All-Star Trio

Michael Gigliotti is hitting .322 and will start the All-Star Game.
Michael Gigliotti is hitting .322 and will start the All-Star Game.

 
I’ve been looking for the right moment to do a post about Falmouth’s three standouts from Lipscomb, but I probably didn’t need to wait.

For Michael Gigliotti, Jeffrey Passantino and Brady Puckett, there have been plenty of good moments.

Gigliotti has starred with the bat since day one while Passantino and Puckett have led the way for the Commodores’ pitching staff. Wednesday, Gigliotti homered and Passantino pitched four solid innings in a 4-2 win over Harwich.

Lipscomb, which plays in the Atlantic Sun conference and is located in Nashville, hasn’t had a huge Cape presence over the years. Before the current trio, I could only find two Cape Leaguers from the school in the past 10 years: pitcher Hunter Brothers, who also played for Falmouth, and current Major League catcher Caleb Joseph, who split time with Falmouth and Cotuit in 2007.

Lipscomb went 31-27 this spring, but the foundation being laid by the Cape trio this summer could mean good things next year. Gigliotti, Passantino and Puckett each earned an all-star nod. That means Lipscomb is tied with ACC powerhouse Virginia for the most Cape League all-stars. Cape success has always been a good indicator for small programs on the rise. Stony Brook comes to mind as the most emphatic example.

For now, the Lipscomb trio is just focused on leading the way for Falmouth.

Gigliotti hit his first home run of the summer in Wednesday’s win and is now batting .322, good for fifth in the league. He’s also in the top 10 with nine stolen bases and is riding a four-game hit streak.

Passantino gave up one run in four innings Friday, the first earned run he had allowed since his first start of the summer. When your ERA goes up after giving up one run in four innings, you know you’re doing something right. Passantino continues to lead the league in ERA with a 0.75 mark. He has struck out 33 and walked just three, and opponents are hitting .132 against him. Passantino will start for the West in Saturday’s All-Star Game.

Puckett would have also been a good choice to start the All-Star Game. He’s 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA.

Falmouth also got home runs from Joshua Watson (TCU) and Willie Burger (Penn State) in Wednesday’s win. The team improved to 20-12 – best in the West – and owes a big thanks to the trio from Lipscomb.

 

Y-D 5, Hyannis 1

With Harwich losing, the Red Sox’ win over Hyannis sent them into sole possession of first place in the East. Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) struck out seven and pitched 4.2 scoreless innings despite issuing six walks. Hyannis stranded six runners against him. Pat Vanderslice (St. Joseph’s) followed with 2.1 scoreless frames and earned the win. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) led the offense with his second home run of the summer. Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hyannis got a home run from Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) but couldn’t rally from an early 5-0 deficit.

Orleans 8, Brewster 6

The Firebirds rallied from a 4-1 deficit and outlasted Brewster in an eight-inning affair at Stony Brook Field. Adam Haseley (Virginia) went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBI to lead the big offensive day for Orleans. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) added two hits and two runs scored and Garrett Benge (Oklahoma State) delivered his first Cape League RBI. Kevin Smith (Georgia) put a momentary stop to the back-and-forth with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, which earned him the win. Smith struck out six of the 14 batters he faced. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) gave up a run in the eighth but escaped further trouble to earn the save. Orleans improved to 16-16-3 with the win and has a five-point edge on fourth-place Brewster.

Wareham 3, Bourne 2

The Gatemen have risen the ranks in the West in part because of success against Bourne and it continued Wednesday. Wareham improved to 4-0-1 against the Braves this season with a 3-2 win. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the eighth and Alex Destino (South Carolina) drove in what would prove to be an important insurance run with a double. Bourne scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on an Evan Mendoza (NC State) RBI groundout but got nothing else off Wareham closer Jake Matthys (Angelo State), who earned his fifth save. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) allowed one run in three innings for the win after starter Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) went five scoreless innings. Wareham improved to 16-14-3 while Bourne fell to 14-17-2.

Chatham 2, Cotuit 1

Chatham won its second straight and moved within one point of fourth place in the East while handing Cotuit its fourth consecutive loss. Two solo home runs by the Anglers bested Cotuit’s one solo shot. Patrick Mathis (Texas) did the honors in the fourth inning with his fourth homer of the summer. Sean Bouchard (UCLA) broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth with his first home run, and that was all the offense Chatham would need. Andrew Karp (Florida State) allowed one run in six innings for the win. Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh) and Moises Ceja (UCLA) combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Quinn Brodey (Stanford) hit the home run for Cotuit, his third.

