just .197 in the playoffs. With the 18 hits Monday, they’re now at .240.

And the season goes on.

Hyannis will have to bounce back if it wants to win its first Cape League title since 1991, and it hasn’t had to bounce back at all in these playoffs. Y-D has some momentum as it seeks its second consecutive championship, but again, momentum doesn’t mean everything.

It all comes down to one game.
 

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Vintage Performance

Ryne Birk's triple in the fifth inning helped break things open in Hyannis' win Sunday night.
Ryne Birk’s triple in the fifth inning helped break things open in Hyannis’ win Sunday night.

 
Hosting its first championship game since 1991, McKeon Park was bursting at the seams Sunday night. Mrs. Right Field Fog and I arrived around 5:40, which was far too late to get a great seat. An announced crowd of 5,154 was packed into every nook and cranny.

And the Harbor Hawks delivered a game worthy of that stage.

Riding a dominant performance by Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) and an opportunistic offense, the Harbor Hawks stayed perfect in the postseason and moved within game of the league championship with an 8-1 win over Yarmouth-Dennis. Hyannis will try to clinch the franchise’s first Cape League title since 1991 today at Red Wilson Field.

Hudson opened the postseason for Hyannis with a strong showing in a win over Cotuit, and he was even better Sunday. The righty went eight innings – keeping the bullpen in prime position for the rest of the series – and struck out eight. He allowed just two hits and one run. Kevin Roy (Columbia) pitched a perfect ninth to finish off the win.

The one run Hudson surrendered sent the Harbor Hawks to a rare postseason deficit. With a runner on third and two outs in the second inning, Mike Donadio (St. John’s) beat out a ground ball for an infield hit and a 1-0 lead.

But Hyannis – which only trailed in one game of its first two playoff series – wasn’t down for long. A two-out RBI single in the bottom of the second by Tristan Hildebrandt (Cal State Fullerton) tied the game.

Y-D starter Mason Kukowski (Yale) followed with two more scoreless frames, but the persistent Hyannis offense and some shaky Y-D defense changed the game.

With two outs in the fifth, Bobby Melley (Connecticut) and Jake Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) singled. Blake Tiberi (Louisville) then hit a ground ball up the middle. Joshua Vidales (Houston) made a great diving stop but his throw to first from the ground was off-target, allowing Melley to score.

That chased Kukowski, but the trends continued. Alec Eisenberg (Hofstra) issued a walk to the first batter he faced, which loaded the bases. Jake Rogers (Tulane) hit a ground ball to third and another errant throw allowed two more runs to score. Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) then laced a sinking line drive into center. Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) made a diving attempt but couldn’t make the catch and the ball rolled past him. Birk raced into third with a bases-clearing triple.

It was 6-1.

Hyannis added insurance in the sixth and eighth innings but didn’t really need it. Hudson retired 15 of 16 batters from the end of the second inning into the seventh. The Red Sox didn’t have a hit after the second inning, getting their only base-runners on two walks and a Hyannis error.

On the other side, eight different Harbor Hawks had hits. Bird, who might be the Playoff MVP favorite right now, went 1-for-4 and now has a hit in every postseason game.

Hyannis is 5-0 in the playoffs and has out-scored opponents 41-14.

They’ll be looking to ride the wave to another sweep Tuesday, but the last hurdle will be tough. Y-D will send its ace, Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) to the hill for game two today. Thomas went 7-0 with a 1.01 ERA in the regular season and tossed six shutout innings for a win in his first playoff start. Y-D has not lost a game that he has started.

Hyannis counters with another Mississippi State Bulldog in Vance Tatum, who had a 1.92 ERA in the regular season and allowed two run in five innings in his first playoff start.
 

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A sweep and a Classic

Corey Bird, pictured earlier in the playoffs, knocked in the go-ahead runs as Hyannis punched its ticket to the championship.
Corey Bird, pictured earlier in the playoffs, knocked in the go-ahead runs as Hyannis punched its ticket to the championship.

