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Rained Out Rally

Like this rainbow over Wareham on opening night, Harwich got something good out of the rain on Thursday.
Nobody in the Cape League is happy that rain is interrupting the beginning of the season.

But the Harwich Mariners didn’t mind last night.

In the only game that was not postponed, Harwich hosted Y-D. The Mariners led 4-0 into the ninth inning when Y-D exploded for six runs. But then the rain really started coming down, and it forced the game to be called. League rules dictate that if a full inning hasn’t been completed, the score reverts back to the last full inning.

Six runs came back off the board, and Harwich won 4-0.

This isn’t quite Andrew Miller’s fog game – when he struck out 12 in four innings only to see it wiped from the records – but it’s a weird one. Y-D was in position for a 2-0 start, with a serious rally to build on. Instead, both teams are 1-1.

In proceedings that were official, Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) shined on the mound for the Mariners, scattering five hits in six scoreless innings. Mark Zagunis, the Virginia Tech standout who was making his debut, had two hits and an RBI, while C.J. Hinojosa (Texas), one of the Mariners’ star freshmen, also had two hits and an RBI. Ryan Lindemuth (William & Mary) also drove in a run.

What to Watch

Rain may play tricks again, but let’s hope not. Harwich and Orleans get together in a battle of two of the league’s best teams last season. A.J. Reed, one of the top returning hitters and pitchers in the league, is slated to get the ball for the Mariners. Trent Swart, who was the ace of Duke’s staff this season, will start for Orleans.

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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.

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Daily Fog: Big Finish

A few days ago, it looked like Chatham might have to hold off Brewster for the final playoff spot in the East. The Anglers did that — and didn’t stop there.

With Orleans cooling down, Chatham moved within striking distance of third place and then seized it by beating the Firebirds on back-to-back days to end the season. The teams finished with the same number of points in the standings, and by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker, Chatham will get the No. 3 seed. The Anglers will play Y-D in the playoffs. Harwich and Orleans, the two best teams in the league for a lot of the year, will now have to play each other in the first round.

While Orleans’ five-game losing streak had a lot to do with the late shuffling, Chatham’s performance on the final two days of the season can’t be ignored. They beat the Firebirds 4-0 on Monday and, with the third seed in sight, they started fast last night and never looked back en route to a 7-2 victory.

Chatham scored twice in each of the first two innings, added to the lead from there and got another strong all-around pitching performance. After four pitchers combined to shut out the Firebirds on Monday, four more pitchers did almost as well last night. Louie Lechich (San Diego) and Dace Kime (Louisville) each allowed a run in three innings. Tate Parrish (North Carolina) followed with two scoreless innings and Jaime Schultz (High Point) pitched a scoreless ninth.

Alex Calbick (Maine) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Andrew Knapp (California) homered for a second straight game. Mike Fransoso went 3-for-4.

Elsewhere

  • Wareham’s Tyler Horan (Virginia Tech) doubled but did not a home run, so he ends up tied for the Cape League’s wood bat home run record. Cotuit’s Patrick Biondi (Michigan), who was on the hunt for .400, went 1-for-3 on the final day and finished at .388. He’s the Cape League’s batting champ, and his average is the highest since 2003, when Brewster’s J.C. Holt also hit .388.

  • In the other action with playoff implications, Wareham beat Bourne 6-5. Combined with a Falmouth loss, that means the Gatemen will be the No. 2 seed in the West and will have home-field advantage in the first round. The Gatemen have won four in a row, and took this one in dramatic fashion. In the 10th inning, Dustin DeMuth (Indiana) hit a walk-off RBI double to give Wareham the victory. Tyler McFarland (James Madison) went 3-for-3 for the Gatemen and Daniel Palka (Georgia Tech) had two hits. Cole Sturgeon (Louisville) got the win with three strong innings of relief.

  • Top seeds Cotuit and Harwich both finished with victories. The Kettleers beat Falmouth 9-3, while Harwich topped Brewster 5-1. For Cotuit, Angel Rosa (Alcorn State), Tony Kemp (Vanderbilt) and Cael Brockmeyer (Cal State Bakersfield) all hit home runs. Jacob Stone (Weatherford College) got the win on the mound. Cotuit finished with 60 points in the standings, the most since the 2007 Y-D Red Sox had 63. Meanwhile, for Harwich, slugger Phillip Ervin (Samford) actually got the start on the mound and went three scoreless innings. Cole Pitts (Georgia Tech) also went three scoreless frames. Sam Dove (Georgia Tech) led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run. Harwich’s home run record will go into the books at 64, five better than the old mark.