 

What to Watch

Coming off his best start – six shutout innings against Harwich – Colton Hock (Stanford) tries to get Cotuit out of its skid as Y-D comes to town.

 

Back in Town

J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.
J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.

 
J.J. Matijevic came back to the Cape with a bang.

An all-star last summer and probably the top returning player currently on a Cape League roster, Matijevic (Arizona) made his season debut on the Fourth of July and smacked a two-run homer that sent Falmouth to a 2-0 win over Cotuit.

Matijevic finished third in the league in hitting last summer, batting .333 with four home runs. He hit .287 with four homers this spring and was a key part of Arizona’s runner-up finish in the College World Series.

He wasted little time returning to Falmouth after Thursday’s final game in the CWS championship series. Monday, he was in the starting lineup for the Commodores, batting second and playing first base.

His homer in the fifth inning – after a Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) walk – was all the offense Falmouth needed. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just two hits and fanned seven in seven shutout innings. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) finished the shutout with a scoreless inning each.

Tristan Gray (Rice) added two hits for the Commodores and Joshua Watson (TCU) – another late arrival from Omaha – also had two.

Falmouth and Cotuit split their holiday series, with the Commodores improving to 11-10 after Monday’s win.

 

Wareham 2, Bourne 1

A holiday sweep of Bourne has Wareham alone in first place in the West. The Gatemen rode strong pitching and an opportunistic offense to their third consecutive victory and their second in a row over the Braves. Zachary Pop (Kentucky) gave up one run in five innings in his second start of the summer and Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette) was again dominant in relief. Leger, who has made two starts and two relief appearances, has given up three hits in 11 innings with 15 strikeouts this season. Monday, he surrendered one hit in three scoreless innings and struck out four. Casey Mize (Auburn) followed Leger and pitched the ninth for the save. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 to lead the offense and his RBI single in the second – following an error – staked Wareham to a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Bart scored what proved to be the winning run on a passed ball, making both of Wareham’s runs unearned. That made for a hard-luck loss for Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) who struck out eight and six innings and now leads the league in strikeouts.

Harwich 11, Brewster 7

For the first time all season, an opponent scored more than five runs against Harwich – and the Mariners won anyway. They racked up 20 hits – which might be a league-season high – and broke a 7-7 tie with a grand slam in the top of the eighth for a slugfest win over Brewster. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington), back after a stint at Team USA trials, came through with the grand slam after a single and two walks loaded the bases. It was Feight’s first homer of the summer. Austin Filiere (MIT) also homered and drove in two, Antoine Duplantis (LSU) had two hits and two RBI and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) had three hits each. Harwich raised its team batting average from .246 to .260. Brewster had plenty of offense of its own, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) going 4-for-4 with two RBI, Matt Davis (VCU) getting three hits and Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) driving in three runs. It was the fourth straight loss for Brewster.

Chatham 6, Orleans 3

The longest win streak in the league met its end at Veterans Field as Chatham topped Orleans 6-3. The Anglers took a lead in the fifth, added to it in the seventh and held off a push by Orleans. Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) struck out eight and allowed just an unearned run in 5.2 innings for the win. Austin Magestro (UNC Wilmington) notched a four-out save. Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) and Jordan Romero (LSU) led the Anglers at the plate with two hits and an RBI apiece. Chase Pinder (Clemson), Sean Bouchard (UCLA) and Patrick Mathis (Texas) drove in one run each. Orleans – which had won five in a row – got a home run from Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) but only six hits on the day.

Hyannis 8, Y-D 5

The second-longest win streak in the league also came to an end as Hyannis stopped Y-D’s four-game heater. The Harbor Hawks broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth on a Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) RBI double and a two-run single by Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee). Garrett Cave (Florida International) ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless ninth for the save. That made a winner out of James Harrington (New Mexico), who tossed three perfect innings of relief. Hudgins was one of four Harbor Hawks with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-3, Dylan Busby (Florida State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Trey Truitt (Mercer) went 2-for-5. Y-D got two hits and two RBI from J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara).

 

What to Watch

The best pitching staff in the league will try something a little different in the rotation as dominant reliever Austin Bain (LSU) makes his first start when Harwich hosts Bourne. Bain has 12 strikeouts in seven scoreless relief innings this summer.
 

