Top three

On a night when Harwich took its first loss of the 2016 season, Falmouth and Bourne seized the chance to match the Mariners for the league’s best record. The Commodores beat Hyannis 8-2 and the Braves blew past Chatham 12-4. Both teams are 5-1 along with Harwich, who lost to Wareham 3-2.

Falmouth took over the label of hottest team in the league with its fourth straight win. The Commodores scored three runs in the first inning and got six strong innings from Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year. Puckett was touched up for three runs in an opening night start against Chatham, but allowed just an unearned tally in this one. He scattered five hits and struck out two. Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) fanned four in two innings of relief and Tyler Jones (Wichita State) finished off the win with a scoreless ninth.

The offensive attack was spearheaded by the top of the order. Kevin Merrell (South Florida), Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State), Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went a combined 8-for-15 with seven runs scored and six RBI. They accounted for all but two of Falmouth’s hits.

Merrell is now hitting .481 from the leadoff spot, with two hits in each game of Falmouth’s win streak. Lawrence, a late addition who hit .355 for Murray State this spring, has homered in each of his two appearances with the Commodores.

While Falmouth is the hottest team in the league, Hyannis fell to 0-6 and is the last remaining winless club.

Over at Doran Park, Bourne fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning but had a few big innings of their own in rallying for the lopsided win. The Braves scored three runs in the fourth and seventh innings and exploded for six in the sixth inning.

Connor Wong (Houston) went 4-for-6 with two RBI and is now hitting .400 in his second go-round on the Cape. David MacKinnon (Hartford) and Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) chipped in three hits each, while Toby Handley (Stony Brook) had two RBI. Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) had two hits and two runs scored and has now hit safely in every game this season.

J.T. Perez (Cincinnati) settled in after giving up the four early runs and didn’t allow another one in four innings of work. As Bourne rallied, its relief corps took control, with Christian Taugner (Brown), Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) and Zach Cook (Winthrop) combining for five scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

In the losing effort, Chatham got two RBI from Patrick Mathis (Texas), who is tied for the league lead with nine, and two RBI from Chase Pinder (Clemson), who went 1-for-4 in his Chatham debut. Chase’s brother, Chad, played for Virginia Tech and Chatham and was a second round pick of Oakland in 2013.

Wareham 3, Harwich 2

The Gatemen handed Harwich its first loss thanks to a run in the top of the ninth inning. K.J. Harrison (Oregon State) – the 2015 Pac 12 Freshman of the Year – made his first appearance in Wareham and drew a one-out walk in the ninth. He took second on a wild pitch and came home on an RBI single by Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest). Reliever Casey Mize (Auburn), who had already pitched two scoreless innings, added one more to finish off the win. Pavin Smith (Virginia) led off the inning with a base hit but was cut down at second trying to stretch it to a double. Mize then worked around a walk to close out the win. Sheets led the Wareham offense with two RBI. Before Harrison scored the go-ahead run, he knocked in the first run with an RBI double. Harwich got three hits from Smith. Starter Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) was strong in a no-decision, striking out nine in six innings.

Y-D 10, Brewster 8

Y-D grabbed its first win with an emphatic rally. Trailing 4-1 in the eighth, the Red Sox scored eight runs then held off Brewster’s own comeback attempts for the victory. A two-run homer by Kevin Smith (Maryland) and a two-run double by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) were the big blows in the eight-run inning. Smith finished the night with four hits and Skidmore had three. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt), making his 2016 Cape debut, went 2-for-5. Corey Dempster (USC) knocked in two runs. The late push by Y-D spoiled a strong start by Brewster’s Hunter Martin (Tennesse), who allowed one run in 6.1 innings. Brewster also got a huge day at the plate from Matt Davis (VCU), who homered twice and drove in five. He’s hitting .400 and leads the league in home runs with four.

Orleans 6, Cotuit 5

Fresh off its first win, Cotuit took a 5-4 lead in the third inning, but Orleans scored two in the seventh and went on to a 6-5 win. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt), Drew Lugbauer (Michigan), Scott Hurst (Cal State Fullerton) and Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits each to lead the Firebirds, with Paul driving in a pair of runs. Kevin Smith (Georgia) – a different Smith than the one who had four hits for Y-D – got the win in relief and Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) earned his first save. Cotuit got two hits and two RBI from Jordan Pearce (Nevada).

What to Watch

North Carolina standout J.B. Bukauskas makes his second start for Chatham and potentially his last before Team USA training begins June 27. The Anglers host Brewster, which is starting Bryan King, a solid performer at McNeese State this spring.

June 16, 2016June 16, 2016

Breakthrough

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.

June 14, 2016June 14, 2016

Anything you can do…

Hunter Williams delivered a strong start on opening night, the first of many for the Mariners so far

It’s tough to say which unit has been the most impressive for the undefeated Harwich Mariners. Is it the starting rotation, with five guys delivering strong debuts? Or is it the bullpen and its two runs allowed in five games?

The Mariners don’t have to choose – it’s all working just fine together.

Harwich improved to 5-0 Tuesday with a 5-2 victory over Orleans, and pitching again set the stage. Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s) allowed one run and struck out five in six innings of work. Brad Bass (Notre Dame), Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) went the final three innings, with Rodliff allowing the only other run.