 
Hyannis has had some very good teams in the last few years, winning or sharing the regular season division title in 2011, 2013 and this year. But for all that success, playoff runs proved elusive. In 2015, the Harbor Hawks have broken through. They’ll play for the Cape League title for the first time since 2000 thanks to a 4-2 victory last night that clinched a sweep of Bourne.

The Harbor Hawks’ berth means we’re halfway to another first in a while — two No. 1 seeds meeting in the finals. It hasn’t happened since 2005. But it didn’t happen last night, either. No. 1 Orleans and No. 3 Y-D staged a 13-inning thriller in game two of their East division finals, and the Red Sox prevailed 2-1 to force game three.
 

Hyannis 4, Bourne 2

The Harbor Hawks had barely been challenged in starting the playoffs 3-for-3. Friday, that changed. Behind a strong performance from starter Alex Robles (Austin Peay), the Braves carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the ninth inning at Doran Park, three outs from forcing a third game.

With Austin Conway (Indiana State) on the hill, that seemed a foregone conclusion. The Cape League’s co-relief pitcher of the year saved 10 games this summer and did not allow an earned run. The only unearned run he surrendered came in his first appearance of the summer. Conway has also saved three games against Hyannis.

Friday, Conway came on in the eighth to protect the slim lead. It was business as usual with a scoreless frame.

But in the ninth, Hyannis found some magic.

Blake Tiberi (Louisville) walked, Matt Thaiss (Virginia) singled and Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) continued his red-hot postseason with an RBI single that tied the game. Conway was on the verge of keeping things tied, getting Corey Bird (Marshall) down 0-2 with two outs, but Bird then ripped a triple to score two more runs.

It’s about as stunning a rally as I can remember in the Cape League playoffs.

Aaron Civale (Northeastern) made it stand up with a scoreless bottom of the ninth and the Harbor Hawks were on to the championship.

It’s their first appearance there since 2000, and they lost on that trip. Hyannis hasn’t won the Cape League title since 1991.

A rally like Friday’s makes you think something special might happen this year.
 

Y-D 2, Orleans 1

The Red Sox scored a run on an error in the fourth inning. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) tied it for Orleans with a solo home run in the seventh. The teams would play six more scoreless innings before a wild pitch brought in the winning run in the bottom of the 13th.

Orleans, with the league’s best record since 2007, is headed to a game three for the second straight series.

Y-D had lost 4-0 in game one and didn’t have a ton more offense Friday, but capitalized on Firebirds miscues. A double by Dallas Carroll (Utah) set up the run-scoring error in the fourth.

Orleans starter Tanner Tully (Ohio State) was otherwise dominant, giving up nothing else in six innings. Y-D starter Cory Malcolm (Arkansas Little Rock) was just as good, with Lewis’s home run is only blemish. Interestingly, Tully and Malcolm both attended Elkhart Central High School in Indiana.

Though the next two pitchers had no such connection, they matched each other, too. Chandler Blanchard (Pepperdine) pitched six innings of no-hit, shutout ball, with six strikeouts. Ben Bowden (Vanderbilt) allowed two hits in five shutout innings for Y-D.

It all came down to the 13th, when Y-D loaded the bases against reliever Jared Carkuff (Austin Peay) on two singles and a walk. After a force-out at home for the second out, the Red Sox had Mike Donadio (St. John’s) at the plate. He was down in the count 0-2, when the wild pitch allowed Gio Brusa (Pacific) to race home.

Just like that, the Red Sox were alive.

The teams will return to Eldredge Park tonight at 7 p.m. for game three.
 

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More of the Same

Ryne Birk catches a throw as Cotuit's Jeren Kendall slides underneath him in Monday's playoff game.
Ryne Birk catches a throw as Cotuit’s Jeren Kendall slides underneath him in Monday’s playoff game.

 
Cotuit went 0-for-6 against Hyannis in the regular season. If ever the Kettleers were going to break through, game one of their playoff series Monday looked like a pretty good time. They had ace Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) on the hill and the regular-season slate was wiped clean.