Eagles Have Landed

BC Logo
 

Chatham has welcomed in some good players from Boston College over the years – first-round pick Chris Shaw comes to mind – but they haven’t often welcomed in a group of Eagles coming off a spring like this.

Boston College made the program’s first-ever trip to a Super Regional this season and pushed host Miami to the limit before ending up one game shy of Omaha. As they embarked for their summer destinations, there was undoubtedly a desire to keep the momentum rolling into next year.

The Anglers have been one of the beneficiaries. In Friday’s game, BC’s Jacob Stevens went five scoreless innings for a 3-1 win over Bourne and teammate Donovan Casey went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Fellow Eagle Jake Palomaki added a run scored.

Chatham moved to 7-6 with the victory, good for a third-place tie with Orleans in the East.

Friday’s game was the Cape debut for Stevens, who showed early signs that he’ll be building on his big freshman year. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound right-hander was a stalwart in the weekend rotation for the Eagles, finishing with a 2.54 ERA en route to ACC All-Freshman honors. His 70 strikeouts ranked second on the team, just two behind the leader – none other than first-round pick Justin Dunn.

Friday, Stevens struck out two and walked two while allowing only three hits. When he departed after five innings, Chatham had a 2-0 lead and would stay in front the rest of the way.

Stevens’ lead was sparked by his college teammates, as Casey drove in Palomaki to make it 1-0 in the first inning. Batting first and third in the order, Palomaki and Casey are off to strong starts. Palomaki, who hit .258 and stole 19 bases for the Eagles, is batting .310 and has scored six runs in nine games. Casey, coming off a spring in which he hit .273, is at .357 for the Anglers and his 2-for-4 night was his third consecutive two-hit game. He has a hit in all but one of the seven games he’s played.

With the Eagles coming through, Chatham also got two hits and a run scored from Sean Bouchard (UCLA). Chase Pinder (Clemson) also scored a run. Three relief pitchers took the mound after Stevens and finished off the win, with Moises Ceja (UCLA) earning his second save.

 

Brewster 3, Harwich 2

The league’s highest-scoring offense broke through late against the league’s best pitching staff as Brewster rallied past first-place Harwich. The Whitecaps trailed 2-1 before tying the game in the eighth and walking off with a 3-2 win in the ninth. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) doubled in the eighth and came around on an error on a ball off the bat of Brent Rooker (Mississippi State). Beau Jordan (LSU) then brought home Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) in the ninth with a walkoff RBI single. Jordan, Warmoth and Rooker all finished 2-for-4 to lead the charge for the Whitecaps. Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State) gave the Whitecaps some good pitching of their own, allowing one run in five innings. Tyler Zuber (Arkansas State) was credited with the win thanks to two scoreless innings of relief. Harwich got another strong performance from a starting pitcher as Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one run in seven innings before Brewster got to the Mariner bullpen. The Whitecaps grabbed sole possession of second place in the East with an 8-5 mark.

Hyannis 2, Cotuit 1

Hyannis made two early runs stand up and went to 2-0 in the Barnstable Patriot Cup with a win over sliding Cotuit, which dropped its eighth in a row. Cody Henry (Alabama) scored an unearned run in the second inning and Chris Cullen (South Carolina) had a sacrifice fly to score Dylan Busby (Florida State) in the fourth. That was all the Harbor Hawk pitchers would need, as Alex Eubanks (Clemson) went six shutout innings and Al Pesto (Duke) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) closed out the win. Cave struck out the side around a hit in the ninth for his fourth save. Keith Rogalla (Creighton) and Cal Becker (Sonoma State) pitched well for the Kettleers.

Y-D 12, Wareham 4

Y-D built a 6-0 lead and answered a four-run Wareham rally with six more runs in a 12-4 blowout at Spillane Field. Seven different Red Sox knocked in runs, with Tyler Houston (Butler) and Kevin Smith (Maryland) plating two each. Matt Winaker (Stanford), Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) and Paul Rufo (Binghamton) had two hits each. Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) ran with the early lead, tossing five shutout innings with five strikeouts.

Falmouth 7, Orleans 3

Falmouth rallied from a 3-0 deficit with seven unanswered runs in the middle innings en route to a win over Orleans. Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs to lead the comeback efforts. Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) homered and drove in two. Seven different Commodores crossed the plate. The rally helped make a winner out of Brendan King (Holy Cross), who started and allowed three runs in five innings. Three Falmouth relievers combined to surrender just one hit over the final four innings.