McAuliffe became the fifth consecutive Harwich starter to earn a win. As little as wins matter as a statistic, they do reflect in this case that Harwich’s starters are pitching well and pitching deep into games – something that doesn’t always happen in the Cape League, especially at this point in the year.

Hunter Williams (North Carolina) and Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) each went five innings. McAuliffe, Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) and B.J. Myers (West Virginia) went at least six innings in their first start.

The four runs Naughton allowed in his start are the most surrendered by a Harwich starter.

And when the starters have passed the baton on to the bullpen, the numbers have been even better. In 15 innings, Harwich relievers have allowed a total of two runs. Bass, Schellenger, Matthew Minnick (Mercyhurst), Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) and Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville) are all proud owners of 0.00 ERAs.

Of course, there’s also been plenty of support for the Harwich arms. The Mariners lead the league in runs scored (in one extra game than eight of the league’s teams). Tuesday, the Mariners made the most of seven hits and capitalized on four Orleans errors. Trey Harris (Missouri) and Ryan Brown (College of Charleston) knocked in a run apiece. Tyler Kirkpatrick (Marist) scored two runs.

At 5-0, the Mariners are a quarter of the way to last season’s win total, when they missed the playoffs.

Bourne 7, Cotuit 5

Bourne is also unbeaten, moving to 4-0 with a victory over still-winless Cotuit. The Kettleers scored five runs in the seventh in rallying from a 4-0 deficit, but the Braves responded with a run in the eighth and two in the ninth. A sacrifice fly by Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) tied the game in the eighth. Willy Yahn (Connecticut) tripled in Connor Wong (Houston) in the ninth and scored on a David MacKinnon (Hartford) sac fly. The rally made a winner out of reliever Keith Weisenberg (Stanford), with Conner O’Neil (Cal State Northridge) notching the save. Bourne starter Brady Miller (Western Oregon), who struck out 89 in the D-II ranks this spring, had a big Cape debut with six shutout innings and seven strikeouts. For Cotuit, the five-run seventh inning was a good sign for a team that had scored only four runs coming into the game. Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) had two hits and two RBI to lead the Kettleers.

Falmouth 5, Hyannis 0

The Commodores authored the third shutout of the Cape League season and improved to 3-1 while dropping Hyannis to 0-5. Jacob Godfrey (Arizona State) went five innings for the win, scattering five hits and striking out two. Four relievers went an inning each to finish off the shutout. At the plate, Falmouth got two-hit games from Kevin Merrell (South Florida), Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb), Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and Michael Cantu (Texas). Merrell is hitting .529 with at least one hit in every game.

Chatham 4, Y-D 3

Defending champ Y-D also is still in search of its first victory after a lead Chatham built in the sixth held up for a 4-3 win. Patrick Mathis (Texas) did all the damage in the key inning for the Anglers, smacking a three-run homer to put the Anglers ahead 4-1. Y-D answered with two in the bottom of the sixth but would get no closer. Chatham starter Tom Cosgrove (Manhattan) gave up one run in five innings before getting charged with the two in the sixth. Matt Pidich (Pittsburgh) ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts. His college teammate Isaac Mattson went the final two innings for the save. Y-D was led by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton), who knocked in two.

Wareham 3, Brewster 2

The Gatemen managed only three hits but turned them into three runs as they improved to 3-1 with a victory over Brewster. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) and Jonathan Engelmann (Michigan) drove in runs for the Gatemen on a groundout and a fielder’s choice. Robert Metz (George Washington) scored what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch. Anthony Herron, Jr. (Jefferson College), a 34th-round draft pick last week and a Missouri State commit, started and went four shutout innings in his Cape debut. Ryan Selmer (Maryland) earned the win in relief and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) recorded a three-inning save. For Brewster, Ryan Feltner (Ohio State) allowed two earned runs in 5.1 innings but took the loss. Jacob Wloczewski (Binghamton) struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.

What to Watch

Four makeup games from Saturday’s rainouts are on tap. Keep an eye on the proceedings at Doran Park, where Bourne will start another D-II standout after Brady Miller’s strong performance Tuesday. Ty Cohen struck out 98 in 90.1 innings for Florida Tech and gets the ball against Chatham.

June 14, 2016June 14, 2016

A different year

Last seen in a well-played, three-game Cape League championship series, Hyannis and Yarmouth-Dennis are still looking for their first victories of the 2016 season. The Harbor Hawks fell to 0-4 with a 6-1 loss to Orleans Monday, while defending champion Y-D dropped to 0-3 with a 9-1 defeat at the hands of Harwich.

Hyannis has had two close games mixed in with the winless start, falling 3-2 to Bourne on opening night and 5-4 to the Braves again two days later. Y-D has struggled a little more, with a league-worst 8.64 ERA setting the stage for some tough endings. The Red Sox actually lead the league in home runs with five but still haven’t had enough offense.

Both teams will have some reinforcements arriving as we get deeper into the season – particularly Y-D’s pitching staff – but there was no help on the way Monday.

Orleans raced to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first against Hyannis and never looked back. A two-run double by Chris Triano (Keystone College) was the big blow. Riley Adams (San Diego) also knocked in a run with a double.

Jason Morgan (North Carolina) ran with the early lead, allowing one run on two hits in five innings, while fanning five. A fourth-inning home run by Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) provided Hyannis with its only offense. Charlie Barnes (Clemson) struck out seven in four innings for the Harbor Hawks but was touched up for the early runs.