But Hyannis simply rolled on.

The top-seeded Harbor Hawks touched up Woodcock for eight runs – five of them earned – and built an 8-0 lead en route to a 10-3 victory at McKeon Park.

Woodcock ranked fourth in the league in ERA, but Hyannis had done a little damage against him in his final regular-season start, scoring three runs in 3.2 innings.

This time, the Harbor Hawks scored three runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third in racing to the early lead. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) pitched six strong innings for the win, allowing just two unearned runs. Zach Girrens (St. Louis) picked up a three-inning save.

Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) and Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) both homered for the Harbor Hawks. Noll added a single and finished with four RBI. Colby Bortles (Ole Miss) and Jake Rogers (Tulane) drove in two runs each, while Bobby Melley (Connecticut) continued his triumphant return with a 3-for-3 night. He was coming off a 4-for-5 performance in the season finale, his first Cape game since June 14.

Cotuit showed some life late with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. Spencer Gaa (Bradley) had two hits and an RBI.

It was too little, too late, just as it has been all season for Cotuit against Hyannis. The Kettleers will have one more chance to change that.
 

Orleans 4, Chatham 1

East top seed Orleans also took care of business in its opener, rallying from an early 1-0 deficit to beat Chatham 4-1. The Anglers struck first and pushed a run across against Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), a pretty rare feat. But Jordan would go the next 5.2 innings without allowing another run. He struck out four. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) and Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) – who apparently is sliding to the bullpen – finished the job. The Firebirds took the lead in the second against Chatham starter Zac Gallen (North Carolina) and added two more runs in the fifth. Kyle Lewis (Mercer), Willie Abreu (Miami) and Nick Zammarelli (Elon) knocked in one run each. Abreu, who went 2-for-3, has a five-game hit streak that includes two home runs, giving Orleans one more dangerous hitter.
 

Y-D 3, Brewster 2

The only upset of the day happened at Stony Brook Field, where No. 3 Y-D rallied against the Brewster bullpen for a 3-2 victory over the No. 2 Whitecaps. Pitching figured to be the key for the Whitecaps – who had the league’s best batting average but the second-worst ERA – and Hunter Martin (Tennessee) gave them exactly what they needed. He went 6.2 shutout innings, keeping Brewster in front 1-0. Anthony Arias (Fresno State) relieved him with two outs in the seventh and got a quick third out but Y-D started the eighth with a single and a walk. The Red Sox then greeted new pitcher Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) with two straight run-scoring singles and a sacrifice fly. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Dallas Carroll (Utah) had the base hits while Mike Donadio (St. John’s) delivered the sac fly. The Whitecaps got one run back in the bottom of the eighth but nothing else. Chad Hockin (Cal State Fullerton) then struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
 

Bourne 7, Wareham 1

The Braves scoed five runs in the second inning and never looked back in a 7-1 victory over Wareham. Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Bourne’s 10-hit attack. C.J. Chatham (Florida Atlantic) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Pete Alonso (Florida) had two hits. Cody Sedlock (Illinois), who opened the season in the Bourne bullpen but transitioned to the rotation for three regular-season starts in July, showed why that was a good move. He went seven innings and gave up just one run, striking out five. Bryan Baker (North Florida) pitched the final two innings.
 

Award Winners

A number of Cape League awards were presented Monday, most notably the MVP and Pitcher of the Year honors.

The MVP went to Brewster’s Nick Senzel, and deservedly so. The Tennessee standout was solid early in the season then got hot and never cooled off. He ended up hitting .364 – second only to Andrew Calica – and led the league in RBI with 33. He is Brewster’s first MVP since J.C. Holt in 2003.

Senzel also took home Top Prospect honors.

Mitchell Jordan, another shoo-in, won Pitcher of the Year honors. Jordan tied a CCBL record with a 0.21 ERA, while going 6-0 for Orleans. He is the second straight Firebird hurler to take top honors. Kolton Mahoney won it last year.
 