What to Watch

The top three teams in the West are all within one point of each other in the standings, and two of them will meet Saturday as Bourne hosts Falmouth at Doran Park.

Powered Up

Matt Davis and Brewster have had the league's top offense thus far.
Matt Davis and Brewster have had the league’s top offense thus far.

 
(Note: Apologies for the lack of Daily Fog Monday and the late post today. I’m in Alaska for the Summer Nine book project, which you can read more about here, and I have no idea what time it is!)

Brewster’s Matt Davis (VCU) earned Cape League Player of the Week honors for his fast start, and it’s a good bet he won’t be the last Whitecap hitter to get some recognition.

Brewster won its fourth straight game Monday, 11-6 over Falmouth, and offense has set the stage for the success. The Whitecaps lead the league in runs scored, averaging about seven per game, and rank second in batting average. In extra-base hits – always a good measuring stick of which team truly has the best offense – the Whitecaps lead the league by a wide margin, with 20 doubles, 10 home runs and four triples. They lead two of those three individual categories and are second in doubles.

And Monday, they did damage against a team with the second-best ERA in the league and a starting pitcher who went five scoreless innings in his first start. The Whitecaps touched up Jacob Godfrey (Arizona State) for nine runs – seven earned – in the first three innings of the game and cruised from there, finishing with 13 hits.

Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) – in his third game of his second summer with the Whitecaps – hit a first-inning grand slam and Brewster was off-and-running. Johnson added one more RBI and finished 2-for-5. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had his best day as a Cape Leaguer, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Nicholas Dunn (Maryland) went 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Julian Infante (Vanderbilt) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Zack Gahagan (North Carolina) also homered.

Staked to the big early lead, Brewster used seven pitchers and remained in control throughout.

 

Harwich 3, Y-D 0

Harwich Mariner pitching continues to be the story of the early part of the Cape League season. The Mariners ran their record to a league-best 8-2 with a 3-0 victory over Yarmouth-Dennis Monday. They’ve won three of their last four games, with all the wins coming by shutout. The Mariners have allowed 14 runs in 10 games, by far the lowest number in the league. It was B.J. Myers’ (West Virginia) turn Monday. Coming off seven innings of one-run ball against Y-D in his first start, he struck out three, walked one and gave up four hits in 7.1 scoreless innings. Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) did the rest, continuing his dominant start to the season with 1.2 scoreless frames for his fourth save. At the plate, Ernie Clement (Virginia) went 4-for-5 and scored two runs from the leadoff spot. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) each had two hits and an RBI.

Hyannis 5, Bourne 2

Winless through seven games, Hyannis has suddenly won three in a row. Five pitchers combined to hold Bourne to two runs on seven hits in Monday’s win. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) earned the win in relief with Garrett Cave (Florida International) picking up a save. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-4 with two RBI and has now driven in five runs in the three-game win streak. Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) added two hits and two RBI, Trey Truitt (Mercer) had two hits for his second consecutive multi-hit game and Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) scored two runs. Bourne got two hits from Jake Mangum, who is picking up where he left off after hitting over .400 at Mississippi State this spring. He’s 5-for-13 since arriving on the Cape.

Chatham 7, Wareham 1

Two pitchers who had tremendous springs combined for 6.2 strong innings as Chatham beat Wareham. NEC Pitcher of the Year James Karinchak (Bryant) struck out six in three innings of one-hit ball and WAC Pitcher of the Year Nick Meservey (Seattle) gave up just an unearned run on two hits in 3.2 innings. Matt Pidich (Pittsburgh) and Moises Ceja (UCLA) picked up where they left off with 2.1 scoreless frames, as Wareham finished the day with just three hits. The Anglers needed the shut-down performances because the game was close throughout. But with a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth, the Anglers scored five runs to blow the game open. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) had two hits and two RBI. Sean Bouchard (UCLA), D.J. Artis (Liberty) and Hunter Lee (High Point) also knocked in runs. With the win, Chatham moved back to .500 at 5-5.

Orleans 10, Cotuit 4

The Firebirds improved to 6-4 and handed Cotuit its fifth straight loss. Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) led the big offensive day, going 3-for-3 and driving in five runs as he continued his hot start. Kirtley – who hit .323 with seven homers this spring – has four multi-hit games in five starts for the Firebirds. Brian Miller (North Carolina) added two hits, three runs scored and an RBI, and Riley Mahan (Kentucky) had a run and an RBI. Kirk McCarty (Southern Mississippi) went five scoreless innings in his first start for Orleans. Eli Morgan (Gonzaga), who struggled mightily in his last outing, struck out five in two scoreless innings of relief. For Cotuit, Vanderbilt star Jeren Kendall made his second appearance as he gets some time on the Cape before heading to Team USA.

