Daily Fog: Staying Fast

Considering the fact that he hit .270 this spring, I’ve kind of been waiting for the other shoe to drop with Brewster’s Andrew Toles (Tennessee). Yes, he was a fourth round pick last year and he’s certainly shaping up to be one of the more talented freshman on the Cape. But would he really keep hitting all summer? I didn’t think so. The shoe was going to drop.

It hasn’t happened yet.

Toles went 3-for-5 last night to raise his league-leading average to .383. He also led Brewster to a 6-3 win over Y-D.

Toles has been perhaps the biggest constant of the 2011 season thus far. He has started 14 of 15 the team’s 15 games, and has been in the leadoff spot for every one of those. He has reached base in 13 games and has hit safely in 12 of them.

In short, he’s been just about perfect. His on-base percentage is .403, and he’s stolen eight bases. He doesn’t have a ton of extra-base hits or RBI, but the middle of Brewster’s order has that taken care of. Toles is supposed to give them a chance, and he’s certainly been doing that.

His success has mirrored his team’s success. Toles has had three-hit game four times, and each of those times, Brewster has posted a victory.

Last night, Y-D was victim. It was the second straight three-hit night for Toles, who had gone 1 for his last 10 before that.

This time, Toles scored a run and had a stolen base. Teammates Preston Beck (Texas-Arlington) and Jack Mayfield (Oklahoma) each hit home runs, while Ryan Jones (Michigan State) went 2-for-4.

The Whitecaps rolled up 12 hits and moved just three points back of Harwich for first place in the East.

Toles remains one of the biggest reasons why.

Elsewhere

  • After dropping the first of three games to Cotuit on Monday, Hyannis came back to win the Patriot Cup with a victory Tuesday and a 4-3 win last night. Eric Stamets (Evansville) and Joey Rickard (Arizona) had two hits to lead the offense while Ryan Gibson (Oklahoma) delivered a dominant long-relief performance. He came on in the fourth and allowed a hit that inning, then didn’t surrender another one. He struck out seven in 5.2 innings before Nick Wittgren (Purdue) came on to get the final out. Hyannis is now 11-5. For Cotuit, Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) had an RBI to take over the league lead with 12.
  • Orleans toppled first-place Harwich 5-1 on the strength of dominant pitching. The Firebirds have the lowest team ERA in the league and they showed it last night. Tyler Johnson (Stony Brook) got the start and allowed one run on two hits in five innings. Those were the only hits Harwich would get as Kenny Long (Illinois State), John Brebbia (Elon) and Trevor Gott (Kentucky) pitched the final four innings without giving up a hit. Together, they faced only one batter over the minimum. The Orleans offense was powered by Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville State), who drove in two. Andrew Aplin (Arizona) and Tarran Senay (NC State) each had two hits and two runs scored.
  • With Wareham’s victory over Bourne and a 6-4 win of their own over Chatham, the Falmouth Commodores moved into a three-way logjam for second in the West. Andrew Heaney (Oklahoma State) picked up the win with five solid innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four. Tyler Duffey (Rice) and Nathan Thornhill (Texas) then bridged the gap to John Simms (Rice), who was lights out again. He picked up his league-leading fifth save with a perfect ninth, striking out two. Simms still hasn’t allowed a run this season. As for the Falmouth offense, they pounded out 10 hits, getting one from eight of nine spots in the order. Jeremy Baltz (St. John’s) had two RBI, while Billy Ferriter (UConn) went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
  • Wareham topped Bourne 8-4 thanks to three-run rallies in the sixth and seventh innings. John Andreoli (UConn) went 3-for-5 with two RBI, and Johnny Field (Arizona) also had three hits and two RBI. Robert Refsnyder (Arizona) and Max Muncy (Baylor) each had two hits apiece as the Gatemen posted a season-high 14 hits. After Matt Grimes (Georgia Tech) allowed one earned run in 4.1 innings, Barrett Astin (Arkansas) got the win in relief with 2.2 scoreless innings. In three appearances, Astin hasn’t allowed a run.
  • What to Watch
    There’s a league-wide off-day today. Looking ahead to tomorrow, there should be a good pitching match-up in Hyannis when Chatham sends Keith Bilodeau up against Hyannis’ Scott Firth.

    Daily Fog: Heading to a Rubber Game

    Because their June 22 game was rescheduled for Monday, Cotuit and Hyannis have found themselves in an odd situation this week. While everyone else is in the normal grind, the rival Kettleers and Harbor Hawks have been staging a little three-game series, with three games on three consecutive days.

    They’ll play tonight’s third game regardless, of course, but Hyannis made sure last night that the series — and the Barnstable Patriot Cup — would still be up for grabs.

