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Surprise, surprise

Cotuit celebrates its victory in game two. The Kettleers celebrated again last night.

 
The Cape League’s Western Division was tightly-packed all year, and it held true to form in the first round of the playoffs. No. 3 seed Cotuit upset No. 2 Falmouth in game three last night, while No. 4 Bourne knocked off No. 1 Hyannis in their game three. Both Cotuit and Bourne lost the first game of the series before winning the next two. It’s the second time in the four years of this playoff format that a No. 3 and No. 4 team from the same division have both advanced. Cotuit and Wareham did it in 2010, with Cotuit going on to the league title.

In the East, Orleans held off Harwich for a spot in the division championship opposite Chatham.

Cotuit 5, Falmouth 2

The Cotuit-Falmouth was back-and-forth series between two really good teams, and game three was more of the same. Falmouth jumped ahead 2-0 in the first, but Cotuit came back to take the lead in the fourth and held off every Commodore charge to win it.

The 2-0 Falmouth lead was built in loud fashion, when Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) launched a home run to the street beyond left field at Guv Fuller Field, which is a pretty serious shot.

But Cotuit was undeterred.

Starter Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) went six innings and the homer was his only blemish. He retired seven straight after the home run and allowed just two more hits the rest of the way. Facing Gillaspie in the fourth with runners on first and third, Cecilio induced an inning-ending double play.

That performance set the stage for the Kettleers to break through, and they did. Hunter Cole (Georgia) had an RBI double in the second to cut the lead in half. In the fourth, Cole drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game and Austin Byler (Nevada) knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Cotuit added a run in the eighth on a squeeze bunt by Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) and another in the ninth on a Garrett Stubbs (USC) RBI single.

Cotuit reliever Wesley Cox (Texas San Antonio) stranded two in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth when he had to go through Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) and Gillaspie. He struck out Hoskins and got Gillaspie to fly out. Cox gave up one more single in the ninth but induced a pair of fly-outs to end it.

The Kettleers are into the West finals for the first time since their championship season in 2010.

For Falmouth, the loss ended a terrific year that included a share of the regular-season title and a whole lot of offense. The Commodores were a fun team to watch, and I imagine we’ll hear a lot of these names again when the draft rolls around next year.

 

Bourne 9, Hyannis 2

Rocky McCord (Auburn) struck out nine in five innings for Hyannis, but Bourne broke the game open against the Harbor Hawks bullpen and cruised to the upset victory.

The Braves trailed 2-1 going into the sixth, but scored three runs to take the lead then blew the doors off with five in the eighth.

Trent Gilbert (Arizona), who scored the only run in Bourne’s 1-0 victory the night before, went 3-for-5 on Thursday with three RBI. He was part of a huge effort from the bottom of the Bourne order. Eight hitter Tyler Kuresa (UC Santa Barbara) went 2-for-5 with two RBI and nine hitter Richard Gonzalez (Alabama State) went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) added two hits and an RBI.

Cody Livingston (Southern Miss) was dominant out of the Bourne bullpen, which kept the Braves within striking distance. Livingston struck out six and allowed just one hit in 3.2 innings. Sam Dodge (Harvard), making his first appearance, struck out two in a scoreless ninth.

Landon Curry (Indiana State) and Steve Wilkerson (Clemson) had three hits each for Hyannis, but it wasn’t enough.

The Braves are into the West finals for the second straight year. They also did it as the No. 4 seed last year.

Hyannis bids farewell to a talented group that gave the franchise its second division title in three years.

 

Orleans 2, Harwich 0

Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) and Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) matched each other pitch-for-pitch for six innings before the Firebirds scratched runs across in the seventh and eighth to get the victory.

Miller struck out eight and allowed just three hits in seven scoreless innings. He took a no-hitter into the fifth. Bummer struck out seven and took a shutout into the seventh, before Orleans found a way – a weird way – to get to him. With runners on second and third in the seventh, Bummer threw a wild pitch as he was trying to issue an intentional wall, and Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) raced home.

Orleans added another run in the eighth on a Davidson RBI single, and reliever Brian Clark (Kent State) made the lead stand up. Clark, who tied for the league lead in appearances, had yet to pitch in the playoffs but made it worth the wait. He allowed just a walk while keeping Harwich off the board for the final two innings.

Davidson and Will Fulmer (Montevallo) had two hits to lead the Orleans offense.

The Firebirds will face Chatham in the East finals, the first time the two have met in a finals series since 2005. That Orleans team featured Manny Burriss and it beat an Evan Longoria-led Chatham team on its way to the championship. That was the last league championship for Orleans.

Harwich closed out a memorable campaign and playoff run. The two teams were separated by one point in the regular-season standings and by a total of two runs in the three playoff games.

 

What to Watch

If the weather cooperates, it’ll be Bourne visiting Cotuit at 4 p.m. and Orleans traveling to Chatham at 7 p.m.

The Bourne starter is likely Kris Gardner (Wichita State), who had some ups and downs but went seven strong innings in his last start. Cotuit’s starter is TBA. Also keep an eye on the status of Max Pentecost. The Cape League MVP was not in the lineup for Bourne last night, and Jen McCaffrey of the Cape Cod Times reported it was because of a bum knee.

