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The Other Arms

Adam Whitt leads the league in appearances and wins.
Adam Whitt leads the league in appearances and wins.

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Harwich 13, Chatham 8

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

 

Orleans 3, Y-D 2

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

 

Brewster 2, Wareham 0

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

 

What to Watch

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

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The Next Wave

Grant Kay went 4-for-4 with a walk-off homer in Cotuit's win Monday.
Grant Kay went 4-for-4 with a walk-off homer in Cotuit’s win Monday.

 

The 2013 season in Cotuit was marked by a lot of departures, a lot of arrivals and ultimately a run to the Cape Cod Baseball League championship.

We’ll see what happens in 2014. The Kettleers are a little off their pace from last year and every day seems like a bullpen day for their starting rotation. But one thing isn’t changing: Cotuit still knows how to find reinforcements.

The Kettleers walked off with a 9-8 victory over Falmouth yesterday and three guys who arrived after June 30 helped power it. Grant Kay (Louisville) went 4-for-4 and hit a walk-off home run, John Norwood (Vanderbilt) went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Tres Barrera (Texas) had a homer and two RBI.

Kay and Norwood were both in Omaha when the Cape League season began and neither was on Cotuit’s initial rosters. Kay hit .285 with five homers for Louisville but lasted until the 27th round in the MLB draft. Norwood hit .298 and stole 17 bases for national champion Vanderbilt but went undrafted. Of course, Norwood was the hero of the College World Series, smashing a home run in the eighth inning of game three to put his team in front for good.

Norwood played his first game in a Cotuit uniform on Sunday. Kay played his first one on June 30. Barrera, a top catching prospect from the University of Texas, was on Cotuit’s initial roster but only made his debut on Saturday.

The Kettleers – who have needed to replace some production since Austin Byler left to sign a pro contract – were glad to have all three of their new guys on Monday. Norwood had a two-run single as part of a five-run second inning and Barrera hit a solo home run in the third.

Kay had his second consecutive four-hit game and ended up as the hero. With darkness closing in and two outs in the bottom of the seventh – what would be the final inning – Kay fell behind 0-2, worked it to 2-2 then smashed the walk-off homer.

Cotuit is now 10-12-1 and sitting in third place in the West.

 

Orleans 3, Chatham 1

Chatham, winners of four straight, carried a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning but Orleans scored three decisive runs in the eighth for a 3-1 victory. The Firebirds have now won three straight – and nine of 10 – and have a three-point edge on Chatham for second place in the East. With the bases loaded in the eighth, Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) knocked a base hit to bring in the tying run and when the ball got past the right fielder, the other two runners scored as well. That was all Orleans needed, with Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) tossing a scoreless ninth to seal the win. The game was a pitcher’s duel in the early going, with Chatham’s Andrew Chin (Boston College) going six shutout innings and Orleans’ Kyle Twomey (USC) allowing one run in five innings. Jake Fraley (LSU) broke a scoreless tie in the fourth for Chatham with an RBI double, and that was the only scoring until Orleans’ eighth-inning rally.

 

Harwich 7, Brewster 3

As hot as Orleans has been, Harwich continues to hold onto first place and stayed there again on Monday with a win over Brewster. Brendon Sanger (Florida Atlantic) homered and drove in three and Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) also homered. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) and Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) added two hits each. Jon Harris (Missouri State), who was chased in the second inning of his last start, rebounded with five solid innings. Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State) pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Ray Castillo (Alabama) tossed the final inning. Harwich is now 14-8-1.

 

Bourne 8, Wareham 5

The Braves held off a late charge by Wareham to move to 9-3 in home games this season. The Braves have the best record in the league at 15-8. Bourne led 8-2 in the eighth before Wareham scored four runs in the final two innings. John Gorman (Boston College) eventually got out of trouble in the ninth to finish off the win. Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) allowed one run in seven innings with six strikeouts for the win. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) hit his second home run in three games to power the Bourne offense and recent arrival Zander Wiel (Vanderbilt) also homered. Brian Serven (Arizona State) had two RBI and Billy Fleming (West Virginia) delivered three hits. Wareham got a home run from Kramer Robertson (LSU) and three RBI from Chris Chinea (LSU).

 

Y-D 10, Hyannis 8

Y-D won its second straight and sent Hyannis to its seventh straight loss with a slugfest victory. Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) had two hits and three RBI for the Red Sox while Jesse Jenner (San Diego) knocked in two. Josh Lester (Missouri) had three hits and scored three runs. and Andrew Stevenson (LSU) added two hits. Dimitri Kourtis (Mercer) allowed one run over the final 1.1 innings to hold off Hyannis. Parker Bugg (LSU) got the win in relief. Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) hit a home run for Hyannis and is now tied for the league lead. Carl Wise (College of Charleston) also homered.

 

What to Watch

Cotuit hosts West-leading Bourne at 5 p.m., and another reinforcement gets the ball for the Kettleers. Grayson Jones (Shelton State CC), who was drafted in the 14th round by the Indians this year, will make his first start. Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State), who went six scoreless in his last start, is the listed starter for Bourne.

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Their Number

Orleans celebrates a run in one of its victories over Harwich.
Orleans celebrates a run in one of its victories over Harwich.