    Losers of three straight coming in — including a 3-1 loss to Cotuit on Monday — Hyannis snapped the skid with a 7-2 victory over the Kettleers on Tuesday.

    Cotuit struck first on a solo home run by Victor Roache (Georgia Southern), his third of the season. But in the fourth inning, Hyannis slugger Adam Brett Walker (Jacksonville) answered with a two-run shot. Oddly enough, that’s the second time this year that Roache and Walker have hit home runs on the same night.

    Walker’s blast was part of a three-run fourth, with Jeremy Dowdy (Appalachian State) knocking in the other run.

    Cotuit made it 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth but never got closer. After Dylan Floro (Cal State Fullerton) went four innings, the Hyannis bullpen shined. Nick Wittgren (Purdue) got the win with 1.2 scoreless innings before Dietrich Enns (Central Michigan) closed the door with 3.1 hitless innings.

    Hyannis added to its lead with a run in the eighth and three in the ninth. Walker finished 2-for-5 with three RBI, giving him a team-best nine for the season. Kevin Plawecki (Purdue) went 2-for-4 with and RBI while Dan Gulbransen (Jacksonville) added an RBI double.

    Hyannis will host tonight’s game at 7 p.m.

    Elsewhere

  • Bourne stopped Harwich’s five-game winning streak with a 5-1 victory. Tommy Collier (San Jacinto) was listed as the probable starter yesterday morning but Brian Ward (UConn) went instead, and that was fine with the Braves. Making his second appearance, Ward struck out seven in five shutout innings and surrendered just two hits. The Mariners had put up 24 hits in their last two games. The Bourne bullpen was also strong, with four pitchers going an inning each to keep Harwich down. Mike Lebel (Rhode Island) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Brave offense, while Travis Jankowski (Stony Brook) drove in two.
  • Wareham also stopped a five-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory over Falmouth. The Gatemen scored all three runs in the top of the first on a Max Muncy (Baylor) RBI single and a two-run single by Mott Hyde (Georgia Tech). Falmouth got a run back in the third on an RBI single by Ross Heffley (Western Carolina) but couldn’t get anything else. Brent Suter (Harvard) allowed just an unearned run in five innings for the win. Daniel Feehan (UConn) and Joe Flynn (Franklin Pierce) kept Falmouth off the board before Konner Wade (Arizona) worked a scoreless ninth for his third save. Wareham and Falmouth are now tied for third in the West.
  • Y-D hopped over Orleans in the East standings when it edged the Firebirds 5-4. James Ramsey (Florida State) and Matt Reynolds (Arkansas) each hit home runs for the Red Sox, with those homers accounting for all of Y-D’s runs. Andrew Thurman (UC Irvine) got the win with six strong innings. Kyle Hansen (St. John’s) came out of the bullpen for the first time this summer and struck out five in three innings. He allowed two runs in the seventh before retiring seven batters in a row to finish out the game.
  • Chatham and Brewster had their game fogged out at Veterans Field.
  • What to Watch
    Game: Bourne has made a nice run lately and will try to keep it going with a 7 p.m. game at Wareham.
    Players: Wareham leadoff hitter Brandon Thomas (Georgia Tech) has been among the best in the league so far. He’s hitting .370 with six stolen bases.

    Daily Fog: Making Their Move

    Not too long ago, Hyannis was threatening to run away and hide at the top of the West Division. The Harbor Hawks were eight points ahead of their nearest competitor.

    But with Hyannis hitting a speed bump in recent days — the Harbor Hawks have lost three in a row — the opportunity was there for someone to get closer.

    Two teams seized it and it’s not the two you might have picked. Falmouth and Bourne, who both got off to very rough starts this summer, are now within striking distance. Bourne is three points back of Hyannis while Falmouth is four back. The Braves have won two in a row and three of four, while Falmouth has won five straight.

    Last night, Bourne got one of its best pitching performances of the season to beat Orleans 3-0. The Braves have had to patch things together and have frequently used four or five pitchers in a game. This time, Ryan Eades (LSU) went six shutout innings, striking out four and allowing only two hits. Slade Smith (Auburn) then worked two scoreless frames before R.J. Alvarez (Florida Atlantic) struck out two in a perfect ninth for his second save.

    The Braves offense tallied nine hits, with Jason Coats (TCU) going 3-for-3 with two RBI to lead the way. D.J. Hicks (Central Florida) also had an RBI.

    As for Falmouth, the Commodores won for the seventh time in eight games since their 0-7 start, beating Y-D 2-1. Falmouth trailed into the seventh but picked up a run then and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth on a safety squeeze by Jack Marder (Oregon). Josh Easley (NC State) then worked a scoreless ninth to seal it.