  • Hyannis won’t be making the playoffs, but the Harbor Hawks went out with two straight wins after beating Y-D 10-9 last night. Hyannis ended up tied with Bourne for fourth, but the Braves had already taken the tiebreaker. Still, Hyannis battled to the bitter end, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to beat the playoff-bound Red Sox. Pat Fortunato (Rhode Island) hit a two-run homer to tie the game in the ninth before a Blake Austin (Auburn) RBI single plated the go-ahead run. Gage Smith (Florida State) then pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to seal the win. The Harbor Hawks hit four home runs on the day, with Brandon Trinkwon (UC Santa Barbara), Mitchell Garver (New Mexico) and Brad Zebedis (Presbyterian) joining Fortunato.

    • What to Watch

    The league has an off-day today before the playoffs begin Thursday.

    Here are the match-ups:

    East
    1 Harwich vs. 4 Orleans
    2 Y-D vs. 3 Chatham

    West
    1 Cotuit vs. 4 Bourne
    2 Wareham vs. 3 Falmouth

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    Daily Fog: Winding Down

    Some quick hitters today as we head into the regular season finale…

  • Hyannis lefty Sean Manaea pulled off a rare sweep in official Cape Cod Baseball League awards, taking home both the B.F.C. Whitehouse Top Pitcher Award and Robert A. McNeece Outstanding Pro Prospect Award. Neither is a surprise, but sometimes it seems like the league doesn’t want to give out the top prospect and an MVP/Top Pitcher to the same person. Manaea was deserving of both, and by a pretty wide margin. With Hyannis missing the playoffs, Manaea is likely done for the summer unless he pitches tonight. If that’s the case, his final numbers look like this: 5-1, 1.22 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 7 walks. Just an awesome season.

  • Harwich clinched the top seed in the East with a 2-1 win over Brewster and a Y-D loss. The Mariners got seven strong innings from David Whitehead (Elon), but it looked like he might be the hard-luck loser when Harwich went to the bottom of the ninth trailing 1-0 against a Brewster team they haven’t beaten this season. But in the ninth, a single by JaCoby Jones (LSU) and a single plus an error on a hit by Matt Reida (Kentucky) brought the tying run home. After intentional walks to sluggers Brian Ragira (Stanford) and Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame), Brett Austin (NC State) lined a single into left to score Reida with the game-winning run.

  • Chatham beat Orleans 4-0, which put the Anglers in position to sneak up to the third seed in the East. Chatham is two points back of Orleans, who has lost four straight, and would hold the tiebreaker if the teams end up tied. Chatham and Orleans play each other again in tonight’s season finale, so a win by the Anglers would clinch the third seed. For Chatham last night, four pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout. Jimmy Litchfield (UC Irvine) started and gave up one hit in three innings. Eric Stevens (Boston College) went four hitless frames, before Ryan Atwood (Florida Gulf Coast) and Jake Joyce (Virginia Tech) finished it off with a perfect inning each. Joyce struck out the side in the ninth. Andrew Knapp (California) hit a home run to power the Chatham offense, while Mike Fransoso (Maine) and Pat Valaika (UCLA) each had a hit and drove in a run.

  • Tyler Horan did not hit a home run, but Wareham won for the third straight time, beating Bourne 8-3. The Gatemen, who are currently two points behind Falmouth for second place, would end up with the No. 2 seed if they win tonight and Falmouth loses. Kyle Schwarber (Indiana) led the charge last night, going 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI. Lost in the Horan home run mania is Schwarber’s hot streak. Schwarber is hitting .436 in his last 10 games. On the mound for the Gatemen, Frederick Shepherd (Amherst) allowed one earned run in six innings of work for the win. Jonathan Holder (Mississippi State) picked up the save.

  • Cotuit scored four runs in the seventh to rally past Falmouth for an 8-7 win. Aramis Garcia (Florida International) went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, while James Roberts (USC) drove in three. Daniel Aldrich (College of Charleston) went 3-for-5. Patrick Biondi (Michigan) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and could still reasonably hit .400. He’s at .389 and would need to go at least 3-for-4 to finish at .400. On the mound for Cotuit, Adam McCreery (Arizona State) got the win in relief and Dan Slania (Notre Dame) picked up his 10th save.