For Orleans, Riley Mahan (Kentucky) and Adam Haseley (Virginia) each had three hits. Triano, who hit .405 with 13 homers for D-III Keystone, is off to a 5-for-7 start with the Firebirds.

In Harwich, Y-D ran into the team that’s off to the hottest start this summer. Harwich raced to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings and cruised to its fourth straight win.

Austin Filiere (MIT) hit his second home run of the summer and drove in four. Pavin Smith (Virginia) also went deep for the Mariners. Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) added two RBI.

Harwich starter B.J. Myers (West Virginia) delivered one of the best starts of the young Cape League season with seven strong innings. He allowed one run and struck out four. Y-D managed just five hits against Myers and the Harwich bullpen.

Bourne 10, Cotuit 1

Cotuit also remained winless while Bourne ran its record to 3-0 with a 10-1 win at Doran Park. The Braves smacked 16 hits, with Willy Yahn’s (Connecticut) 3-for-5 day leading the charge. Former Wareham Gateman David MacKinnon (Hartford) had two hits, as did Connor McVey (Cincinnati) and Tyler Friis (Indiana State). Nine of Bourne’s 16 hits went for extra bases. Joshua Shapiro (Marshall), who had an ERA over five this spring, shined in his Cape debut, pitching six shutout innings for the win.

Falmouth 5, Wareham 4

The Commodores held off a late charge for a win over Wareham, as both teams went to 2-1 on the year. Willie Burger (Penn State) went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Falmouth attack. Kevin Merrell (South Florida) added two hits and two runs scored. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) went 6.1 strong innings, while Tyler Jones (Wichita State) got the win in relief. Brac Warren (Oregon) went two innings for the save. Robert Metz (George Washington) had two hits for the Gatemen and Colton Shaver (BYU) continued his hot start with a double and an RBI.

Brewster 14, Chatham 6

The Whitecaps scored double-digit runs for the second straight game but took an unusual route. Trailing 5-4, they scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to blow the game open. Sixteen men came to the plate in the big inning and several of them reached more than once. Seven hits, four walks, two hit-batsmen and two errors accounted for the offense. Colby Maiola (UMass Lowell) drew a bases-loaded walk for the go-ahead run and the lead grew from there. Eight different Whitecaps finished with at least one RBI in the game. Matt Davis (VCU) drove in three runs. Nick Dunn (Maryland) had four hits. Jacob Westphal (Tennessee) was the beneficiary of the big inning and got the win in relief. Chatham got three hits from Patrick Mathis (Texas).

What to Watch

Harwich will try to get to 5-0 as it visits Orleans. Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s), who’s coming off a pretty good spring in the Red Storm rotation, is slated to start for the Mariners. Colton Hatchcock (Memphis) is set for his Orleans debut.

June 13, 2016June 13, 2016

Shut down

Zach Schellenger, pictured last summer, struck out four batters in one inning in his 2016 debut as Harwich shut out Falmouth.

The first shutouts of the 2016 Cape League season were authored by a pair of teams that stayed perfect in the process.

Three Wareham pitchers combined to hold down Cotuit in an 8-0 win Sunday while three Harwich pitchers did the same against Falmouth in a 3-0 win. The Gatemen improved to 2-0, while Harwich is the only 3-0 team in the league.

The Gatemen shutout was the more impressive of the two. Cotuit got an infield single from Jake Bivens (Michigan) in the second inning and literally nothing else. Bivens was caught stealing and Wareham pitchers retired 23 in a row from there – no hits, no walks, no errors. And because Bivens was caught stealing, Gatemen pitchers faced the minimum for the full nine innings.

Jake Walters (Alabama), the best starter for the Crimson Tide this spring, went three innings with a strikeout. Reliever Cole Stapler (Nicholls State) fanned three in five perfect innings and Nick Sprengel (San Diego) tossed a perfect ninth to finish it off.

Wareham’s hitters provided plenty of backing, with Colton Shaver (BYU) leading the way. Coming off a big spring, he homered for the second time in as many games and went 4-for-4 with four RBI. Joey Bartosic (George Washington) knocked in two and Trevor Ezell (Southeast Missouri State) had three hits and two runs scored.

Cotuit’s Matt Ladrech (California) allowed only one earned run in six innings, but the Gatemen tallied two unearned then broke the game open with four runs against the Kettleer bullpen.

Over in Falmouth, Harwich pitchers scattered seven hits but didn’t let a runner come home. Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) went six innings and struck out five. Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) struck out three in two innings, and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) out-did even his big K-rate from the spring by fanning four in one inning (the first batter of the ninth reached on a dropped third strike).

Harwich had only four hits, but three unearned runs in the sixth inning were plenty. Trey Harris (Missouri) had an RBI single and two other runs scored on an error.

Bourne 5, Hyannis 4

The Braves have had a flair for the dramatic so far this season. After a walk-off win on opening night, they edged Hyannis with a run in the top of the 10th Sunday. Toby Handley (Stony Brook) had an RBI single to plate the 10th-inning go-ahead run and Conner O’Neil (Cal State Northridge) pitched around a double in the bottom half to close out the win. Handley was one of four Braves to notch a multi-hit game. Conner McVey (Cincinnati) went 3-for-5 with an RBI while Willy Yahn (Connecticut) and Connor Wong (Houston) had two hits apiece. Starter A.J. Moore (Kennesaw State) struck out seven in five innings for Bourne. Hyannis was let by Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico). The Mountain West Conference Player of the Year went 2-for-4 with three RBI and his first Cape home run. The blast tied the game in the eighth. Bourne improved to 2-0. Hyannis is 0-3.