    Marder finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and Kyle VonTungeln (TCU) went 3-for-5. Taylor Sandefur (Western Carolina) got the win in relief after starter Sean Hagans (St. John’s) allowed one run in seven innings.

    Elsewhere

  • One note from the Bourne-Orleans game. Pitching in relief for the Firebirds was Kent State’s Andrew Chafin, who was a supplemental first-round pick this year. I don’t know how long he’ll be staying, but he’s not the highest pick on the Cape. He was the 43rd overall pick.
  • Cotuit snapped a five-game skid with a 3-1 victory over Hyannis. Alex Yarborough (Ole Miss) went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the offense while starter R.J. Fondon (Florida International) struck out six and allowed one run in six innings. Bobby Wahl (Ole Miss) cruised through two innings with four strikeouts for his third save. Hyannis starter Jon Moscot (Pepperdine) hadn’t allowed a run coming in, but was charged with all three in six innings of work.
  • Brewster edged Chatham 2-1 and moved into a second-place tie with Orleans in the East. The Whitecaps got a strong performance from Luke Bard (Georgia Tech). He had struggled in his first start, and though he walked five this time, he also struck out eight and surrendered only two hits in six shutout innings. Andrew Toles (Tennessee) led the offense with three hits, Preston Beck (Texas-Arlington) hit a home run and Taylor Davis (Morehead State) went 1-for-3 to stay atop the batting average leaderboard.
  • What to Watch
    Games: Harwich will be looking for its sixth win in a row when it hosts Bourne at 7 p.m. Hyannis and Cotuit also meet for the second night in a row, this one in Cotuit.
    Players: The Mariners won’t have an easy time getting that sixth straight win. Bourne is starting Tommy Collier (San Jacinto), who went six shutout innings in his last start. Harwich, though, does counter with Tanner Perkins (Western Kentucky) who went 6.1 shutout innings in his last start.

    Daily Fog: Hotter than Hyannis

    On a night when the Hyannis offense was held down for the second game in a row in a 5-0 loss to Bourne, the Harwich Mariners continued their surge and surpassed Hyannis for the best record in the league. Harwich beat Cotuit 7-3 for its fifth consecutive victory. The Mariners are now 10-4, and have gone 8-2 since a 2-2 start.

    The win over Cotuit was a pretty typical performance — solid pitching from everybody who took the mound and plenty of offense. Joe Mantiply (Virginia Tech) started and allowed two runs in three innings. Anthony Pisani (Rhode Island) then allowed a run in a third of an inning before the bullpen slammed the door. Chris Overman (NC State) went 2.2 shutout innings for the victory andb(Mt. Olive) added two more scoreless frames before Blake Hauser (Virginia Commonwealth) got himself into then out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam to seal the win.

    Harwich has now allowed three runs or less in every game of its winning streak. In fact, when you look at the whole season, Harwich has only allowed more than three runs in two games — and one was a victory. Orleans still has the edge on Harwich for the league lead in team ERA, but the Mariners have certainly been good enough.

    As for the offense, the numbers say the Mariners haven’t completely hit their stride yet. As a team, they’re batting .226, eighth in the league. But last night, they had double-digit hits for the second game in a row — so maybe they’re starting to hit their stride.

    Ronnie Richardson (Central Florida) and John Wooten (East Carolina) each had three hits in last night’s win. Austin Wilson (Stanford) added two RBI and Jake Davies (Georgia Tech) hit a home run. Everyone in the Harwich lineup had at least one hit and five of them drove in a run.

