Posted on

Video Game Numbers

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

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

The Braves didn’t leave it that way.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Hyannis 6, Wareham 4

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

 

Cotuit 5, Chatham 1

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

 

Orleans 3, Harwich 2; Orleans 2, Harwich 2

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

 

Y-D 8, Brewster 1

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

 

What to Watch

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

Posted on

Showdown

Kevin Cron knocked in two runs as Falmouth topped Hyannis.

 
Hyannis has owned the West for much of this season in part because it has owned Falmouth. Though the Commodores had the flashier numbers, the Harbor Hawks won each of the first four meetings, making it tough for Falmouth to make up ground.

Hyannis still takes the seasons series thanks to those four wins, but Falmouth has won the last two.

And the division is now co-owned.

With an 8-4 victory over Hyannis last night, Falmouth moved into a 48-point tie with the Harbor Hawks atop the Western Division. Cotuit, which lost to Bourne last night, is a point back.

For Falmouth, last night’s win continued a surge that always seemed close. The Commodores have won four in a row, their first such streak of the season, and they now lead the West in wins with 24. Hyannis is 23-16-2.

Falmouth was shut out for the first three innings last night by late addition Logan Carman (Southern Maine), a D-III All-American. Hyannis needs some help with departures of starters Jeff Hoffman, Patrick Andrews and Austin Pettibone.

It looked like Carman could provide the boost, but ultimately, Falmouth’s big bats represented a tough introduction. The Commodores scored five runs in the fourth and never looked back.

Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) led the parade for Falmouth with four hits, including a home run and a double. Kevin Cron (TCU) went 1-for-3 with three RBI, while Kevin Newman (Arizona) and Conner Hale (State College of Florida) had two hits and an RBI apiece.

On the mound, Trey Teakell (TCU) gave up three runs, two earned, in four innings. Kevin Mooney (Maryland) got the win with two innings of relief. Donny Murray (Holy Cross), Brent Stong (Bradley) and Hunter Brothers (Lipscomb) pitched a hitless inning each and combined for five strikeouts.

While Falmouth’s win tightens things up, the division title is still going to come down to the final three games. Falmouth plays Cotuit twice in its final three, which could make things very interesting. In the meantime, Hyannis has Wareham before two straight games against East foe Y-D.

A number of scenarios could play out. For now, Falmouth has made things a little bit tighter.

 

Harwich 5, Chatham 3; Harwich 3, Chatham 1

Harwich has been treading water for about two weeks but took a big step up yesterday with a doubleheader sweep of first-place Chatham. Harwich is now back in second place in the East, a point ahead of Orleans. In game one, Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) went six strong innings, allowing just one earned run. Mason McCullough (North Carolina) worked a perfect seventh for the save. A balanced attack led the offense, with Ben Moore (Alabama), A.J. Reed (Kentucky), Ryan Lindemuth (William & Mary) and Blair DeBord (Kansas State) driving in one run each. In game two, Harwich got a home run from Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston) to take a lead it never lost. Brett Austin (NC State) added two hits and an RBI, while Reed knocked in one. Dillon Peters (Texas) pitched three scoreless frames and Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) went four strong innings for the win, allowing just one run and striking out six.

 

Y-D 5, Orleans 3

The Red Sox stopped Orleans’ eight-game winning streak with a 5-3 victory and clinched the final playoff spot in the East in the process. Facing Jared Miller (Vanderbilt), who had turned in two consecutive dominant starts, Y-D scored five runs in the first four innings and made the lead stand up. Alex Blandino (Stanford) and Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) knocked in two runs each while Taylor White (UNLV) drove in the other. Auston Bousfield (Ole Miss) had two hits and scored two runs. On the mound, Clay Smith (St. Louis) gave up three runs in six innings for the win. Alexander Katz (St. John’s) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in his Cape debut before Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) finished it off.

 

Bourne 2, Cotuit 0

With Jaron Long and Austin Gomber departing, the Braves are going to need some help in the starting rotation come playoff time. After last night, Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State) may be up to the task. A starter in the spring but a reliever all summer, Lindgren made his first Cape start and dominated, tossing six shutout innings and striking out seven as the Braves shut out Cotuit. Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out four in two innings before Lindgren’s Mississippi State teammate Will Cox struck out the side in the ninth for the save. For Cotuit, newcomer Dalton Potts (Tennessee-Martin) went five strong innings but Bourne got to him for two runs that proved to be enough. Mark Laird (LSU) and Jeff Gardner (Louisville) drove in a run each.