 

The Harwich Mariners have been in first place in the Cape League’s Eastern Division since the opening night play ball, partly because they’ve cruised through a lot of their competition in the East. Harwich is 6-0 against Chatham, Brewster and Yarmouth-Dennis.

But Orleans is just a game back of Harwich, as close as anyone’s been in a while, and there’s a reason for that too. While Harwich is unbeaten against three of its division rivals, it’s winless against the fourth. Orleans moved to 3-0 against Harwich this season with a 3-1 victory on Saturday night.

The teams didn’t have their first meeting this year until two weeks in, when Orleans won 7-5 thanks to two David Thompson (Miami) home runs. Four days later, Orleans pounded 17 hits in a rare poor performance by a Harwich starting pitcher and won 15-8.

On Saturday, after the washed-out Fourth of July, Orleans sent budding ace Kolton Mahoney (BYU) to the hill and set the course for another victory. Mahoney, the league’s strikeout leader, went five scoreless innings, allowing just two singles and striking out four to pick up the win. He’s now tied for the league lead in wins, leads in strikeouts and ranks fourth in ERA.

Orleans gave him a lead with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth off Harwich starter Jason Inghram (William & Mary), who came in with a 2.35 ERA. Johnny Sewald (Arizona), David Fletcher (Loyola Marymount) and Thompson each knocked in a run. Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) added two hits. Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) went 1-for-4 and continued the league lead in on-base percentage at .509. He has reached base in every game he’s played this summer.

Armed with a lead, the Orleans bullpen cruised through the last four innings, allowing four hits in that span. Harwich didn’t have an extra-base hit in the game. Sam Moore (UC Irvine), the NCAA saves leader this year, made his fourth appearance since arriving from Omaha, and picked up his first Cape League save.

Jacob Evans (Oklahoma) was a bright spot for Harwich, striking out six in four scoreless innings of relief. He has not allowed a run in 16 innings of relief this summer.

But this night belonged to Orleans. The Firebirds are now 12-9, one game back of Harwich.

 

Bourne 5, Y-D 0

While Harwich went down, Bourne shut out Y-D to reclaim the best record in the league label. Travis Bergen (Kennesaw State) struck out six and allowed just two singles in six scoreless innings. Bergen had been touched up for five runs in his last start. Dylan Nelson (Radford) and Joey Strain (Winthrop) followed him to the hill and finished off the shutout. The Braves offense backed Bergen with four early runs. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) hit his first home run of the summer while Gavin Collins (Mississippi State) had two hits. Blake Davey (Connecticut), Brett Sullivan (Pacific) and Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) drove in one run apiece. Bourne has won three in a row after dropping three straight before that.

 

Falmouth 14, Hyannis 3

Much like Orleans and Harwich, Falmouth has had Hyannis’ number. The Commodores picked up their third win in 10 days against the Harbor Hawks with their most lopsided victory of the season. They led 6-1 in the eighth when they exploded for eight runs to pull away. Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) led the attack with a 4-for-4, two RBI night, and Sam Gillikin (Auburn) added three hits. Ten different players had at least one RBI. Alex Young (TCU), who had a great spring as a reliever in Fort Worth, made his first Cape League start and allowed just one run in five innings. Three relievers tossed scoreless innings, with Nicholas Cooney (Wesleyan) striking out the side in his stint. Hyannis has lost five in a row, and Falmouth is now ahead of the Harbor Hawks for second place in the West.

 

Chatham 7, Brewster 2

The Anglers kept pace in the tightening East race with a 7-2 victory over Brewster. Chatham is now 11-9-1, one point back of Orleans for second. Ty Moore (UCLA) homered to lead the offense, while Nick Collins (Georgetown) went 3-for-4 and Kevin Fagan (Stetson) drove in three runs. A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) went 1-for-4 and now owns a 10-game hitting streak. On the mound for Chatham, Max Tishman (Wake Forest) turned in another solid performance, scattering eight hits and allowing one run in six innings of work. Tishman, who leads the Anglers in innings pitched, has a 2.14 ERA.

 

Wareham 7, Cotuit 3

Kyle Cody (Kentucky) followed up a dominant start with a very good one, striking out nine and giving up three runs in eight innings as Wareham topped Cotuit. Cody struck out six in seven scoreless innings in his last start. Cotuit touched him up for three early runs this time, but he was back to dominance after that, allowing just two hits from the fourth inning on. Scott Effross (Indiana) pitched a scoreless ninth to finish off the win. The Wareham offense got two RBI from Willie Calhoun (Arizona) and two hits and an RBI from Kramer Robertson (LSU).

 

What to Watch

First-place Bourne and a hot Falmouth team will meet at Doran Park at 6 p.m. Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga), who’s been strong all summer, makes his fourth start for Bourne. Falmouth trots out Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech), who allowed three runs in his only start of the summer.

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Byler Says Goodbye

Austin Byler homered in his final Cape League game Monday night.
Austin Byler homered in his final Cape League game Monday night.

 

Cotuit’s Austin Byler (Nevada) ended his Cape League career on Monday night. The 23rd-round pick of the Washington Nationals is expected to sign shortly and begin the next chapter in his baseball career.

