No Homers, No Problem

T.J. Nichting had the go-ahead RBI single in Thursday's win. — T.J. Nichting had the go-ahead RBI single in Thursday’s win.

On a night when their best hitter was swinging for the fences in Omaha, the Orleans Firebirds scored just one run in the first seven innings of Thursday’s game with Harwich.

But as has been the case all summer, no matter who the Firebirds are without, they’re pretty good. First-place Orleans scored four runs in the eighth to beat Harwich 5-2 at Eldredge Park.

Kyle Lewis – who could make a case to be the league MVP front-runner so far – was competing in the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby. Lewis hit four home runs and couldn’t get out of the first round. (Chatham’s Will Craig had the best showing among Cape Leaguers, finishing as the runner-up to champ Jeff Campbell of North Dakota).

Without Lewis, Orleans was held to four hits through seven innings. Harwich starter Williams Durruthy (Florida International) went four strong innings. Harwich scored two in the fourth and led most of the way.

But in the eighth, a single by Alex Call (Ball State), plus two walks and an error, brought in the tying run. T.J. Nichting (Charlotte) plated the go-ahead run with a single, and the Firebirds tacked on a pair of insurance runs.

Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) came out of the bullpen for the ninth and struck out the side to put the finishing touch on the comeback win. Parker Bean (Liberty) was credited with the victory.

The Firebirds are now 14-5 and have scored the most runs in the league while allowing the fewest.

Hyannis 5, Falmouth 1

Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) took over the league lead in strikeouts with another dominant start as first-place Hyannis eased past Falmouth. Deeg allowed just one hit and one unearned run in six innings of work while striking out six. The lefty now has a 0.32 ERA with 27 strikeouts – and just three walks – in 28 innings pitched. Marc Skinner (Troy) and Thomas Burrows (Alabama) followed Deeg to the hill and finished off the win. Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) had a three-run homer to lead the Hyannis attack, while Blake Tiberi (Louisville) had two hits. With Wareham idle, Hyannis moved back ahead by two games in the West standings.

Bourne 5, Y-D 3

Bourne rallied from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Red Sox at Red Wilson Field. The Braves touched up Y-D starter Shane Bieber (UC Santa Barbara) for eight hits and three earned runs in six innings. Bieber had tossed seven shutout innings in his last start. Josh Rogers (Louisville) gave up three runs in five innings for the Braves. Austin Conway (Indiana State) got the win in relief. Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) both homered for Bourne. Nick Solak (Louisville) added two hits and two RBI, raising his average to .356, good for second in the league. Y-D got a home run from Stephen Wrenn (Georgia).

Brewster 6, Chatham 3

Brewster got the best of Chatham ace T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh), who hadn’t allowed an earned run all summer, touching him up for three runs in four innings. The Whitecaps added three more against the Chatham bullpen, finishing with 14 hits. Robbie Tenerowicz (California) went 2-for-5 with a home run – his third – and three RBI. Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. The top four hitters in Brewster’s order – Colin Lyman (Louisville), Jack Meggs (Washington), Senzel and Tenerowicz – combined to go 9-for-19 with six runs scored. Brewster’s Hansen Butler (North Carolina) got the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. Brewster evened its record at 9-9 and is just two points behind Chatham, who dropped to 10-10.

What to Watch

The Cape League kicks off the holiday weekend with the first of two days of home-and-home rivalry tilts. Orleans and Chatham will begin their set at Veterans Field tonight. Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) gets the ball for Orleans as he goes for his league-best fourth win. Zac Gallen (North Carolina), a budding ace for the Tar Heels who went five scoreless with eight strikeouts in his last Anglers start, goes for Chatham.

July 2, 2015July 2, 2015

All it Takes is One

Last Friday, Wareham beat Cotuit by a run with two runs in the top of the ninth inning. The go-ahead run scored on a passed ball. Wednesday, Wareham won by a run again, and this one might have been even more frustrating for the Kettleers.

A solo home run by Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) in the sixth inning was the game’s only run – and Wareham’s only hit. Four Gatemen pitchers combined on a shutout as the Gatemen won 1-0.

Wareham improved to 10-9 and is one game back of Hyannis for first place in the West. Cotuit dropped to 6-13.

The Gatemen were 0-5 in one-run games before the 4-3 victory over Cotuit Friday. Their luck turned around in that game and apparently didn’t run out, either. Cotuit’s Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) obviously took a no-hitter into the sixth Wednesday, but the one hit sent him to the hardest of hard-luck losses.

Calica, the No. 9 hitter in the order, came up with two outs in the sixth and smacked a 2-1 pitch for his first home run of the summer. Calica, who hit .329 for UC Santa Barbara, only had one home run this spring, too. He’s now hitting .438 in six games on the Cape.