    Elsewhere

  • After getting just one hit on Saturday, Hyannis had eight on Sunday but still couldn’t get in gear and lost 5-0 to Bourne. Chris Pickering (Rhode Island), a late addition to the Braves roster, had his third solid start of the year. He struck out four and scattered seven hits in 5.2 shutout innings. John Farrell (William & Mary), Kevin Brady (Clemson), and b (Florida Atlantic) did the rest, combining to allow just one hit in the final 3.1 innings to finish it off. Zach Alvord (Auburn) had a home run for Bourne while Colin Kish (Florida Southern) drove in two. With the win, Bourne moved into a three-way tie for second in the West with Wareham and Falmouth.
  • Speaking of Falmouth, break up the Commodores. The team that started 0-7 has lost just once since that skid and picked up its fourth win in a row last night, a 4-1 victory over Orleans. Falmouth has now beaten West-leading Hyannis and Orleans, the East’s second-place team, on consecutive nights. Andrew Aizenstadt (Babson) got the win for Falmouth last night, allowing one run in five innings to lower his ERA to 1.06. John Simms (Rice) picked up his fourth save, which is tied for the league lead — and he still hasn’t allowed a run. The Falmouth offense picked up RBI from Jack Marder (Oregon), Jake Rodriguez (Oregon State) and Max White (Oklahoma).
  • Chatham rallied from a 5-3 deficit with a run in the eighth and two in the ninth to beat Y-D 6-5. Amazingly, it’s the first home win of the year for Chatham. The Red Sox were still clinging to a 5-4 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, but Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) walked with one out before Richie Shaffer (Clemson) hit a double to put runners on second and third. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Phillips scored the tying run on an error by the pitcher. Joe Sever (Pepperdine) then plated the winning run with a walk-off single to right field.
  • Brewster didn’t let Wareham have the same kind of comeback as the Whitecaps posted a 3-2 victory. The Gatemen picked up a run in the seventh to cut a two-run deficit to one, but the Brewster bullpen made sure they got no closer. Jordan John (Oklahoma) started and got the win for Brewster after allowing just an unearned run in five innings. Joey Chargois (Rice) picked up the save. Ryan Jones (Michigan State) had two RBI for the Whitecaps, while Taylor Davis (Morehead State) went 3-for-4 to take over the league lead in batting average. He’s now at .389.
  • What to Watch
    Game: The rivalry game that was rained out last week is scheduled to be made up tonight as Hyannis hosts Cotuit at 7 p.m. The Harbor Hawks are trying to snap a mini-skid while Cotuit will be trying to end a six-game losing streak.
    Players: Pepperdine’s Jon Moscot is the starting pitcher for Hyannis and could be just the stopper the Harbor Hawks need. Moscot hasn’t allowed a run in eight innings of work.

    Daily Fog: Kind of a Gem

    I finally made it to a game last night after some busy weeks, and I thought I had stumbled on one of the first genuine pitching gems of the season.

    I had. It just wasn’t the one I thought.

    Cotuit’s Chris Beck (Georgia Southern) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of last night’s game against Wareham but lost it on an RBI triple by C.T. Bradford (Mississippi State). With four Wareham pitchers combining to shut down the Kettleers, the one run was all Wareham needed to win 1-0 before a big crowd at Spillane Field.

    Beck was cruising, although it was a sneaky kind of performance. He walked a couple, and Wareham had a runner reach on an error. Beck also worked slowly and went deep into a lot of counts.

    But he still didn’t give up a hit until the fifth, and for Wareham, it came at a very good time. Ty Ross (LSU) walked to start the inning before Bradford smacked a deep fly ball to right. Victor Roache (Georgia Southern) couldn’t get to it, and Ross scored easily. Bradford motored to third.

    The Gatemen pitchers did the rest. Josh Turley (Baylor) went 5.2 innings and Daniel Feehan (UConn) got a key out to finish the sixth. Barrett Astin, who was great as a freshman reliever for Arkansas this spring, then pitched two scoreless innings before Konner Wade (Arizona) worked a quick ninth for his second save.

    Just like that, a gem was in the books.

    A few other thoughts from the game:

  • Roache didn’t have a big game but he certainly looks the part of a national home run leader. Oddly enough, he batted leadoff last night.
  • A more typical leadoff hitter is Bradford, and he looks like a good one. Brandon Thomas (Georgia Tech) has been hitting leadoff and I don’t think Wareham can go wrong with either one.
  • Wareham had been shut out in its last two games, and it looked like Beck was going to do the same thing. He’s a big kid and he was throwing well.
  • Last year’s playoff MVP, Jordan Leyland, is back in a Cotuit uniform. A 44th-round pick this year, the UC Irvine junior picked up exactly where he left off, lining a single in his first at-bat.
  • Elsewhere