  • Hyannis held the Y-D offense to four hits and posted a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox. Matt Maurer (Pepperdine), Eric Eck (Wofford) and Andrew Smithmyer (East Carolina) pitched three strong innings apiece. At the plate, Brandon Trinkwon (UC Santa Barbara) drove in three and Jeff Schalk (UAB) knocked in the other run.

    • What to Watch

    One last day of the regular season. The Orleans at Chatham game has the most playoff implications, with the Anglers going for the third seed. That game is at 7 p.m. at Veterans Field.

    We can also do some record watching. Tyler Horan will look to break the wood bat home run record when Wareham hosts Bourne at 7 p.m. Patrick Biondi will be shooting to be the first .400 hitter since 1990 when Cotuit visits Falmouth at 6:30.

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    Daily Fog: Delivering

    So many times this season, I’ve come home and checked scores, wondering if anything big happened. And so many times, something big did happen, from Phillip Ervin and Harwich hitting bombs to Sean Manaea striking everybody out to Cotuit winning again.

    The trend continued last night. Tyler Horan (Virginia Tech) has been scorching for Wareham. His two home runs Saturday put him one away from tying the Cape League’s wood bat record.

    I checked the Wareham score around 7:15 on Sunday night. I scrolled through the live stats, checking the most recent inning. And there it was.

    Tyler Horan homered again. The record of 16 had officially been tied.

    I wrote a lot about Horan yesterday. All of that still stands — the list of accomplishments just grows.

    Kyle Schwarber (Indiana) hit a home run for the Gatemen in the fifth, and Horan went back-to-back with the first pitch he saw. The home run was his third in his last six official at-bats and his sixth in six games.

    Horan now has two games left to break the record, which was set in 1988 by Brewster’s Dave Staton, a Cal State Fullerton star who went on to play in the majors.

    The Gatemen, who hit four home runs last night in addition to Horan’s record-tying blast and won 9-8 over Falmouth, end the season with back-to-back games against Bourne. The Braves, despite having one of the highest ERAs in the league, have given up the fewest home runs in the league.

    I don’t think Tyler Horan will worry about it. When I check scores tomorrow night, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him deliver again.

    Clinching

    The playoff race looked for a while like it might come down to the final day, but instead, it ended a little early.

    Bourne beat Hyannis 4-2 last night to clinch the final spot in the West and eliminate the Harbor Hawks. In the East, Chatham beat Harwich 6-4 to clinch the fourth spot and end Brewster’s hopes.

    Had Bourne lost to Hyannis last night, things would have gotten complicated and the race probably would have gone to the final day. Instead, the Braves made things easy. Chad Green (Louisville) came up with his best performance of the year when the Braves needed it most, striking out nine and scattering six hits in six scoreless innings.

    And the Braves backed him. Facing Hyannis all star David Garner (Michigan State), they scored two runs in the first inning, added to the lead with single runs in the third and the fifth and never really looked back.

    Colin Moran (North Carolina) went 2-for-4 with three RBI, bringing his league-leading total to 41. L.J. Mazzilli (Connecticut) knocked in the other run. The bullpen had some anxious moments, as Hyannis scored two in the seventh, but John Farrell (William & Mary) slammed the door with two perfect innings.

    As for the East, Brewster — who needed to win out, and have Chatham lose out — continued doing its part with an impressive 3-2 victory over Cotuit in a 4:30 game. But Chatham made it a moot point later on, beating Harwich 6-4 at Veterans Field to clinch the spot.

    Chatham scored two in the third thanks to RBI singles by Dale Carey (Miami) and John Hennessey (Boston College). Then in the fifth, Adam Engel (Louisville) hit a grand slam to blow the game open and put Chatham well on its way.

    Aaron Brown (Pepperdine) came up big on the mound for the Anglers, taking a no-hitter into the fifth in just his second start of the year. He struck out 10 and ended up allowing just one hit in 6.1 shutout innings.

    Harwich made a game of it with four runs in the eighth, but Jaime Schultz (High Point) delivered a huge performance out of the bullpen, striking out five of the seven batters he faced to finish off the victory.