His Cape League chapter was short, but it was memorable. In 30 career Cape League games spanning the end of last summer and the beginning of this one, Byler batted .299 with six home runs and 18 RBI. He could have easily won Cape League Playoff MVP honors last year after batting .429 with two homers in the postseason. This year, he hit four home runs in 11 games and will depart the Cape with his name atop the home run leaderboard.

He also went out with a bang.

Byler went 3-for-6 last night with a home run as Cotuit beat up on West-leading Bourne 16-6. It was the first time this season that the Kettleers hit double digits in runs.

Fittingly, Byler started his going away party festivities when he led off the second inning with a home run. It touched off a five-run inning that also included a homer by Ian Rice (Chipola College).

After the Braves made it a 5-4 game in the bottom of the second, Cotuit steadily pulled away. The Kettleers got two more home runs from Drew Jackson (Stanford) and Grant Kay (Louisville), the first of the season for both.

Cotuit scored seven runs – six earned – against Bourne’s Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State), who had allowed just one earned run in his first 12 innings this summer.

Byler, Kay and Jackson Glines (Michigan) each had three hits, while Rice had four RBI. Jackson, Jake Fincher (NC State) and Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) had two RBI each, as did Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), who’s fresh off a College World Series title.

Trey Wingenter (Auburn) got the win in relief. Gabe Berman (Western Michigan) struck out five in 3.1 innings for the save.

 

Harwich 7, Chatham 3

Harwich and Bourne have been matching each other for the best record in the league for about a week. That finally changed Monday, as the Braves lost and Harwich topped Chatham 7-3 to improve to a league-best 12-6 on the season. Jared Poche’ (LSU) struck out seven in seven shutout innings, giving him a 1.06 ERA in three starts this summer. The offense backed him with a five-run third inning and tacked on two in the ninth. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to lead the offense. He’s 4-for-8 with six RBI in his last two games. Angelo Amendolare (Jacksonville) added two hits. Chatham, which fell to 8-9-1, got three RBI from Landon Cray (Seattle).

 

Orleans 11, Brewster 7

The Firebirds remained the hottest team in the league, topping Brewster 11-7 for their fifth straight win. Orleans is 10-8, while Brewster fell to 7-11. David Thompson (Miami) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) combined for seven hits in the middle of the order, with Thompson getting four and Tolman knocking three. Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) added three hits and Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) had three RBI. Despite all the offense, Orleans had to withstand a charge from Brewster. Mikey White (Alabama) went 4-for-5, making him seven for his last nine, while Travis Maezes (Michigan) had three hits, including a home run, and four RBI. But after the Whitecaps scored five in the eighth, Reilly Hovis (North Carolina) pitched a perfect ninth to seal the victory for Orleans. Kyle Twomey (USC) was credited with the win after 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

 

Y-D 8, Wareham 6

The Red Sox trailed by two in their last at-bat, but scored four runs in the top of the ninth and held off Wareham in the bottom half for an 8-6 win. Hunter Cole (Georgia) had an RBI single to make it a one-run game in the ninth before Andrew Stevenson (LSU) scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Josh Lester (Missouri) then smacked a two-run single to give his team the lead. Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton), the former first-round pick who seems to be sliding into a late-inning role for Y-D, blew away the Gatemen in the bottom of the ninth, striking out two and needing just nine pitches to finish it off. Cole finished with three hits and two RBI for the Red Sox, while Lester and Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) also had two RBI. Nick Halamandaris (California) homered for Wareham and Chris Chinea (LSU) had three RBI.

 

Falmouth 4, Hyannis 2

Falmouth broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth and didn’t allow another run as it won its second straight with a victory over Hyannis. Ryan Moseley (Texas Tech), making his debut in the lineup and batting ninth, delivered a two-run single in the fourth. Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) and Jake Madsen (Ohio) knocked in the other runs. Matt Hall (Missouri State), who came in with the league’s best ERA among qualified starting pitchers, gave up a two-run homer to Daniel Kihle (Wichita State) in the first but settled in from there. He went seven, allowing just the first-inning runs while striking out five. Travis Stout (Jacksonville State) picked up the save. Alec Byrd (Florida State) pitched 3.1 scoreless innings of relief for Hyannis, but the offense couldn’t make up the deficit. Falmouth, at 9-8-1, is just one point back of Hyannis for third in the West.

 

What to Watch

Tuesday is a league-wide day off, so watch the World Cup. When the league gets back to action Wednesday, division leaders Harwich and Bourne will square off at Whitehouse Field.

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The Last Blast

A.J. Murray hit a walk-off home run as Chatham beat Hyannis.
A.J. Murray hit a walk-off home run as Chatham beat Hyannis.

 

Sunday night was a big one for home runs in the Cape Cod Baseball League, with seven of 10 teams hitting at least one and those squads combining for 10 total.

They saved the biggest one for last.

In the bottom of the 12th at Veterans Field, Chatham’s A.J. Murray (Georgia Tech) hit a walk-off solo home run to give the Anglers a 5-4 victory over Hyannis.

Chatham was coming off a one-run loss to Brewster in which it was the victim of a late Whitecaps home run. This time, after tying the game in the eighth, the Anglers held Hyannis down and finally broke through in the 12th.