Chatham 3, Orleans 2

The Anglers broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the eighth and held off Orleans in the ninth for a 3-2 win at Veterans Field. Patrick Mathis (Texas) delivered the big hit in the eighth, a two-run triple that snapped the tie. Orleans loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth, but Chatham sacrificed a run for a double play then got a groundout to end the game. Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh) was credited with the win in relief and Michael Fitzgerald (Northeastern) the save. Joseph Freiday (Virginia Tech) had the other RBI for the Anglers. Chris Triano (Keystone College) led Orleans with three hits. Both teams are 1-1.

Brewster 11, Y-D 6

The Whitecaps scored all their runs in the first five innings and coasted to their first victory of the season. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) – who hit three home runs for Y-D last summer – hurt his former team with his second blast of the 2016 campaign. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) added two hits and three RBI, while Nick Dunn (Maryland) had two hits and three runs scored. Aaron Soto (Tennessee) surrendered three earned runs in five innings for the win. Y-D was led by Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s), who hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning.

What to Watch

A full slate of games is on tap for your Monday. Harwich will try to go to 4-0 as it hosts Y-D at Whitehouse Field, with West Virginia’s B.J. Myers on the hill.

June 12, 2016June 12, 2016

Scoring in the rain

Harwich leads the league in runs scored so far this summer, and that might have been the case even if everyone else wasn’t rained out on Saturday. After scoring eight runs in their opener, the Mariners ran past Hyannis 12-4 Saturday in the only game on the schedule.

Both teams had double-digit hits, but a combination of key hits, three Hyannis errors and 10 walks issued by Hyannis pitchers made Harwich significantly more productive. The Mariners scored two runs in the second, three in the third and busted the game open with six runs in the fourth, with three consecutive walks setting the table for the outburst.

Austin Filiere (MIT) had the only extra-base hit for the Mariners – a double – but there were plenty of run-scoring singles. Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) and Max Burt (Northeastern) had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored apiece. Ryan Brown (College of Charleston) and Kyle Davis (West Virginia) drove in two runs each. Tyler Kirkpatrick (Marist) scored three runs.

Harwich’s own pitchers were knocked around a bit, too, but they didn’t hurt themselves further. Starter Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) allowed four runs on 11 hits in five innings but didn’t walk a batter. Brandon Bass (Notre Dame) shined in three scoreless innings of relief, striking out six of the 10 batters he faced, while also not issuing any walks. Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville) finished off the win with a perfect ninth.

Cody Henry (Alabama) homered to lead Hyannis, which fell to 0-2.

What to Watch

Looks like the weather will cooperate for a full slate of games Sunday. Orleans and Chatham get their annual rivalry series started at 7 p.m. at Veterans Field.

June 11, 2016June 11, 2016

Bringing the bats

Pitching is often ahead of hitting in the early days of a summer league season, but that wasn’t really the case on opening night in the Cape Cod Baseball League Friday. Every team scored at least two runs and the longest outing by any pitcher was five innings.

The team that did the most scoring is a familiar one.

After watching 10 standouts from last year’s 30-win, offensive juggernaut go in the first four rounds of the Major League Draft, the new Orleans Firebirds didn’t miss a beat. With 15 hits, they broke things open in the late innings in a 9-4 victory over Brewster at Stony Brook Field.

It was a familiar name – though maybe not to Orleans fans – who led the charge. Former Wareham Gateman Logan Sowers (Indiana) – who hit under .200 in 29 games last summer – got nearly a fourth of last year’s season total in hits in one night. Coming off a bounce-back spring in which he hit eight home runs, Sowers went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Each of his hits knocked in a run.

Riley Mahan (Kentucky) also had a fast start, going 4-for-6, knocking in one and scoring three runs from the No. 2 hole. Joe Baker (Texas) added two hits and two RBI and Riley Adams (San Diego) also chipped in two hits. Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) and Dane Hutcheon (Montevallo) had one RBI each, with Lugbauer plating the first run of the Cape League season.

Lefty Sean Guenther (Notre Dame) was the beneficiary of the hot start, allowing one run in five innings for the opening night win. He struck out four and surrendered two hits. Relievers Connor Alexander (Memphis) and Logan Roberts (Lane CC) finished the job.

While Brewster managed only four runs, it did show some pop. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) and Matt Davis (VCU) both homered.

Falmouth 7, Chatham 4

Even a great pitching matchup wasn’t immune to an offensive opening night as Falmouth beat Chatham and North Carolina star J.B. Bukauskas. Falmouth scored five runs off Bukauskas in 4.2 innings, though only three were earned. Bukauskas, who is also a Team USA invite, struck out eight, more than any pitcher in the league on opening night, but took the loss. Falmouth starter Brady Puckett, a standout at Lipscomb this spring, surrendered three runs in four innings of work and saw Chatham jump to a 3-0 lead. But a four-run sixth inning sent the Commodores on their way. Willie Burger (Penn State) homered for Falmouth while leadoff man Kevin Merrell (South Florida) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and Matt McLaughlin (Kansas) had two hits. Brendan King (Holy Cross) got the win in relief and Stephen Villines (Kansas) – who saved six games for Falmouth last year – notched his first this season. Falmouth got three hits and two RBI from Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State).