  • Falmouth got one of the best pitching performances of the season to cool off the first-place Hyannis Harbor Hawks by a 6-1 score. Joe Bircher (Bradley) went six innings, allowed just an unearned run, didn’t surrender a hit after the first and struck out nine against no walks. Bircher now has a 2.25 ERA and he leads the league with 25 strikeouts. He has also walked just one. Falmouth gave him a lead this time thanks to a five-run third. Spencer Kieboom (Clemson) and Billy Ferriter (UConn) each had two RBI in the surge. Max White (Oklahoma) later added a home run.
  • Kurt Heyer (Arizona) made his debut and turned in a pretty impressive line. He allowed four hits in five shutout innings and struck out three as Orleans beat Brewster 5-2. The Firebirds were actually out-hit 10-9, but managed to stay in front. Matt Duffy (Long Beach State) went 3-for-4 for Orleans while Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville) hit his league-leading third home run, a three-run blast in the first.
  • Harwich stayed three points ahead of Orleans for first place with an 8-3 victory over Chatham. The Mariners also matched Hyannis for the league-high in wins, and they set themselves on that path right out of the gates. Going up against Tim Cooney (Wake Forest), the Mariners scored seven in the first inning on seven hits and a Chatham error. Jabari Henry (Florida International) and Austin Wilson (Stanford) picked up an RBI each before John Wooten (East Carolina) knocked in two with a double. Jacoby Jones (LSU) also had an RBI to cap off the big inning. Armed with the lead, Andrew Leenhouts (Northeastern) went four innings for the win.
  • Bourne and Y-D ended up in a 6-6 tie as darkness forced the game to be called. There was plenty of offense before the sun set, though, with the teams combining for 31 hits. James Ramsay (Florida State) had three to lead Y-D while Anthony Melchionda (Boston College) had two hits and two RBI. Kyle Farmer (Georgia) had three hits for Bourne while Jason Coats (TCU) and Blake Crohan (Tulane) each had two RBI.
  • What to Watch
    Game: Harwich, winners of four straight, will travel to Cotuit for a 5 p.m. game. The Kettleers have lost five in a row.
    Players: There’s a standing order to watch Victor Roache of Cotuit. As for the Mariners, keep an eye on Jabari Henry, who’s had a big hand in their recent surge. Henry is hitting .262 with two homers, three doubles, a triple and 10 RBI. He’s tied for the league lead in RBI.

    Daily Fog: Making the Most of It

    After two days of rainouts, the Cape League finally got back to baseball last night.

    Chatham and Bourne made up for lost time.

    The Anglers and Braves played a 15-inning marathon, the longest game this year and I believe the longest since another 15-inning game in 2009. After each team scored a run early, the played 12 scoreless innings before Bourne broke through for two in the top of the 15th.

    The pitching stands out as the biggest story. Thirteen of them took the mound and they pitched so well, they left a lot of hitters with ugly lines.

    Chatham’s Keith Bilodeau (Maine) struck out nine and allowed just an unearned run in 7.2 innings before giving way to the bullpen. Four relievers ate up the next 6.2 innings without allowing a single hit.

    For Bourne, starter Josh Conway (Coastal Carolina) only lasted four innings, but the bullpen was up to the task. Six relievers combined to allow four hits and no runs in 11 innings of work. Among the stand-outs were Kevin Brady (Clemson), a 17th-round pick this year who struck out the side in the seventh in his summer debut, and Mason Melotakis (Northwestern State), who struck out five in three innings.

    The Braves then got the lead in the 15th when Zach Alvord (Auburn) drew a leadoff walk, took second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a base hit by Garrett Cannizaro (Tulane). A squeeze bunt by Travis Jankowski (Stony Brook) brought Cannizaro home.

    Chatham still had one last chance and got a two-out single by Joe Sever (Pepperdine) in the bottom of the 15th. But John Farrell (William & Mary) struck out Stephen Perez (Miami) to end it. Farrell ended up striking out four in two innings.

    It’ll be interesting to see if a game like this can be a jumpstart for the Braves. They’ve had their struggles but they’re only a game out of second place at 4-6-1. Chatham is now 4-7-1.

    Elsewhere

  • Harwich shut out Wareham 4-0 for its third straight win. The Mariners are now three games clear of Orleans for first place in the East. Taylor Rogers (Kentucky) got the start for the Mariners and dominated. After a loss in his first start, he went six shutout innings this time and struck out nine. The bullpen did the rest with three relievers pitching one scoreless inning each. Blake Hauser (Virginia Commonwealth) finished it off by striking out the side in the ninth, giving Harwich 15 strikeouts for the game. The Mariner offense was led by Jabari Henry (Florida International), who hit his second home run. Austin Nola (LSU) and Jake Davies (Georgia Tech) each had an RBI.
  • Once 0-7, Falmouth is now 4-8 after beating Cotuit 5-2 last night. Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) went 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead an offense that’s slowly waking up. Jake Rodriguez (Oregon State) had three hits and Eric Garcia (Missouri) added two. Andrew Heaney (Oklahoma State) walked five and struck out six but worked his way out of trouble and went five innings for the win. Nate Koneski (Holy Cross) followed with three scoreless innings before John Simms (Rice) picked up his third save. Simms is now tied for the league lead, which is kind of remarkable considering how long it took Falmouth to even have a save opportunity. Simms has seized the chances, though — he hasn’t allowed a run and has struck out 12 in 5.1 innings.
  • The sixth inning was decisive in Orleans. Y-D scored three in the top half, Orleans managed just one in the bottom and neither team scored again as Y-D went on to the 3-1 win. Doubles by the LSU duo of Tyler Hanover and Mason Katz plated Y-D’s first run. Anthony Melchionda (Boston College) followed with an RBI single and Y-D pushed a third run across on an error. Mike Marjama (Long Beach State) had an RBI single for Orleans in the bottom of the sixth, but the Firebirds could get nothing else. James Lomangino (St. John’s) turned in his third solid start of the summer, going five scoreless innings for the win. A.J. Vanegas (Stanford), making his summer debut, struck out four in three innings of relief and Matt Carasiti (St. John’s) worked a scoreless ninth for this third save. For Orleans, eighth-round pick Jason Wheeler (Loyola Marymount) allowed one run and struck out four in 5.2 innings.
  • Brewster and Hyannis had to cancel their game because of wet field conditions at McKeon Park.
  • What to Watch

