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Star Turn

Austin Bergner makes a pitch Sunday.
Austin Bergner makes a pitch Sunday.

 

Chatham had only one pitcher named to the Cape League All-Star Game in reliever Jack DeGroat (Liberty). Austin Bergner (North Carolina) could have made a case for a spot, too, and he continued making it in the league’s return to action after the All-Star Game Sunday.

Bergner delivered his third dominant start of the summer with nine strikeouts in five one-hit innings as the Anglers beat Cotuit 5-2. The only hit allowed by the 6-foot-4 rising sophomore was a single by All-Star Game West MVP Griffin Conine (Duke). Bergner walked three and struck out nine of the 20 batters he faced.

Bergner now owns a 1.03 ERA, which would lead the league if he met the innings qualification (he’s two innings shy). Three of his five starts have been very impressive. He struck out six in six shutout innings vs. Y-D July 3 and fanned eight over 5.1 innings against Bourne July 16.

The nine strikeouts Sunday were a season-high, giving him 27 in 26 innings.

R.J. Freure (Pittsburgh) and Adam Wolf (Louisville) closed out the win for Bergner. The pitchers were backed by two RBI from Mason Koppens (Northeastern) and two hits and an RBI for Fabian Pena (Manhattan).

Chatham improved to 17-18.

Bourne 8, Falmouth 7

A key game in the West standings won in dramatic fashion by Bourne? We shouldn’t be surprised. The Braves have made a habit of winning close ones, and the latest vaulted them back into first place amid a walk-off celebration. After rallying from a 5-1 deficit then giving up a lead in the top of the ninth, the Braves won in the bottom half on a walk-off passed ball. Lyle Lin (Arizona State) singled with one out in the ninth and pinch-runner Andrew Fregia (Sam Houston State) stole second and moved to third on an error. Scott Schreiber (Nebraska) came up with Fregia on third. A walk-off hero earlier in the year, he simply had to get out of the way this time, as Fregia raced home when a pitch got away. Lin and Jameson Hannah (Dallas Baptist) had two RBI each to lead Bourne. P.J. Poulin (UConn) was credited with the win in relief. Alec Bohm (Wichita State) had three RBI for Falmouth. Bourne now leads the West with an 18-16 record.

Y-D 8, Wareham 3

Wareham was red-hot but has matched up with Y-D in two consecutive games – and nobody is as hot as the Red Sox, who won their eighth consecutive game. Alfonso Rivas (Arizona) went 4-for-4 to lead an 11-hit attack. Connor Kaiser (Vanderbilt) had three hits and scored three runs, while Nico Hoerner (Stanford) had two hits and two RBI. After pitching mostly in relief lately, Karl Kaufmann (Michigan) got the start and allowed just two unearned runs in six strong innings for the win. Tanner Dodson (California) was a bright spot for Wareham, going 3-for-4 to regain the league lead in hitting.

Orleans 5, Harwich 0

Despite its eight-game win streak, Y-D has made up just one game in the standings because Orleans is red hot, too. Sunday’s shutout gives the Firebirds eight wins in their last nine games. Brooks Wilson (Stetson) pitched five innings of one-hit baseball to start the shutout effort and four relievers followed suit. Harwich managed just two hits on the night. Cesar Salazar (Arizona) led the Orleans offense with a home run and two RBI. Brandon Riley (North Carolina) added two hits and two RBI.

Hyannis 2, Brewster 1

Hyannis picked up its first win since July 13 with a 2-1 win over the Whitecaps. Making his Cape debut, Tyler Vaughn (Belmont) provided a much-needed boost to the Harbor Hawks’ beleaguered pitching staff with five scoreless innings. Ryan Weiss (Wright State), Christian Tripp (New Mexico) and Nick Sandlin (Southern Mississippi) finished out the win. Chris Proctor (Duke) and Tyler Frank (Florida International) drove in the runs for the Harbor Hawks.

What to Watch

No games Monday as the teams head to Fenway Park for a workout. When the action resumes Tuesday, Bourne and Falmouth will play again as the battle for first place in the West rages on.

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Red, White and Blue Devils

Jimmy Herron and Griffin Conine after an Orleans-Cotuit game earlier this summer.
Jimmy Herron and Griffin Conine after an Orleans-Cotuit game earlier this summer.

 

Pretty much every day this season, I’ve checked to see if it’s the right time for the Duke post. Orleans’ Jimmy Herron and Cotuit’s Griffin Conine have been two of the best hitters in the Cape League since day one, Zack Kone is an all-star and several of their teammates are having solid summers. Duke’s presence is one of the stories of the summer, and I probably could have picked any random day to make it the Daily Fog theme.

But today is probably the best day.

Herron won East MVP honors and Conine took the West MVP award at Saturday’s All-Star Game as one of the big stories of the summer became the big story of the All-Star Game. They are the first college teammates in Cape League All-Star Game history to win the MVP awards. That dates back to 1988, when the game became a division vs. division affair. Previously, when the All-Star Game featured the Cape and the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, just one MVP was handed out.

Herron capped a comeback that gave the East squad a 5-3 win when he doubled home the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning. He finished 1-for-4 with the two RBI.