Orleans’ probable starter is listed as Corey Miller (Pepperdine), who’s been solid all summer and went five scoreless in his last start. Chatham will send all-star Matt Gage (Siena) to the hill.
 

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Finish Line

Caleb Bryson hit his fourth home run in three games as Cotuit played spoiler with a victory over Falmouth.

 
The marathon Western Division race that’s been close almost the entire summer ended on a stormy Sunday night with a walk, rather than a sprint, to the finish line.

When Cotuit shocked Falmouth with a 9-3 victory in the earliest start of the day, it meant there would be, at worst, a tie for first place. Hyannis then lost to Y-D 2-0 after a rain delay, creating just such a tie. Hyannis and Falmouth will share the division title, the first time two teams have shared a crown in the Cape League since 2003, when Brewster and Orleans finished tied atop the East standings. Hyannis will be the top seed by virtue of a 4-2 head-to-head record against Falmouth.

The one-point margin separating Hyannis, Falmouth and Cotuit makes it the tightest three-team race since at least 2000.

The funny thing about the way it all ended is that Cotuit, the team that was eliminated from first-place contention on Saturday, still had its say. The Kettleers were going to finish in third no matter what they did Sunday, and Falmouth came to Lowell Park riding a six-game winning streak.

But Cotuit cruised, scoring four runs in the first inning and opening up a 9-0 cushion before Falmouth tacked on some runs in the late innings. Caleb Bryson (Samford), a late pick-up by the Kettleers, hit two home runs and has now hit four in three games. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) drove in two runs each and Jake Fincher (NC State) had three hits.

Vaughn Hayward (Bryant), whose brother Garrett played for Falmouth as a temp earlier in the summer, got a spot start for Cotuit and shined, going 4.2 innings without allowing a run. Josh Hochstatter (Stanford) finished the job.

The only bright spot for Falmouth was that Kevin Newman (Arizona) went 2-for-2 and coasted to the Cape League batting title. He went 10-for-12 in his last three games, shooting his average from .338 to a season-ending mark of .375.

Sunday’s results mean Cotuit and Falmouth will meet again in the playoffs, fresh off their two straight games to end the regular season.

 

Y-D 2, Hyannis 0

Three Y-D pitchers combined on a shutout to keep Hyannis from claiming an outright division title. Sam Lindquist (Stanford) allowed three hits in four innings, Graham Tebbit (Hofstra) struck out four in three innings in his Cape debut and Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) worked two hitless innings for the save. Brandon Downes (Virginia) went 3-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season and Matt Honchel (Miami) drove in the other run. The Red Sox finished fourth in the East.

 

Orleans 12, Chatham 3

The Firebirds held onto second place in the East with a 12-3 victory over Chatham that included a team effort to get the field in shape after a storm. Orleans scored eight runs in the first two innings and never looked back, winning for the 11th time in its last 12 games. Chris Marconcini (Duke) went 2-for-4 with four RBI, while Will Fulmer (Montevallo) had three hits and three runs scored. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) had two hits and drove in two runs. Four pitchers combined on a solid performance, with Kyle Twomey (USC) getting the win. For Chatham, Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) hit his seventh home run to finish second in the league, but the loss was the fifth in a row. Chatham clinched the division title last Wednesday and then didn’t win again.

 

Harwich 5, Brewster 1

Scott Heineman (Oregon) finished his terrific summer by playing every position on the field for the Whitecaps. In the meantime, Harwich finished strong with a 5-1 victory. Heineman went 0-for-4 while he was busy moving around the diamond, starting at catcher then jumping around the infield and the outfield until taking the mound and recording a strikeout for the last out of the eighth. For Harwich, Tyler Burgess (Missouri State) went five scoreless innings for the win. A couple of position players took their turns on the mound too, with Ian Happ (Cincinnati) giving up two runs and Tanner English (South Carolina) striking out two in a scoreless ninth. Happ had a double, a triple and two RBI to lead the offense.

 

Bourne vs. Wareham, Canceled

The Braves and Gatemen played three innings before rain drenched Doran Park. With the game having no impact on the standings, it was canceled.

 

What to Watch

Teams have a day off today before the playoffs begin Tuesday. Check back here for some playoff preview thoughts.

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Fired Up

Will Fulmer and his mates at the top of the Orleans lineup have helped power a six-game winning streak.

 
Chatham has run away with the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Eastern Division, but outside of the Anglers, it’s been a wide open race.

There’s a new leader.

Orleans beat Wareham 5-2 last night for its sixth consecutive win. Coupled with a Harwich loss, the Firebirds – the same Firebirds who almost fell into the basement a few weeks ago – are now in second place behind Chatham with 38 points. It’s still a tight race, with Harwich a point out of second and Y-D two points back, but for the moment, the Firebirds are at the top of the non-Chatham heap.

The Orleans streak began with a much-needed victory over Brewster on July 20. At the time, it looked like a key win in the battle for fourth place. Since then, though, the Firebirds have left the Whitecaps – and everybody else – behind.

