Posted on

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.

 

Posted on

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.

 

Posted on

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.

 

 

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

 

Posted on

Extra Work

Josh Stowers drove in the go-ahead runs in the 11th for Chatham.
Josh Stowers drove in the go-ahead runs in the 11th for Chatham.

 

Chatham and Falmouth both played through the rain Thursday night, hosting the only games that weren’t postponed.

Their reward was more baseball, but they eventually didn’t mind.

Chatham beat Bourne 4-1 in 11 innings Friday night and Falmouth also won in 11 innings, topping Hyannis 6-3.

The Anglers lost their rain-soaked game Thursday and allowed a run in the bottom of the first inning Friday, but that would be Bourne’s only offense of the day. Jack Perkins (Stetson) struck out five in five innings, R.J. Freure (Pittsburgh) and Jack DeGroat (Liberty) struck out six of the 12 batters he faced in three hitless innings of relief.

The dominant pitching set the stage for Chatham to tie the game in the fifth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Ashton McGee (North Carolina). In the eleventh, the Anglers took the lead on a two-run single by Josh Stowers (Louisville) and padded it with a Cody Roberts (North Carolina) RBI single.

DeGroat made the lead stand up, striking out the next two batters and ending the game with a groundout.

In Hyannis, Falmouth needed a bit more heroics after falling behind 3-2 in the seventh. An RBI fielder’s choice by Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) tied the game in the eighth. Then in the 11th, Hunter Steinmetz (Missouri State) put the cherry on top of a big night with a two-run double to put the Commodores ahead. Steinmetz finished 4-for-5 with two doubles. Clayton Daniel (Jacksonville State) also knocked in a run.

After Ian Koch (Western Illinois) had gone two scoreless innings of relief, Ryan Zeferjahn (Kansas) took over once Falmouth grabbed the lead and pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.

Falmouth improved to 13-13-1. Chatham’s extra-inning win put it at 13-15.

Orleans 5, Cotuit 1

The Firebirds won a battle of division leaders thanks to four runs in the third inning and two-hit baseball from three pitchers. Joey Murray (Kent State) allowed one run on one hit and struck out four in five innings for the win. Riley Thompson (Louisville) and Graeme Stinson (Duke) closed out the win. Cotuit, which came in with the highest-scoring offense in the league, was held to a double and a single. Romy Gonzalez (Miami) and Jaxx Groshans (Kansas) led the Orleans offense with one RBI each. Cotuit starter Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina) struck out six through the first two innings but was touched up for a pair of unearned runs in the four-run third inning.

Y-D 2, Brewster 1

The Red Sox broke a second-place tie with the the Whitecaps and – thanks to Cotuit’s loss – now own the second-best record in the league behind Orleans. Brewster led 1-0 into the eighth inning as Paul Milto (Indiana) tossed seven innings of one-hit, shutout baseball. But against the bullpen, Y-D tied the score in the eighth on a Nico Hoerner (Stanford) RBI single. In the ninth, Alfonso Rivas (Arizona) singled home the go-ahead run, and Riley McCauley (Michigan State) struck out the side in the bottom half to seal Y-D’s comeback win. Brendan Nail (Western Carolina) earned the win after striking out seven in three innings of relief.

Harwich 4, Wareham 3

Break up the Mariners. The East bottom-dweller has won three straight games, the only team in the league currently sporting that long a win streak. To get it to three, the Mariners had to get through Wareham starter Justin Montgomery (California Baptist), who hadn’t allowed a run yet this season. They took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Cobie Vance (Alabama) and a two-run single by Cameron Simmons (Virginia). Vance also doubled home a run in the third and Montgomery was chased after 2.1 innings. Harwich made the lead stand up as Cole Aker (North Carolina) went 4.2 innings for the win, allowing three runs. Protecting a shrinking lead, Austin Hansen (Oklahoma) and Logan Browning (Florida Southern) combined for 4.1 scoreless innings of relief.