Conine had upped the West’s lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer in the third inning. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and was the only player on either team to log two hits.

With their first four pitchers tossing shutout innings and Conine pushing the lead, the West was poised for a bit of surprise result, given the dominance of the top two teams in the East this summer, both of whom had a heavy presence on the East All-Star squad. But the East chipped away on a home run by Brewster’s Michael Curry (Georgia) and an RBI groundout by Y-D’s Kyle Isbel (UNLV).

Falmouth reliever Mitchell Miller (Clemson) got in trouble with three walks in the seventh, and Herron made him pay, battling through a 10-pitch at-bat with six foul balls before smacking a lined drive up the middle to give the East the lead.

The West was unable to mount a comeback and the East prevailed, continuing an every-other-year trend in the All-Star Game. After a tie in 2012, the East has won in 2013, 2015 and 2017, with the West winning in 2014 and 2016.

As for Conine and Herron, the All-Star Game MVPs may not be the only MVP awards they’re in contention for, not with the Cape League’s leaderboard looking like this as the regular season gets back to action today:

Screenshot 2017-07-23 at 10.01.33 AM

Other All-Star Game notes:

– Great crowd at Wareham’s Spillane Field, announced at 7,163. There was nary a set to be had in any of the sets of bleachers, even in the outfield.

– Orleans’ Stephen Scott won the Home Run Derby over Brewster’s Chandler Taylor.

– Orleans’ Ryan Rolison was credited with the win and Y-D’s Riley McCauley grabbed the save.

– Kris Bubic of Y-D and Logan Gilbert of Orleans had the most impressive innings on the mound, with a pair of strikeouts each. Gilbert, who is emerging as the best pitching prospect in the league, was particularly impressive, as he struck out Willie McIver and George Janca on a total of nine pitches.

– Falmouth’s Alec Bohm was likely near the top of the list of players scouts wanted to see, and he didn’t disappoint, smashing a double to deep center in the second inning.

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Running Away With It

Romy Gonzalez had a walk-off sacrifice fly in Orleans' win.
Romy Gonzalez had a walk-off sacrifice fly in Orleans’ win.

 

The top two teams in the Cape League were recognized Friday as the top two teams in the country in CollegiateSummerBaseball.com’s weekly Top 30. With league strength as a consideration in the rankings, Cape League teams always have the highest ceiling. If parity is big in a given summer, a Cape-leading team that’s 18-16 might not automatically claim the top spot. But a dominant team usually will.

And the evidence is mounting that there are two of them this summer.

Y-D won its seventh straight game Friday over a Wareham team that was on a five-game winning streak. Orleans walked off with a win over Bourne and has won seven of its last eight, with its only loss coming, of course, to Y-D.

The Firebirds lead the league with a 23-11 record. Y-D is three points back at 21-11-1. Third place Brewster is 11 points behind Y-D. The best team in the West is four games behind Y-D.

The success continued into Friday, the end of a long stretch of games ahead of tonight’s All-Star festivities.

Y-D trailed 4-2 in the seventh but scored three runs on a two-run single by Alex McKenna (Cal Poly) and an RBI by Christian Koss (UC Irvine). Relievers Andrew Quezada (Cal State Fullerton), Brendan Nail (Western Carolina) and Riley McCauley (Michigan State) made the lead stand up over the final two innings, with McCauley saving his league-best eighth game.

Nico Hoerner (Stanford) hit his sixth homer and Carlos Cortes (South Carolina) had two hits for the Y-D offense. Jake Anchia (Nova Southeastern) homered for Wareham.

In Orleans, the Firebirds blew a late 2-0 lead but made it a moot point with a ninth-inning rally. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Romy Gonzalez (Miami), who brought the winning run home with a sacrifice fly.

Stephen Scott (Vanderbilt) led Orleans with three hits and Niko Decolati (Loyola Marymount) had two. Brett Daniels (North Carolina) went five scoreless innings in his first start after nine relief appearances.

Cotuit 12, Chatham 3

With Bourne losing, the West standings were shuffled again, as both Cotuit and Falmouth moved into a tie for first place with victories. The Kettleers fell behind 1-0 but cruised from there, scoring in six of nine innings for an easy win. Griffin Conine (Duke) took over the league lead in home runs with eight, while Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) and Luke Alexander (Mississippi State) also went deep. Jenista’s blast was part of a 4-for-6, 4 RBI night that bumped his season average to .340. Ivan Gonzalez (West Virginia) had two doubles. Reliever Chase Shugart (Texas) made his first start and allowed some base-runners with five hits and three walks, but nine of the 11 outs he recorded came via the strikeout.

Falmouth 8, Harwich 1

The Commodores broke open a 2-1 game with a five-run seventh and kept pace with Cotuit. Clayton Daniel (Jacksonville State) went 4-for-4 from the leadoff spot and scored two runs. Austin Langworthy (Florida) and Marty Bechina (Michigan State) each had two hits and an RBI. Tyler Blohm (Maryland) struck out six and allowed one run in 5.1 innings for the win. Falmouth has won three games in a row.