What to Watch

Brewster at Y-D, 4 p.m.
Hyannis at Cotuit, 4 p.m.
Bourne at Wareham, 7 p.m.
Orleans at Chatham, 7 p.m.

Orleans will have its other ace, Eric Lauer, on the hill as it tries to finish off a sweep of Chatham at Veterans Field. Lauer finished the regular season as the league leader in strikeouts.
 

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Serving Notice

Tyson Miller struck out 11 and allowed just an unearned run as Brewster beat Orleans.
Tyson Miller struck out 11 and allowed just an unearned run as Brewster beat Orleans.

 

The Orleans Firebirds will likely win the East Division title and could still finish with the same 31-12-1 record as the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, the benchmark for great Cape teams in the last 15 years. But the last two nights have hinted that, regardless of where they finish, the Firebirds won’t have an easy time of it in the postseason.

After tying Orleans Tuesday, second-place Brewster beat the Firebirds 4-1 Wednesday behind a fantastic pitching performance by Tyson Miller (California Baptist). The Whitecaps, who clinched a playoff spot with the win, are now eight points back of Orleans with four games left for both teams, meaning there’s a chance they could finish in a tie. Brewster has the second-best record in the league at 23-16-1.

Miller set the course for Wednesday’s win. The 6’4 righty – who struck out 85 for D-II California Baptist this spring – had his best start in what was already a solid summer. In fact, given the opponent, it was perhaps the Cape League’s best start of the summer. Miller allowed just an unearned run on three hits in eight innings and struck out 11. He didn’t walk a single batter. Orleans managed just one extra-base hit for the game.

Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) pitched the final inning for the save.

If you had predicted a pitcher to dominate Wednesday’s game, Orleans starter Eric Lauer (Kent State) would have been the choice. Lauer came in with a 1.47 ERA and leads the league in strikeouts. Brewster touched him up for three early runs and chased him after three innings.

Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 2-for-4 with his 15th double of the season, while Robbie Tenerowicz (California) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Four other Whitecaps drove in runs and Brewster finished with nine hits.

Brewster has now earned a tie and a win while facing Orleans co-aces Mitchell Jordan and Lauer. Granted, the Whitecaps were shut-out by Jordan before coming through against the bullpen. And Lauer wasn’t at his best. But still – those guys don’t typically get beat. The loss was Lauer’s first. Tuesday’s game was the first one Jordan has pitched in that Orleans didn’t win.

Orleans will take another crack at a division crown tonight — and they won’t have to play Brewster again in the regular season. If the last two days are any indication, they may meet again when postseason baseball comes around.
 

Y-D 9, Wareham 1

Y-D broke open a 2-1 game with seven runs in the eighth inning and cruised past Wareham to keep pace in the race for the last two East playoff spots. The Red Sox are now 20-20 and still hold a one-game lead on Harwich for fourth place. Gio Brusa (Pacific) had two doubles and three RBI to lead the way Wednesday. Cole Billingsley (South Alabama), Tommy Edman (Stanford) and Mike Donadio (St. John’s) chipped in two hits each. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) won his league-best seventh game with 6.2 strong innings. He gave up one run on five hits and struck out eight. The big news for Wareham – and the league – in the loss was that Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) has reached the plate appearance mark necessary to qualify for the batting title. He also went 3-for-4, pushing his league-best average to .439. With just four games remaining, Calica has as good a shot as anybody in recent years to become the Cape League’s first .400 hitter since 1990.
 

Hyannis 5, Cotuit 2

Hyannis improved to 5-0 against rival Cotuit this year thanks to a 5-2 victory at McKeon Park. With everybody else in the West losing Wednesday, the Harbor Hawks also inched closer to a division title. They now have a five-point edge on second-place Bourne. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) starred in relief Wednesday, striking out eight of the 16 batters he faced in four shutout innings. Bulldog teammate Vance Tatum started and went 4.1 innings. Austin Hays (Jacksonville) and Blake Tiberi (Louisville) each had three hits to pace the offense. Tristan Hildebrandt (Cal State Fullerton), a late roster reinforcement, went 2-for-3 in his seventh game as a Harbor Hawk. Hyannis scored three of their five runs off Cotuit ace Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech), who had allowed a total of four earned runs on the year before Wednesday. Cotuit fell to 16-24 but remains in a tie for third place with Wareham, five points ahead of last-place Falmouth.
 