 

Wareham 8, Brewster 1

The Gatemen pounded out 19 hits and got a strong pitching performance from Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisana) en route to a lopsided victory. Cutura, a hard-luck loser several times, went seven innings and struck out six while allowing just a run. He also finally received some run support. Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville) had three hits and a home run, while Trevor Podratz (Hawaii), Cole Stancil (St. Leo) and Ethan Gross (Memphis) also had three hits. Chris Chinea (LSU) had two hits and drove in two runs. With the loss and a win by Y-D, Brewster officially was eliminated from the playoff race.

 

What to Watch

Second place in the East may well be decided today as Harwich hosts a double-header with Orleans beginning at 4:30 p.m. The Mariners have a one-point edge on Orleans for second place.
 

Posted on

The Long Way

Jaron Long moved to 4-0 with another impressive start on Friday.

 
When I was choosing the midseason awards winners, I shied away from Bourne’s Jaron Long (Ohio State) for Outstanding Pitcher because he was off the innings and appearances pace of the league’s best. He’d made three starts, while others had made five.

It’s too bad the midway point didn’t come a few days later, because Long might have been the best pick.

The rising senior righty improved to 4-0 on Friday with his fourth dominant start of the summer. He gave up two hits in six shutout innings and struck out five as Bourne topped Harwich 3-2.

Long now leads the league in wins with four and ERA with a 0.41 mark. He has struck out 20 and walked only two all season. He’s given up just 14 hits in 22 innings of work – and just one extra-base hit. In three of his four outings, he’s allowed no runs. And three of his wins have come against Hyannis, Chatham and Harwich, three of the league’s best teams.

Long is in his second summer with Bourne. He was solid last year, with a 3.26 ERA.

The other thing about last year? He was 3-0. Together with the 4-0 start this year, that means Long has not taken a loss in his Cape League career.

Bourne has given up enough run support every time out this season, even when it was just one run in a shutout of Chatham in his first start. On Friday, the Braves got two hits and an RBI from Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State), plus two RBI from Vinny Siena (UConn). Once Long departed, Harwich touched up Jacob Lindgren (Mississippi State) for two runs, but Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) came on for the final two innings and put the game away. English struck out two in two scoreless frames.

That made a winner of Long – again. Is it too late to change my pick?

 

Cotuit 5, Falmouth 1

The Kettleers (15-10) orchestrated an impressive first-inning turnaround on their way to a victory over the Commodores (14-9). Falmouth loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first inning, but Cotuit starter Evan Beal (South Carolina) struck out the side to end the inning. And it was not an easy side to strike out – Beal went through Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State), Dylan Davis (Oregon State) and Kevin Cron (TCU), who have combined for 12 home runs this year. After that, the Kettleers surged themselves, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first and never looking back. Mike Ford (Princeton), Drew Jackson (Stanford) and Jake Fincher (NC State) drove in first-inning runs, part of big nights for all of them. Jackson and Fincher had two hits each while Ford had three and took over the league lead in hitting at .390. On the mound, Beal continued to dominate after his first-inning magic act, going six shutout innings with five strikeouts. Eric Karch (Pepperdine) picked up a three-inning save.

 

Hyannis 3, Orleans 2

The Harbor Hawks (15-7) won a one-run game for the eighth time this season, breaking a tie with a run in the sixth and then slamming the door for the win over Orleans (11-13). Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) homered while Dominic Jose (Stanford) and Jay Baum (Clemson) each knocked in a run. Griffin’s home run gave the Harbor Hawks the lead in the sixth and they finished strong from there. Mike Gunn (Arkansas) pitched a scoreless frame and Sarkis Ohanian (Duke) worked one-third of an inning before giving way to closer Eric Eck (Wofford). Eck got out of a first-and-third jam with strikeouts of Orleans power hitters Chris Marconcini (Duke) and Zach Fish (Oklahoma State). He then worked around two hits in the ninth to finish the job for his league-leading seventh save.

 

Chatham 4, Brewster 1

The Anglers (16-8-1) snapped a two-game skid with a 4-1 victory over the Whitecaps (8-16), who had won two in a row themselves. Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro) was just the stopper the Anglers needed, striking out four and giving up just a run on three hits in six innings of work. Schiraldi is now 2-1 and has turned in four straight impressive starts. David Speer (Columbia), who has hooked on with Chatham after getting released by Bourne, worked two scoreless frames in his first Anglers appearance. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) picked up the save. Connor Joe (San Diego) went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Michael Russell (North Carolina) had two hits and knocked in a run. Dante Flores (USC) also had two hits. For Brewster, Nicholas Vazquez (Pittsburgh) had two hits. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) struck out nine in five innings and now leads the league in K’s, but he took the loss.