Last night, the streak continued with a comeback victory over a Wareham team that has been playing better of late. The Firebirds trailed 2-0 but tied the game in the sixth and scored three runs in the eighth to take the lead. Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) got the win and Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) picked up the save with two strikeouts in the ninth once his team got the lead.

Two of the biggest reasons for Orleans’ success were on full display in the victory – bullpen work and the ability of the top of the order to set the table.

The bullpen has pitched 21.2 innings in the six-game winning streak and has allowed just four earned runs. That means leads have been consistently maintained and deficits have been held in check, setting the stage for comebacks like the one Orleans delivered last night.

Offensively, the top third of the Orleans order is really getting it done, led by Ross Kivett (Kansas State). A 10th-round pick this June who opted not to sign, Kivett took over the leadoff spot after Greg Allen left the team due to an injury and has been terrific. After starting the year 0-for-15, he has reached base in 25 straight games, with hits in 22 of those games. He’s the league leader in hitting among active players with a .358 average, and he’s batting .444 in the six-game winning streak.

Will Fulmer, who hails from Division II Montevallo, has been a consistent performer for the Firebirds all summer and he too has heated up during the recent surge. Fulmer is batting .400 with six runs scored in the winning streak. The typical third batter, Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) had his best hot streak just before the Firebirds took off, but he’s been steady during the streak too, batting .318 with six runs scored.

Together, the top three have scored 21 of Orleans’ 39 runs in the win streak.

That’s an impressive number – and it has helped fuel an impressive run.

 

Chatham 8, Falmouth 0

Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro) dominated Falmouth again as the Anglers cruised to their 25th win of the season. Schiraldi had pitched six shutout innings against Falmouth in his last start. Matched up with the Commodores again, he did the exact same thing, striking out three and allowing just three hits in six scoreless innings. Schiraldi has allowed one earned run in his last four starts – all wins – and has lowered his ERA to 1.19. Beyond Schiraldi, the bullpen also shined, with three relievers combining for six strikeouts in three hitless innings. The offense gave the pitchers all the support they needed in the early going, scoring six runs in the first inning. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) led the Anglers with a home run, a double and four RBI in the game.

 

Cotuit 4, Hyannis 1

In the final regular season match-up of the longtime rivals, Cotuit put together a four-run sixth inning and held on to clinch the Barnstable Patriot Cup. Cotuit finished with a 4-2 record against the Harbor Hawks. Hyannis starter Kyle Freeland (Evansville), the Cape League’s strikeout leader, was dominant for the first five innings but Cotuit got to him in the sixth. A Logan Ratledge (NC State) two-run double gave Cotuit the lead. After Freeland departed, Hunter Cole (Georgia) hit an RBI single and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) smacked an RBI triple. That was enough for the one-man relief effort of Eric Karch (Pepperdine). After starter Jared Walsh (Georgia) went four innings, Karch went the final five and dominated. He allowed just one hit and struck out five. The win moved Cotuit to within one point of Hyannis for first place in the West.

 

Y-D 7, Harwich 4

Y-D further tightened the East race with a victory over Harwich. The teams are now just one point apart in the standings. The Red Sox took a 7-1 thanks to home runs by Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) and Brandon Downes (Virginia), plus an RBI from D.J. Stewart (Florida State). Harwich scored three runs in the ninth but couldn’t get closer as Y-D closer Darrell Hunter (Oregon) came on to slam the door. Sam Lindquist (Stanford) got the win with five solid innings.

 

Bourne 8, Brewster 7

The Braves held off a late charge in dramatic fashion to top Brewster. With the Whitecaps trailing by two in the ninth and two men in scoring position, Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) lined a base hit into left. One run scored but left-fielder Jeff Gardner (Louisville) threw out Nick Lynch (UC Davis) at the plate to end the game. The defensive heroics made a winner out of reliever Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast). Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) turned in a solid start for the Braves, allowing two runs in five innings. Trent Gilbert (Arizona) and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) led the offense with four hits apiece. Gilbert had two RBI, as did Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) and Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech). Lynch had four RBI for Brewster.

 

What to Watch

Orleans will try to stay hot against a Cotuit team that has won four of five. Cotuit’s only loss in that stretch came to Orleans. Evan Beal (South Carolina), who went seven scoreless in his last start, gets the ball for the Kettleers. Orleans sends Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) and his 1.98 ERA to the hill.
 

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MVP Return

Kyle Schwarber went 4-for-4 with a game-tying home run in his return to the Cape.

 
Kyle Schwarber’s return to the Cape Cod Baseball League happened on the same field where he left it.

Little else in the setting was the same.

On August 17, 2012, Schwarber led the Wareham Gatemen to the league championship on a sunny afternoon at Red Wilson Field in Yarmouth, with fans tucked into every nook and cranny. On July 25, 2013, Schwarber helped a struggling Wareham team salvage a tie with Y-D on a cool, dreary evening.

The fact that he was here for both is one of the coolest stories of the 2013 Cape Cod Baseball League season.

