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Independence Day

Donnie Walton and Y-D cruised past Hyannis on Saturday.
Donnie Walton and Y-D cruised past Hyannis on Saturday.

 
Four Cape League teams celebrated their independence on the Fourth of July – independence from the previous day’s results.

In the second games of the annual holiday series, the team that lost Friday won on Saturday in four cases. The fifth of those series – Bourne and Wareham – ended in a 0-0 tie yesterday, so there’s even a taste of independence for the Braves.

The most impressive turnaround belonged to the Y-D Red Sox, who lost 6-2 to Hyannis on Friday but came back with a dominant 7-0 shutout Saturday.

The Red Sox scored three runs off Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast) and added four more against the Hyannis pen. Five different Red Sox had two-hit games: Gio Brusa (Washington), Stephen Wrenn (Georgia), Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State), Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) and Ryan Noda (Cincinnati). Brusa, the 2014 All-Star with Brewster, has six hits in his last four games after scuffling out of the gate.

The offensive burst was plenty for Ricky Thomas (Fresno State), who turned in his best performance yet in picking up his league-best fourth win. Thomas allowed just three hits – all singles – in seven shutout innings. He struck out three and walked two. The lefty, who had a 3.92 ERA for Fresno, has picked up a win in each of his starts, and he’s deserved every one of them. He’s gone at least 5.2 innings and hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of his four outings.

Y-D went to 10-12 with the win and is now one of three teams in the East with 10 victories. Hyannis is 13-9.
 

Harwich 5, Brewster 4

Two Harwich pitchers quieted Brewster’s bats just long enough to set up a ninth-inning rally for the Mariners, who walked off on an RBI single by Nick Walker (Old Dominion) in the bottom of the ninth. Brewster had won two straight – and had pounded 28 hits in those games. The Whitecaps were limited to four hits Saturday by Scott Tully (Notre Dame) and Hunter Newman (LSU). They still managed four runs and carried a 4-2 lead into the ninth, but Harwich plated three runs for the win. Brock Deatherage (NC State) capped off a 4-for-5 night with the single to score the tying run. With the bases loaded, Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) struck out the next two batters with the bases loaded, but Walker cracked the base hit to win it.
 

Orleans 4, Chatham 2

Orleans scored all the runs it needed in the third inning and topped Chatham to regain an eight-point lead in the East standings. Daniel Pinero (Virginia) and Alex Call (Ball State) knocked in runs in the big inning, with Call plating two on a double. Call is five for his last 12 and has emerged as a key piece to the Firebirds lineup. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) got the win after allowing one earned run in 5.1 innings. Four relievers closed the deal, with Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) getting each of his four outs via the strikeouts and Jason Harper (Southern Connecticut) picking up his fourth save. For Chatham, Jake Fraley (LSU) went 2-for-5 and is 5-for-13 in three games since joining the Anglers after LSU’s run to Omaha. Fraley hit .307 and stole 23 bases for the Tigers.
 

Falmouth 4, Cotuit 1

Austin Tribby (Missouri) went six strong innings and Falmouth scored two runs in the third and fourth innings for a win over Cotuit. Tribby struck out four, scattered five hits and surrendered one run in six innings of work. He improved to 1-1, and his ERA now stands at 1.56. Andrew Frankenreider (Northern Illinois) pitched two scoreless innings of relief, keeping his ERA at 0.00 in eight appearances. Stephen Villines (Kansas) grabbed his fourth save. The Falmouth offense was led by J.B. Woodman (Ole Miss) and Logan Ice (Oregon State), who both had two hits and two RBI. Falmouth moved one game ahead of Cotuit for fourth place in the West.
 

Bourne 0, Wareham 0, 12 innings

Nine different pitchers took the hill at Doran Park and none of them allowed a run as Bourne and Wareham played to a 0-0 tie. Bourne threatened to walk off with a win several times, stranding two runners in the ninth and 10th innings and loading the bases but coming up empty in the 11th. Tyler Thorne (Stanford) escaped that final jam with a strikeout. For Bourne, Ryan Smoyer (Notre Dame) started and allowed four hits in six innings. Shaun Anderson (Florida) struck out six and gave up one hit in five innings for Wareham.
 

What to Watch

Orleans makes the Cape League’s longest trip as the Firebirds head to Wareham, but they’ll have standout Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) on the mound when they arrive. Jordan is 3-0 and hasn’t allowed an earned run in four starts. Wareham counters with Ryan Williamson (NC State), who will make his second start. He has a 5.55 ERA.
 