Chatham 3, Falmouth 2

The aforementioned Commodores were on the verge of snapping a six-game losing streak but Chatham erased a 2-0 deficit with three runs in the eighth and won 3-2. Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) and Aaron Knapp (California) singled to start the eighth inning rally. A groundout brought one run home before an error on an overthrow from third base plated two more. Armed with the lead, Andre Scrubb (High Point) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) tossed a scoreless inning each to finish it off. Knapp had two hits to lead the Chatham offense. Heath Quinn (Samford) homered for Falmouth. Turner Larkins (Texas A&M) went 6.1 scoreless innings but was left with a no-decision after Chatham’s rally. The Anglers improved to 22-18 and have a magic number of two for clinching a playoff spot.
 

Harwich 3, Bourne 1

Harwich remained in the mix for an East playoff berth with a 3-1 victory over Bourne. The Mariners are one game back of Y-D for the fourth and final postseason spot. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one run in 4.1 innings and struck out six. Relievers Joe Ravert (La Salle) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) followed with 2.1 scoreless innings apiece, with Schellenger earning the win. Adam Pate (North Carolina) went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead an eight-hit attack. Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) and Johnny Adams (Boston College) knocked in one run each.
 

What to Watch

Flame-throwing reliever Zach Burdi (Louisville) is scheduled to make a start as Chatham hosts Y-D and Brandon Bailey (Gonzaga), with both teams in the thick of the East playoff race. In Hyannis, division leaders will meet when the Harbor Hawks host Orleans.
 

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Nick of Time

Nick Senzel is hitting .463 in his last 10 games and has taken over the league lead in hitting.
Nick Senzel is hitting .463 in his last 10 games and has taken over the league lead in hitting.

 
Nick Senzel has had two very good spring seasons at Tennessee, but his first taste of summer baseball last year wasn’t quite so good. Senzel hit three home runs but only batted .210 for the Matsu Miners in the Alaska Baseball League.

This year, Senzel is having the kind of summer that matches his springs. With a 4-for-5 night in Brewster’s 2-0 win over Cotuit Sunday, Senzel is now leading the Cape League in hitting, RBI, extra-base hits and slugging percentage.

The 6’1, 205-pound infielder got off to a strong start for the Whitecaps and really turned it on when the calendar flipped to July. Senzel has a hit in eight of his last 10 games and is batting .463 in that span, raising his average from .306 up to the current league leading mark of .369. He has six multi-hit games, two home runs and six extra-base hits in the month of July.

Senzel has set the pace for a Brewster team that has the best batting average in the league. Sunday, his 4-for-5 day included a double and an RBI as the Whitecaps topped Cotuit. For good measure, Senzel stole a pair of bases, giving him 11 on the summer, which is tied for the league lead.

The two runs didn’t represent a typical performance for the Whitecaps, who don’t often win pitchers duels. But with the offense providing just enough, Tyson Miller (California Baptist) went five scoreless innings and the bullpen gave up just one hit over the final four innings to seal the win.

Tyler Ramirez (North Carolina) added an RBI.

The Whitecaps improved to 14-14 good for a third-place tie with Y-D in the East. With Senzel leading the charge, July may get even better.
 