Schwarber earned Playoff MVP honors last summer when he hit two home runs in Wareham’s championship-clinching victory. His emergence as a star continued on the same trajectory in the spring, when he hit .366 with 18 home runs and led Indiana to the College World Series. He was ticketed for a return to Wareham, but Team USA came calling and Schwarber ran with the opportunity.

But along the way, he told Wareham officials he wanted to come back when Team USA’s season ended. It was easy to envision him returning and pushing the Gatemen over the top, leading them to more playoff glory.

That probably isn’t going to happen. Wareham has had a tough season and needs a miracle just to grab the fourth spot in the playoffs.

And still, Schwarber came.

This is a guy who has been playing baseball non-stop since Indiana’s season began on February 15. The grind took him across the country, then to Omaha then to Japan with Team USA.

Coming back to Cape Cod for a few meaningless games, when scouts already have a good feel for who he is? Nobody would have blamed him if he headed home instead.

But still, Schwarber came.

Last night, karma smiled on that move. Schwarber went 4-for-4 in his 2013 debut and his two-run homer in the ninth inning tied the game at 2-2. Wareham and Y-D went on to finish in a tie. Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisiana) delivered a strong performance on the mound for the Gatemen.

Schwarber’s move is reminiscent of something another Wareham great once did. Matt Murton, who went on to a Major League career, broke his finger at Team USA tryouts in 2002. The temptation would have been to take the rest of the summer off. Instead, Murton returned to Wareham – where he’d played the summer before – let the finger heal and was in the lineup as the Gatemen won their second consecutive league championship.

Schwarber likely won’t cap his return with the same kind of hardware, but the sentiment is the same. Both had great experiences in Wareham and both felt a measure of loyalty that isn’t always a priority in summer baseball.

Schwarber is now 6-for-9 with three home runs in his last two Cape League games. The gap between those games – when they happened and what they meant – is huge, but Schwarber was doing his thing all the same.

 

Brewster 2, Falmouth 0

The Whitecaps have hit another rough patch but last night was a pretty serious bright spot. Jake Stinnett (Maryland) struck out eight in seven shutout innings as Brewster topped Falmouth 2-0. Stinnett took a no-hitter into the sixth before a base hit by Cameron O’Brien (Northeast Texas CC). It was the only hit he allowed. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) and Brad Schreiber (Purdue) finished the shutout with an inning each. Nick Lynch (UC Davis) delivered all the offense Brewster needed with two RBI, while Boo Vazquez (Pittsburgh) had two hits and scored both runs. Vazquez has a six-game hitting streak. The win was made all the more impressive by the fact that Brewster’s bus broke down before the game and the team arrived just 30 minutes before game time.

 

Orleans 7, Cotuit 3

The Firebirds won their fifth straight, riding a dominant performance by Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) to a victory over the Kettleers. Miller started the summer in the bullpen but went seven shutout innings in his second start last week. This time, he went six scoreless and struck out 10 while allowing just two hits. Shawn O’Neill (La Salle) picked up the save. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) had two hits and two RBI, while Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) also drove in two. Will Fulmer (Montevallo) and Chris Marconcini (Duke) added two hits each. Orleans is now 18-18, just a point back of Harwich for second place in the West. For Cotuit, Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) made his return from Team USA and went 1-for-4.

 

Harwich 10, Hyannis 0

Dillon Peters (Texas) turned in his second straight dominant start and the Mariners pulled away late for an easy victory. Peters struck out six in five scoreless innings after seven shutout innings in his last start. Logan Jernigan (NC State) struck out four in three innings of relief and Jake Drossner (Maryland) finished the job. Derek Fisher (Virginia) had two RBI to lead the attack, while Ben Moore (Alabama) and Tanner English (South Carolina) had two hits each.

 

Chatham 7, Bourne 3

The Anglers delivered a steady offensive performance and held off Bourne for their 24th victory of the season. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) had two hits, including a home run, to power the offense. Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) added two hits and two RBI, Michael Russell (North Carolina) had two hits, Blake Butera (Boston College) drove in two runs and recent arrival Brett Bell (Texas Tech) added two hits. Andrew McGee (Monmouth) gave up three runs in four innings. Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech) got the win with three scoreless innings of relief and David Speer (Columbia) shut down his former team over the final two innings for the save. Bourne got four hits from Mark Laird (LSU) but was again kept from clinching a playoff spot.

 

What to Watch

Orleans and Cotuit will meet for a second straight night, this time at Lowell Park. It should be a good pitching match-up with Bobby Poyner (Florida) starting for Orleans and Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina) going for Cotuit. Smith was one of the league’s top strikeout pitchers before he missed his last turn in the rotation.

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First Place Duel

Kyle Freeland struck out six in two innings and combined with Jeff Hoffman on a shutout of Chatham.

 
For all the parity in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer, there have been just four 1-0 games. Two of them have come in the budding rivalry between division leaders Hyannis and Chatham.

And knowing Hyannis’ propensity for winning close games, you can guess how they’ve gone.

The Harbor Hawks posted their second 1-0 win of the season against the Anglers last night, and this one was the most impressive. Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) and Kyle Freeland (Evansville) combined for 16 strikeouts as the Harbor Hawks shut down the Anglers. Chatham pitchers did their part in the pitcher’s duel too, but Hyannis scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to win it.