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Pitching leads Wareham

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Since winning the Cape League championship in 2012, the Gatemen have had a rough go of it, missing the playoffs for two straight years. With a talented pitching staff in place, Wareham will be poised for a return to prominence this summer.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Corey Ray
2. Anthony Kay
3. Matt Krook
4. Ryan Olson
5. Jarrett Rindfleisch

 

NOTABLE

  • Oregon’s Matt Krook was an unsigned first round pick of the Marlins in the 2013 draft. He was looking the part as an Oregon freshman with 60 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched last year before going down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. The procedure was done 13 months ago and Krook was reportedly ready to burn his redshirt and pitch in the postseason if Oregon needed him. That didn’t happen, so it appears the Cape League season will mark Krook’s return to the mound. He’ll surely be on a tight leash, but he’ll be interesting to watch.

  • While Krook obviously has a lot of potential, seven other Gatemen pitchers have potential and big seasons as starting pitchers to build on. Connecticut’s Anthony Kay is the best of them, having established himself as an ace for the Huskies with 96 strikeouts this year.

  • Another of those pitchers is Cal Poly Pomona’s Ryan Olson, who pitched for the Gatemen last year. Like Pomona teammate Cody Ponce, who pitched for Brewster last summer and rocketed up draft boards, Olson is coming off a huge sophomore season. He went 12-0 with a 1.73 ERA and 92 strikeouts.

  • Ian Hamilton has saved 28 games in two seasons at Washington State.

  • Indiana University has been good to the Gatemen over the years and fellow Hoosier State school Ball State is on the act this year, with pitcher Zach Plesac and catcher Jarret Rindfleisch poised for big things.

  • If Louisville’s Corey Ray doesn’t end up with Team USA, he’s primed to be one of the Cape League’s best. The sophomore has flashed power and speed in breakout campaign.

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    PITCHERS

    Shaun Anderson – SO – Florida – Won a Northwoods League title last summer and has 4.29 ERA as Gator reliever this spring
    Bailey Clark – SO – Duke – After just six outings as freshman, jumped into rotation and turned in 2.95 ERA in 13 starts
    Grant Dyer – SO – UCLA – Went from mid-week starter to shut-down reliever, putting up 1.82 ERA in whopping 42 appearances
    Ian Hamilton – SO – Washington State – Broke school record for saves with 15 last year, tacked on 13 with 1.67 ERA this year
    Brett Hanewich – SO – Stanford – Has started 27 games in two years for Cardinal, with 3.59 career ERA
    Drew Harrington – SO – Louisville – Set to return to Wareham after posting 0.29 ERA with 42 Ks in Louisville bullpen
    Zac Houston – JR – Mississippi State – After quiet freshman year, made 21 relief appearances with 3.66 ERA
    Daulton Jefferies – SO – California – Strong starter for two years running, went 6-5 this year with 2.92 ERA, team-high 74 Ks
    Connor Jones – SO – Georgia – Struggled in sophomore season, with ERA above 8 in 16 relief appearances
    Anthony Kay – SO – Connecticut – After strong summer in Wareham, lefty emerged as UConn ace with 2.07 ERA, 96 K in 100 IP
    Matt Krook – SO – Oregon – Former first-round pick missed 2015 season after Tommy John surgery, but is ready to work his way back
    Ryan Olson – SO – Cal Poly Pomona – After stint with Wareham last year, dominated for Pomona with 12-0 record, 1.73 ERA, 92 Ks
    Benton Parr – SO – Georgia Tech – Solid as starter and reliever in two seasons with Yellow Jackets, has career 3.53 ERA
    Zach Plesac – SO – Ball State – National freshman pitcher of the year last year had 3.27 ERA, 77 K in sophomore year
    Tyler Thorne – SO – Stanford – Has pitched mostly in relief for Cardinal, finishing with 5.18 ERA this year
    Ryan Williamson – SO – NC State – Pitched as starter and in relief and finished with ERA over five this season
     

    CATCHERS

    Jarett Rindfleisch – SO – Ball State – MAC Freshman of the Year in 2014 hit .310 with 10 homers this year
     

    INFIELDERS

    Nick Cieri – SO – Maryland – Infielder/catcher hit .299 as a sophomore for Terps
    Mark Karaviotis – SO – Oregon – Hawaii native grabbed starting SS job last year, hit .270 this season in second year with Ducks
    Andrew Knizner – SO – NC State – Emerged as standout in sophomore year, with .317 average, five homers
    Kramer Robertson – SO – LSU – Returning to Wareham after hitting .232 for Tigers this season
    John Sternagel – SO – Florida – Hitting .178 for Gators in limited action this season
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Connor Beck – r-FR – TCU – After redshirt year, has only seen action in 11 games for Horned Frogs this season
    Jamison Jabs – SO – Franklin Pierce – Hit .328 and smashed 13 home runs for D-II power Ravens
    Corey Ray – SO – Louisville – Team USA invite has been dynamic player for Cards, with .330 average, 11 HR, 34 SBs
    Logan Sowers – FR – Indiana – Indiana Mr. Baseball hit .257 with six homers in debut season
    Charlie Warren – SO – Rice – Returning Gatemen hit .311 this spring for Owls