 

Y-D 2, Wareham 1

After a combined seven scoreless innings, Y-D (12-12-1) broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the top of the 10th on its way to a 2-1 victory over the Gatemen (5-20). Taylor Smart (Tennessee) walked to start the 10th and took second on a wild pitch. Mississippi State standout Jonathan Holder entered the game for the Gatemen at that point, but the Red Sox continued the rally anyway. Alex Blandino (Stanford) singled to push Smart to third, and Taylor White (UNLV) brought him home with a base hit. Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) then pitched a scoreless bottom half to seal the victory. Neither starter factored into the decision but both were solid – Clay Smith (St. Louis) allowed one run in eight innings for Y-D. Tucker Simpson (Florida) gave up one run in seven innings for Wareham.

 

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit continue the Barnstable Patriot Cup series with a 5 p.m. match-up at Lowell Park. The Kettleers are 2-1 in the series so far, but the Harbor Hawks have a better overall record at 15-7. Cotuit is 15-10. Patrick Andrews (Clemson), who’s 2-0 with a 2.64 ERA, starts for Hyannis. Cotuit’s starter is TBA.
 

Posted on

Shut Down

Greg Allen and Orleans notched a big win over Chatham.

 
On a night when Cape Cod Baseball League teams combined for 10 home runs, you would have thought Chatham – one of the league’s best teams – would get in on the act.

Orleans wasn’t having it.

Four Firebirds pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout of the first-place Anglers in a 3-0 victory. It was the third straight win for the Firebirds and it stopped a three-game winning streak by the Anglers.

It also stopped a strong offensive run. Chatham had scored 22 runs in its three straight victories, making the Orleans pitching performance look that much more impressive.

Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) made his second start of the summer and dominated, striking out five in five innings. He gave up Chatham’s only hit of the night, a second inning single by Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry).

Brian Clark (Kent State), who had a rough go of it the last time he faced Chatham, followed Szkutnik to the hill and cruised, striking out three in two innings of work. Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) then made his second appearance since arriving after UNC’s run to the College World Series and picked up a strikeout in a scoreless frame.

Matt Troupe (Arizona), as usual, finished it off. The righty struck out the side in the ninth on 14 pitches, despite going through three of the best hitters in the Chatham order. Troupe now leads the league with four saves and he has struck out 14 in just 6.2 innings.

Orleans backed the stellar pitching effort with just enough offense. Late arrival Ross Kivett (Kansas State), who had gone hitless in his first four games, followed up his 3-hit breakout from Tuesday with a home run in a 2-for-2 performance. He drove in two of the three runs. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) also added two hits.

Aaron Garza (Houston) struck out seven in five innings for Chatham and was the hard-luck loser.

The Firebirds are now 9-7, just three points back of 10-6-1 Chatham.

 

Falmouth 5, Cotuit 3

Falmouth (10-7) had a big night with the bats and knocked off the league’s top team. Dylan Davis (Oregon State), playing in his second game of the summer, smashed two home runs and Kevin Cron (TCU) also went yard as the Commodores took an early lead and never looked back. Davis, who played briefly with Brewster last summer, finished 3-for-4 with three RBI. Cron went 2-for-4 and Leon Byrd Jr (Rice) also had two hits. Falmouth did most of the damage against Chris Ellis (Ole Miss), who has been one of the best pitchers in the league. He had allowed just one earned run and only two extra-base hits coming into the game. Trey Teakell (TCU) picked up the win for Falmouth. Mike Ford (Princeton) homered for Cotuit, his second of the year. The Kettleers fell to 11-6.

 

Harwich 10, Brewster 3

It was also a big night for the long ball in Harwich, where the Mariners (10-7) also hit three on their way to a blow-out of the Whitecaps (3-13). Ian Happ (Cincinnati) hit two homers as part of a 4-for-5, 3 RBI night that raised his average to .367, good for second in the league. Ben Moore (Alabama) also had a huge night, hitting a home run and going 4-for-4 with three RBI. Ryan Lindemuth (William & Mary) added two hits, while Derek Fisher (Virginia), Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston) and Branden Cogswell (Virginia) knocked in one run each. Jalen Beeks (Arkansas) picked up the win with five solid innings. Dillon Peters (Texas), a stand-out for the Longhorns this spring, made his Cape debut and struck out three in two innings of relief. Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) and Chris Oliver (Arkansas) finished it off.