Murray led off the inning against Hyannis closer Ian Gibaut (Tulane), who had given up two runs – and no homers – in five appearances this summer. Murray jumped off the first pitch Gibaut threw – and made it the only pitch Gibaut would throw.

The homer was the third of the year for Murray, which puts him in a tie for the league lead.

It made a winner out of the other hero, Kyle Davis (USC), who continued to look like perhaps the most valuable pitcher in the league. He leads the league in appearances with eight, ranks second in the league in strikeouts with 20 and has a 1.35 ERA. He was at his bullpen-saving best on Sunday, coming on in the ninth and pitching four scoreless innings to keep the game tied. He allowed just one hit and struck out four. In the top of the 12th, he struck out the last two batters on four pitches each to give Chatham a little surge of momentum ahead of Murray’s blast.

Murray finished the night 3-for-4 with two RBI. Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) added two hits. Nick Collins (Georgetown), in as a pinch-hitter, knocked in the tying run in the eighth with a single.

Hyannis got a home run from Carl Wise (College of Charleston) and four hits from Donnie Dewees Jr. (North Florida). Ryan Perez (Judson) struck out five in three scoreless innings of relief and is now tied with Davis for second in the league in K’s.

Chatham improved to 8-8-1 while Hyannis fell to 10-7.

 

Orleans 15, Harwich 8

No one’s been very close to first-place Harwich since the first week of the season, but the Firebirds drew within two games thanks to their fourth straight win, a blowout of the Mariners. The Firebirds (9-8) scored five runs in each of the first two innings. After Harwich (11-6) chipped away to make it 10-7 going into the eighth, Orleans delivered another five-run inning to put the game away. Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) and R.J. Ybarra (Arizona State) hit back-to-back home runs to account for the five runs in the eighth. Dalbec finished with four RBI. Geoff DeGroot (Rutgers), Edwin Rios (Florida International) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) all had three hits. For Harwich, Angelo Amendolare (Jacksonville) had three hits and Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had three RBI.

 

Wareham 7, Cotuit 6

Cotuit (8-9) joined in the home run party with two, but the Gatemen (6-11) had a little more offense in the end in a 7-6 victory. Jake Little (Memphis) homered for the Gatemen, his third of the year, while Willie Calhoun (Arizona) went 2-for-4 with his 12th double. Charlie Warren (Rice) added two hits while Corey Ray (Louisville) had two RBI. Wareham finished with 10 hits and now leads the league in team batting average. The Gatemen bullpen also delivered, with four pitching combining on 6.1 innings of one-run ball. Nick Fuller (UMass-Dartmouth) was credited with the win and Ryan Olson (San Diego) picked up the save. For Cotuit, Logan Taylor (Texas A&M) and Austin Byler (Nevada) each hit their third home run of the summer.

 

Falmouth 8, Bourne 3

The Commodores touched up Bourne standout Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga) for three runs then really broke out against the bullpen and pulled away for an 8-3 victory. Sopko had struck out 13 and given up one run in 10 innings thus far, but Falmouth got a leadoff home run from Sam Gillikin (Auburn) in the first inning and tacked on single runs in the second and fourth innings. Sopko departed in the sixth, and Austin Afenir (Oral Roberts) – who went 4-for-4 – broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single. Cameron O’Brien (West Virginia) delivered an RBI double in the seventh. In the eighth, Afenir doubled home a run and Nicholas Ramos (Indiana) knocked in two with a base hit. The late surge made a winner out of reliever Kyle Zimmerman (Wayne State), who went two scoreless innings. Bourne still leads the West with an 11-6 record. Falmouth improved to 8-8-1.

 

Y-D 9, Brewster 7

Y-D held off a late charge by Mikey White (Alabama) and Brewster to snap a two-game skid. The Red Sox (6-11) led 9-4 going into the ninth before the Whitecaps (7-10) made it interesting. After a sacrifice fly by Wade Wass (Alabama), White hit his second home run of the game – a two-run shot – to get his team within two runs. But with a runner on first, Phil Bickford (Cal State Fullerton) came out of the Y-D bullpen and struck out Andrew Lee (Tennessee) to end the game. The win went to starter Bryan Bonnell (UNLV), who allowed three runs in six innings. The Y-D offense was led by Andrew Stevenson (LSU) and Josh Lester (Missouri), who had two hits each. Jason Goldstein (Illinois) had one hit and four RBI, while Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) drove in two.

 

What to Watch

The league leaders in ERA among qualified starting pitchers will square off as Falmouth visits Hyannis. Matt Hall (Missouri State), who has a 0.56 ERA, will go for the Commodores against Hyannis and Tate Scioneaux (SE Louisiana), who has a 1.56 ERA.

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Let’s Play Two

Brendan Hendriks had four hits and drove in five runs in Cotuit's doubleheader sweep.
Brendan Hendriks had four hits and drove in five runs in Cotuit’s doubleheader sweep.

 

Mike Roberts seems like the kind of guy who would have been right with Ernie Banks when the Cub legend famously said, “Let’s play two.” Roberts and his Cotuit Kettleers are making Ernie proud so far this summer.