Harwich 8, Cotuit 3

Cotuit made three errors in the first two innings as Harwich jumped to a 7-2 lead. The Mariners went on to the 8-3 win. Austin Filiere, a star at MIT and a rare Engineer to earn a Cape League spot, made his debut count by blasting a three-run home run in his first at-bat. A bases-loaded triple by Logan Farrar (VCU) in the second inning broke things open. Filiere and Farrar also scored one run each while Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) had three hits and three runs scored. Cotuit got early RBI from Jordan Pearce (Nevada) and Ben Ruta (Wagner) but Harwich starter Hunter Williams (North Carolina) settled in and allowed just those two runs in five innings, with five strikeouts. Keith Rogalla (Creighton) started for Cotuit and allowed eight runs, but only one was charged as earned. Ross Achter (Toledo) pitched three scoreless innings of relief.

Wareham 6, Y-D 3

Colton Shaver (BYU) had probably the best spring of any Cape League player in action Friday and he got his summer off to a roaring start as Wareham beat defending champion Y-D. Shaver, who hit 10 home runs for BYU this year, homered and went 2-for-4 with three RBI in leading an 11-hit Wareham attack. The homer sparked a three-run sixth inning that put the Gatemen in control. Niko Buentello (Auburn) added three hits and an RBI while Brett Netzer (Charlotte) also homered. Jake Fishman (Union College) allowed one run in five innings for the win. For Y-D, Matt Winaker (Stanford) hit a home run and Kevin Smith (Maryland) had two hits.

Bourne 3, Hyannis 2

The only low-scoring game of opening night was also the most dramatic as Bourne walked off (literally) with a 3-2 win over Hyannis. The Braves were out-hit 12-6, but the game was tied 2-2 in the ninth when Connor Wong (Houston) drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the winning run. The walkoff made a winner out of Zach Cook (Winthrop) who pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief after a scoreless relief outing by David Drouin (Hartford). Starter J.T. Perez (Cincinnati) pitched well with seven strikeouts and two runs allowed in five innings. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) had three hits and an RBI to lead the Harbor Hawks.

What to Watch

Orleans and Wareham, two of the hottest teams Friday, will square off at Eldredge Park at 7 p.m. Joe Ryan, who had a solid spring for Cal State Northridge, goes for the Firebirds against Nick Sprengel (San Diego), who had a high ERA but struck out more than a batter an inning in his freshman year with the Toreros.

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Young talent leads Commodores

Falmouth missed the playoffs last season but has a talented team ready for a return trip.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Luken Baker
2. Brady Puckett
3. J.J. Matijevic
4. Bryce Montes de Oca
5. Brady Singer

NOTABLE

The Falmouth roster no longer includes the guy who stole all the headlines in the preseason. Missouri State All-American Jake Burger is on the Team USA roster. But there’s plenty of talent left . . .

A late addition who stands as a good replacement for Burger is TCU freshman Luken Baker. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year came in highly touted and has been a force at the plate and on the mound. He’s also at his best right now, coming off four home runs in the Big 12 Tournament.

Baker is one of 12 freshmen on the roster – a high number – but there’s quite a pedigree for a lot of them. Florida’s Brady Singer was the highest unsigned high school pick in the draft last year, Tyler Holton and Cole Sands grabbed spots in the Florida State rotation right off the bat, and Josh Watson leads a powerful TCU team in home runs.

The Commodores will have some veterans to lean on around the youth. J.J. Matijevic was a breakout star for the Commodores last summer and is one of the few returning Cape League all-stars. Stephen Villines and Evan Skoug are also slated to be back after a good summer.

Brady Puckett, who’s penciled in as the opening night starter for the Commodores, had a fantastic sophomore season en route to Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year honors. He’s also 6-foot-8.

Cadyn Grenier didn’t have a great first season at Oregon State but has the credentials. He was a 21st-round pick who was mentioned as a possible first-round pick last year.

Dallas Baptist continued its emergence as a baseball power this year and will send three players to Falmouth.

In addition to Baker’s success at TCU, Falmouth has Skoug and Watson hitting in the middle of the Frogs’ order.

Missouri’s Bryce Montes de Oca, another 6-foot-8 pitcher, lit up the radar gun last summer as he continued a comeback after Tommy John surgery in high school. Unfortunately, he was shut down after .1 inning this year and had surgery, but this indicates he starts rehab in June, so he may still pitch for Falmouth.