Brewster 8, Hyannis 8

Brewster rallied from a 7-2 deficit, but Hyannis salvaged a tie to end its losing skid. Back from Team USA, Tyler Frank (Florida International) went 3-for-5 with three runs scored to lead the Harbor Hawks and Robert Neustrom (Iowa) homered as part of a three-hit night. Brewster got three hits and two RBI from another Team USA arrival, Steele Walker (Oklahoma), who hit his first homer. Marty Costes (Maryland) and Julian Infante (Vanderbilt) also homered for the Whitecaps.

What to Watch

The All-Star Game is tonight at Wareham’s Spillane Field. Gates open at 2 for batting practice, infield/outfield and autograph sessions. The home run hitting contest is set for 5 p.m., with first pitch at 6:05.

 

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Starting Line

Griffin Roberts started Wareham's dominant stretch.
Griffin Roberts started Wareham’s dominant stretch.

 

Chatham owns the season’s most remarkable pitching streak, a 30-inning scoreless string that ended earlier this week. The Anglers were at it again Thursday at Wareham, but they ran into a pitching staff on a pretty impressive streak of its own.

The Gatemen edged Chatham 1-0 in 10 innings for their fifth consecutive win. And in those victories, Wareham starting pitchers have not allowed a single run.

Griffin Roberts (Wake Forest) started the streak with six innings of one-hit baseball in a win over Cotuit Saturday. Miller Hogan (St. Louis) took a no-hitter into the seventh a day later. Joey Matulovich (California) went five scoreless in a blowout win over Hyannis and Mason Feole (UConn) did the same in an easy win over Brewster.

For the fifth game, the Gatemen turned to a standout, but one who had pitched only in relief. Noah Zavolas (Harvard) responded with six dominant innings in his first start. He struck out eight and scattered five hits.

In all, the streak adds up to zero runs in 29 innings pitched, with just 10 hits allowed and 30 strikeouts.

The crazy thing is that Justin Montgomery (California Baptist), the Right Field Fog Midseason Pitcher of the Year, didn’t pitch in. He was the last starter to allow a run, after Harwich touched him up last Friday . . . for the first runs he had allowed all year.

As good as Zavola was Thursday, the game wasn’t decided until much later than his time on the mound. Chatham’s Justin Lasko (UMass) – returning as a late reinforcement after getting released on a temp contract in June – went four scoreless innings and Rodney Hutchison Jr. (North Carolina) went four more. Jordan Britton (Oregon State), Brett Conine (Cal State Fullerton) and Dalton Roach (Minnesota State Mankato) kept the shutout going for Wareham.

The Gatemen won it in the 10th when Robert Metz (George Washington) hit a walk-off single to plate Jarren Duran (Long Beach State) with the game’s lone run.

The win ran Wareham’s record to 16-15-1. The Gatemen are part of a three-way tie for second place with Cotuit and Falmouth. Bourne is one point ahead in first.

Bourne 5, Cotuit 3

The Braves had lost two in a row to the Kettleers, but a turnaround this time vaulted them into first place. Bourne trailed 3-0 but scored four runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to complete the comeback. Lyle Lin (Arizona State) had two RBI and Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State) hit his second home run in his second game with the team. Zac Susi (UConn) added an RBI and Andrew Fregia (Sam Houston State) had two hits. After Zack Hess (LSU) allowed three runs in 3.2 innings, P.J. Poulin (UConn) dominated in relief with 3.1 scoreless innings. Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) pitched the final two innings for the save.

Y-D 10, Hyannis 0

Hyannis pitching has struggled mightily in a six-game losing streak. Micheal Brettell (Central Michigan) served as the stopper as he carried a shutout into the seventh, but the bullpen faltered and Y-D exploded for all 10 of its runs over the final three innings. Carlos Cortes (South Carolina) homered and drove in two and Drew Mendoza (Florida State) followed up a grand slam Wednesday with a 3-for-5, 3 RBI night. Alfonso Rivas (Arizona) added three hits and scored two runs. Kyle Isbel (UNLV) and Alex McKenna (Cal Poly) had two hits each. Y-D starter Spencer Van Scoyoc (Arizona State) went 6.1 scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 0.93. The Red Sox have won six in a row.

Orleans 8, Brewster 6

The Firebirds were in danger of dropping their second game in a row when they fell behind 6-1, but a seven-run fifth inning turned the game around. Romy Gonzalez (Miami) and Niko Decolati (Loyola Marymount) had the key hits in the big inning and both finished the night with two hits. Jimmy Herron (Duke) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Riley Thompson (Louisville) earned the win in relief and Jake Wong (Grand Canyon) grabbed the save. With the win and a loss by last-place Harwich, Orleans became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot. Chandler Taylor (Alabama) was a bright spot in the loss for Brewster, blasting two home runs to move into a tie for the league lead with seven.