What to Watch

Cotuit, Bourne and Falmouth are separated by one point each at the top of the West standings. Two of them face off tonight when the Braves host the Commodores. The All-Star rosters will also be released today.

 

Posted on

On Base

curryBrewster beat Falmouth 5-3 in a rain-soaked and rain-shortened five inning game Thursday night.

It was not too short to keep Michael Curry (Georgia) off the bases.

The Cape League’s leader in on-base percentage kept alive an under-the-radar streak when he walked in the third inning. Curry has played in 20 of Brewster’s 27 games and has reached base in every single one of them.

Curry, who hit .297 with a .384 on-base percentage for the Bulldogs this past season, has notched hits in 14 of his 20 games with Brewster and is batting .328. With his on-base percentage at .487 – more than the usual gap between average and OBP – he’s clearly had a knack for finding his way to first. He’s drawn the fourth-most walks in the league and has been hit by three pitches. Somehow, they’ve been spaced out perfectly, filling the holes on nights without hits.

Thursday, he drew a walk as part of a five-run inning that proved decisive in Brewster’s win. Darius Hill (West Virginia), A.J. Graffanino (Washington) and Mickey Gasper (Bryant) drove in runs. The Whitecaps actually added seven runs in the top of the sixth but when the game was called, the score reverted to the last full inning completed.

Bradley Spooner (Saddleback CC) struck out five in 3.2 innings and Robert Broom (Mercer) picked up the win with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief. The victory was the second straight for Brewster, which moved into a tie in points with Y-D for second place in the East.

Curry had a hit in the inning that didn’t count, but wiping it out didn’t matter for his streak. He had already been where he usually is – on base.

It should be noted that there are actually quite a few other Cape Leaguers who have been on base in every game they’ve played – Hyannis’ Jake Mangum (Mississippi State), Y-D’s Alex McKenna (Cal Poly), Wareham’s Willie MacIver (Washington), Orleans’ Jimmy Herron (Duke) and Falmouth’s Clayton Daniel (Jacksonville State).

But none of them have done it at the .487 clip of Curry.

 

Hyannis 3, Chatham 1

In the only other game that wasn’t rained out, Hyannis took advantage of two unearned runs to get the lead and limited Chatham to just a second-inning run for a 3-1 win. Facing Cameron Bishop (UC Irvine), who struck out eight of 11 batters faced in his last outing, Hyannis capitalized on three second-inning errors to grab a 2-0 lead. Ryan Olenek (Ole Miss) homered later in the game for insurance. Bishop ended up striking out five in five innings, but the two unearned runs sent him to the loss. Hyannis starter Brooks Crawford (Clemson) allowed one run in 4.1 innings for the win. Ethan Larrison (Indiana State) earned the save.

What to Watch

Weather permitting, some intriguing matchups are on tap tonight. Orleans visits Cotuit in a battle of first-place teams. Brewster and Y-D face off in a battle for second place in the East. And Justin Montgomery (California Baptist) puts his 0.00 ERA on the line when Wareham visits Harwich.

Posted on

Power Rankings: Week 4

No. 2? No, coach, you're No. 1.
No. 2? No, coach, you’re No. 1.

 

No one had a particularly good week – 3-2 was the best record for anybody – so the rankings stay largely the same, with a few small moves.

1. Orleans Firebirds
Record: 16-10 (2-3 last week)
Previous Rank: 1

The Firebirds didn’t have a great week, losing to a pair of their top challengers in Falmouth and Y-D. On the flip side, both of those were one-run games. And based on the overall numbers, there’s no reason to shift the Firebirds from the top spot. They’ve out-scored the opposition by 50 runs – in a year when no other team has a better than plus-15 run differential – and they lead the league in team ERA and team batting average.