Orleans 5, Hyannis 4 (10 innings)

Kyle Lewis (Mercer) has had some big moments this summer, but few could match Sunday, when Lewis hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to give the Firebirds a 5-4 victory over Hyannis in a match-up of division leaders. Hyannis had scored two in the ninth to force extra innings, but three walks loaded the bases for Lewis in the 10th. With two outs, he smacked a base hit to plate the winning run. The victory moved Orleans to 20-8, and the Firebirds are now four games better than any team in the league. Jared Carkuff (Austin Peay) picked up the win in relief. Nick Zammarelli (Elon), Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) all had two hits for the Firebirds, with Dalbec hitting his fifth home run in just 13 games and his first since returning from a Team USA stint. For Hyannis, Jake Rogers (Tulane) hit a two-run homer that tied the game in the ninth.
 

Y-D 3, Wareham 2 (10 innings)

There was also free baseball at Red Wilson Field, where Y-D rallied from a late 2-0 deficit and won it in the 10th on a walk-off single by Mike Donadio (St. John’s). The Red Sox scored a run in the seventh and one in the ninth to force extras. A single by Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and a double by Gio Brusa (Washington) set the table for Donadio, who came through with the two-out base hit to score Walton. The rally made a winner out of Cory Malcolm (Arkansas Little Rock). Tommy Edman (Stanford) had three hits for the Red Sox while Connor Wong (Houston) homered. For Wareham, Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) came through with his fourth consecutive two-hit game.
 

Chatham 2, Harwich 0

Four pitchers combined to surrender just four hits as the Anglers shut out Harwich at Whitehouse Field. Garrett Williams (Oklahoma State), a lefty with big potential, made his first start after four relief appearances and tossed five scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Brandon Miller (Millersville), Cameron Stone (Stony Brook) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) followed suit, going the final four innings to finish off the shutout. Harwich pitching was also strong, but Chatham broke up the shutout with two runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) – who’s back from Team USA – and Kyle Brooks (North Florida).
 

Falmouth 8, Bourne 6

Because they began the run at the bottom of the West standings, it’s been a little quiet, but Falmouth has won four in a row and is the hottest team in the league. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI to lead a 12-hit attack in the win over Bourne. Logan Ice (Oregon State) added two hits and two RBI, while Heath Quinn (Samford) chipped in two hits and two runs scored. Falmouth used six pitchers, with Jack Finnegan (McLennan CC) getting the win. Wyatt Short (Ole Miss) struck out four of the five batters he faced for the save. Falmouth is now just two points out of second place in the West.
 

What to Watch

League-wide off-day today. When action resumes Tuesday, Hyannis will try to slow down red-hot Falmouth when it visits Guv Fuller Field.
 

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Streak No. 4

Parker Dunshee went six strong innings to help Chatham take game one of a doubleheader with Hyannis.
Parker Dunshee went six strong innings to help Chatham take game one of a doubleheader with Hyannis.

 
Chatham’s eight wins this season have all come in two-win bursts. They won two in a row to start the summer, lost their next game, won two in a row, lost three straight, then won two in a row and lost their next game.

Their latest burst was their most impressive. The Anglers visited West-leading Hyannis Monday at McKeon Park and swept a doubleheader with the Harbor Hawks, winning 3-2 and 3-1.

The victories give Chatham an 8-5 record, which matches Hyannis and is good for second-best in the league to Orleans’ 10-3 mark.

Chatham started the twin bill with a bang Monday night, scoring all three of its runs in the top of the first inning. Will Craig (Wake Forest), Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Zack Short (Sacred Heart) knocked in the runs in consecutive at-bats.

The early lead proved just enough for a pair of Chatham pitchers. Starter Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) allowed two runs in six-plus innings and struck out three. In the seventh – the final inning in scheduled doubleheader games – Hyannis scored a run off reliever Andre Scrubb (High Point), which was charged to Dunshee, and had the winning run on base before Scrubb retired the final two batters for his third save.

In the second game, it was Hyannis that jumped in front with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Chatham immediately took the lead with two in the second and tacked on insurance in the seventh. Short homered for the Anglers, while Trenton Brooks (Nevada) and Cory Raley (Texas Tech) knocked in one run each.

Ty Damron (Texas Tech) allowed one run in five innings of work for the win. C.J. Burdick (San Diego) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) pitched a scoreless inning each to finish it off.