Falmouth 2, Harwich 1

Falmouth tallied just one extra-base hit but found a way to slip past Harwich for a 2-1 win. George Janca (Texas A&M) doubled in the fourth and scored on a Joshua Breaux (McLennan CC) base hit and ensuing outfield error. Hunter Steinmetz (Missouri State) single-handedly manufactured what proved to be the decisive run when he was hit by  a pitch in the seventh then stole second and third. The throw to third got away, and Steinmetz raced home. Derrick Adams (Jacksonville State) earned the win in relief and Ryan Zeferjahn (Kansas) picked up the save. The starting pitching matchup had a rivalry flavor as Ole Miss’ James McArthur went for Falmouth against Mississippi State’s Jacob Billingsley. McArthur went five scoreless innings. Billingsley allowed one earned run in seven innings.

What to Watch

The hottest teams in the league meet at Red Wilson Field, as Wareham puts its five-game winning streak up against Y-D and its six-game heater.

 

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Power Rankings: Week 5

Orleans holds in the top spot for the third straight week. Y-D’s win streak vaults it into second. And really, it’s those two and everybody else right now.

1. Orleans Firebirds
Record: 21-11 (5-1 last week)
Previous Rank: 1

Yes, Y-D beat Orleans 11-2 last night and leads the season series over the Firebirds. But both teams had fantastic weeks and, with a good chunk of the season in the books, the body of work still favors Orleans. The Firebirds lead the circuit in team batting average and runs scored, and they lead in team ERA and opposing batting average. The lineup is extremely deep – as noted when Steve Passatempo hit three homers in a seven at-bat span – and the pitching is as good as the numbers indicate. Logan Gilbert is emerging as a bona fide ace on a staff of aces and the bullpen is rolling along.

2. Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
Record: 19-11-1 (5-0 last week)
Previous Rank: 4

The Red Sox have won five in a row and eight of their last nine. They’re three games back of Orleans for first place and the gap the other way is growing – Y-D has a seven-point edge on third-place Chatham. The Red Sox rank fourth in the league in hitting and third in team ERA. The pitching rotation doesn’t look as deep as what Orleans can bring to the table, but it’s still one of the best in the league.

3. Cotuit Kettleers
Record: 16-14-1 (2-3 last week)
Previous Rank: 2

The top four teams in the West are separated by two points in the standings. For now, Cotuit has a slight edge and gets the nod here, too. The Kettleers have been the streakiest team in the league – owners of six-game and four-game win streaks and five- and four-game losing streaks. The Kettleers rank sixth in the league in both team batting average and ERA. But they’ve shown that, on their best days, they’re tough to beat.

4. Wareham Gatemen
Record: 15-15-1 (4-1 last week)
Previous Rank: 6

The underlying numbers hinted at a breakout, and the Gatemen appear to be in the midst of it. Ranking second in both team batting average and ERA, they were under .500 this time last week, but they’ve climbed back and are in the thick of the West race. Tanner Dodson leads the league in hitting and Steven Kwan has been terrific atop the order since his late arrival from Oregon State’s run in Omaha. What really stands out is the starting pitching – in a four-game stretch last week, Gatemen starters didn’t give up a run. One of the pitchers, Miller Hogan, departed with an innings limit, but the others are still going strong.

5. Falmouth Commodores
Record: 15-16-1 (3-4 last week)
Previous Rank: 3

Falmouth hasn’t been able to get hot and at times this week, its powerful offense showed some chinks against good pitching. Orleans shut them out and Bourne held them to one run. Still, the Commodores continue to lead the league in slugging and the lineup is only getting stronger, with catcher Joshua Breaux hitting five home runs over his last 11 games.

6. Bourne Braves
Record: 16-15 (2-3 last week)
Previous Rank: 7

The Braves are closest to Cotuit in the standings and have a chance to overtake the Kettleers with a head-to-head matchup tonight. Bourne is the opposite of Cotuit in terms of streakiness, with just two stretches of three straight anything. It’s made for a bit of a rollercoaster, but the Braves keep ending up on the positive side of the ledger. And if nothing else, they’ll always lead the 2017 Cape League highlight reel. 

7. Chatham Anglers
Record: 16-16 (4-2 last week)
Previous Rank: 9

Chatham makes a jump after a strong week highlighted by a dominant pitching stretch. The Anglers went 30 innings across four games without allowing a run. They now rank fifth in the league in ERA, and if they can sustain anything like that stretch going forward, they could emerge as a clear No. 3 team in the East.

8. Brewster Whitecaps
Record: 15-16-1 (2-4 last week)
Previous Rank: 5

Brewster didn’t have a terrible week, but with Chatham surging and the top West teams so tightly-packed, the Whitecaps take a tumble in the rankings. A tough schedule didn’t help – the Whitecaps’ four losses were to East leaders Y-D and Orleans, along with streaking Wareham and Chatham. This still looks like a solid group. There’s a big gap in these rankings from eight to nine.

9. Harwich Mariners
Record: 10-21-1 (1-5 last week)
Previous Rank: 10

Harwich is out of the basement, but that’s mostly because Hyannis had a brutal week. The Mariners – after a decent stretch early last week – haven’t helped themselves much since. The team batting average is climbing, but still ranks 10th in the league. The team ERA is ninth.