The Kettleers have swept each of their Sunday doubleheaders this season. They beat Chatham on the first go-round then held off Brewster 7-4 and 4-3 yesterday. They’re only team that has swept both of its twin bills, and the doubleheader victories account for four of their six wins of the season.

They had lost four in a row heading into yesterday’s set, including a 9-1 thrashing at the hands of Y-D on Saturday. But against the Whitecaps, they got solid performances from their usual parade of pitchers and made the most of their offensive chances. They scored seven runs on only seven hits in the first game. In the second, they trailed 3-2 entering the seventh – the final inning because of the doubleheader – but scored two runs to win it.

Brendan Hendriks (San Francisco) was the offensive hero, going 4-for-8 with five RBI in the two games. He delivered a walk-off RBI double to win game two.

Hendriks, a college teammate of former Kettleer star and first-round pick Bradley Zimmer, has been doing his best impression of late. He ranks second in the league in hitting with a .394 batting average and is six for his last 12.

Jake Fincher (NC State) had two hits in the second game, including a single that started the seventh-inning rally. Ashton Perritt (Liberty) had a pinch-hit RBI single to tie the game.

The comeback made a winner out of Trey Wingenter (Auburn), who went two scoreless innings as the fifth Cotuit pitcher of the game.

In the first game, Hendriks knocked in three runs and Austin Byler (Nevada) homered to lead the offense. Adam Whitt (Nevada) picked up his league-best third win of the year with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief.

 

Harwich 3, Falmouth 1; Harwich 6, Falmouth 0

Like Cotuit, Harwich was sliding but snapped a two-game skid with a sweep of Falmouth. The Mariners 9-3, tied with Bourne for the best record in the league. In game one, Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and Cavan Biggio (Notre Dame) knocked in all the runs Jared Poche (LSU) would need. He struck out six and gave up one run in five innings. Ronnie Glenn (Penn) pitched two innings for the save. In game two, the Mariners got even better pitching. Jon Harris (Missouri State) went six shutout innings, striking out six and scattering five hits. Robby Kalaf (Florida International) pitched the last inning to finish off the shutout. Sal Annunziata (Seton Hall) homered to lead the offense.

 

Bourne 3, Y-D 1; Bourne 3, Y-D 1

The Braves posted a pair of 3-1 victories over the Red Sox and have now won four straight overall. In the first game, Andrew Sopko (Gonzaga) struck out seven in four innings of one-run ball before three relievers tossed a scoreless inning each. Joey Strain (Winthrop) pitched the final inning for a save. Harrison Bader (Florida) led the offense with two hits and two RBI. Jordan Tarsovich (VMI) had three hits for Y-D. In game two, the Red Sox led 1-0 into the fifth but the Braves scored three there and never looked back. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 2-for-3 and Blake Davey (Connecticut) knocked in two runs. Dylan Nelson (Radford) allowed one run in five innings for the win and John Gorman (Boston College) notched his league-best fourth save.

 

Hyannis 5, Orleans 4; Hyannis 1, Orleans 0

The Harbor Hawks scored a late run in each game to grab a sweep of Orleans. The first game went to extra innings after Orleans had scored three runs in its final at-bat on back-to-back homers by Timmy Robinson (USC) and Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) to tie the game. But in the eighth, Hyannis pushed the winning run across on an Austin Slater (Stanford) RBI. In game two, the teams were scoreless until the sixth, when Slater struck again on an RBI single. His Stanford teammate Marcus Brakeman, who was dominant, finished it off from there. Brakeman struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced in three scoreless innings. Sarkis Ohanian (Duke) started the game and went four scoreless for the Harbor Hawks.

 

Chatham 4, Wareham 2; Wareham 7, Chatham 3

The only doubleheader split happened at Spillane Field, where Chatham took the first game before Wareham responded for a win in game two. The Anglers fell behind 2-0 in the first inning of game one but scored one in the third and three in the fifth. Jake Fraley (LSU), Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) and Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) knocked in a run each, while Kal Simmons (Kennesaw State) and Ty Moore (UCLA) had two hits each. Charlie Dant (Dayton) allowed just two unearned runs in four innings and Lou Distasio (Rhode Island) went one scoreless frame before giving way to standout reliever Kyle Davis (USC). Davis, who leads the league in appearances and strikeouts, went two scoreless for his second save. In the nightcap, Wareham got five good innings from recent Omaha arrival Drew Harrington (Louisville). Chatham managed three in the seventh but nothing more. The Gatemen offense got three hits from Willie Calhoun (Arizona) plus a home run from Blair Beck (Kansas).

 

What to Watch

With the doubleheaders in the books, it’s a league-wide day off on Monday.

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Shutting it Down

stock_orleans14

 

On paper, it looked like the Orleans Firebirds had the best pitching in the league coming into the 2014 season. Some of their best – Virginia’s Nathan Kirby and Josh Sborz and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Ferguson – are in Omaha, but that hasn’t slowed the Firebirds down too much.

Orleans has won five games this summer, and four have been shutouts.

No. 4 was authored last night by Kolton Mahoney (BYU) and Ryne Combs (Kentucky) in a 7-0 victory over Wareham.

The Gatemen were riding a string of four straight games with double-digit hits, but Mahoney and Combs didn’t let them come even close to their fifth in a row. They combined to allow five hits and all were singles.