PITCHERS

Jake Bird – SO – UCLA – Had solid freshman season before struggling to ERA over six this season
Seth Elledge – FR – Dallas Baptist – One of the nation’s leaders in saves, racked up 14 with 1.61 ERA, 31 Ks in 28 innings
Glenn Otto – SO – Rice – Busy reliever for Owls tallied eight saves and struck out 76 in 71.2 innings
Brett Gilchrist – FR – Dallas Baptist – Two-sport standout struggled in first year with DBU, finishing with 14.54 ERA in 10 appearances
Tyler Holton – FR – Florida State – Two-way player having more luck on mound in first year, with 2.92 ERA, team-best 78 Ks
Cole Sands – FR – Florida State – Went 6-6 with 4.21 ERA in weekend rotation for Seminoles, striking out 46 in 66.1 innings
Tyler Jones – SO – Wichita State – Pitched out of the bullpen for Shockers, finishing with 6.18 ERa, 35 Ks in 39.1 innings
Turner Larkins – SO – Texas A&M – Working as a starter and reliever for Aggies, has 2.82 ERA, 35 Ks in in 38.1 innings
Brady Singer – FR – Florida – Highest unsigned high school pick in the 2015 draft, has 4.95 ERA in relief for Gators
Corbin Martin – SO – Texas A&M – Has struck out 33 in in 26.1 innings pitched out of bullpen for Super Regional-bound Aggies
Stephen Villines – SO – Kansas – Standout closer for Jayhawks and Falmouth last summer had 5 SV, 2.13 ERA this year
Bryce Montes de Oca – SO – Missouri – Flamethrower who flashed potential with ‘Dores last year pitched just .1 inning this year
Kyle Nelson – SO – UC Santa Barbara – Standout reliever on Gauchos’ first-ever Super Regional squad has 2.08 ERA, 84 Ks in 69.1 IP
Thomas Ponticelli – FR – San Francisco – Grabbed Saturday starter role as a freshman and finished with 5.94 ERA with 44 Ks
Brady Puckett – SO – Lipscomb – Six-foot-eight righty earned A-Sun Pitcher of the Year after going 9-2, 2.93 ERA, 101 Ks in 107.2 IP
Bo Tucker – SO – Georgia – Posted 3.71 ERA and three saves while striking out a batter an inning out of Georgia bullpen

CATCHERS

Matt Duce – FR – Dallas Baptist – Delivered strong debut for regional club, batting .321 with 4 HR, 30 RBI
J.J. Matijevic – SO – Arizona – Finished third in Cape League in AVG last year and batted .289 with 4 HR in sophomore season
Evan Skoug – SO – TCU – Major run producer for Frogs batting .290 with 9 HR, 50 RBI, team-best 30 XBH

INFIELDERS

Luken Baker – FR – TCU – Projected as one of the top frosh in the nation and hasn’t disappointed — .382 with 8 HR, 54 RBI plus 1.70 ERA
Tristan Gray – SO – Rice – Returning Commodore hit .295 with five homers for Owls this spring
Dane Myers – SO – Rice – Also a pitcher, hit .264 with two home runs and saved seven games out of Owls bullpen
Cadyn Grenier – FR – Oregon State – Highly touted freshman struggled a bit in debut, hitting .240
Deacon Liput – FR – Florida – 39th round pick out of high school has started all but one game for Gators and is hitting .277 with 13 SBs
Matt McLaughlin – SO – Kansas – Started every game for Jayhawks and hit .256 with two homers

OUTFIELDERS

Ryan Chandler – SO – Rice – Reigning CUSA Freshman of the Year followed with .270 sophomore season, adding 2 HRs, 20 RBI
Michael Gigliotti – SO – Lipscomb – Hit .302 and stole 15 bases a year after strong debut season with Lipscomb
Trevor Larnach – FR – Oregon State – Scuffled with the bat in first season in Corvallis, finishing with average under .200
Josh Watson – FR – TCU – Hitting .282 and leading the Horned Frogs in home runs with 11 in first season

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Mariners back at it

Harwich will aim for a return to the playoffs after a rare down year.

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Nick Feight
2. Zach Schellenger
3. Tyler Wilson
4. Evan White
5. Cal Raleigh

NOTABLE

Nick Feight had an enormous sophomore season, perhaps the best performance among sophomores around the country. The UNC-Wilmington catcher hit .349, blasted 21 home runs and racked up an eye-popping 91 RBI in only 60 games.

Zach Schellenger fanned 30 in 33 innings pitched with Harwich last summer, and it’s safe to say he upped that K-rate this spring. Schellenger struck out 70 in 45.1 innings out of the Seton Hall bullpen.

Pitchers in the Atlantic 10 are apparently playing for second place in the race for the conference’s top pitching honor with Tyler Wilson. The Rhode Island sophomore has won the award in each of his first two years in Kingston and was dominant this year. He also led URI’s upset of South Carolina in the opening round of an NCAA regional, battling back for a strong showing after giving up four early runs. It was URI’s first NCAA tournament win in school history.

Kentucky had a down year, but Evan White didn’t. His .376 average was good for third in the SEC.

If the Mariners didn’t have enough pop behind the plate in Feight, they’ll welcome in Florida State’s Cal Raleigh, who has 10 homers in his first season with the Seminoles.

Antoine Duplantis of LSU stepped right into a starting job and hasn’t disappointed. His athleticism will likely stand out this summer, as you’d expect with his genes. His mother was a heptathlete and volleyball player at LSU and his father was an All-American pole vaulter for the Tigers.

Florida has so much pitching depth that a reliever who’s not even the close went on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft. Once the depth thins out a bit next year, Harwich-bound Jackson Kowar could be next in line as a Gator star. He has fanned 44 in 34 innings as a freshman.

Another Gator freshman, Jonathan India, is ticketed for Harwich, as well. Jonathan India has been one of the team’s top hitters.