Hyannis is now 21-12-1 and leading the West by two points over Cotuit. Chatham is 23-10-1 and has a whopping 12-point cushion on second-place Harwich in the East.

Wednesday’s match-up shaped up as a pitcher’s duel. Hoffman is perhaps the league’s top prospect while Chatham starter Tommy Lawrence (Maine) was rolling in with a 14.1 inning scoreless streak.

Neither blinked.

Hoffman is on a short leash this summer and Wednesday’s game was scheduled to be his last start. He went out with a bang, striking out 10 and allowing just four hits in seven scoreless innings. After a rough outing in his second start, Hoffman finished his short stint in Hyannis with a pair of shutout performances. He struck out 33 in 24.1 innings.

Freeland picked up where Hoffman left off. He allowed three hits in two innings but all the outs he recorded came via the strikeout. Freeland leads the league in strikeouts with 39, despite coming out of the bullpen in two of his seven appearances. Hoffman and Freeland combined to shut-out a Chatham team that had scored 39 runs in its last four games, all wins.

Lawrence kept up with the Hyannis aces, turning in his second straight quality start. He struck out four and gave up three hits in six innings. Chad Sobotka (South Carolina Upstate) worked a scoreless seventh and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) struck out the side in the eighth.

Just when it was looking like the battle would go on forever, though, Hyannis broke through. Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) hit a fly ball down the right-field line that was ruled fair and bounced past a diving Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion). Spoon raced to third and when the ball got away on a bad relay, he scampered home with the winning run.

Hyannis is now 3-1 against Chatham this season, with each win coming by one run. Chatham’s lone victory came by a 10-0 score.

 

Orleans 5, Bourne 4

The Firebirds edged Bourne for their fourth straight win and are suddenly just a point back of Harwich for second place in the East. I wouldn’t have expected the win streak to continue with unbeaten Jaron Long (Ohio State) on the mound for Bourne, but Orleans touched him up for two unearned runs and,with his all-star start coming Saturday, he departed after two innings. The Firebirds offense was led by Jordan Betts (Duke), who had three hits. Will Fulmer (Vanderbilt) had two hits and an RBI. On the mound, Josh Sborz (Virginia) gave up two earned in 3.1 innings before Kyle Twomey (USC) dominated. He struck out five in 3.2 innings of relief for the win. It was the best outing of the summer for the former third-round pick. Brian Clark (Kent State) and Matt Troupe (Arizona) followed him to the mound and pitched an inning each, with Troupe recording his eighth save.

 

Y-D 7, Harwich 6

The Red Sox are also making a run in the East and they’re now two points back of Harwich thanks to an 11-inning win over the Mariners. The Red Sox strung four hits together in the top of the 11th, with the last one a D.J. Stewart (Florida State) RBI single to put them in front. Darrell Hunter (Oregon) then worked a perfect bottom of the 11th for his sixth save. Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) picked up the victory with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. The Red Sox offense was led by Alex Blandino (Stanford), who went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI.

 

Cotuit 5, Brewster 4

The Kettleers held off a late rally by the Whitecaps to win 5-4 and stay two points back of first-place Hyannis in the West. Evan Beal (South Carolina) was dominant on the mound, striking out seven in seven shutout innings. It was a return to form for Beal, who had given up six runs in his last outing after two straight scoreless starts. Brewster scored four in the ninth off the Cotuit bullpen, but Joel Seddon (South Carolina) eventually closed the door when he induced a double play and finished things with a strikeout. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) continued his hot streak with a 2-for-4, two RBI night. He’s 11 for his last 21. Logan Ratledge (NC State) added two hits and an RBI. And the win wasn’t the only good news for Cotuit. According to Greg Joyce of the Cape Cod Times, Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) will be returning to Cotuit after spending most of the summer with Team USA.

 

Falmouth at Wareham, ppd. to July 30

 

What to Watch

Orleans will try for its fifth straight win as it hosts Cotuit at 7 p.m. Jared Miller (Vanderbilt) went seven shutout innings in his last start and gets the ball for the Firebirds. Cotuit counters with Christian Cecilio (San Francisco), who has turned in four solid starts in a row.
 

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Steady Stars

Drew Stankiewicz squares to bunt for Hyannis in a game earlier this season.

Chatham and Hyannis own a combined three of the starting spots in the All-Star Game. That’s significantly less than Falmouth, less than Harwich and the same number as Brewster.

But who needs star power?

The Anglers beat Wareham 8-4 last night for their fourth straight win and their league-best 23rd of the season. They have a 12-point lead on second-place Harwich in the East.

The Harbor Hawks beat Brewster 5-0 last night for their third consecutive win. They lead the West by four points over Cotuit and five over the star-studded Falmouth squad.

I don’t think Chatham and Hyannis had too many snubs in the all-star department. Skyler Ewing has been the Harbor Hawks’ best player but he had to be an all-star reserve because he plays the same position as Bourne’s Max Pentecost. Lukas Schiraldi has a case for Chatham.