2. Cotuit Kettleers
Record: 14-11-1 (2-2-1 last week)
Previous Rank: 2

After a hot streak last week, the Kettleers held steady, though they ended on a low note with their first loss to rival Hyannis Wednesday. Cotuit ranks fourth in the league in hitting and second to Falmouth in slugging percentage, with their 20 home runs also second to the Commodores’ 30. The lineup is deep and talented. Pitching has been a little tougher to peg, though the arrival of star Florida closer Michael Byrne should help.

3. Y-D Red Sox
Record: 14-11-1 (3-2 last week)
Previous Rank: 4

The top team from the first two installments of the rankings regrouped after a wobbly stretch to stay firmly in the upper echelon. A stunning rally against Orleans closer Josh Hiatt helped the cause. Y-D ranks fourth in both team batting average and team ERA. On the negative side, the offense seems to be missing a true slugger and the pitching rotation took a hit with the departure of starter Hogan Harris.

4. Falmouth Commodores
Record: 12-12-1 (1-2-1 last week)
Previous Rank: 3

The most powerful offense in the league hasn’t slowed down much, but pitching continues to be the more important bellwether for the Commodores. The team ERA ballooned to 4.63 this week, with the Commodores giving up seven runs in one game and nine in another. They also lost a 1-0 game to Brewster so it’s not quite as cut-and-dry as “pitch well and win.” But pitching better with this offense – Falmouth leads the league in home runs and doubles – would mean a lot of success.

5. Brewster Whitecaps
Record: 13-12-1 (3-2 last week)
Previous Rank: 5

Brewster probably deserves to move up but consider the Whitecaps on the rise despite them staying put in the rankings. The Whitecaps rank seventh in the league in hitting but second in on-base percentage thanks to the league-high 117 walks they’ve drawn. Their team ERA ranks second in the league behind Orleans and was impressive in the last week. Davis Daniel’s six shutout innings of Falmouth was one of the best performances of the year.

6. Bourne Braves
Record: 14-12 (3-2 last week)
Previous Rank: 7

It’s probably time to admit that the Braves are a pretty good team despite some of the underlying numbers. The Braves rank ninth in both batting average and on-base percentage and are fifth in team ERA. The knack for winning close games hasn’t faded, though, and Bourne is 8-6 against its West Division mates.

7. Chatham Anglers
Record: 12-14 (3-2 last week)
Previous Rank: 9

Two of Chatham’s three wins this week came against No. 2 Cotuit and No. 3 Y-D, so the Anglers get a boost. Their team batting average is tied with Bourne but more production has led to the Anglers ranking fourth in runs scored. Johnny Aiello’s presence should only help.

8. Wareham Gatemen
Record: 11-14-1 (1-3-1 last week)
Previous Rank: 6

Wareham is tied with Brewster for the second-best run differential in the league, but as we said last week, that’s mostly due to a string of blowout wins. Still, the Gatemen sort of have the opposite profile of Bourne – good numbers but not as much to show for it. They rank third in team ERA and fourth in batting average. This week, luck was no help. Wareham played 23 innings over one two-game stretch and ended up with just a tie. Wednesday, it lost to Bourne on walk-off.

9. Hyannis Harbor Hawks
Record: 10-13-2 (2-1-1 last week)
Previous Rank: 8

A win over Cotuit Wednesday highlighted a solid week for the Harbor Hawks. The team ERA still ranks worst in the league, but in the wins this week, Hyannis pitchers allowed a total of three runs – and that was against No. 1 Orleans and No. 2 Cotuit. The Harbor Hawks are still near the top in team batting average. Interestingly, though, they rank just eighth in runs scored.

10. Harwich Mariners
Record: 9-16-1 (2-3 last week)
Previous Rank: 10

Harwich’s struggles in the first half of the season started trickling into the second half, but wins Tuesday and Wednesday have stopped the bleeding. And in fact, Harwich is the only team in the league currently sporting a win streak. There’s light at the end of the tunnel for the offense, with College World Series reinforcements Antoine Duplantis, Johnathan India and Josh Smith providing a spark.