If you’re looking for the old small school underdog type to root for, your search is over. Austin Filiere of MIT is slated to play for the Mariners off a huge sophomore season in which he hit over .400 with double-digit home runs. Not many MIT baseball players have been on the Cape or been drafted, for that matter. Filiere is aiming for both.

PITCHERS

Maddux Conger – FR – Vanderbilt – Limited action but strong performer in Vandy bullpen, with .79 ERA in nine appearances
Austin Bain – SO – LSU – Started two games but pitching mostly in relief for Tigers and has struck out 31 in 28 innings
Brad Bass – JR – Notre Dame – Saved two games and posted 1.91 ERA in 19 relief appearances for Fighting Irish
Jackson Kowar – FR – Florida – Successful as starter and reliever with 3.37 ERA, 44 Ks in 34.2 innings in debut with Gators
Shane McCarthy – SO – Seton Hall – Top starter for Pirates went 6-4 with 2.38 ERA and 84 Ks in 102 innings
B.J. Myers – SO – West Virginia – Worked as a starter and reliever, finishing with 4.05 ERA, 53 strikeouts in 66.2 innings
Packy Naughton – SO – Virginia Tech – Native of West Roxbury, Mass., had ERA over six but struck out 74 in 76 IP this spring
Teddy Rodliff – SO – Stony Brook – Notched seven saves with 3.20 ERa, 26 Ks and just three walks in 39.1 innings
Zach Schellenger – SO – Seton Hall – Returning Mariner saved six games and struck out a whopping 70 batters in just 45.2 innings
Peter Solomon – SO – Notre Dame – Struck out a batter an inning with 1.40 ERA in nine bullpen outings
Hunter Williams – SO – North Carolina – Started seven games with solid numbers for Harwich last year and had 3.10 ERA in swing role at UNC
Tyler Wilson – SO – Rhode Island – Two-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year went 13-1 with 2.29 ERA, 122 Ks in 102.1 IP this year
Tommy DeJuneas – SO – NC State – Finished with six saves and 6.37 ERA while striking out 27 in 29.2 innings pitched this spring
Brian Brown – SO – NC State – Weekend starter for Wolfpack went 7-3 with 3.70 ERA, 79 Ks in 87.2 innings
Nick Brown – JR – William & Mary – Led team in strikeouts by wide margin with 85 in 96 innings, while posting 5.53 ERA
Ethan Landon – RS SO – Michigan State – Pitched well in Spartans’ rotation, tallying 2.75 ERA, 59 Ks in 85 IP
Matt Minnick – SO – Mercyhurst – Went 7-1 and struck out 61 in 54.1 innings for D-II power Mercyhurst
Spencer Stockton – SO – Jacksonville – Finished with 3.21 ERA as a starter for Dolphins
Speros Varinos – JR – Tufts – Fanned 79 in 67 innings and went 7-1 with 2.15 ERA for D-III Jumbos
Ryan McAuliffe – JR – St. John’s – Went 5-2 with 4.32 ERA in weekend rotation for Red Storm
David McKay – SO – Florida Atlantic – Led team in strikeouts with 66 and had 3.74 ERA in weekend rotation
Brett Daniels – SO – North Carolina – Finished third on the team in appearances and posted 2.17 ERA with 34 Ks in 37.1 IP
Liam Conboy – JR – Susquehanna – Racked up nine saves with 33 Ks in 27 IP for D-III squad

CATCHERS

J.D. Andreessen – SO – Campbell – Hit .294 with two homers for emerging Big South squad
Cal Raleigh – FR – Florida State – Standout freshman making quick impact in Tallahassee, hitting .308 with 10 HR and 50 RBI
Nick Feight – SO – UNC Wilmington – All-American led one of nation’s best offenses with .349 AVG, 21 HR, 91 RBI

INFIELDERS

Ernie Clement – SO – Virginia – Second-best hitter for Cavs finished at .351 with a homer and 18 XBH
Jonathan India – FR – Florida – As Gators head to Super Regionals, ranks second on the team with .310 AVG and has 4 HR, 13 SB
Jack Flansburg – JR – Oklahoma – Batted .278 and hit four homers for Sooners, while finishing third on team in RBI
Pavin Smith – SO – Virginia – Hit .329 and finished second to first-round pick Matt Thaiss for team lead in home runs with eight
Joe Dunand – SO – NC State – Hit .297 with four home runs and finished third on the team with 47 RBI this season
Evan White – SO – Kentucky – Ranked third in SEC with .376 average, and added five home runs, 40 RBI and 10 stolen bases
Kyle Davis – SO – West Virginia – Batted .280 with .394 OBP and led Mountaineers with 10 home runs
Kyle Fiala – JR – Notre Dame – Leading hitter for Fighting Irish finished at .301 with 4 HR, 28 RBI, 10 SBs
Austin Filiere – SO – MIT – Starred for D-III MIT with .428 AVG, .546 OBP, 13 HR, 55 RBI and 14 stolen bases
Ryan Tufts – JR – Virginia Tech – Batted .284 with 18 extra-base hits and finished third on Hokies with RBI
Anthony Critelli – JR – Holy Cross – Batted .267 and led team in home runs with nine and RBI with 41
Max Burt – SO – Northeastern – Started every game for Huskies and hit .238