    Game: Orleans hosts Brewster at 7 p.m. in a battle of East teams who are just two points apart in the standings.
    Player: That game was highlighted in large part because of who’s pitching for Orleans. Arizona’s Kurt Heyer is scheduled to make his season debut. Heyer was among the best pitchers in the country this year — and probably the best sophomore. He had a 2.41 ERA with 128 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 130.7 innings. He ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts.

    Watching Omaha

    Rain washed out the Cape League slate tonight, and there’s a chance that happens again tonight.

    At least we have the College World Series

    As prompted by astute commenter Dave, let’s talk about Cape Leaguers in Omaha.

    North Carolina was eliminated by Vanderbilt last night, which means you might be seeing a few Tar Heels on the Cape in the near future. Two freshman are the ones you’ll want to keep an eye on. Infielder Colin Moran was the ACC Freshman of the Year and is slated for Bourne. Kent Emanuel looks like the next great Tar Heel pitcher, and he’s on the Falmouth roster.

    Vanderbilt always sends a lot of players to the Cape and is doing so again this year. The players: Connor Harrell (Y-D), Mike Yastrzemski (Cotuit), Kevin Ziomek (Cotuit) and Anthony Gomez (Orleans). Also of note for the Commodores, Taylor Hill, who pitched a gem last night, played for Chatham in 2009. Grayson Garvin was last year’s Cape League pitcher of the year.

    Tonight’s game between Virginia and Cal features four players who are expected to be on the Cape this summer. Cal has Pac-10 Player of the Year Tony Renda (Chatham), while Virginia has Stephen Bruno (Harwich), Keith Werman (Harwich) and Reed Gragnani (Orleans).

    As for the teams sitting pretty in the winners’ bracket, Florida is sending a ton of players to the Cape once again, while South Carolina has two.

    The No. 1 Gator to watch is catcher Mike Zunino, a first-team All-American. He has been invited to Team USA, but he’s also on the Y-D roster and could come to the Cape after the USA season. Shortstop Nolan Fontana (Bourne) and pitcher Brian Johnson (Y-D) have also been invited to Team USA. The other Gators bound for the Cape are Hudson Randall (Chatham), Steven Rodriguez (Chatham), Keenan Kish (Cotuit), Daniel Gibson (Y-D), Kamm Washington (Bourne), Michael Heller (Brewster) and Austin Maddox (Bourne).

    South Carolina has Evan Marzilli heading to Chatham and Christian Walker slated for Harwich. Walked is also on Team USA.

    Daily Fog: Slugfest

    So much for the pitchers’ duel.

    Last night’s match-up between Chatham and Y-D featured Buck Farmer (Georgia Tech) and Kyle Hansen (St. John’s), two pitchers who had great college seasons. But the game didn’t go the way you might have thought.

    Farmer and Hansen were both out by the end of the fifth inning, and their teams kept swinging all night. In the end, Chatham won 10-9 in what was the biggest combined offensive game of the season. The teams totaled 15 hits each, with seven going for extra bases.

    Farmer was making his first start for Chatham and though he struck out five in four innings, he also allowed nine hits. He was charged with five runs and seven total. Hansen, who had a solid debut last week, lasted 3.2 innings and allowed six runs — three earned — on five hits and four walks.

    There was some pitching at the end, though, particularly from the Anglers bullpen. Matt Koch (Louisville) came on in the seventh and let two inherited runners score to tie the game, but got out of the frame without further damage. After Chatham took the lead in the top of the eighth, Koch got two quick outs in the bottom half. Zack Jones (San Jose State) followed him to the mound and finally slammed the door, allowing no runs on one hit in 1.1 innings for the save.