The Anglers had two in a row again. They’ll try to stretch a streak to three for the first time all year when they host Brewster tonight.
 

Harwich 5, Cotuit 3; Harwich 6, Cotuit 1

Harwich also swept its doubleheader, making things interesting at the top of the East standings, where there hasn’t been much of a race to this point. The Mariners are now 7-5-1, just a point back of Chatham for second place. Starting pitching set the course for the Mariners Monday, with each of their starters going five innings and giving up no earned runs. Joe O’Donnell (NC State) did it in the first game before Cotuit took a late lead against the bullpen. Harwich rallied for three runs in the seventh to win it. Saige Jenco (Virginia Tech) had an RBI single to power the rally. Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) grabbed his league-best fourth save. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one unearned run in five innings for the win in game two. Michael Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) powered a 10-hit attack with a three-run homer. Adam Pate (North Carolina) had three hits, while Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) had two hits and two RBI, bumping his average to .371. Cotuit’s Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) in the sweep, going 2-for-3 to take over the league batting lead at .400. He’s also second in stolen bases with six.
 

Y-D 7, Falmouth 6; Y-D 5, Falmouth 1

The defending champs have struggled this season, but they know how to win a doubleheader. The Red Sox topped Falmouth for their second twin bill sweep of the summer, which accounts for four of their five wins on the season. Y-D scored four runs in the top of the seventh to take the opener, with Mike Donadio (St. John’s), Gio Brusa (Washington), Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) and Connor Wong (Houston) driving in the runs. Wrenn finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Brusa, a standout with Brewster last year, went 1-for-4 in his 2015 debut. Christopher Viall (Stanford) pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh to finish off the game-one win. The Red Sox stayed hot in game two, smacking nine hits on their way to the sweep. Tommy Edman (Stanford) drove in two runs. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) turned in his second strong start of the summer, giving up one run in 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts.
 

Bourne 6, Orleans 3; Orleans 3, Bourne 0

The Braves snapped Orleans’ six-game winning streak in the opener but Orleans got right back on track with a shutout in the second game. Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) had two hits and two RBI to pace a 10-hit Bourne attack in the first game. Mike Garzillo (Lehigh), Corey Julks (Houston) and Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) also had two hits. Bryan Baker (North Florida) turned in his third straight scoreless relief outing, going 3.1 innings and striking out five for the win. Austin Conway (Indiana State) picked up the save. In the second game, Bourne was no match for Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), who dominated again. He went five scoreless innings, just as he did in his first two starts of the summer. He also struck out seven to take over the league lead in that category with 17. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge) pitched the final two innings for the save. An error and a two-run single by Austin Miller (Loyola Marymount) in the sixth gave Orleans all the offense it would need. Nick Jensen-Clagg (Kent State) was a bright spot for Bourne in the loss, striking out eight in four scoreless innings. He has 16 strikeouts in 8.1 innings this summer.
 

Brewster 5, Wareham 4; Wareham 5, Brewster 0

Brewster used a four-run fourth inning to pull away in game one, while two Gatemen pitchers combined on a shutout in game two. The Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead in the first game on a third-inning home run by Toby Handley (Stony Brook). They added four hits in the fourth innings, and three runs came home on passed balls or wild pitches, ahead of an RBI double by Eli White (Clemson). Wareham chipped away but was held scoreless over the final two innings. Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) went the final 1.1 for the save. Highly-touted lefty Matt Krook (Oregon) started for Wareham, making his first appearance since the 2014 college season, and struck out two in two scoreless innings. In game two, Wareham righted the ship thanks to Evan Hill (Michigan) who allowed three hits in six shutout innings. He had plenty of support, with Logan Sowers (Indiana) and Andrew Knizner (NC State) driving in two runs each.
 

What to Watch

Orleans has had just one game against its closest competition in the East, but that changes this week. Harwich visits Eldredge Field tonight and Chatham comes to town Thursday.
 

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Southpaw Success

Hyannis is off to the best start in the league with a 4-1 record.
Hyannis is off to the best start in the league with a 4-1 record.