What to Watch

League-wide off day today. When the action resumes, Harwich’s pitching may get another boost as Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) makes his debut at Cotuit.
 

Another Breakthrough

HYA15 team
 
Perhaps the Hyannis Harbor Hawks just prefer a matinee. In a 2 p.m. game at McKeon Park Saturday, the Harbor Hawks finally broke through for their first win of the season, beating Wareham 5-4.

The night before, Hyannis lost a 1-0, extra-inning decision to Harwich, probably its most frustrating loss of all. The Gatemen – who took the train to Hyannis as part of a promotion – took a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning Saturday, but Hyannis rallied with four in the eighth and held off a final push in the ninth for the win.

Trey Truitt (Mercer) was hit by a pitch to start the rally and Ford Proctor (Rice) doubled for his third hit of the day. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) plated both of them and gave Hyannis the lead with a two-run single. After two more hits, Cody Henry (Alabama) knocked a two-run double to make it 5-2.

Wareham managed two runs in the ninth, but James Harrington (New Mexico) induced a ground ball to end the game, stranding runners on first and second. Harrington was credited with the save. The win went to reliever Trysten Barlow (Mississippi State). Starter Alex Eubanks(Clemson) didn’t factor in the decision but had a good day, allowing one run in six innings while fanning three.

Proctor, who had a strong freshman season for Rice, led the Hyannis offense with a 3-for-4 day in his third start on the Cape. Rutherford – who has a hit in six of Hyannis’ eight games – went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Hyannis is now 1-7 overall, matching Cotuit’s record. Those teams will meet for the first time this season today.
 

Orleans 1, Harwich 0

Harwich was on the winning end of a game that was 0-0 most of the way Friday, but was on the losing end Saturday as Orleans walked off with a 1-0 win in the bottom of the ninth. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Brian Miller (North Carolina) brought him home with the winning run on a base hit. Before that, pitching had dominated to the tune of eight scoreless innings. Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) got the win in relief for Orleans. He was the third of three relievers who maintained starter Joe Ryan’s (Cal State Northridge) shutout. Ryan scattered six hits in five innings. Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out six in six scoreless innings for Harwich. For the Orleans offense, Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits for the third straight game since his arrival. Ernie Clement (Virginia) had a three-hit day for Harwich.

Y-D 5, Bourne 1

Break up the Red Sox. Winless two days ago, Y-D won its third straight Saturday with a 5-1 victory over West-leading Bourne. Tyler Houston (Butler) led an 11-hit attack with three hits and two RBI. Kevin Smith (Maryland) and Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) added two hits each. The Red Sox staked starter Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) to an early 2-0 lead and he ran with it, allowing just an unearned run in five innings for the win. Collin Snider and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) closed out the victory. Jake Mangum (Mississippi State), one of the nation’s leading hitters this spring, made his debut for Bourne and started in the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4.

Chatham 5, Falmouth 2

The Anglers gave up two runs in the first inning but nothing else and rallied from the early deficit to move back to .500 at 4-4. Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) settled in after Falmouth touched him up early, going five innings for the victory. Jason Foley (Sacred Heart) pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Moises Ceja (UCLA) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. Kyle Adams (Richmond) and Chase Pinder (Clemson) had RBI single to start the rally in the fourth inning. A single run in the fifth and two more in the ninth provided some insurance. Pinder would finish with a 3-for-4 day. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) and Sean Bouchard (UCLA) had two hits each. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had an RBI and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went 3-for-4. Kevin Merrell (South Florida) continued his blistering start with his sixth multi-hit game of the summer.

Brewster 7, Cotuit 5

Brewster leads the league in runs scored and had another solid day in a victory over Cotuit. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) hit his first home run and Matt Davis (VCU) went 2-for-4 with two RBI to take over the league lead with 11. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) – the NECBL MVP last year – went 2-for-4 in his second start for the Whitecaps this summer. A.J. Graffanino (Washington) added two RBI. Aaron Soto (Tennessee) allowed five runs in six innings but all the offense made him a winner. His college teammate Jacob Westphal (Tennessee) earned the save. For Cotuit, Cory Voss (New Mexico) hit a grand slam and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) had two hits.