    Chatham will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

    Elsewhere

  • Props to Brewster, whose last-ditch effort fell short but looks pretty impressive nonetheless. The Whitecaps had won two in a row before yesterday and made it three with the win over Cotuit. Luke Weaver (Florida State) got the win with six strong innings and Michael Theofanopoulos (Cal) picked up the three-inning save. Trevor Mitsui (Washington) hit a home run, while Dan Olinger (Minnesota) and Aaron Judge (Fresno State) drove in runs.

  • While Harwich lost, Y-D beat Orleans 7-5 for its sixth win in a row. The Red Sox are now just one point behind the Mariners for first place in the East. Morgan Mickan (Texas State), a late July addition, went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI to lead the offense. Robert Pehl (Washington) also homered and drove in two. On the mound, Joey DeNato (Indiana) pitched great in relief, allowing no runs and no hits in 4.2 innings of relief. Y-D can now finish no worse than second in the East. Third-place Orleans is six points back with two games to play. Y-D will end the season with two games against Hyannis.

    • What to Watch

    Nothing too interesting as far as playoffs, but you’ll want to keep an eye on Horan’s quest. Wareham visits Bourne at 6 p.m.

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    Daily Fog: Long Ball

    In the record watch I posted the other day, I included Wareham’s Tyler Horan (Virginia Tech) and said that with a ridiculous finish, Horan could approach the Cape League’s wooden bat home run record.

    The ridiculous finish is happening.

    After hitting home runs in three consecutive games, Horan hit two in the nightcap of a doubleheader. He now has 15, one away from tying the wood-bat record of 16. Wareham has three games left, so suddenly, it’s not even that ridiculous a prospect.

    Whatever happens, Horan is emerging as the home run king of a home run filled season.

    Horan is a native of Middleborough, Mass., just a short drive from Wareham. His summer at home has been a dream. He was an all star, he already broke the Wareham single-season home run record and as the season draws to a close, he’s looking more and more like the top candidate for the MVP award. He’s hitting .343, fourth in the league, he leads the league in home runs and he’s tied for the top spot in RBI with 38.

    And his last five games have been incredible. He’s hitting .429 with five home runs and 11 RBI.

    The only bad news is that Wareham lost four of those games, but I guess Horan just kept swinging harder. The two home runs last night powered the Gatemen to a 12-2 win over Chatham that clinched a playoff spot.

    That means Horan will soon lead the Gatemen into the postseason. If the next three games are anything like the last five, Horan will lead the way as one of the Cape League’s best home run kings.

    Elsewhere

  • Brewster kept its slim playoff hopes alive in the East by sweeping a doubleheader, 2-0 over Bourne and 6-5 over Orleans. The Whitecaps are now five points back of Chatham for the final playoff spot. If they win their last three and Chatham loses its last three, the Whitecaps would be in. The wins yesterday snapped a five-game losing streak. Brady Kirkpatrick (Maryland) pitched six scoreless innings for the win in the first game, while Ryon Healy (Oregon) and Jason Monda (Washington State) drove in the runs. In the nightcap at Eldredge Park, Brewster scored three runs each in the second and third innings and held off Orleans for the one-run victory. Chase McDowell (Rice) got the win and Jake McCasland (New Mexico) picked up the save. Trevor Mitsui (Washington) went 3-for-4 while Michael Lorenzon (Cal State Fullerton), who just arrived from Team USA, hit a home run and drove in three.

  • The West chase didn’t change much as Bourne lost to Brewster and Cotuit, while Hyannis played one game and lost to Falmouth. Bourne leads Hyannis by two points heading into tonight, when the teams play each other.

  • Cotuit swept its doubleheader, 6-1 over Orleans and 10-7 over Bourne. Kyle Finnegan (Texas State) pitched six strong innings in game one, allowing one run on two hits in six innings. He struck out seven. Jacob Stone (Weatherford College) pitched three scoreless innings for the save. In the second game, the Kettleers out-slugged Bourne. Jacob Valdez (San Jose State) hit a home run and Tim Kiene (Maryland) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Cotuit is now 28-13.

  • Falmouth also swept a twin bill, beating Wareham 4-2 and Hyannis 6-5. Drew Dosch (Youngstown State) hit a home run and Jonathan Dziedzic (Lamar) pitched seven strong innings for the win over Wareham. In the nightcap, Falmouth broke a 5-5 tie with a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Casey Turgeon (Florida). Kyle Ruchim (Northwestern) pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the win. Mike O’Neill (Michigan) had three hits.