 
There are five left-handed pitchers on the Hyannis Harbor Hawks roster right now. Three of them have made starts.

And the Harbor Hawks may want to go ahead and let the other two give it a try.

For the third time in four wins this year, Hyannis rode a strong effort from a left-handed starting pitcher to a victory. This time it was Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) allowing two runs in 5.2 innings of work as Hyannis won 5-2 over Orleans. He followed strong efforts by Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) and Nick Deeg (Central Michigan). Together, they’ve given up three runs in 17.2 innings, powering three of the Harbor Hawks’ league-high four wins.

Deeg started the trend with seven shutout innings in a win over Cotuit. Tatum allowed one run in five innings in a victory over Harwich. And Saturday, it was Smeltzer’s turn.

The southpaw didn’t have a great spring, seeing his ERA rise over six with FGCU. He was also matched up with an Orleans offense that was coming off a 15-hit, 3-home run night in a 12-3 victory over Y-D.

But Smeltzer was up to the task. He scattered seven hits, all of which were singles. Nine of the 17 outs he recorded came via strikeout. Aaron Civale (Northeastern) and Will Stillman (Wofford) finished off his win with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

The Hyannis offense got two hits and two RBI from Blake Tiberi (Louisville) in his summer debut. Ben DeLuzio (Florida State) scored two runs, Bobby Melley (Connecticut) had two hits and an RBI and Errol Robinson (Ole Miss) scored a run for the fourth time in five games.

It was all part of a familiar formula – solid offense and a strong start from a lefty. Hyannis is at the top of the league because of it.
 

Y-D 5, Bourne 0

The league’s only winless teams squared off at Doran Park, and it was the Red Sox who got into the win column. Y-D pounded 12 hits – after coming in with 19 on the year. Tommy Edman (Stanford) made his first Cape League hit a home run, while Donovan Walton (Oklahoma State) and Mike Donadio (St. John’s) had two hits and an RBI apiece. Brady Conlan (Cal State Dominguez Hills) went 3-for-5. Y-D also got its best pitching performances of the year. Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) gave up two hits and struck out six in six shutout innings.
 

Harwich 12, Wareham 11

The Mariners won a wild one with Wareham, rallying from a 9-3 deficit and holding on for the one-run victory. Preston Palmeiro (NC State), making his second start of the summer, went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI to lead the comeback offense. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) and Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) added two RBI each. Every player in the Harwich lineup had a hit, as the Mariners finished with 14 of them. Reliever Anthony Ciavarella (Monmouth) set the stage for the comeback with four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced. In the loss, Wareham got home runs from a pair of red-hot hitters in Jay Jabs (Franklin Pierce) and David MacKinnon (Hartford). Jabs has a hit in every game, while MacKinnon – on a temporary contract – leads the league with a .471 average.
 

Chatham 5, Cotuit 2

The Anglers scored four runs in the top of the first and got five shutout innings from Parker Dunshee (Wake Forest) to top Cotuit 5-2. Zack Short (Sacred Heart) led the early burst with a three-run homer. Trenton Brooks (Nevada), Will Craig (Wake Forest), Aaron Knapp (California) and Nick Sciortino (Boston College) finished with two hits apiece as Chatham knocked 12 hits for the game. Dunshee struck out three in his five innings.
 

Falmouth 3, Brewster 2

Falmouth scoed two runs in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and held off a late charge by the Whitecaps for the 3-2 win. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI, accounting for all of the Falmouth runs. He also scored two of the runs. Heath Quinn (Samford) went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Austin Tribby (Missouri) went five scoreless innings on the mound for the Commodores and his college teammate Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri) struck out six in three innings of relief. He now leads the league in strikeouts with 12, over two relief appearances. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) struck out the side in the ninth for the save.
 

What to Watch

There’s a full slate of doubleheaders on tap. Based on the standings, the Hyannis-Brewster twin bills at Stony Brook Field may be the best bet. Those teams lead their respective divisions.