 

Y-D 6, Hyannis 5

The Harbor Hawks (10-5) joined the home run party with two, but Y-D (8-8-1) rallied for two runs in the sixth on its way to the win. Sox ace Erick Fedde (UNLV) had his worst outing of the year, giving up five runs in seven innings, but he still picked up the victory. Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) and Darrell Hunter (Oregon) worked scoreless innings to keep Y-D in front. Andrew Daniel (San Diego) led the offense with two hits, raising his average back above .400. Taylor White (UNLV) drove in two runs. Kyle Wood (Purdue), Alex Blandino (Stanford) and Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) drove in one run each. Jeff Schalk (UAB) and Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) hit the home runs for Hyannis.

 

Bourne 4, Wareham 2

The Braves (8-9) steadily took control on their way to a victory over the Gatemen (3-14). Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) struck out seven and gave up just two runs in seven innings for the win. Michael Costello (Radford), who has hooked on with the Braves after Harwich let him go, struck out two in a scoreless frame, as did Trace Dempsey (Ohio State). Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) led the offense, going 4-for-4 with two RBI. Eric Fisher (Arkansas) went 3-for-3.

 

What to Watch

The holiday series continue with the same match-ups tonight. It should be another good one between Chatham and Orleans, with Andrew McGee (Monmouth), who’s been the league’s best pitcher, going against Josh Sborz (Virginia). In Hyannis, Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) – Baseball America’s seventh-best prospect in the league last year – returns to the Harbor Hawks and will make his first start. He goes against Y-D and Kyle Wood (Purdue).

 

Posted on

Small Ball, Big Play

Y-D's Cole Peragine makes a play at second earlier this summer.

 
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are the league’s best hitting team, and for a while there, they were playing like a squad that was exclusively the league’s best hitting team – either turning in blowout wins or finding themselves in slugfests.

On Saturday night, they were laying down squeeze bunts and flashing the leather so well that they ended up on ESPN.

The Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Brewster 4-3. The tying and go-ahead runs both came home on safety squeeze bunts by Andrew Daniel. In the ninth, Trevor Mitsui (Washington) hit what looked like the game-tying home run for the Whitecaps, but Y-D center-fielder Brandon Downes (Virginia) made a leaping catch to pull it back and keep the Red Sox in front. (You can watch the catch here.)

The play by Downes was so good that ESPN picked it up for SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. That’s the first time I can remember that a Cape League play has ended up on the Top 10. Kudos to Downes for making the play and to the Y-D broadcast crew for capturing it.

The squeeze bunts won’t be making ESPN, but they were key plays too. After the Red Sox got their first two runs on an RBI double by Taylor White (UNLV) and an RBI single by Taylor Smart (Tennessee), they went to small ball. Alex Blandino (Stanford) scored on Daniel’s bunt single in the sixth. In the eighth, with D.J. Stewart (Florida State) on third, Daniel dropped down another bunt, beat it out and watches Stewart scamper home with the go-ahead run.

The small-ball success made a winner out of reliever Darrell Hunter (Oregon), who struck out four in three spotless innings. Y-D is now 6-7-1.

 

Bourne 4, Cotuit 3

The hyped-up pitching match-up between Alex Haines and Ryan Kellogg ended up as a footnote when Bourne (7-7) rallied from a two-run deficit with three in the ninth and walked off with a 4-3 win. Mason Robbins (Southern Miss), who had a flair for the dramatic last summer, started the ninth with a double and came home on an error. A sac fly by Tyler Kuresa (UC Santa Barbara) brought home the tying run before Pat Kelly (Nebraska) singled home Bobby Boyd (West Virginia) with the winning run. Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) went 2-for-3 to lead the Braves offense. Kellogg (Arizona State) struck out three and gave up one earned in five innings. Haines (Seton Hill) struck out three in four scoreless frames and still hasn’t given up a run this summer.

 

Chatham 8, Harwich 4

The Anglers (8-5-1) stopped Harwich’s three-game winning streak with an 8-4 victory. Matthew Gage (Siena) struck out four and gave up two runs in five innings to pick up his first win and Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christ) worked two scoreless innings for the save. Dante Flores (USC) led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Cal State Fullerton standout J.D. Davis, who was 1-for-9 since arriving on the Cape, broke out with a 2-for-4 night. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Blake Butera (Boston College) also drove in runs. Harwich (9-5) got three hits from Branden Cogswell (Virginia) but couldn’t get back into the game after falling behind early.