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit meet for the first time this season at Lowell Park. Charlie Barnes, who led Clemson in strikeouts this summer, makes his second for Hyannis after allowing four runs in four innings his first time out. Justin Hooper (UCLA), a 6-foot-7 freshman, is set to make his debut for Cotuit.
 

Breakthrough

COT16_team
 
Tim Susnara hit .176 last summer and was hitless in two games this year. David Gerics and Ross Achter are on temporary contracts.

Wednesday, they provided the heroics as Cotuit grabbed its first win of the season.

Susnara’s pinch-hit, two-run single broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth while Gerics and Achter combined for a solid pitching performance in a 5-3 win over Brewster at Lowell Park.

Not much has gone right in the early going for the Kettleers, who rank last in the league in team batting average and eighth in ERA. But with the victory Wednesday, they’re at 1-4 and they avoided the 0-5 starts that have caught Y-D and Hyannis.

Susnara (Oregon) stepped to the plate for Dayton Dugas (Wichita State) with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. Facing Hansen Butler (North Carolina), a returning Whitecap, Susnara worked the count full and smacked a base hit to plate two runs.

In the seventh, Cal Stevenson (Arizona) scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run, but Achter (Toledo) didn’t need it. After Gerics (Pomona-Pitzer) allowed two runs in 4.2 innings, Achter – a solid starter for Toledo this spring – put four zeroes on the board before the Whitecaps grabbed a run in the ninth. The Whitecaps threatened for more when they loaded the bases, but Achter struck out Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) to end the game.

Achter earned the win and struck out four. Jackson Klein (Stanford) and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) knocked in one run each for the Kettleers and Albee Weiss (Cal State Northridge) homered.

 

Falmouth 3, Y-D 0

The Commodores notched their second straight shutout and their third consecutive victory with a 3-0 triumph over Y-D. Jake Bird, who had a good freshman season at UCLA before struggling a bit this year, was terrific in his Cape debut, pitching six no-hit innings with five strikeouts. Y-D touched up Keegan Baar (Michigan State) for its first two hits but no runs. Justin Hoyt (Jacksonville State) and Stephen Villines (Kansas) finished out the shutout, with Villines grabbing his second save, which is tied for the league lead. Matt Duce (Dallas Baptist) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) hit solo home runs to lead the Falmouth offense, with Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State) adding an RBI groundout. Y-D remained winless as it managed only the two hits.

Chatham 8, Bourne 3

The Anglers smacked 13 hits and got solid pitching to hand Bourne its first loss of the season. Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) led the Chatham offense with three hits and an RBI. D.J. Artis (Liberty) continued his hot start with two hits and two RBI, and Sean Bouchard (UCLA) delivered the same line in his Cape debut. Patrick Mathis (Texas) also chipped in two RBI, his sixth and seventh of the year, and stretched his season-long hit streak to five. Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win. Three relievers had scoreless outings, including Seattle U standout Nick Meservey, who was making his first appearance in Chatham. For Bourne, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) had two RBI.

Orleans 11, Wareham 7

Trailing 7-4, Orleans scored seven runs in the eighth inning to stun Wareham. Twelve men came to the plate in the big rally, with singles by Chris Triano (Keystone College) and Riley Adams (San Diego) getting things started. Amazingly, Wareham recorded two outs with those two still on base, but the rally went on a long time after that. Payton Squier (UNLV) had a pinch-hit two-run single and Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) knocked in the tying run with a base hit. With the bases loaded, Riley Mahan (Kentucky) hit a triple to give Orleans the lead. Adam Haseley’s (Virginia) RBI single capped the rally. Wareham put a runner on in the ninth as it looked for a rally of its own, but Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) worked around it for a scoreless final frame. Hasely and Mahan had three hits each to lead the Firebird attack. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) hit a grand slam for Wareham.

What to Watch

Falmouth is riding a streak of two consecutive shutouts and will look for another with Lipscomb star Brady Puckett on the hill for a home game against Hyannis. Puckett, the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year, allowed three runs in his first Cape start on opening night.