10. Hyannis Harbor Hawks
Record: 11-19-2 (1-6 last week)
Previous Rank: 8

It wasn’t a great week for the Hyannis offense, which didn’t score more than four runs in any game, and that was particularly bad news given the kind of pitching week the Harbor Hawks had. After beating Chatham 3-1 last Thursday, the Harbor Hawks lost their next six and gave up an average of 8.2 runs per game. The team ERA now sits at 5.53.

 

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Welcome Return

Jeremy Eierman, pictured last summer, returned to the Braves Wednesday.
Jeremy Eierman, pictured last summer, returned to the Braves Wednesday.

 

Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State) was one of the best sophomore hitters in the country this spring. He blasted 23 home runs – good for fifth in the nation – and earned third-team All-America honors from Baseball America. It was a continuation of the progress that made him a freshman All-American the year before.

But in between was a tough summer. Eierman hit .192 in 35 games for the Bourne Braves last year. He didn’t hit a home run until the playoffs.

After a stint with Team USA this summer, Eierman is back with the Braves and made his debut Wednesday. He grounded into a double play in his first at-bat and struck out in his second. But in his third trip, he cranked a solo home run.

It was officially a new summer.

Eierman played shortstop Wednesday and slotted into the third spot in the batting order. His presence should provide a boost for the Braves, who rank ninth in the league in slugging.

His homer Wednesday brought the Braves within a run and they took the lead in the eighth on a Tyler Fiztgerald (Louisville) home run. Fitzgerald finished with three RBI and Richard Palacios (Towson) had three hits. Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief and Ryan Feltner (Ohio State) picked up his seventh save.

Bourne is 16-15, one point back of first-place Cotuit.

Y-D 11, Orleans 2

Previous battles between the top two teams in the league were all decided by two runs or less, but Y-D turned the fifth meeting into a blowout, matching the highest run total allowed by Orleans this summer. Y-D now owns a 4-1 lead in the series and is three points behind Orleans for second place. The Red Sox did a lot of their damage against starter Joey Murray (Kent State), who had given up just one run combined in his last four starts. Y-D scored five in the first – highlighted by a Drew Mendoza (Florida State) grand slam – and three in the third. Mendoza finished with five RBI, a breakout game for the freshman slugger, who hadn’t hit a home run yet. Carlos Cortes (South Carolina) was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Christian Koss (UC Irvine) had two hits and scored two runs. While Murray struggled, Y-D starter Josh McMinn (Oral Roberts) – who came in with a 5.18 ERA – tossed five scoreless innings. Y-D has won five in a row. Orleans’ five-game win streak was halted.

Wareham 10, Brewster 3

Wareham has delivered more than its share of blowout wins this year, as evidenced by a plus-34 run differential – the second-best mark in the league despite a 15-15-1 record. The Gatemen are making it a regular thing now, blowing past Brewster for their fourth straight win. They’ve out-scored opponents 20-4 in the last two games. Tanner Dodson (California) went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI, regaining the league lead in batting at .380. Tristan Pompey (Kentucky), who was quiet in the three weeks after his two-homer debut, continued a recent hot streak with a 2-for-5, two RBI night. He’s on a five-game hitting streak. Blake Sabol (USC) added two RBI for the Gatemen and Jarren Duran (Long Beach State) had two hits. Mason Feole (UConn) – the AAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year – delivered his best showing of the summer with five innings of one-hit baseball. He struck out six. In advance of all-star appearances, Justin Montgomery (California Baptist) and Griffin Roberts (Wake Forest) both worked out of the bullpen and helped finish off the win.

Cotuit 11, Hyannis 4

Cotuit clinched the season series over rival Hyannis with a blowout win and maintained a one-point edge on Bourne in the West. Michael Toglia (UCLA) went 3-for-4 with his second home run of the summer and three RBI. Terrin Vavra (Minnesota) had two hits and two RBI. Thomas Dillard (Ole Miss) and Chandler Avant (Alabama) also had two RBI each. Seth Shuman (Georgia Southern) earned the win in relief.

Falmouth 7, Chatham 6

Joshua Breaux (McLennan CC) went 2-for-4 with six RBI and hit his fifth home run in the last 11 games to lead the Commdores past Chatham. George Janca (Texas A&M) added two hits and two runs scored. Chatham made a push after falling behind early, but Falmouth’s last two relievers closed the door. Ryan Zeferjahn (Kansas) pitched a scoreless eighth and Durbin Feltman (TCU) struck out two in a perfect ninth. With Bourne, Cotuit and Wareham also winning, the race for the West remained extremely tight. Falmouth is tied for third with Wareham and they are both one game back of Bourne and two behind Cotuit.

What to Watch

A battle for first place in the West should also be a good pitching matchup as Cotuit visits Bourne. Justin Hooper (UCLA), who has allowed one earned run in his last three starts, goes for the Kettleers against LSU standout Zack Hess, who will make his second start since arriving from Omaha.

 

 

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Magic

The playoffs are two weeks away, so it’s a little early, but the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are tapping into some of their late summer magic.

The Red Sox beat Harwich 4-2 Tuesday night for their second consecutive extra-inning win and their fourth straight victory in which they scored the decisive runs in their final at-bat. They won on a walk-off Saturday. The other three games were on the road, and Y-D took the lead for good in the top of the ninth, 12th and 11th innings.