Mahoney, who threw a no-hitter for BYU this spring, was a draft-eligible sophomore this year and was selected by the Brewers in the 23rd round. He’s certainly catching their attention on the Cape, where he’s allowed four hits and no runs in 10 innings of work.

Mahoney’s previous outing was a four-inning relief stint in another shutout. Making his first start Saturday, he went six innings and allowed just two hits while striking out six. He allowed single in the second, an infield single in the sixth and nothing else. He’s now tied for the league lead in strikeouts.

Combs finished it off. The Kentucky reliever allowed three hits in three scoreless innings.

Orleans also had plenty of offense. Johnny Sewald (Arizona) went 3-for-5 with an RBI at the top of the lineup. Mitchell Tolman (Oregon) drove in two and David Thompson (Miami) had two hits and an RBI.

Orleans improved to 5-5 while Wareham dropped to 3-7.

 

Bourne 4, Harwich 2

Bourne beat Harwich for the second night in a row, and in doing so, created a tie for the best record in the league. Both teams are now 7-3. Samuel Kmiec (Winthrop) turned in six good innings for the Braves, allowing two runs and striking out six. Brett Morales (Florida) and John Gorman (Boston College) combined on three hitless innings of relief. Gorman picked up his third save, which is tied for the best in the league. The Braves offense, though it only scored four runs, smacked 13 hits. Richard Martin Jr. (Florida) went 3-for-5, while Mark Laird (LSU), Billy Fleming (West Virginia), Blake Davey (Connecticut) and Brett Sullivan (Pacific) had two hits each.

 

Y-D 9, Cotuit 1

The Red Sox handed Cotuit its fourth straight loss in a 9-1 victory. Andrew Stevenson (LSU) and Vincent Jackson (Tennessee) homered for the Red Sox as they hit a season-high in runs. Rob Fonseca (Northeastern) went 3-for-3 and A.J. Simcox (Tennessee) had two hits. On the mound, Justin Jacome (UC Santa Barbara) scattered eight hits in 5.2 scoreless innings for the win. Cotuit got three hits from Kyle Holder (San Diego).

 

Chatham 6, Falmouth 2

Max Tishman (Wake Forest) gave Chatham its best starting pitching performance of the season and the Anglers ran with it in a 6-2 victory over Falmouth. Tishman didn’t allow a run in 5.1 innings, striking out three and working around four hits. Michael Wallace (Fairfield) pitched 3.2 innings for the save. Patrick Mazeika (Stetson) hit the team’s second home run of the season while Ty Moore (UCLA) drove in two runs.

 

Hyannis 4, Brewster 1

The Harbor Hawks overcame a solid start from Brewster’s Andrew Lee (Tennessee) and got a good start themselves from Jordan Minch (Purdue) in a 4-1 victory. Minch allowed one run and struck out six in six innings. Lance Thonvold (Minnesota) went three scoreless for his third save. Lee gave up two runs in five innings, and the Harbor Hawks added to their lead once he departed. Donnie Dewees Jr. (North Florida) had a double, a triple and two RBI while Dylan Bosheers (Tennessee Tech) had two hits. Mikey White (Alabama) homered for Brewster.

 

What to Watch

Another set of Sunday doubleheaders are on tap today. The best one may be in Hyannis, where two second-place teams – Orleans and Hyannis – square off.

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Consistent Firebirds Pack Big Potential


 
orleans smallThe 2012 season gave Orleans its first non-winning season since 2002. The Firebirds righted the ship to make the Eastern Division finals that year, and last season, they were right back on the winning side of things. They had one of the best records in the league and made the Cape League championship series.

And this team looks even better. The Firebirds have put together a very talented group to this point. There’s top-notch pitching, with the likes of Nathan Kirby, Brett Lilek and Tyler Ferguson and there’s big offensive potential led by SEC stars Christin Stewart and Dansby Swanson.

Those proclamations come with the usual caveats – it’s early, rosters change, the College World Series pulls people away, etc. But for right now, I can’t imagine another team surpassing Orleans’ talent level.

In all those winning seasons, Orleans has had some teams like this and some teams that looked like this at first but didn’t pan out like this. Either way, you can expect another good summer at Eldredge Park.

 

THE SKINNY

Manager: Kelly Nicholson
Last Year: 24-19-1; Lost in CCBL Championship
Returning Players: 1
Juniors: 0
Sophomores: 18
Freshmen: 2

 

NOTABLE

  • If previous summer success is a good indicator, the Firebirds have a lot of talent on the way. They’ve got four of the first 11 on Perfect Game’s Alaska League 2013 top prospects list, the first three from the NECBL’s list and the second-best from the Northwoods League. As far as summer track records go, few Cape League teams will be able to match that.

  • Winning in the summer is good, too, and the Firebirds have three members of the 2013 Alaska League champion Alaska Goldpanners – Nathan Bannister, Cody Moffett and David Fletcher.

  • The top prospects from the aforementioned leagues are both on the Orleans roster and are both having big sophomore seasons. Nathan Kirby, who starred in the NECBL last summer, has pitched a no-hitter this year. He’s also been invited to Team USA. Christin Stewart, Alaska’s best, is slugging .561 in the SEC.