 

Anglers have depth, experience

CHA
 
After a solid summer, Chatham is poised for a repeat as it welcomes in a team that’s older than most in the Cape League.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. J.B. Bukauskas
2. James Karinchak
3. Tanner Gardner
4. Chase Pinder
5. Nick Meservey

 

NOTABLE

  • The Anglers’ web roster includes everybody right now – temps and full contracts – so be prepared for a lot of names, some of which might not be around all summer.
  • I wrote last summer about the North Carolina aces that Chatham has had over the years. They have another one lined up in J.B. Bukauskas, though it remains to be seen if he’ll pitch on the Cape at all after accepting a Team USA invite.
  • Several teams on the Cape this summer will play with two or three rising seniors on the roster. Chatham has 20 of them listed on the roster right now. Some of them are on temporary contracts, but even in terms of full contract guys, the Anglers are very old by Cape League standards. They’ll risk losing some to the draft, but could be a veteran team if all pans out.
  • Chatham lost a couple of big names from its initial roster. Seattle’s Tarik Skubal was dominating the WAC before a season-ending injury. UC Irvine’s Keston Hiura, a Perfect Game Summer All-American last year in the West Coast League, hit .358 with seven homers but is no longer on the Anglers roster.
  • Tanner Gardner hit over .400 for much of the year at Texas Tech. He’s now at .376 as the Red Raiders head to the Super Regionals, having earned all-Big 12 honors.
  • Bryant and Boston College are part of a banner year for New England college baseball, with the Bulldogs earning Top 25 love and a No. 2 seed in a regional and the Eagles still alive in Super Regionals. The Anglers will give several of those teams standouts a chance to build on the success, with four Eagles and a Bulldog ticketed for Chatham. The best of the bunch are Bryant ace James Karinchak and BC standout freshman Jacob Stevens.
  • The Anglers have two returning catchers in BC’s Nick Sciortino and Richmond’s Kyle Adams. Neither had a lot of success with the bat last year but can provide a pretty good foundation behind the plate.
  • Chatham was set to have to players from Seattle. With Skubal’s injury, they’re down to one – but he’s a good one. Nick Meservey earned WAC Pitcher of the Year honors and could be a potential ace for the Anglers.
  • The ACC batting champ wasn’t freshman star Seth Beer or former Angler Will Craig or likely top-five pick Corey Ray. It was Pittsburgh’s Charles LeBlanc, who hit .405 and is bound for Chatham.
  • Chatham has made a concerted effort to find some small-school guys hungry to success on the Cape in recent years. Several fit the mold this year, including Joe Tietjen of UNC Asheville, Matt Vernon of Appalachian State and D.J. Artis of Liberty. All had big springs and will be eager to prove themselves this summer.
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    PITCHERS

    Reagan Bazar – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Towering righty (6-7, 250) had 1.93 ERA in nine relief appearances for Ragin’ Cajuns
    Kale Breaux – JR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 5.40 ERA in 16 appearances out of bullpen, with 19 Ks
    J.B. Bukauskas – SO – North Carolina – Turned in breakout sophomore season with 3.10 ERA, team-best 111 Ks in 78.1 innings
    Moises Ceja – JR – UCLA – Led Bruins in ERA with 2.60 mark in 25 relief appearances and fanned 23 in 27.2 innings
    Tanner Chock – JR – Presbyterian – Struck out 72 in 86 IP, 4.60 ERA for Blue Hose, who had program’s best-ever showing in Big South
    Tom Cosgrove – SO – Manhattan – Turned in breakout sophomore season for Jaspers with 3.70 ERA, 80 Ks in 90 IP
    Tony Dibrell – SO – Kennesaw State – After solid NECBL showing last year, tallied 4.64 ERA while striking out 66 in 54.1 IP this spring
    Christopher Farish – RS SO – Wake Forest – After redshirt and injury-limited year, made 35 appearances and struck out 35 in 28 innings
    Michael Fitzgerald – RS JR – Northeastern – Saved 11 games and struck out 32 in 38.2 innings, while leading team in appearances
    Jason Foley – JR – Sacred Heart – Went 4-4 with 5.68 ERA and fanned 47 in 58.2 innings
    Trevor Gay – SO – North Carolina – Led Charlotte in appearances last season before transferring to North Carolina, where he sat out this year
    Caleb Gilbert – FR – LSU – Has 5.04 ERA in 25 appearances, mostly out of the pen, to go with 43 strikeouts in 44.2 innings
    Lincoln Henzman – JR – Louisville – Standout reliever for Super Regional-bound Cards has 4.50 ERA, 27 Ks in 24 innings
    Reed Howell – SO – Appalachian State – Led team in appearances by wide margin and posted 3.83 ERA with 37 Ks in 49.1 innings
    James Karinchak – JR – Bryant – NEC Pitcher of the Year for breakout Bryant team went 12-3 with 2.00 ERA, 112 Ks in 94.2 innings pitched
    Andrew Karp – SO – Florida State – Has 7.43 ERA in eight relief appearances for Seminoles
    Erikson Lanning – FR – Texas Tech – In midst of Up-and-down freshman season with 2-3 record, 5.91 ERA, 27 Ks
    Simon Matthews – JR – Georgetown – Moved into weekend rotation and went 5-4 with 2.45 ERA and 59 Ks in 95.1 IP
    Isaac Mattson – SO – Pittsburgh – Followed strong debut in Panthers bullpen with more of the same this year – 3.71 ERA, 31 Ks
    Nick Meservey – JR – Seattle – WAC Pitcher of the Year posted 2.32 ERA, 79 Ks in 81.1 innings
    Matt Pidich – RS SO – Pittsburgh – New Jersey native had good numbers in limited action last year, did not pitch this season
    Parker Rigler – JR – Kansas State – JUCO transfer served as weekend starter, went 4-9, with 4.89 ERA and 73 Ks in 77.1 IP
    Jacob Stevens – FR – Boston College – Has burst onto the scene for upstart Eagles, going 4-3, 2.14 ERA, team-best 68 Ks