Tuesday’s match-up was a pitchers’ duel as Harwich’s Jake Agnos (East Carolina) delivered a dominant start. With nine strikeouts on the season coming in, he fanned 11 in five scoreless innings.

Harwich touched up Y-D starter Tim Brenann (St. Joseph’s) for two runs, but the Red Sox hinted at more magic when they tied the game in the eighth on a two-run homer by Nico Hoerner (Stanford). In the 11th, Luke Miller (Indiana) drew a walk, took third on a double by Connor Kaiser (Vanderbilt) and scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball. A bunt by Hoerner plated Kaiser to make it 4-2.

The Y-D bullpen finished off the comeback win, as Brendan Nail (Western Carolina) worked around two hits in the bottom of the 11th for the save

Y-D is now 18-11-1.

Orleans 2, Falmouth 0

It was an even better pitchers’ duel that went to extra innings at Eldredge Park. Orleans’ Logan Gilbert (Stetson) struck out eight in five scoreless innings to take over the league ERA lead at 0.71. Falmouth’s Matt Mercer (Oregon) struck out seven in seven innings of one-hit baseball for his best start of the summer. The teams combining for just seven hits through nine innings. The bullpens kept the game scoreless until the 10th, when Orleans broke through. Jimmy Herron (Duke) hit a walk-off two-run home run and Orleans won for the fifth straight game.

The walk-off made a winner out of Josh Hiatt (North Carolina), who tossed two hitless innings of relief. Orleans has gotten dominant pitching in its five-game win streak, with starters allowing five earned runs over 22.2 innings of work for a 2.02 ERA in the stretch.

Chatham 5, Brewster 3

The Anglers saw their scoreless inning streak end but not their win streak. They pushed it to four and jumped over Brewster into third place in the East. Johnny Aiello (Wake Forest) had two hits and an RBI while Nick Patten (Delaware) went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Shea Langeliers (Baylor) hit his sixth home run. Boston College teammates Jacob Stevens and Daniel Metzdorf combined for the first seven innings on the mound, with just an unearned run coming across. Josiah Gray (LeMoyne) earned the save.

Wareham 10, Hyannis 1

The Gatemen got a third consecutive dominant pitching performance and easily made it stand up with a 17-hit attack. Following shutout starts by Griffin Roberts (Wake Forest) and Miller Hogan (St. Louis), Joey Matulovich (California) went five scoreless innings with four strikeouts and allowed just two hits. Grant Wolfram (Davenport) struck out five in three innings to keep the shutout going before Hyannis scratched a run across in the ninth. By then, Wareham was in complete control. Tanner Dodson (California) had two hits and three RBI. Tristan Pompey (Kentucky) and Jake Anchia (Nova Southeastern) had three hits each. Steven Kwan (Oregon State) had two hits and two RBI. Robert Metz (George Washington) also drove in a run. Wareham improved to 14-15-1, tied with Falmouth for third place in the West. Hyannis dropped its fifth straight game and fell to 11-18-2.

What to Watch

The top two teams in the league get together at Red Wilson Field as Orleans visits Y-D. Though the Firebirds lead the division, Y-D has a 3-1 edge in the season series. Joey Murray (Kent State), who has a 1.22 ERA, is due to get the ball for Orleans. Josh McMinn (Oral Roberts), who has a 5.17 ERA but beat Orleans early in the season, goes for Y-D.

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Chipping In

Passatempo_Steve_HSHeading into Sunday’s game, Orleans’ Steve Passatempo (UMass-Lowell) was hitting .208 with one home run. Across Sunday and Monday’s action, Passatempo proceeded to homer three times in a span of seven at-bats, culminating with a two-homer night in the Firebirds’ 8-2 win over Harwich Monday.

This is the kind of thing that has made Orleans the best team in the Cape League. In becoming the first team in the league to 20 wins – a mark they hit with the victory over Harwich – the Firebirds haven’t leaned two or three stars. They have them, certainly, in guys like Jimmy Herron, Stephen Scott and Ethan Paul. But the lineup seems to get contributions at every spot and the pitching staff goes much deeper than a dominant rotation.

The Firebirds led the league with eight all-star selections, and the success doesn’t stop with that crew.

Seven of the eight runs in Monday’s game were driven in by the bottom of the order. Passatempo went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Brandon Riley (North Carolina) and Kevin Strohschein (Tennessee Tech) each had two hits and two RBI.

After starter Daniel Lynch (Virginia) went 4.2 strong innings, Riley Thompson (Louisville) and Cody Deason (Arizona) combined for 4.1 hitless innings of relief.

Orleans leads the league in team batting average, ERA and fielding percentage, and it seems every Firebird has had a hand in it.

Cotuit 6, Bourne 3

The Braves spent two days in first place, but the Kettleers snapped a five-game losing skid and regained the top spot in the West with a victory over the Braves Monday. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had a homer and three RBI to lead the Cotuit offense, while Luke Alexander (Mississippi State) also went deep. Griffin Conine (Duke) and Michael Toglia (UCLA) also drove in runs. Noah Davis (UC Santa Barbara) struck out five in four innings and Zane Collins (Wright State) picked up the win in relief. Michael Byrne, who led the nation in saves with national champ Florida, notched his first Cape League save. Cotuit has a one-point edge on Bourne for first place. Falmouth is two points back.