  • Y-D and Harwich played just one game each and the Red Sox made it count with a 4-3 victory, their fifth in a row. Phillip Ervin (Samford) hit his 11th home run for Harwich, staking the Mariners to a 3-0 lead. But Y-D came back with a run in the fifth and three in the seventh to take control. Carlos Asuaje (Nova Southeastern) and new addition Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) drove in runs. Preston Hatcher (Western Carolina) and Bryan Verbitsky (Hofstra) combined for three scoreless innings of relief to hold off the Mariners.

    • What to Watch

    That Bourne-Hyannis game at 6 p.m. in Bourne should be a good one, and both teams have lined up their pitching to give them a good chance. All star David Garner (Michigan State) gets the ball for the Harbor Hawks against Chad Green (Louisville), who’s probably been Bourne’s most consistent starter.

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    Daily Fog: History

    Friday, August 3 was quite a day in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

    Harwich’s Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame) hit three home runs in a doubleheader as the Mariners set a new Cape League record. They now have 61 home runs.

    A few miles away in Brewster, Hyannis lefty Sean Manaea (Indiana State) delivered another dominant start and struck out 10 to give him 85 on the year, which breaks the modern record of 82 set by Daniel Bard in 2005.

    So yeah, quite a day. I think a few game balls from yesterday may be headed for the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame.

    Harwich has been hitting home runs at a ridiculous pace all season, so much so that it almost became ho-hum, especially when they slowed down a little bit. There were games early on where they were hitting five or six. Dropping to one or two a game made it seem routine.

    But make no mistake — there is nothing routine about hitting 61 home runs.

    If you were making a list of unbreakable Cape League records, the home run mark would probably make the cut. It’s not as untouchable as strikeouts or batting average, but it’s up there. Orleans set the mark of 59 in 1981 — with metal bats.

    Considering recent history, it would have been hard to imagine anyone approaching that with wood. The 2007 Y-D Red Sox, perhaps the best team on the Cape in the last decade, had four future first-round picks, trotted out a power-hitting lineup, played at cozy Red Wilson Field — and hit 41 home runs.

    The 2012 Mariners beat that mark a while ago, and though their pace and their lineup changed, it became apparent in the last few weeks that they were probably still going to break the record.

    Jagielo took care of it himself.

    Probably the most consistent of Harwich’s home run hitters, Jagielo tied the record with a first-inning solo shot. Then in the second game of a doubleheader, Jagielo hit a two-run bomb in the fourth inning to break the record. For good measure, he smacked a solo homer in his next at-bat and finished the night 5-for-5.

    Jagielo now has 13 home runs, tied for the league lead. But his homers Friday were more about another league lead.

    He officially made his team the most powerful club in Cape Cod Baseball League history.

    Strikeout King

    The Cape League’s strikeout record probably is untouchable. It’s 126 and it was set when teams played a lot of games.

    That’s why Daniel Bard’s 82 became the new measuring stick. At least until yesterday.

    Manaea continued his amazing summer by delivering one of his most dominant performances yet. He took a perfect game into the sixth inning and a no-hitter into the eighth before an Aaron Judge (Fresno State) single broke it up. Manaea ended up with eight innings of one-hit baseball and his third consecutive start with no runs allowed as Hyannis won 8-0.

    Along the way, he struck out 10 to bring his record-breaking total to 85.

    This, too, is a pretty amazing feat. The 85 strikeouts have come in just 51.2 innings pitched. By comparison, Bard’s 82 came in 65 innings.

    There’s also the environment to consider. Bard hit his mark in a year dominated by pitching. He was one of six players with 60 or more strikeouts.

    This year, Manaea is the only one over 60. And he’s pitching in perhaps the most offense-heavy year in the wood-bat history of the Cape League.

    It hasn’t mattered. Even if they were using metal and the ball was juiced, I’m not sure hitters could catch up to Manaea.

    Elsewhere

  • Harwich won its first doubleheader game 9-0 over Hyannis before tying Chatham 8-8 in the nightcap. In addition to Jagielo’s bomb in the early game, Harwich got hits from 10 others and RBI from six others. A.J. Reed (Kentucky) pitched five shutout innings for the win. In the second game, Brett Austin had three RBI to back the big game from Jagielo. Mike Fransoso (Maine) had three RBI to lead Chatham. The Anglers are one win away from clinching the final playoff spot in the East.