     

    CATCHERS

    Kyle Adams – SO – Richmond – Back for second year in Chatham off breakout sophomore season – .321, three homers, 33 RBI
    Joseph Freiday – SO – Virginia Tech – Former Massachusetts Gatorade POY hit .226 with three homers while splitting time behind plate this year
    Alex LeFevre – RS JR – Connecticut – Transfer from junior college ranks hit .283 in part-time role for Huskies
    Jordan Romero – JR – LSU – JUCO transfer is tied for the team lead in home runs with nine and hitting an even .300
    Nick Sciortino – JR – Boston College – Returning Angler hit .169 last summer but has been solid this spring with .277 AVG
    Gunnar Troutwine – SO – Wichita State – Hit .278 and led Shockers with seven home runs in sophomore campaign
     

    INFIELDERS

    John Aiello – SO – Wake Forest – Hit only .226, but nearly half of 44 hits went for extra bases
    Sean Bouchard – JR – UCLA – Finished second on team with .295 AVG and chipped in two homers and 36 RBI
    Orlando Garcia – SO – Texas Tech – Batting .261 with seven home runs for Super Regional-bound Red Raiders
    Cam Hanley – JR – Northeastern – Hit .247 while starting 24 games for Huskies
    Charles LeBlanc – SO – Pittsburgh – Native of Canada won ACC batting title at .405, drove in 46 and stole seven bases
    Hunter Lee – SO – High Point – Started every game and hit .295 with 30 RBI
    David MacKinnon – JR – Hartford – Earned spot with Wareham last summer and hit .292 then batted .392 with 4 HR for Hawks
    Jake Palomaki – JR – Boston College – Infield and leadoff stalwart hitting .265 with team-high 19 stolen bases
    Jeremy Vasquez – SO – Florida – Following good summer in Northwoods by hitting .289 for Gators
    Matt Vernon – JR – Appalachian State – Hit .317 with 8 HR, 42 RBI, all team-bests for Mountaineers en route to all-conference nod
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    D.J. Artis – FR – Liberty – Red Sox 40th-round pick last year had big debut, finishing at .369 with two home runs and 23 stolen bases
    Donovan Casey – SO – Boston College – Hitting .266 with big contributions in postseason and has also pitched some for Eagles
    Matt Cook – SO – Wheaton – Harwich native hit .268 for D-III powerhouse Wheaton
    Stuart Fairchild – SO – Wake Forest – Started every game and hit .293 while ranking second on team in RBI with 47
    Tanner Gardner – SO – Texas Tech – One of nation’s top batting average guys all year, now at .376 with 3 HR, 18 2B, 43 RBI
    Brock Lundquist – SO – Long Beach State – Followed up all-conference freshman year by hitting .315 with three home runs
    Patrick Mathis – SO – Texas – Hit .297 with six home runs for Longhorns
    Chase Pinder – JR – Clemson – Brother of former Angler Chad, hitting .294 with 11 home runs for Super Regional club
    Joe Tietjen – JR – UNC Asheville – Earned second-team all-Big South honors by hitting .344 with 10 homers, 55 RBI