Woodcock didn’t allow anything else – his season ERA is now 1.50 – and Mitch Stallings (Duke) tossed two hitless innings. But Wareham’s pitchers remained in control.

Matt Krook (Oregon) started and went two innings. He walked four and struck out two but didn’t give up a run or a hit. Blake Fox (Rice) followed with 4.2 innings, Ian Hamilton (Washington State) tossed two-thirds of an inning and Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy) went the final 1.2 without surrendering a hit.

Cotuit threatened with a little luck of its own when Will Haynie (Alabama) led off the ninth by reaching on a dropped third strike. He made it to second on a bunt and third on a groundout, but Spitzbarth stranded him there. Kort Peterson (UCLA) lined out to end the inning.

The Kettleers finished with four hits but none went for extra bases. Wareham’s one hit did a little more damage.

Harwich 6, Bourne 2

Harwich scored four runs in the fifth to break away for a 6-2 win over Bourne. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Connor Justus (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 with three RBI for the Mariners. Adam Pate (North Carolina) went 2-for-3 and now has 10 hits in eight games since Harwich picked him up after he was released by Orleans. Pate has three straight two-hit games and ranks third in the league with a .356 batting average. Pate’s UNC teammate Hunter Williams struck out seven in four innings and Ross Vance (West Virginia) got the win in relief after Harwich’s big inning. Joe DiBenedetto (Seton Hall) went three scoreless innings for his first save. Harwich did much of its damage at the plate against Bourne starter Nick Jensen-Clagg (Kent State), who hadn’t allowed a hit in his first two starts. He gave up six Wednesday, walked five and was charged with three earned runs.

Y-D 9, Chatham 2

The Red Sox built an early lead then pulled away with a six-run seventh inning in a win over Chatham. It was Y-D’s second win this week over Chatham, and the Red Sox sit just one game back of the second-place Anglers in the East standings. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) led the Y-D offense with three hits, a home run and two RBI. It was the fourth three-hit game of the summer for Walton, who’s batting .318. The homer was his first. Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) added two hits while Gio Brusa (Washington) – a 2014 CCBL All-Star – shook off his slow start to 2015 with a two-hit night. Barnstable native Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) made his Cape League debut and drew three walks. On the mound for Y-D, Brett Adcock (Michigan) walked five but surrendered only one run in five innings. Chatham got home runs from Luke Persico (UCLA) and Todd Czinege (Villanova).

Falmouth at Hyannis, PPD; Brewster at Orleans, PPD

What to Watch

Four games on tap today, including what should be a good pitching match-up at Red Wilson Field. Josh Rogers (Louisville), who was drafted in the 11th round this year but is planning to return to school, goes for Bourne against Y-D’s Shane Bieber (UC Santa Barbara), who went 7.2 shutout innings last time out. Also on the hill tonight is Chatham’s T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh), who will go against Brewster at Veterans Field. Zeuch has not allowed an earned run in his three starts.

June 27, 2015June 27, 2015

Coasting

Jacob Noll had three hits Friday and leads the league in batting average.

It’s been a quite start to the summer for Florida Gulf Coast players in Hyannis uniforms. Last week, Devin Smeltzer tossed a no-hitter. And last night, Jacob Noll . . . well, he just pretty much did what he’s been doing since the day he arrived at McKeon Park.

The rising junior went 3-for-4 as Hyannis beat Chatham 5-2 Friday night at Veterans Field. It was the 11th game – in his 12 games as a Harbor Hawks – that he’s had at least one hit, and his sixth multi-hit game. Noll leads the league in hitting with a .432 average, RBI with 11, doubles with seven and is tied for the lead in hits with 19. His seven doubles also rank him second in extra-base hits.

Noll’s success has helped Hyannis stay at the top of the West since week one, with the second-best team batting average in the league. Friday’s win moved the Harbor Hawks to 10-6.

Chatham had won three in a row – including a doubleheader sweep over Hyannis – but the Harbor Hawks got their revenge by rallying from a 2-0 deficit with one in the sixth and four in the seventh. JaVon Shelby (Kentucky) had an RBI single to start the comeback, Jake Rogers (Tulane) had an RBI double to tie it, Austin Hays (Jacksonville) knocked an RBI single to plate the go-ahead run and Noll smacked a two-run double to finish things off.

The comeback made a winner out of Marc Skinner (Troy), who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

As for Noll, it was another big performance, and it upped his batting average .32 points from the already-pretty-good mark of, you know, .400.