Falmouth 9, Hyannis 3

Joshua Breaux (McLennan CC) continued a scorching July as Falmouth rolled over Hyannis. Breaux went 5-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Since the calendar flipped to July – when he was hitting .174 with one extra-base hit – Breaux has a hit in every game he’s played and is batting .395 with four home runs and nine extra-base hits. Breaux’s big performance Monday helped Falmouth stop a two-game skid. Alec Bohm (Wichita State) went 3-for-5 with two RBI and is now hitting a league-best .385. Logan Davidson (Clemson) also had three hits, while Austin Langworthy (Florida) drove in two runs. Hyannis got home runs from Reece Hampton (Charlotte) and Brendan Donovan (South Alabama) but couldn’t get anything going against the Falmouth bullpen. Zach Leban (Kansas) earned the win and Cole Sands (Florida State) struck out five over the final 2.1 innings to close it out.

What to Watch

Chatham looks for its fourth straight win when it hosts Brewster, who is one point ahead of the Anglers for third place in the East.

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Stealing the Show

Adam Wolf makes a pitch.
Adam Wolf makes a pitch.

 

The catch tops the highlight reels. Andy Atwood’s incredible wall-climbing and wall-clearing catch for the Bourne Braves at Veterans Field was featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter Sunday night.

There have been a few Cape League appearances on SportsCenter’s Top 10 over the years, but I don’t remember a play that good.

Something that won’t make the Top 10, though, is the bigger story as far as the Cape League season goes. Chatham was already leading at the time of Atwood’s catch, and leads have been mighty comfortable for the Anglers in recent days.

A 2-0 win over the Braves was Chatham’s second consecutive shutout, and it stretched the team’s scoreless streak to 28 innings. Nobody has tallied a run off the Anglers since Bourne scored in the first inning of Friday’s game, which Chatham went on to win in extra innings.

Austin Bergner (North Carolina) carried the torch Sunday with 5.1 innings. He struck out eight and allowed four hits, all of which were singles, while lowering his ERA to 1.29. Adam Wolf (Louisville) and Andre Pallante (UC Irvine) kept the shutout going into the ninth, where Josiah Gray (LeMoyne) struck out two in a perfect frame to finish it off.

The offense did just enough, with Fabian Pena (Manhattan) getting two hits and an RBI to lead the way.

Nine pitchers have gotten in on Chatham’s near-three game scoreless streak. They’ve allowed 13 hits in the 28 innings and have struck out 31 batters. Jack Perkins (Stetson), Jeff Belge (St. John’s) and now Bergner have delivered dominant starts, while Rodney Hutchison Jr. (North Carolina) and Jack DeGroat (Liberty) have shined in relief.

The streak has set the stage for Chatham to win three straight games and get its record back to .500. The Anglers are one point behind Brewster for third place.

Y-D 6, Falmouth 5

The Red Sox scored the decisive runs in their last at-bat for the third consecutive game, breaking a 4-4 tie with two runs in the top of the 12th and holding off Falmouth in the bottom half for the win. Nico Hoerner (Stanford) broke the tie with an RBI single and Kyle Isbel (UNLV) padded the lead when he stole third and scored on an errant throw. Falmouth got an RBI groundout from Marty Bechina (Michigan State) in the bottom of the 12th, but Y-D pitcher Tanner Graham (UAB) stranded the tying run at third. Carlos Cortes (South Carolina) had a homer and two RBI to lead the Y-D offense. Bohm homered as part of a three-hit night for Falmouth. The teams combined to use 13 pitchers.

Wareham 4, Cotuit 1

Making his final start as he hits a summer innings cap, Miller Hogan (St. Louis) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before the Kettleers broke through. Hogan settled for seven innings of one-hit baseball with six strikeouts, and got the win. Tanner Dodson (California) pitched the final two innings. Hogan finishes the summer with a 1.08 ERA. The three runs he allowed all came in one game. He went at least five shutout innings in his last four starts. Dodson and Tristan Pompey (Kentucky) each had an RBI to lead the Wareham offense.

Brewster 11, Harwich 10

Harwich scored double-digit runs for just the second time this season – and lost. Brewster trailed 10-2 when it scored five runs in the seventh and four in the eighth for a stunning rally. A three-run homer in the eighth by Marty Costes (Maryland) was the big blow that vaulted Brewster into the lead. Mickey Gasper (Bryant) also homered for the Whitecaps, while Christian Molfetta (Stanford) had two RBI. Brewster logged five hits, six walks and two hit-by-pitches to string the comeback together. Before the bullpen imploded, Harwich got another strong start from Tyler Baum (North Carolina), who allowed two runs in six innings.