OUTFIELDERS

Ryan Brown – SO – College of Charleston – Freshman All-American last year met sophomore slump this year, finishing with .223 AVG
Antoine Duplantis – FR – LSU – Burst onto scene with .323 AVG, 14 XBH, 36 RBI and 13 stolen bases while starting every game
Steven Foster – SO – Hofstra – Hit .278 while getting on base at .407 clip and stole nine bases
Trey Harris – SO – Missouri – SEC All-Freshman pick struggled with the bat this year, hitting .216 though he drove in 36
Brock Deatherage – SO – NC State – Returning Mariner hit .317 this spring with six homers and stole 14 bases
Logan Farrar – JR – VCU – Hit .295 with three home runs and stole team-best 15 bases
Tyler Kirkpatrick – JR – Marist – Batted .263 with two homers for Red Foxes this spring

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016

Thirty on Day One

It was another banner day for the Cape League in the Major League Baseball Draft, with 14 alumni going in the first round and 16 more in lottery rounds and the second round. That meant 30 of the 77 players drafted on day one played in the Cape League.

The list:
First Round
2 – Nick Senzel, Brewster ’15
5 – Corey Ray, Wareham ’14
10 – Zack Collins, Cotuit ’15
11 – Kyle Lewis, Orleans ’15
16 – Matt Thaiss, Hyannis ’15
19 – Justin Dunn, Cotuit ’15
21 – TJ Zeuch, Chatham ’15
22 – Will Craig, Chatham ’15
25 – Eric Lauer, Orleans ’15
26 – Zach Burdi, Chatham ’14 & ’15
27 – Cody Sedlock, Bourne ’15
31 – Anthony Kay, Wareham ’14 & ’15
32 – Will Smith, Brewster ’15
34 – Dakota Hudson, Hyannis ’15

Lottery Round A
36 – Jordan Sheffield, Brewster ’15
37 – Daulton Jefferies, Wareham ’15
38 – Robert Tyler, Bourne ’15

Second Round
45 – Ben Bowden, Y-D ’15
52 – C.J. Chatham, Bourne ’15
53 – Ryan Boldt, Bourne ’15
54 – Keegan Akin, Bourne ’15
57 – J.B. Woodman, Falmouth ’15
58 – Sheldon Neuse, Harwich ’15
59 – Bryan Reynolds, Orleans ’15
61 – Ronnie Dawson, Orleans ’15
62 – Nick Solak, Bourne ’15
64 – Pete Alonso, Bourne ’15
67 – AJ Puckett, Chatham ’15

Lottery Round B

72 – Logan Ice, Falmouth ’15
77 – Jake Fraley, Chatham ’14 & ’15

NOTES

Second overall pick Nick Senzel of Tennessee and Brewster is the fourth consecutive Cape League MVP to be drafted in the first round the year after winning the award, and the sixth straight drafted on the first day. He joins Kevin Newman (19th pick), Max Pentecost (11), Phil Ervin (27), Travis Jankowski (44) and Kolten Wong (22). Senzel is the highest pick for an MVP winner since Darin Erstad went first overall in 1995 after an MVP summer in 1994. Senzel is also the highest pick for the league since 2013, when Mark Appel when No. 1 and Kris Bryant went No. 2.

No. 5 pick Corey Ray has been a star since the 2015 college season and last summer with Team USA. His time on the Cape was perhaps his last moments as a somewhat anonymous player on a baseball field. Ray hit .250 with only one home run in 29 games. His last two years with Louisville? He’s at .322 with 26 home runs and 78 stolen bases.

Kyle Lewis of Mercer and Orleans was mentioned as late as yesterday afternoon as a potential first overall selection, but ended up going 11th to the Mariners.

Senzel and Lewis were clearly the star power on the Cape last summer. In draft hindsight, the rest of the league was dominated by really good depth. Beginning with 16th pick Matt Thaiss, the Cape had 10 of the final 19 picks in the first round. That group included breakout stars like Justin Dunn and Will Smith, Cape League standouts Eric Lauer and Dakota Hudson and Chatham flamethrower Zach Burdi, who could find himself in the White Sox big league bullpen by the end of this summer.

Louisville’s rise to prominence in college baseball the last few years coincided with the program becoming a fixture on the Cape, annually sending more players than any team in the country. All four of the players drafted on day one played on the Cape.

In addition to two Cape League alums, Lottery Round B included one player who’s on a 2016 Cape League roster. California’s Brett Cumberland, the Pac 12 Player of the Year, is a draft-eligible sophomore and is on the Brewster roster. We’ll see if he plays on the Cape at all this summer.

Hundreds more Cape Leaguers will get the call today and tomorrow as the draft continues. One you should be rooting for: SE Louisiana’s Jameson Fisher. The 2014 Cotuit Kettleer injured his shoulder and missed all of last season with an injury. Back to health this spring, he led the nation in hitting and added 11 home runs and 66 RBI, plus 15 stolen bases. Fisher was named the Hero Sports Fan Choice Player of the Year earlier this week. He’s also a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

So….the 2016 Cape League season starts tonight. If you want to catch a star before he’s gone, it looks like Team USA invite and North Carolina star JB Bukauskas is slated to get the start for Chatham in its home opener against Falmouth.

The last 2 previews will go up later today, plus a little announcement. Stay tuned. You could look at the eight previews that are already up here.