Noll has a track record of hitting and hitting a lot. As a redshirt freshman at Florida Gulf Coast, he batted .367 and was second in the nation in hits – behind former Cape League MVP Max Pentecost. Last summer, he batted .316 in the Northwoods League and checked in at 32nd on the league’s top prospects list. This spring, he was right on target again, hitting .348 and stealing 15 bases for good measure.

And now it’s another league, another big year for Noll.

Orleans 6, Falmouth 1

Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) tossed five strong innings and Kyle Lewis (Mercer) homered for the fourth time as Orleans bounced back from a loss to Chatham with a 6-1 victory over the Commodores. Serrano, who two years ago was ranked among the best pitchers in the nation out of high school, continued a solid start to his Cape League career, allowing one run in five innings for his third win in as many tries. He struck out two and allowed three hits. He hasn’t allowed more than three hits in any start yet. The bullpen finished the job in style Friday, with Parker Bean (Liberty) going two hitless frames and Jared Price (Maryland) and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) each striking out the side in one inning of work. Lewis went 2-for-3, and his two-run homer in the top of the first inning set Orleans on the path to a win. Lewis is now tied with his Team USA-departed teammate Bobby Dalbec for the league lead in homers. Nick Zammarelli (Elon) added two hits and two RBI for the Firebirds and Reggie Southall (USC) scored three runs. Falmouth starter Bryce Montes de Oca (Missouri), the 6-8 hard-throwing righty, allowed only three hits but walked six.

Y-D 5, Harwich 0

Shane Bieber (UC Santa Barbara) came through with one of the league’s best starts this summer as Y-D shut out Harwich for its fourth straight win. Bieber scattered four hits, struck out six and walked only one in 7.2 innings. Bieber was making his second start coming off a terrific year with Santa Barbara, where he teamed with former Y-D standout Justin Jacome. Doug Willey (Franklin Pierce) finished up the shutout. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) had a sac fly in the first and a two-run single in the seventh, giving the Red Sox most of their offense. Luke Bonfield (Arkansas) added two hits and an RBI, while Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) had three hits and two runs scored from the top of the lineup. The win streak has put Y-D just one game under .500.

Wareham 4, Cotuit 3

The Gatemen scored two in the top of the ninth to win their second straight and send Cotuit to its seventh consecutive loss. The Kettleers led 3-0 after two innings, but Wareham chipped away then broke through in the ninth on a Jay Jabs (Frankin Pierce) sacrifice fly and a passed ball that allowed Connor Beck (TCU) to score the go-ahead run. Shea Spitzbarth (Molloy) shut down Cotuit in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the win. David MacKinnon (Hartford) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Gatemen attack. Michael Paez (Coastal Carolina) went 1-for-3 for Cotuit, resuming an on-base streak that had been snapped at 12 games the night before. Paez leads the league in on-base percentage at .528.

Brewster 7, Bourne 2

Brewster’s offense had gone a little quiet in the days since a 16-run outburst against Cotuit, but it was back on track in a six-run fifth inning Friday that powered a 7-2 win over the Braves. Colin Lyman (Louisville) had two hits and two RBI, while Nick Senzel (Tennessee) had a double and two RBI, giving him a league-best eight extra-base hits. The Whitecaps finished with nine hits and now lead the league in team batting average. Jacob Jenkins (Pacific) allowed one run in five innings for the second time this summer and grabbed his first win.

What to Watch

Devin Smeltzer will be on the hill for the first time since his no-hitter when Hyannis hosts Bourne. He’ll face a worthy challenger in Notre Dame’s Ryan Smoyer, the top prospect in the Northwoods League last summer. Smoyer has a 4.32 ERA so far this summer.

June 2, 2015June 2, 2015

Red Sox out to defend title

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox surged to their fourth Cape Cod Baseball League championship in 11 years last summer, completing the run with a sweep of Falmouth in the title series. They made the run after finishing third in the East Division during the regular season and shuffling their roster regularly.

Another talented group, led by a deep pitching staff and a host of big-name freshmen, is on its way.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Mike Shawaryn
2. J.J. Schwarz
3. Will Toffey
4. Cole Billingsley
5. Brett Adcock

NOTABLE

Maryland is headed to a Super Regional and ace Mike Shawaryn has been a big reason why. After setting a school record for wins as a freshman, Shawaryn took the leap into bona fide ace territory this year, going 13-2 with an eye-popping 133 strikeouts. This may be the first preview, but it’s hard to imagine anyone in the Cape League has a better pitching coming to town than Y-D has with Shawaryn.

Shawaryn heads a list of starting pitchers with strong track records on the Y-D roster. Brett Adcock, Brandon Bailey and Shane Bieber were workhorses this year, with Adcock and Bailey both striking out more than 90.