Orleans 9, Hyannis 3

The Firebirds scored five runs in the top of the first and never looked back on their way to a third consecutive win. Romy Gonzalez (Miami) led the early onslaught with a three-run home run, his fourth of the season, all of which have come in the last seven games. Steve Passatempo (UMass-Lowell) added a two-run double in the first inning and homered later, finishing the game with two hits and three RBI. Stephen Scott (Vanderbilt), Jaxx Groshans (Kansas) and Jeff Houghtby (San Diego) also drove in runs for Orleans. Staked to the early lead, Ryan Rolison (Ole Miss) allowed one run in five innings for his league-best fourth win. Hyannis was led by Ford Proctor (Rice), who homered.

What to Watch

With everybody but Wareham losing last night, the tight West standings stayed essentially the same, but that won’t be the case tonight as Cotuit hosts Bourne. The Braves currently hold a one-point lead over the Kettleers for first place.

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Bourne on Top

Andrew Fregia had an RBI in Sunday's win.
Andrew Fregia had an RBI in Sunday’s win.

 

On the West Division all-star team announced Saturday, they have the fewest players of any team. In run differential, they rank seventh, with only the East and West’s last-place teams behind them.

But the Bourne Braves are in first place.

With Bourne’s 4-1 win over Falmouth and Cotuit falling to Wareham, a log-jam at the top of the West Division standings – with three teams separated by a point – was resolved with Bourne at the top. The Braves are 15-13 and leading a circuit that has had yet to have a team truly separate itself.

As noted in the power rankings this past week, it’s probably time to start believing in the Braves, despite the on-paper numbers that leave questions. They’re now 3-1 against the slugging Falmouth team that looks the part of a division leader.

Early offense and strong pitching throughout highlighted Saturday’s win. Andrew Fregia (Sam Houston State), Lyle Lin (Arizona State), Scott Schreiber (Nebraska) and Richard Palacios (Towson) each drove in a run as Bourne jumped to a 4-0 lead over the first three innings.

Falmouth managed just an unearned run and only one extra-base hit against five Bourne pitchers. Starter Eli Kraus (Kent State) struck out five in 4.2 innings. Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) pitched 2.1 scoreless innings for the win in relief. Sean Leland (Illinois) and P.J. Poulin (UConn) didn’t allow a hit in their stints and all-star closer Ryan Feltner (Ohio State) pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save.

Wareham 1, Cotuit 0

His teammate Justin Montgomery was chosen as the West’s All-Star Game starter, but Griffin Roberts (Wake Forest) – who also made the team – could make a pretty good case, too. Roberts struck out six and allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings as Wareham shut-out Cotuit. Roberts has a 1.73 ERA and has struck out 13 over his last two starts. Fitz Stadler (Arizona State) and Brett Conine (Cal State Fullerton) finished off the shutout, and Wareham broke a 0-0 deadlock with a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Tristan Pompey (Kentucky). Justin Hooper (UCLA) went five scoreless innings for Cotuit and has allowed just one earned run in his last 16 innings. The Kettleers have been held to two hits in each of their last two games.

Chatham 3, Harwich 0

A visiting team logged a shutout in Harwich, as well, with Chatham shutting down Harwich and stopping the Mariners’ three-game win streak. Jeff Belge (St. John’s) – who had an ERA over five in the spring and hadn’t gone deeper than 4.1 innings on the Cape – had his best start with six shutout innings. He struck out two and scattered four hits. Rodney Hutchison Jr. (North Carolina), who still has allowed just one run all summer, went the final three innings. All-Star starter Shea Langeliers (Baylor) went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Josh Stowers (Louisville) continued his recent hot streak with three hits and an RBI and now has eight RBI over his last five games. Mason Koppens (Northeastern) drove in two.

Orleans 4, Brewster 2

The Firebirds won their second straight and ran their league-best record to 18-10. Three runs in the bottom of the first inning set the course for Orleans, and three relievers made the lead stand up after Brewster scored two runs off starter Chandler Day (Vanderbilt). Brooks Wilson (Stetson) went three scoreless innings, Jake Wong (Grand Canyon) tossed two scoreless frames and Josh Hiatt (North Carolina) struck out two in a perfect ninth for his sixth save. Jimmy Herron (Duke) went 4-for-4 to lead the offense, and the All-Star starter in center field bumped his average to a league-high .387. Romy Gonzalez (Miami) added two RBI.

Y-D 4, Hyannis 3

Y-D joined Orleans in winning a second straight game, and with Brewster staying put, the top teams in the East are starting to pull away. The Red Sox delivered their win in dramatic fashion, walking off in the bottom of the ninth. With the score tied 3-3, Connor Kaiser (Vanderbilt) doubled and Alex McKenna (Cal Poly) singled him home for the win. Kaiser and Nicholas Quintana (Arizona) also had RBI for the Red Sox. Andrew Quezada (Cal State Fullerton) earned the win for the Red Sox with 3.1 strong innings of relief.

What to Watch

It’ll be a battle of All-Star pitchers when Y-D visits Falmouth at 5:30. Kris Bubic (Stanford) – chosen as the East’s starting pitcher – gets the ball for the Red Sox. Mitchell Miller (Clemson), who has starred as a reliever, will make his first start for Falmouth.