Generally speaking, though, the numbers are about right. The Anglers and Harbor Hawks have some very good players, but success seems to be driven by good, steady baseball more than stars who light it up.

It was more of the same last night.

Chatham scored seven runs in the first two innings on its way to a win over the Gatemen last night. Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, while Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) went 2-for-4 with four RBI. Dante Flores (USC) added two hits, Michael Russell (North Carolina) hit a home run and J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) drove in two runs. On the mound, Matthew Gage (Siena) gave up one earned run on six hits in five strong innings. Ryan Leach (Franklin Pierce) and Mitch Merten (UC Irvine) delivered solid work out of the bullpen.

In Brewster, Hyannis got six shutout innings from Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara), who had struggled in his last start. Tyler Spoon (Arkansas), Brian Anderson (Arkansas) and Landon Curry (Indiana State) had two hits each, while Dominic Jose had two RBI. The Harbor Hawks have won three straight and four of five.

 

Bourne 4, Harwich 3

The Braves touched up East All-Star starting pitcher Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) for four runs and got a steady performance from Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) en route to a 4-3 victory. Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and now has a six-game hitting streak. Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) also went 2-for-4, upping his average to .398. Eric Fisher (Arkansas) and Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) also drove in runs for the Braves. On the mound, Gomber didn’t record a strikeout but gave up just two runs in five innings. Trace Dempsey (Ohio State) picked up his fourth save.

 

Orleans 11, Falmouth 4

The Firebirds seem to be getting back on track after a tough stretch, and they beat the Commodores with a big offensive night. Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) led a 15-hit attack with three hits and three RBI. Will Fulmer (Vanderbilt) also had three hits while Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) and Jordan Betts (Duke) had two hits and two RBI each. Corey Miller (Pepperdine) gave up three runs in five innings for the win. For Falmouth, Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) hit his fifth home run and brought his league-leading RBI total to 29. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) went 4-for-5.

 

Y-D 4, Cotuit 3

The Red Sox scored three runs in the eighth and held off a Cotuit charge in the ninth for the victory. D.J. Stewart (Florida State) had an RBI double to get the rally in gear before Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) got the go-ahead run home with an RBI single. Trevino then scored on an error. Darrell Hunter (Oregon) gave up two hits and a run in the ninth but ultimately struck out the side to pick up the save. Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) got the win. Trevino led the Y-D offense with three hits and an RBI. For Cotuit, Chris Ellis (Ole Miss) gave up three runs in seven innings.

 

What to Watch

Harwich will see if it can gain some ground when it visits Chatham for a 7 p.m. start. Dillon Peters (Texas) will try for a repeat of his last start, when he went seven shutout innings. Tommy Lawrence (Maine) takes his 3-0 record to the mound for Chatham.

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Playoffs?

Jay Baum and Hyannis have already secured a playoff spot.

 
It’s a little early to talk playoffs, but in the top-heavy Western Division, it’s already a conversation.

Because Wareham has struggled – and because the rest of the division features three of the league’s best teams – Hyannis and Cotuit clinched two of the four playoff spots last night. With 12 games left, the best Wareham could do is 36 points. Hyannis now has 39 and Cotuit has 37. Falmouth is one win from clinching with 36 points.

Hyannis, who has won two straight after a lopsided loss to Falmouth, got it done last night with an 8-3 victory over Wareham. Jeff Schalk (UAB) went 3-for-5 with three RBI and his fourth home run to lead the Harbor Hawks charge. Skyler Ewing (Rice) delivered his third multi-hit game in the last seven, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Rocky McCord (Auburn) started and gave up three runs in 4.2 innings. Three relievers pitched shutout baseball the rest of the way, with Jay Shaw (Alabama) getting credited with the victory.

Meanwhile, Cotuit clinched without picking up a win. The Kettleers and Harwich played to a 3-3 tie in 10 innings before darkness called the game. Cotuit trailed 3-1 into the ninth before tying the game on a Hunter Cole (Georgia) home run.

Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) also homered for the Kettleers. Patrick Corbett (Coastal Carolina) pitched four strong innings.

For Harwich, Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston) had three hits and two RBI. Brendon Hayden (Virginia Tech) drove in the other run. On the mound, A.J. Reed (Kentucky) went five scoreless innings.

Hyannis now has a two-point lead on Cotuit for first place in the West.

 

Chatham 10, Falmouth 4

The Anglers won their third straight game, clinching a winning record with an easy victory over the powerful Commodores. Falmouth scored eight runs in the first two innings and never looked back. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) followed up teammate Connor Joe’s big night with one of his own, going 5-for-5 with two RBI. Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) had three hits and three RBI, while Dante Flores (USC) added three hits and two RBI. Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro) won for the third straight time with his best start of the summer, going six shutout innings with four strikeouts. He gave up just four hits. For Falmouth, Cameron O’Brien (Northeast Texas CC) hit a home run.