  • Cotuit bounced back from its first loss in a long time with a 9-4 victory over Wareham. Daniel Aldrich (College of Charleston) went 3-for-4 with two home runs. Jacob Valdez (San Jose State) drove in three and Adam Nelubowich (Washington) knocked in two. Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina) picked up his eighth win with 4.2 innings of relief after he came on in the first inning. For Wareham, Tyler Horan (Virginia Tech) hit a homer for the third straight game, bringing his total to 13.

  • Y-D was shut-out for seven innings but scored five in the last two to beat Bourne 5-1. Braves starter Jon Keller (Nebraska) allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings, but the Red Sox came to life with two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth. Sam Travis (Indiana) knocked in two runs to lead the Red Sox, while Carlos Asuaje (Nova Southeastern), Sean Dwyer (Florida Gulf Coast) and Wayne Taylor (Stanford) drove in one apiece. Ben Lively (Central Florida) tossed five strong innings and Jose Lopez (Seton Hall) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Aaron Blair (Marshall), pitching out of the bullpen for the second time, went two innings for the save.

  • Orleans scored three runs in the seventh and held off a charge to beat Falmouth 4-2. After the Firebirds bided their time against standout Craig Schlitter (Bryant), Michael Montville (Maryland) hit a two-run home run to power the seventh-inning surge, while Derek Toadvine (Kent State) scored on a passed ball. Cody Kulp (Shippensburg) also drove in a run for the Firebirds. Jarrett Arakawa (Hawaii) allowed just an unearned run over eight innings for the win. He took a no-hitter into the fifth.

    • What to Watch

    Another busy day, with six teams playing in various doubleheaders. Bourne visits Brewster and Cotuit on its playoff hunt, while Hyannis hosts Falmouth. It should be a good game in Harwich, where Y-D comes to town with Andrew Thurman on the hill.

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    Daily Fog: Bourne Supremacy

    A lot will be sorted out in the playoff race over the next few days, but most of it will be about seeding and who’s playing whom. Unless Brewster gets hot and chases down Chatham in the East, though, the only battle for a final playoff spot will be in the West, where Bourne and Hyannis are on the hunt.

    The way things have gone this year — with neither of those teams able to sustain much — match-ups between the two will have a big say.

    Last night’s went to Bourne in decisive fashion.

    The Braves rode a great performance by Jaron Long (Ohio State) and their highest-scoring game of the season to a 13-1 victory over Hyannis. Bourne, which has won three in a row, now has a four-point lead on Hyannis, who has lost five straight.

    The Braves scored 10 runs in the first three innings and that was more than enough for Long, who turned in his best start of the summer. He struck out nine and allowed four hits in six shutout innings. John Farrell (William & Mary), Patrick Young (Villanova) and Hawtin Buchanan (Ole Miss) each pitched an inning to finish it off.

    At the plate, Bourne finished with 21 hits. Jack Reinheimer (East Carolina) went 4-for-5 with an RBI, Colin Moran went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Mike Ahmed (Holy Cross) went 3-for-5 with three runs knocked in. Justin Leeson (Georgetown), Jordan Patterson (South Alabama) and Austin Wynns (Fresno State) added three hits each.

    Bourne and Hyannis will play one more time in the regular season — on Sunday at 6 p.m. in Bourne.

    Elsewhere

  • Cotuit took over the best record in the league from Harwich this week, but the Mariners made their stand last night, snapping Cotuit’s 10-game winning streak with an 11-5 victory. Harwich fell behind 3-1 but broke out with a six-run third inning to take control. Brandon Woodruff (Mississippi State) allowed four runs in six innings for the win. Offensively, Harwich got a hit from everyone in the starting lineup, with Mike Connolly (Maine) going 4-for-5 to lead the way. Austen Smith (Alabama) went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Brian Ragira (Stanford) hit his ninth home run, giving Harwich 58 for the year. The Cape League record is 59.