  • Orleans has only 10 pitchers on the roster right now, but it looks a high-level group. Kirby, Josh Sborz, Tyler Ferguson, Brett Lilek and Kyle Wilcox have all been successful starters this spring. Even some guys who are relievers this season, like Eric Hanhold and Nathan Bannister had big summers as starters last year. In the pen, Reilly Hovis has been a dominant closer for North Carolina.

  • The NECBL was dominated by pitching last summer, and Orleans has the three best arms from that circuit, according to Perfect Game. Kirby, Lilek and Wilcox went one-two-three in the league.

  • Orleans has two players who have been two-way guys on a regular basis this spring in Arizona’s Bobby Dalbec and Michigan’s Jacob Cronenworth.

  • Orleans almost always has a solid hitter from Vanderbilt, and Dansby Swanson is next in line. The sophomore infielder leads the Commodores in hitting, OBP and slugging.

  • Korey Dunbar has not set the world on fire in his two years at North Carolina, but he was rated the third-best prospect in the Coastal Plain League last summer, and will have a shot to be the top catching prospect on the Cape this summer.

  • David Fletcher is only a freshman, but don’t be surprised if the Loyola Marymount shortstop draws “beyond his years” kind of praise. He played in the Alaska League last summer and wowed everybody with his glove.

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    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Christin Stewart
    2. Nathan Kirby
    3. Brett Lilek
    4. Kyle Wilcox
    5. Dansby Swanson

     

    PITCHERS

    Nathan Bannister – RHP – 6’3 224 – Arizona – Sophomore
    Ryne Combs – LHP – 6’0 200 – Kentucky – Sophomore
    Tyler Ferguson – RHP – 6’3 225 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    Eric Hanhold – RHP – 6’5 195 – Florida – Sophomore
    Reilly Hovis – RHP – 6’3 190 – North Carolina – Sophomore
    Nathan Kirby – LHP – 6’2 185 – Virginia – Sophomore
    Brett Lilek – LHP – 6’4 194 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Cody Moffett – LHP – 6’4 213 – Arizona – Sophomore
    *Josh Sborz – RHP – 6’3 225 – Virginia – Sophomore
    Kyle Wilcox – RHP – 6’3 180 – Bryant – Sophomore
    * – returning player

     

    Nathan Bannister – RHP – 6’3 224
    Arizona
    Sophomore

    Bannister totaled just 4.2 innings as a freshman last spring, but he had a busy and productive summer in Alaska, where he went 6-0 with a 2.25 ERA for the Alaska Goldpanners on his way to a spot as the league’s 11th-best prospect, according to Perfect Game. He has not quite been able to carry the success back to Arizona, where he has an ERA over six in 12 relief appearances this season.

    Ryne Combs – LHP – 6’0 190
    Kentucky
    Sophomore

    Kentucky’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2011, Combs made his presence felt for the hometown Wildcats as a freshman, posting a 2.01 ERA as a valuable member of the bullpen. Combs has hit a rough patch this year and has seen his ERA balloon over six.

    Tyler Ferguson – RHP – 6’3 225
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    In a Vanderbilt rotation headed by star Tyler Beede, Ferguson has more than held his own for the Commodores. He’s 7-3 with a 2.66 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 67.2 innings pitched. Ferguson had pitched in a swing role for Vandy last year. He pitched for the Newport Gulls last summer and was named the NECBL’s 18th-best prospect by Perfect Game.

    Eric Hanhold – RHP – 6’5 195
    Florida
    Sophomore

    Hanhold didn’t make a big splash in his freshman year, but was named the second best prospect in the prestigious Northwoods League by Baseball America last summer. He has pitched mostly out of the bullpen for the Gators this spring and has a 4.40 ERA.

    Reilly Hovis – RHP – 6’3 190
    North Carolina
    Sophomore

    Hovis pitched well out of the bullpen as a freshman last year, and it was a sign of things to come. As a sophomore, he’s been busy and dominant. Hovis has made 30 appearances for the Tar Heels and owns a 1.73 ERA. He has struck out a whopping 70 in 52 innings – more strikeouts than two of the Heels’ weekend starters – while allowing opponents to bat just .171. He’s saved six games.

    Nathan Kirby – LHP – 6’2 185
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    Kirby has been invited to Team USA, but if he were to end up on Cape Cod, he’d easily be the most accomplished pitcher in the league. The top prospect in the NECBL last summer, Kirby tossed a no-hitter this year and has been consistently terrific outside of that game. He has a 1.62 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched.

    Brett Lilek – LHP – 6’4 194
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    A 37th-round pick out of high school, Lilek held his own in 11 appearances last spring. He then pitched in the NECBL and was ranked just behind Kirby on Perfect Game’s top prospects list. This spring, he has emerged as a bona fide ace for the Sun Devils, posting a 2.27 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched.

    Cody Moffett – LHP – 6’4 213
    Arizona
    Sophomore

    Moffett joined his Arizona teammate Bannister on the Goldpanners and the Alaska League top prospects list last summer, ranking eighth in the league after a terrific season out of the bullpen. He has continued to pitch in relief for the Wildcats this spring and is sporting a 4.20 ERA in 19 appearances. He has picked up two saves.