 

Orleans 6, Brewster 1

The Whitecaps have been charging hard at Orleans and the fourth spot in the East standings, but the Firebirds scored a crucial win in that race last night. Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) stretched his hitting streak to eight with a 2-for-4, four RBI night. He also homered, his third of the season. Will Fulmer (Vanderbilt) also homered for the Firebirds, while Ross Kivett (Kansas State) had two hits. Shawn O’Neill (La Salle) allowed a run in 6.1 innings before Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) slammed the door with a dominant relief performance. Kelley struck out six of the 10 batters he faced in 2.2 innings.

 

Bourne 8, Y-D 1

The Braves got five strong innings from Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) and a 15-hit night en route to an easy win over the Red Sox. Kellogg struck out three and allowed one run in five innings. Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) went three scoreless innings and Justin McCalvin (Kennesaw State) finished it off. Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) had three hits and two RBI and Eric Fisher (Arkansas) also drove in two. The Braves are now 15-15-1.

 

What to Watch

East Divisoin all-star starter Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) will be looking for his fifth win when Harwich hosts Bourne. Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic), who’s been up and down this summer after a great spring, starts for Bourne.
 

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A New Streak

Jaron Long, pictured last year, tossed five strong innings as the Braves knocked off Chatham on Wednesday.

 
On Sunday, the Bourne Braves were 0-4.

On Wednesday, they improved to 3-4 and celebrated an impressive victory. The Braves knocked off Chatham 1-0, ending the Anglers’ run of six straight wins to open the season.

Four pitchers combined to shut-out the Anglers, who lead the league in hitting and hadn’t scored fewer than four runs in any game this year. Jaron Long (Ohio State), who had a 3.46 ERA for the Braves last year, made his return and tossed five shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out seven. Ryan Harris (Florida) allowed one hit in two innings, before Nigel Nootbaar (USC) and Trace Dempsey (Ohio State) finished it off with a hitless inning each.

Aaron Garza (Houston) pitched well for Chatham, allowing one run in five innings, but that one run was the difference. The Braves scored it in the third, when Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) – who finished 3-for-3 – singled, stole second and raced home on a two-out RBI single by Mason Robbins (Southern Miss). Pentecost is now hitting .389.

Just like that, the Cape League has no more undefeated teams. I’m sure Chatham will be fine – no shame in ending a six-game winning streak with a 1-0 loss.

The real takeaway is that Bourne is in a surge of its own – and could be primed for more. In their three straight wins, the Braves have pounded 39 hits. Their pitching staff, which already ranks second in ERA, is about to get better, with Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) and Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) scheduled to make their first starts in the next two games. Gomber went 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA and 103 strikeouts for Florida Atlantic this spring. Kellogg, a freshman, was 11-1 with a 3.15 ERA for the Sun Devils.

Look out for the Braves.

 

Cotuit 6, Orleans 3

While Chatham saw its streak end, Cotuit kept winning. The Kettleers have won five in a row and now own the same 6-1 record as the Anglers. Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina) went five strong innings for the win and Brian Miller, the Vanderbilt closer this spring, picked up his first save of the summer. At the plate, Mike Ford (Princeton) continued his tremendous start with a 3-for-5 day. He’s now hitting .412. Elliott Caldwell (Spartanburg Methodist), who’s headed to South Carolina next year, made his second start of the year and blasted a home run. Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) each had two hits. Cole has four multi-hit games this summer, most in the league. In a losing effort, Orleans (3-3) actually hit three home runs, the first time this summer that a team has hit more than one homer in a game. Will Fulmer (Montevallo), Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) and Jordan Betts (Duke) hit the homers.

 

Brewster 7, Hyannis 0

The Whitecaps (1-5) broke into the win column with a shutout of the Harbor Hawks, who have been shut-out twice in a row after their 3-0 start. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) was dominant for the Whitecaps, striking out eight and giving up just two hits in six innings. His Alabama teammate Jonathan Keller added two scoreless frames and Brad Schreiber (Purdue) finished it off with a scoreless ninth. The seven runs were a season-high. Trevor Mitsui (Washington), Joe Chavez (UC Riverside) and Chris Mariscal (Fresno State) had a hit and an RBI each. Austin Bailey (San Diego) went 2-for-3.

 

Harwich 5, Wareham 1

Harwich (3-3) scored three in the first and never looked back en route to a win over the Gatemen (1-5). Making his final start before returning to South Bend, Notre Dame two-sport star Pat Connaughton struck out seven and gave up just one run in five innings for the win. Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) and Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) finished it off. C.J. Hinojosa (Texas), who now has a four-game hitting streak, went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Tanner English (South Carolina) and Ben Moore (Alabama) drove in one run each. Derek Fisher (Virginia), the Northwoods League top prospect last summer, made his Cape debut and drove in a run.

 

Y-D 8, Falmouth 4

In a battle of teams that have been up-and-down, the Red Sox (3-4) broke out with all eight of their runs over the final four innings to beat the Commodores (3-4). Wayne Taylor (Stanford), who had only one hit in his first three games, led the charge by going 4-for-4 with an RBI. Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) went 2-for-3 and also knocked in a run. Matt Honchel (Miami of Ohio), Brandon Downes (Virginia) and Kyle Wood (Purdue) all had two hits each, while Florida State standout D.J. Stewart had a hit and a run scored in his Cape League debut. On the mound, Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) got the win in relief. Max Murphy (Bradley) knocked in two runs for the Commodores. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) saw his season-long hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-5.