 

Falmouth 9, Wareham 1

The Commodores (9-5) stretched their win streak to three and matched Cotuit and Harwich for the league’s best record with a blowout win over the Gatemen (2-12). Falmouth has won six of seven overall. Craig Schlitter (Bryant) was dominant on the mound, striking out three and giving up just a run on three hits in seven innings. Sam Gillikin (Auburn) went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI to lead a 13-hit attack. Joseph Maggi (Arizona) also had three hits, Kevin Newman (Arizona) had two and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) drove in two runs.

 

What to Watch

Two good match-ups on tap in the West. Bourne and Cotuit will meet for the second straight night. Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic), who was part of a combined no-hitter the last time he faced Cotuit, gets the ball again for the Braves, while Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) is slated to start for Cotuit. In Falmouth, the Commodores host 8-4 Hyannis at 5:30 p.m. John Means (West Virginia), who has a 1.86 ERA in two games, goes for Falmouth. Andrew Thome (North Dakota), who’s 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA, gets the ball for Hyannis.

Posted on

Armed and Ready

Chris Ellis turned in his third strong start of the summer for Cotuit on Thursday.

This is the time of year when hitters in the Cape Cod Baseball League usually start to settle in, but at least for a few teams, last night belonged to the pitchers. The five winning teams on the Cape slate combined to allow just three runs. Nobody allowed more than one run.

Two of the victories were shutouts that continued hot starts for the guys who helped author them.

In Bourne, Jaron Long (Ohio State) made his second start and was just as dominant as he was the first time. After going five shutout innings in his first start, he went six scoreless this time as the Braves rolled over Hyannis 9-0. Long gave up three hits and struck out six. For the season, Long has now allowed just eight hits in two starts – and amazingly, all the hits have been singles.

Long is back for his second summer on the Cape. He was solid last year, but this year he’s taken it to a new level.

Josh Laxer (Ole Miss) followed Long to the hill and didn’t let the shutout slip. He struck out four and didn’t give up a hit in three innings. The Bourne offense did the rest, with all nine starters getting a hit. Jeff Gardner (Louisville) and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) each had two hits and an RBI.

In Cotuit, the Kettleers didn’t have quite as much offense as Bourne – but they didn’t need it. Chris Ellis (Ole Miss) turned in his third great outing in as many tries as Cotuit eased past Wareham 3-0. Ellis went six scoreless, striking out one and scattering four hits. He’s now given up one earned run on eight hits in 14 innings.

Joel Seddon (South Carolina) finished the job for Ellis, going three innings for the save. He gave up two hits and stretched his season-long scoreless innings streak to 8.2

Wareham starter Fred Shepard (Amherst) was solid for the third time this season, giving up three earned and striking out five in seven innings, but the Kettleers got to him just enough to grab control. Will Remillard (Coastal Carolina) and Tim Kiene (Maryland) both hit their first home runs of the year and that was all the offense Cotuit needed.

 

Harwich 2, Chatham 1

The best individual pitching performance of the night belonged to Harwich’s Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State), who went five no-hit innings against the Anglers. It looked like Harwich might waste it when Chatham tied the game in the sixth off reliever Gunner Carroll (Army), but Carroll avoided further damage and Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) kept the game tied with four scoreless innings of work. That set the stage for Tanner English (South Carolina), who came up with one out in the 10th, fell behind 0-2, worked it full and then cracked a walk-off home run to give Harwich (9-4) its third straight win. English was 1 for his last 16 coming into that at-bat but he picked a good time to break out of the slump. Fitzgerald got the win for the Mariners. Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had the other RBI while Derek Fisher (Virginia) went 2-for-3. Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) went 1-for-4 and stayed atop the batting average leaderboard with a .405 mark. He also stole three bases to take over the league lead with 10. Chatham (7-5-1) got five strong innings from Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro College).

 

Y-D 8, Orleans 1

The Red Sox (5-7-1) were finally on the right side of a lopsided score as they cruised past Orleans (6-7). Alex Blandino (Stanford), Brandon Downes (Virginia) and Auston Bousfield (Ole Miss) each drove in two runs to pace the offense while Andrew Daniel (San Diego) and Taylor White (UNLV) had two hits each. The pitching staff, which was struggling mightily this time last week, got a quality start from Kyle Wood (Purdue), who struck out two and gave up just a run on four hits in 5.2 innings. In its five victories, Y-D has out-scored the opposition 32-8.