    Josh Sborz – RHP – 6’3 225
    Virginia
    Sophomore

    Sborz was a terrific reliever for the Cavaliers as a freshman before suiting up for Orleans last summer. He had some rough outings but impressed enough to crack Perfect Game’s list of the CCBL’s top 100 prospects. Sborz has moved seamlessly into the starting rotation this spring and is 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA.

    Kyle Wilcox – RHP – 6’3 180
    Bryant
    Sophomore

    Wilcox had an ERA over six for Bryant last spring, but he turned a lot of heads with a high-90’s fastball. He then had a strong stint in the NECBL that earned him No. 3 prospect honors behind Kirby and Lilek. This season, he has pitched mostly as a starter for the Bulldogs and has posted a 3.21 ERA to go with 40 strikeouts in 53 innings.

     

    POSITION PLAYERS

    Jacob Cronenworth – INF/RHP – 6’1 167 – Michigan – Sophomore
    Bobby Dalbec – UTIL – 6’4 219 – Arizona – Freshman
    Korey Dunbar – C – 6’0 215 – North Carolina – Sophomore
    David Fletcher – SS – 6’1 175 – Loyola Marymount – Freshman
    Devin Pearson – OF – 5’11 192 – California – Sophomore
    Johnny Sewald – OF – 6’0 160 – Arizona State – Sophomore
    Christin Stewart – OF – 6’0 205 – Tennessee – Sophomore
    Dansby Swanson – 2B/SS – 6’0 190 – Vanderbilt – Sophomore
    David Thompson – 3B/1B – 6’2 207 – Miami – Sophomore
    Mitchell Tolman – 1B/3B – 6’0 190 – Oregon – Sophomore

     

    Jacob Cronenworth – INF/RHP – 6’1 167
    Michigan
    Sophomore

    Cronenworth is listed as just an infielder on the Orleans roster, but at Michigan, he’s been a dynamic two-way player. A second-team all-conference pick as a freshman, Cronenworth has 10 saves this year to go with a 1.61 ERA. At the plate, he’s hitting .264 with two homers.

    Bobby Dalbec – UTIL – 6’4 219
    Arizona
    Freshman

    Projected as one of the best freshmen in the country, Dalbec has done it all for the Wildcats in his first year in Tucson. As one of the team’s busiest relievers, he leads the Wildcats in ERA at 1.94 and has saved two games. As a regular in the everyday lineup, he’s hitting .266 with two homers and 27 RBI.

    Korey Dunbar – C – 6’0 215
    North Carolina
    Sophomore

    A 39th-round pick out of high school, Dunbar hit under .200 in part-time action last year. He’s played nearly every day this season and is hitting .232 with three home runs. Last summer, Dunbar shined in the Coastal Plain League, where he was named the circuit’s third-best prospect by Perfect Game.

    David Fletcher – SS – 6’1 175
    Loyola Marymount
    Freshman

    Fletcher went undrafted out of high school but got a shot to play in the Alaska League and earned the league’s official top prospect award. He ranked fifth on Perfect Game’s list, with glowing scouting reports about his defense at shortstop and the part he played in helping his Goldpanners to the league championship. As a freshman at the collegiate level this year, Fletcher is continuing to shine, hitting .323 with 13 stolen bases.

    Devin Pearson – OF – 5’11 192
    California
    Sophomore

    A football and baseball star in high school, Pearson hit over .300 as a freshman for the Bears. He has struggled this year to a a.178 average.

    Johnny Sewald – OF – 6’0 160
    Arizona State
    Sophomore

    A product of Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman, Sewald saw spot duty last year but has become a solid contributor this spring. He’s hitting .305 and has stolen 12 bases in 16 tries. He’s also getting on base at a .425 clip.

    Christin Stewart – OF – 6’0 205
    Tennessee
    Sophomore

    The Firebirds’ Alaska contingent could be headed by Stewart, who was named the league’s top prospect by Perfect Game. Playing for the Mat-Su Miners, Stewart hit five home runs and led the league in slugging. Stewart was a prolific home run hitter in high school and the power has played this spring too. Stewart is slashing .341/.396/.561 with five homers, 18 doubles and six triples.

    Dansby Swanson – 2B/SS – 6’0 190
    Vanderbilt
    Sophomore

    Swanson was a 38th-round pick out of high school but his freshman season in Nashville was limited to 11 games because of an injury. This season, the sophomore infielder has made up for lost time. He leads the Commodores in hitting at .342, OBP at .421 and slugging at .497. He’s hit three home runs and driven in 27. He’s among the top 10 hitters in the SEC.

    David Thompson – 3B/1B – 6’2 207
    Miami
    Sophomore

    A 38th-round pick out of high school, Thompson hit .286 with six homers last year on his way to Freshman All-America honors. He’s been limited to 19 games this season but is hitting .328 with five doubles.

    Mitchell Tolman – 1B/3B – 6’0 190
    Oregon
    Sophomore

    Another Freshman All-American, Tolman hit .315 in his first season with the Ducks and has been even better this season. The infielder is hitting .322 with a .453 on-base percentage, 20 extra-base hits and a team-high 45 RBI.