Y-D had the league’s most fearsome closer last year in Phil Bickford. David Ellingson may not have the same pedigree, but he’s got the numbers. The Georgetown standout saved nine games with an ERA under 1.00 this season.

The Cape League always has a few native sons in uniform. Barnstable native Will Toffey could be the best in recent memory. The Vanderbilt freshman already lit up the Futures League last year and has forced his way into the lineup for the defending College World Series champions as a freshman.

TCU’s Brian Howard stands 6’9. That is all.

Y-D is slated to have three freshman catchers from powerhouse SEC programs. All have big potential, but J.J. Schwarz has made it good on more quickly than the others, with 15 homers for Florida in his debut season.

Y-D could have a very athletic outfield, with Stephen Wrenn of Georgia and South Alabama’s Cole Billingsley patrolling. Wrenn had started at center field in every game of his college career and flashed potential for Bourne last summer. Billingsley ranked 16th in the nation in stolen bases this year.

St. John’s Mike Donadio didn’t have a great sophomore year, at least compared to his Big East Rookie of the Year campaign in 2014, but he’ll be a valuable presence for the Red Sox this summer. A late addition last year, Donadio hit .367 with two home runs in the playoffs.

The Red Sox will likely have one of the youngest teams in the league, with 13 freshman ticketed for Red Wilson Field. That includes nine position players, who often struggle as freshmen on the Cape.

PITCHERS

Brett Adcock – SO – Michigan – Third-team all-Big 10 lefty K’d 95 in 90 IP, with a 3.10 ERA
Brandon Bailey – SO – Gonzaga – Strong starter for Gonzaga went 8-3 with 3.72 ERA and tied for 3rd in WCC with 91 Ks
Shane Bieber – SO – UC Santa Barbara – Dominated in West Coast League last summer and earned all-conference nod this year
Ben Bowden – SO – Vanderbilt – Native of Lynn, Mass., has been valuable bullpen arm, with 45 Ks in 34.2 IP
Gabe Cramer – JR – Stanford – Saw limited action in first two years, emerged as good reliever this year
David Ellingson – SO – Georgetown – Dominant closer had 9 saves, .75 ERA this season
Alex Faedo – FR – Florida – Late-round pick last year has been solid swing guy this spring, with 3.36 ERA
Mitch Hart – FR – USC – Jumped right into weekend rotation and posted 4.07 ERA; second on team in IP
Brian Howard – SO – TCU – Six-foot-nine righty struck out 43 in 43 innings this spring, pitching mostly out of bullpen
Dustin Hunt – SO – Northeastern – ERA ballooned near five, but righty from Andover, Mass., led Huskies in Ks
Dalton Lehnen – FR – Cincinnati – Freshman lefty led Cincy in starts but went 1-7 with 5.56 ERA
Mike Shawaryn – SO – Maryland – One of nation’s best pitchers went 13-2, had 1.66 ERA and struck out 133, 4th nationally
Ricky Thomas – FR – Fresno State – Freshman lefty had solid debut with 3.92 ERA
Chris Viall – SO – Stanford – Solid swing man on pitching staff had 4.73 ERA this season

CATCHERS

Mike Papierski – FR – LSU – 16th-rd pick in 2014 draft has hit .214 in limited action for loaded LSU team
Nathan Rodriguez – FR – Arkansas – Talented catching prospect was declared ineligible this season and did not play
J.J. Schwarz – FR – Florida – 17th-rd pick last year has had huge freshman season: .320 with 15 HR, 66 RBI

INFIELDERS

Tommy Edman – SO – Stanford – Started every game this spring, hit .296 with a homer
Dalton Guthrie – FR – Florida – Late-round pick in 2014 has started every game in debut season, posting .290 average
Ryan Lillard – FR – Arizona State – Iowa native hit .233 in 26 games as a freshman
Will Toffey – FR – Vanderbilt – Barnstable native & top prospect in Futures League last year hitting .309 in first year at VU
Connor Wong – FR – Houston – Hit .248 with six homers in first season with Cougars

OUTFIELDERS

Cole Billingsley – JR – South Alabama – Had big year after medical redshirt in 2014, batting .345 and swiping 30 bags
Luke Bonfield – FR – Arkansas – Mets’ 21st-rd pick in ’14 has hit .164 in limited duty for Razorbacks
Michael Donadio – SO – St. John’s – Big East Rookie of Year in 2014 batted .302 this year
Ryan Noda – FR – Cincinnati – Hit .230 and was second on UC to former CCBL all-star Ian Happ in HRs with 7
Stephen Wrenn – SO – Georgia – Has started all 109 games of UGA career in CF; hit .324 with 8 HR this year