  • Chatham moved eight points ahead of Brewster for the final playoff spot in the East with a 4-2 victory over the Whitecaps. Louie Lechich (San Diego) went 3-for-4, Chad Morgan (Virginia Tech) had two hits and Alex Calbick (Maine) homered for the Anglers, who rallied from a two-run deficit with two runs off Brewster ace Tom Windle (Minnesota) and two more against the bullpen. Mike Wagner (San Diego) struck out eight in seven innings for Chatham. Jaime Schultz (High Point) got the win with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

  • Falmouth won for the fifth straight time since its eight-game losing streak, beating Orleans 10-6. Trey Masek (Texas Tech) gave up two runs in 6.2 innings for the win. Austin Anderson (Ole Miss) led the offense with a home run while Kaina Eldredge (Kansas) went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Casey Turgeon (Florida), Billy Ferriter (UConn) and Jon McGibbon (Clemson) each had two hits and an RBI. The win moved Falmouth back to .500.

  • Wareham hit three home runs but Y-D still had too much offense in an 8-5 victory. Justin Shafer (Florida) went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Wayne Taylor (Stanford) homered for the Red Sox. Joey DeNato (Indiana) got the win with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. For the Gatemen, Kyle Schwarber (Indiana), Ty Ross (LSU) and Tyler Horan (Virginia Tech) all homered. Horan now has a league-best 12 home runs on the year.

    • What to Watch

    A very busy day ahead, with Hyannis and Harwich each playing split doubleheaders. Sean Manaea (Indiana State) is expected to start for the Harbor Hawks in their second game at Brewster at 4:30 p.m.

    Posted on

    Daily Fog: Valuable Arm

    MVP awards are funny. Everybody has their own definition, their own qualifications for what an MVP should be. For some people, it’s just the best player. For others, the best player on the best team.

    And then there’s the concept of value. Sometimes, the best player is the most valuable because he’s just the best. Other times, without a certain player, a team just wouldn’t be where it is.

    Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina) probably won’t win the Cape League’s MVP award. He wasn’t even an all-star.

    But Cotuit wouldn’t be where it is without him.

    Connolly pitched 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen last night and got the win as Cotuit beat Brewster 10-9 for its 10th victory in a row. Connolly — who has not started a game — now leads the league in wins with seven. Not only that, but he has matched the highest win total of the last 12 years. No pitcher’s won more than seven.

    It’s amazing — I don’t know if a relief pitcher has ever led the league in wins outright. Last year, there were a couple of guys who had pitched some innings out of the bullpen and were tied for the league lead, but that was when the lead was at four wins. At seven, you’d be hard-pressed to find another relief pitcher who’s done that.

    But it’s not surprising. That’s how good Connolly has been — and the seven wins really only hint at his value. He leads the league in appearances with 21, meaning he’s pitched in more than half of Cotuit’s 37 games. He’s also tied for the league lead in innings pitched. In 13 of his outings, he hasn’t allowed a run. He ranks second in the league in strikeouts and fourth in ERA.

    And when it comes to value, this is the stat that speaks loudest: Cotuit is 17-4 in games Connolly has pitched. In his last eight appearances, the Kettleers are 8-0.

    Last night, Connolly and the Kettleers were doing it again. Connolly came into the game in the fifth. He allowed two inherited runners to score but got out of the frame without further damage, pitched a perfect sixth, watched his team take the lead in the bottom of the sixth and then pitched a scoreless seventh.

    Cotuit went on to the one-run win. Dan Slania (Notre Dame) got the save, while James Roberts (USC) went 3-for-4 with a home run to lead the offense. Patrick Biondi (Michigan) had two hits and two RBI, and Tony Kemp (Vanderbilt) also drove in two.

    Elsewhere

  • Wareham’s Tyler Horan (Virginia Tech) took over the league lead in home runs with his 11th of the season, but Harwich held off a charge by the Gatemen to win 6-5. The Mariners scored three runs in the second and three in the third, and got five strong innings from starter David Whitehead (Elon). Wareham made its push, getting two in the sixth, the solo home run by Horan in the eighth and two more in the ninth. But reliever Tyler Burgess (Missouri State) induced a double play then finished off the win with a strikeout. Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame) hit his 10th home run for Harwich, while Tyler Sciacca (Villanova) went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

  • Y-D scored four in the first inning and held on for a 6-4 win over Chatham. Justin Shafer (Florida) went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Alex Blandino (Stanford) and Robert Pehl (Washington) added two hits and an RBI each. On the mound, Rick Knapp (Florida Gulf Coast) allowed four runs in five innings and got the win. Brian Gilbert (Seton Hall) struck out four in 3.2 innings of relief and Bryan Verbitsky (Hofstra) picked up the save. For Chatham, Andrew Knapp (Cal) hit two home runs.