    Chatham got the lead in the eighth on an RBI single by Alex Calbick (Maine), who went 3-for-5 on the day with three RBI. Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) scored the go-ahead run and finished 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI. Joe Sever (Pepperdine) also had a home run, while Richie Shaffer (Clemson) and Jake Berry (Marist) had two hits apiece. Berry, who played two games with Wareham before coming to Chatham, is now hitting .357.

    Y-D was led by Stanford standout Stephen Piscotty, who had a great day in his debut. He went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI. Matthew Reynolds (Arkansas) also had a big day, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

    Chatham moved to 4-6-1 with the win while Y-D dropped to 5-5-1.

    Elsewhere

  • Hyannis picked up its fourth win in a row and its league-leading ninth overall with a 7-0 shutout of Wareham. The Harbor Hawks were going against Justin Amlung (Louisville), who had allowed three hits in two starts, but they touched him up for six hits. Throw in three Gatemen errors, and Hyannis was off and running. Seventh-place hitter Cal Towey (Baylor) and eighth-place hitter Jeremy Dowdy (Appalachian State) each drove in three runs, with Dowdy hitting a home run. Scott Firth (Clemson) did the rest, scattering six hits in seven shutout innings. Kyle Kraus (Portland) and Kolt Browder (Baylor) each worked a scoreless inning of relief to finish off the shutout. Hyannis is now the only team above .500 in the West and is eight points ahead of second-place Wareham.
  • Harwich took over first place in the East with a 6-1 victory over Cotuit. Darnell Sweeney (Central Florida) went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Mariners while Luke Voit (Missouri State) added a home run. Tanner Perkins (Western Kentucky) pitched 6.1 scoreless innings but didn’t factor in the decision as Harwich didn’t get the lead until the seventh. Carter Capps (Mt. Olive), a third-round pick this year who just arrive on the Cape, got the win with 1.2 innings of relief. Harwich is now 7-4 and sitting one point ahead of Orleans.
  • Brewster also stayed close in the East with a 4-2 victory over Orleans. Andrew Toles (Tennessee) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and Taylor Davis (Morehead State) had a home run for his league-leading 10th RBI. Taylor Ard (Washington State) and J.J. Altobelli (Oregon) had two hits apiece for Brewster. The Whitecaps used five pitchers, and none allowed more than three hits. Jeff Snell (Lafayette) picked up the victory.
  • Falmouth scored an unearned run in the seventh to edge Bourne 3-2. Both teams now have three wins. Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) singled with one out in the seventh and eventually came around on a Bourne error. Josh Easley (NC State) got the win for Falmouth and John Simms (Rice) got his second save in impressive fashion, striking out three in 1.2 hitless innings. Simms has now struck out 11 in 4.2 innings this season. Offensively, Kyle Von Tungeln (TCU) had two RBI to lead Falmouth.
  • What to Watch

    Game: Three games on tap tonight, including the first game of the Barnstable Patriot Cup Challenge between Hyannis and Cotuit. This one is in Hyannis at 7 p.m.

    Players: Plenty of guys to watch in the Hyannis lineup, but Cal Towey (Baylor) has been as hot as anybody. He has five RBI in his last two games.

    Daily Fog: Once Again

    Maybe I shouldn’t have written about Hyannis winning yesterday. The Harbor Hawks had the only game on the schedule last night. I should have known I’d be writing about another Hyannis win today.

    The Harbor Hawks stretched their win streak to three and upped their league-best record to 8-2 with a 4-2 victory over Bourne.

    The game was originally scheduled for last week, but rain forced umpires to call it. With the teams back together, Hyannis was up to its usual tricks. After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Harbor Hawks scored three in the fifth and one in the eighth and allowed Bourne just one more run.

    Hyannis finished with 11 hits, the third time in the last four games that they’ve gotten to double digits. This time, everybody in the lineup had at least one hit, with Eric Stamets (Evansville) going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Joey DeMichele (Arizona State) and Matthew Black (Mercer) also had an RBI each. Black hit a home run, while Stamets, Dan Gulbransen (Jacksonville) and Zach Vincej (Pepperdine) each had doubles.

    As a team, Hyannis is hitting .317 in its last four games, and it now leads the league in team batting average.

    The pitching hasn’t been overpowering, but as was the case last night, it’s been steady. Dean McArdle (Stanford) allowed one run in 4.2 innings, Ryan Gibson (Oklahoma) surrendered just an unearned run in 3.1 innings of relief. Jon Moscot (Pepperdine), whose first appearance this year came as a starter, closed this game and got the save.

    What to Watch

    Game: We’ll see what Hyannis can do in Wareham when it faces Justin Amlung (Louisville), who’s allowed just three hits in his first two starts.