 

What to Watch

Just one game on the schedule tonight as Hyannis hosts Wareham at 6 p.m. The Harbor Hawks will send UC Santa Barbara standout Austin Pettibone to the hill. He ranked 12th in the nation in innings pitched this spring and had a 2.98 ERA. The Wareham starter is TBA.

 

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Six With a Flourish

Chatham's Joshua Eldridge leads off in a game earlier this year. The Anglers are a perfect 6-0 thus far.

 
It would have been impressive enough for the Chatham Anglers to run their record to 6-0. No Cape League team has started that hot since the 2007 Y-D Red Sox, and they were Cape League royalty.

But to do it like the Anglers did – just go ahead and tip your hat at this point.

Chatham went on the road Tuesday to take on the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, the league’s only other unbeaten team, and dispatched them with ease, winning 10-0. It’s the most lopsided victory of the season for any team in the league. Chatham smacked 15 hits, and Andrew McGee (Monmouth) delivered his second straight dominant start.

Chatham now leads the league in average, on-base percentage, slugging, runs, hits, doubles, total bases and walks. On the pitching side, they lead the league in ERA.

Add all that up, and this is what you get.

On Tuesday, they immediately went to work, scoring four runs in the first four innings. They blew it open with one in the eighth and four more in the ninth.

The first five hitters in the Chatham lineup all had two hits, while No. 8 hitter Kenny Koplove (Duke) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. The two-hit parade was manned by Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga), Connor Joe (San Diego) and Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State), who also had two RBI each. Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) and Erich Weiss (Texas) had two hits as well.

As good as the offense was, it was largely unnecessary. McGee, the reigning NEC Pitcher of the Year, made his second start of the summer and was just as good as he was the first time. He struck out three and allowed just two hits in six shutout innings. On the year, he has struck out 12 and hasn’t allowed a run.

The bullpen also did its part. Stephen Marino (Williams) worked out of a mini-jam in the seventh and Mitch Merten (UC Irvine) struck out three over the final two innings.

Chatham will try to stretch the streak to seven tonight when it visits Bourne. The Anglers are slated to face Ohio State standout Jaron Long, who’s just arrive back in town for a second summer with the Braves. It’ll be a challenge, but at this point, I wouldn’t bet against the Anglers.

 

Coutit 8, Y-D 3

The Kettleers also stayed hot, improving to 5-1 with a lopsided win over the Red Sox (2-4). Cotuit scored seven runs in the seventh inning to bust open what had been a one-run game. Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco), Mike Ford (Princeton) and Yale Rosen (Washington State) drove in two runs each to lead the Cotuit offense. Connor Castellano (Sante Fe CC) went 1-for-2 and remained the league’s leading hitter at .462. Kevin Bradley (Clemson) added two hits. On the mound, Jared Walsh (Georgia) turned in his second impressive start of the summer, allowing three hits in six shutout innings. For Y-D, Erick Fedde (UNLV), the best starter on opening night, struck out five and gave up one earned run in six innings before the Kettleers got to the Red Sox bullpen. Fedde leads the league in strikeouts with 13. Robert Pehl (Washington) had two hits for the third straight game for Y-D.

 

Falmouth 5, Wareham 3

After three straight losses, Falmouth got back into the win column with a victory over the Gatemen (1-4). Every player in the Commodore lineup had at least one hit, part of a 13-hit attack. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) extended his season-long hitting streak to six games, the longest in the league, with a 1-for-4 night. Sam Gillikin (Auburn) had three hits and three RBI, while Conner Hale (State College of Florida) and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had two hits apiece. Preston Morrison (TCU) got the win with 5.1 innings in relief of TCU teammate Brandon Finnegan. Nic Manuppelli (Youngstown State) picked up the save.

 

Orleans 8, Brewster 2

Orleans cruised past Brewster, becoming the only East team other than Chatham to own a winning record and keeping Brewster as the only winless team in the league. Colin Welmon (Loyola Marymount) tossed five shutout innings and the offense delivered 10 hits. Will Fulmer (Montevallo) and Riley Moore (Arizona) knocked in two runs each, while Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State) and Chris Marconcini (Duke) had two hits apiece.

 

Bourne 7, Harwich 1

After its first win on Monday, Bourne made it two in a row with a win over the Mariners (2-3). The Braves scored three runs in the sixth and three more in the ninth to take control. Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) had three hits and two RBI, while Vinny Siena (UConn) had three hits and drove in one. Eric Fisher (Arkansas Baptist) and Bobby Boyd (West Virginia) had two hits each. Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) scattered six hits in 5.1 scoreless innings. Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out the side in the ninth.

 

What to Watch

Chatham sends Aaron Garza (Houston) to the hill in the aforementioned match-up with Bourne, which is set for 6 p.m. at Doran Park. In Orleans, Cotuit will try to keep its streak going against Firebirds starter Kyle Twomey (USC), an unsigned third round pick from last year’s draft.