    • What to Watch

    Looks like two very good pitching match-ups tonight. In Falmouth, the Commodores send Trey Masek to the hill against Orleans and Matt Boyd at 6:30 p.m. And in Chatham, Michael Wagner goes for the Anglers against Brewster’s Tom Windle in a 7 p.m. start.

    Posted on

    Daily Fog: Unusual Suspects

    It’s been a tough summer in Bourne, but the Braves have shown a flair for the dramatic all season.

    Even with the leading man in that drama — Mason Robbins — heading home, the Braves still put on a pretty good show last night.

    Trailing Orleans 4-3, they scored a run in the eighth to tie the game. After Orleans jumped back on top in the top of the ninth, the Braves scored two runs and walked off with the 6-5 victory.

    L.J. Mazzilli (UConn) doubled and scored the tying run in the eighth on a squeeze bunt by Jordan Patterson (South Alabama). Then in the ninth, with the bases loaded and two outs, Justin Leeson (Georgetown) — Robbins’ replacement in right field — rapped the first pitch he saw into right field to score two and give Bourne the victory.

    Leeson had two hits to lead the Braves’ charge, as did Mazzilli. Patterson and Joe Jackson (The Citadel) had the other RBI.

    The comeback gave standout reliever Tim Giel (Columbia) his first win of the season.

    The victory, coupled with a Hyannis loss, moves the Braves two points ahead of the Harbor Hawks for the fourth and final playoff spot with seven games remaining.

    Elsewhere

  • Cotuit beat Chatham 3-2 to stretch its win streak to nine, which matches Harwich for the longest streak of the summer. Chatham trailed most of the way but tied the game in the eighth. Cotuit came right back, though, and won the game on a bases-loaded walk to Jacob Valdez (San Jose State). Patrick Biondi (Michigan) got the ninth-inning rally started with a base hit, part of a two-hit day for Biondi, who’s hitting .410. Tim Kiene (Maryland) added two RBI for the Kettleers. Jordan Smith (Western Carolina) got the win with 3.1 strong innings of relief. Starter Brad Bixler (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out eight and gave up a run on two hits in 4.2 innings.

  • Falmouth is apparently back on track. After losing eight straight, the Commodores have won four in a row, including a 6-1 victory over East leader Harwich last night. John Simms (Rice) was outstanding on the mound, striking out 11 and allowing just an unearned run on two hits in six innings of work. Relievers Sam Paterson (Montana State), John Colella (Holy Cross) and Johnny Magliozzi (Florida) each threw a hitless inning. Drew Dosch (Youngstown State) went 2-for-3 with his seventh homer to lead the offense. For Harwich, Phillip Ervin (Samford), who was hit by a pitch in the All-Star Game, was out of action for the second straight night.

  • Y-D snapped a five-game skid with an 8-1 victory over Brewster. The Red Sox hadn’t totaled double-digit hits in any game in the losing streak, but they were back to their old ways in this one, finishing with 14 hits. Robert Pehl (Washington) homered and Zak Blair (Mercyhurst) drove in two. Carlos Asuaje (Nova Southeastern), Sean Dwyer (Florida Gulf Coast) and newcomer Morgan Mickan (Texas State) each had two hits and an RBI. On the mound, Alex Gonzalez (Oral Roberts) struck out seven and allowed one run in six innings. Joey DeNato (Indiana) picked up a three-inning save with a scoreless outing.

  • Four Wareham pitchers combined on a shutout as the Gatemen topped Hyannis 6-0. Kendall Graveman (Mississippi State) struck out five and scattered seven hits in six innings for the win. Clay Chapman (Florida Southern), Nick Rumbelow (LSU) and Colby Suggs (Arkansas) finished it off, with Suggs striking out the side in the ninth. At the plate, Kyle Schwarber (Indiana) had a huge day, going 4-for-4 with an RBI.

    • What to Watch

    Cotuit is running away with first place in the West, but there’s still a battle for the rest of the playoff spots. The most interesting match-up in that race tonight is Falmouth at Wareham at 7 p.m. The Commodores lead the Gatemen by two points for second place.