    Players: Elsewhere, there should be a good pitching match-up at Y-D, where Kyle Hansen (St. John’s) makes his second start for the Red Sox and goes against Chatham’s Buck Farmer (Georgia Tech). Farmer, who was 11-3 with 106 strikeouts this spring, will be making his Cape debut. Farmer and Hansen actually each struck out 106 this year.

    Daily Fog: Brooms

    What’s a good way to continue a hot start? Sweeping a doubleheader isn’t bad.

    The Hyannis Harbor Hawks and Orleans Firebirds both took care of business on Sunday, with each sweeping a twin bill. Hyannis took two from Chatham to improve to 7-2, best in the league. Orleans won a pair of one-run games over Cotuit to move to 6-2-1, the best record in the East.

    Hyannis was coming off a loss to Harwich on Saturday but had no trouble getting past the Anglers. In game one, starter Dylan Floro (Cal State Fullerton) took a no-hitter into the sixth, when Joe Sever (Pepperdine) broke it up with a single. Floro left right after the single, having gone 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts. He also walked five and allowed an unearned run but it was still an impressive performance. Floro’s two previous outings came in relief. If the plan is to stretch him out and make him a starter, he could turn into an ace.

    Hyannis ended up winning the first game 5-1. In addition to Floro’s performance, Hyannis pounded 12 hits. Austin Elkins (Dallas Baptist) went 3-for-4 with three RBI.

    It was more of the same in game two. Andrew Strenge (Cincinnati) allowed one run in five innings and Nick Wittgren (Purdue) picked up the save as Hyannis won 4-1. Joey DeMichele (Arizona State) drove in a run and Cal Towey (Baylor) knocked in two.

    The Harbor Hawks are now four points ahead of Wareham for first place in the West.

    As for Orleans, the Firebirds found a way to take two close ones from Cotuit for their third and fourth wins in a row. Cotuit came back from a three-run deficit with two in the sixth in game one, but Trevor Gott (Kentucky) worked out of a first-and-third jam in the sixth then pitched a scoreless seventh to seal the 4-3 win.

    The Firebird offense was powered by three home runs, as many as the Firebirds had for the whole season coming into the game. Steve Selsky (Arizona) and Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville) each hit their second and Maxx Tissenbaum (Stony Brook) hit his first.

    In game two, the Firebirds again struck with the long ball. With the game tied at one in the sixth, Rudy Flores (Florida International) cranked his first home run for the 2-1 lead. That’s where it stayed as Mike Hauschild (Dayton) picked up his first save.

    Elsewhere

  • Bourne got a complete-game shutout from Tommy Collier (San Jacinto) to win game one 4-0 over Brewster before settling for a 2-2 tie in the nightcap. Collier, a 22nd-round pick this year, struck out eight and allowed just three hits in posting the league’s first shutout of the summer. He now has a 0.82 ERA in two starts. The Bourne offense was led by Travis Jankowski (Stony Brook), Josh Elander (TCU) and Colin Kish (Florida Southern), who each had an RBI. In the nightcap the teams went nine innings but couldn’t go beyond that because of doubleheader rules, and they couldn’t break the 2-2 tie. Jankowski drove in both of Bourne’s runs while Tanner Nivins (Stony Brook) hit a home run for Brewster. Five Whitecap relievers combined to allow just one hit in the final six innings.
  • Falmouth started a winning streak with an 8-2 game-one win over Harwich before dropping the second game 2-1. Jeremy Baltz (St. John’s) went 2-for-3 with three RBI in the opener, and Andrew Aizenstadt (Babson) allowed one earned run in seven innings for the win. In game two, Harwich starter Kevin Gausman (LSU) was in control, scattering seven hits and allowing one run in 6.1 innings of work. The freshman who’s bound for Team USA struck out four.
  • Wareham and Y-D also split, with the Gatemen taking game one 7-3 and Y-D winning 7-6 in game two. Wareham scored three in the fifth and three in the sixth to take control of game one, finishing with 13 hits. L.J. Mazzilli (UConn) hit two doubles and had three RBI. Luke Farrell (Northwestern) pitched his second seven-inning complete game of the summer. He surrendered only three hits. The Gatemen made a similar late charge in game two, but Y-D held on for the one-run win. Cody Keefer (UCLA) drove in two to lead the offense. Andrew Thurman (UC Irvine) allowed three earned in four innings to get the win.
  • What to Watch

    Game: Only one on the schedule today, a rescheduled match-up between Hyannis and Bourne. It’s at Bourne at 6 p.m.

    Players: Harbor Hawks Dan Gulbransen (Jacksonville) and Eric Stamets (Evansville) are both among the league leaders in hits with 11.