 

Falmouth 4, Brewster 1

The Commodores (8-5) got solid performances from three pitchers and broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the seventh to beat Brewster (3-9). Brandon Magallones (Northwestern) gave up just an unearned run in 5.2 innings, while Jared Price (Maryland) got the win with 1.1 scoreless innings. Donny Murray (Holy Cross) also pitched a scoreless frame, as did Zech Lemond (Rice), who was making his Cape League debut after a big spring as the Owls’ closer. Kevin Cron (TCU) led the Falmouth offense, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and his league-leading seventh double. He’s now carrying an eight-game hitting streak. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) added two hits and an RBI.

 

What to Watch

The top two teams in the league are set to meet in Cotuit at 5 p.m. as the Kettleers host the Harwich Mariners. The clubs have matching 9-4 records. Alex Haines (Seton Hill), who has struck out 14 and hasn’t allowed a run in two starts, is scheduled to start for Cotuit. Keaton Haack (Alabama), who went 5.1 strong innings in a Harwich win over Cotuit, is slated to get the ball again for the Mariners.

Posted on

Baseball’s Back

The sign pictured above greets drivers on Marion Road in Wareham. It’s a fitting image for day one of the Cape Cod Baseball League season, I think.

Baseball’s back.

The 2013 season got underway with four games (Brewster-Hyannis was postponed due to field conditions at McKeon Park).

In Wareham, it was certainly a new year. The last time the Gatemen were on a baseball field, they were dog-piling in Yarmouth, celebrating the Cape League championship. On Wednesday, a patched-together roster needed some late-innings magic but couldn’t find it. Chatham scored four in the eighth and three pitchers combined on a shutout in a 4-0 victory.

Starter Andrew McGee (Monmouth), the reigning Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Year, was tremendous for Chatham. He struck out seven in the first three innings and finished with nine in five innings. He allowed three hits. Ryan Leach (Franklin Pierce) pitched one inning and Andrew Chin (Boston College), a former fifth-round pick out of high school, finished the job with three perfect frames.

Wareham’s Sean Newcomb (Hartford) was almost as good, striking out six in six scoreless innings, but Chatham got it done against the Gatemen bullpen. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) had back-to-back doubles in the eighth to start a rally. After a bases-loaded walk Wareham nearly got out of the jam with a double play, but Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry) knocked a two-out single up the middle to plate two more runs.

Joe and Pickens each had two hits for Chatham, whose 11 hits were more than any other team on opening night.

Y-D 2, Bourne 0

Erick Fedde (UNLV) delivered the best pitching performance of opening night as Y-D shut out Bourne. Fedde, a solid weekend starter for the Rebels, tossed 6.2 scoreless innings in his Cape debut, allowing just two hits and striking out eight. Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) finished off the shutout with four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Salvatore Anunziata (Seton Hall) and Fedde’s UNLV teammate Taylor White drove in one run apiece. Bourne starter Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) also pitched well, allowing just an earned run. Returning all-star Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) had a hit for the Braves.

Cotuit 4, Orleans 2

In posting the best record in the league last year, Cotuit flashed a tremendous bullpen. On opening night, the Kettleers picked up where they left off. Five pitchers held down Orleans in the 4-2 win, with four relievers allowing just a run on two hits over the final 4.1 innings. Eric Karch (Pepperdine) got the win in relief, while Derrick Caypiak (Mt. Aloysius) picked up the save. Hunter Cole (Georgia) led the offense with two hits and two RBI.

Falmouth 6, Harwich 2

Also a strong pitching performance in Falmouth, where Brandon Finnegan (TCU) struck out eight in five innings on his way to the win. Finnegan, who’s also on the Team USA roster, allowed a run on three hits. Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton, the pitcher who’s also a basketball player for the Irish, got the start for Harwich and allowed just three unearned runs. Kevin Newman (Arizona) had a league-high three hits to lead the Commodores and also drove in a run. Conner Hale (State College of Florida) knocked in two.

What to Watch

If day two isn’t a wash-out, there should be a good match-up in the East, where perennial contenders Y-D and Harwich get together at Whitehouse Field. Two pitchers coming off solid springs will square off – Seton Hall’s Jose Lopez for Y-D and Nebraska’s Aaron Bummer for Harwich. Both of these teams still have some holes in the lineup, but they both also have returning stand-outs – A.J. Reed for Harwich and Robert Pehl for Y-D.