Month: June 2021

Brooks Lee (Cal Poly) and Peyton Graham (Oklahoma) are forming a dynamic left side of the infield for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Both are hitting almost .400 and they homered on Tuesday as the Red Sox beat Harwich 6-4. 

Lee has been pegged as a top prospect for the draft class of 2022 from the moment he told MLB teams he wouldn’t sign if picked out of high school in 2020 because he wanted to play for his father, the head coach at Cal Poly. The shortstop has been as good as advertised this summer. The home run on Tuesday – a three-run shot in the first inning – was his third of the season, which is tied for the league lead. He finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and is now hitting .389. 

Graham doesn’t have quite the same history but his is also a name to watch for 2022. He hit 11 home runs for Oklahoma in the spring. So far on the Cape, Graham has been great while playing at third base alongside Lee. He has logged a hit in all but one of his nine games. Tuesday was his best, as Graham went 4-for-5 with his second home run of the season. 

Lee and Graham weren’t alone in big games Tuesday, as the Red Sox tallied 15 hits. Nathan Baez (Arizona State) went 4-for-5. Chase Luttrell (Long Beach State) and Wyatt Hoffman (Pacific) had two hits each. 

On the mound, Nick Dombkowski (Hartford) allowed two runs in five innings for the win. 

Y-D is now 4-2-3 and leads the East Division. 

Cotuit 8, Hyannis 1

Hyannis won the first game in its rivalry matchup with Cotuit, but the Kettleers have taken two in a row on back-to-back days, with a total of 21 runs in the victories. Luke Gold (Boston College) went 2-for-4 with four RBI and is now the league leader in RBI with 12. Eric Brown (Coastal Carolina) added two hits, while the Cal-Berkely duo of Dylan Beavers and Nathan Martorella each drove in one run. Jake Brooks (UCLA) pitched 5.2 scoreless innings for the win. He has yet to allow a run in 11 innings of work this summer. Shawn Rapp (North Carolina) struck out six in 3.1 innings. Cotuit is 4-4 while Hyannis dropped to 1-7. 

Wareham 10, Orleans 4

The Gatemen put up six runs in the third inning and rode a dominant relief effort to a win over Orleans. A two-run single by Jim Jarvis (Alabama) was the big blow in the third inning burst. Later, Angelo DiSpigna (Mercer) homered. Owen Diodati (Alabama) drove in two runs. The Wareham bullpen didn’t need any extra support. Three pitchers combined to allow just one hit over six innings of work. Ian Villers (California) struck out five in four scoreless innings for the win. For Orleans, Jace Jung (Texas Tech) hit a grand slam. 

Falmouth 8, Chatham 1

Falmouth pulled away late and its pitchers didn’t allow an earned run in an 8-1 victory over Chatham. Brayden Taylor (TCU) led an 11-hit attack with his fourth multi-hit game of the summer. He went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Jonathan French (Clemson) added two hits and two RBI. Michael Curriale (UCLA) also stayed hot, going 2-for-5 with an RBI. Trey McLoughlin (Fairfield) struck out four over five scoreless innings in his first start of the summer. Anthony DeFabbia (Stetson) and Wesley Sweatt (South Carolina) finished off the win. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Brewster and Chatham are tied for second place in the East. They won’t be tied for long, with the Anglers visiting the Whitecaps on Wednesday. 

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Monday was a great night for starting pitching in the Cape Cod Baseball League, even if it didn’t automatically equal team success. 

Evan Shawver (Cincinnati) was dominant for the second time in as many outings, striking out 12 in six innings for Harwich a week after fanning 10 in six scoreless frames. He has the early league lead in strikeouts. 

In a landscape that often favors short stints for pitchers, Shawver finally had some company Monday. Bryce Hubbart, a highly touted young pitcher from Florida State, struck out nine in five innings for Brewster. He now ranks second in the league in Ks. In Cotuit, Jake Smith (Miami) surrendered two hits in five innings and struck out 10. 

As for their teams, Shawver was touched up for a pair of runs as Orleans won 2-1. Hubbart and the Whitecaps played to a 1-1 tie against Y-D. Cotuit made a winner out of Smith thanks to an offensive explosion and a bullpen that gave up some late runs but ultimately closed the door. 

Orleans 2, Harwich 1

Shawver struck out the side around two hits in the first inning. He took a shutout into the fifth when Orleans broke through for the only runs it would need. The first scored on an error and the second came in on an RBI fielder’s choice by Connor Kokx (Long Beach State). Harwich got an RBI from Zack Prajzner (Notre Dame) but not much else. Orleans starter Max Rajcic (UCLA) tossed three scoreless frames. Jack Filby (UCLA) and Nick Hull (Grand Canyon) also delivered scoreless outings. 

Brewster 1, Y-D 1

Hubbart went from solid in his first start to spectacular in his second. After allowing three runs  and striking out seven on June 21, the Seminole lefty struck out nine and allowed just one hit. Y-D starter Drew Thorpe (Cal Poly) struck out five and allowed one run in five strong innings. Hubbart’s FSU teammate Ross Dunn helped close the door for Y-D, striking out five in 2.2 perfect innings. Andrew Marrero (UConn) struck out three in 1.1 scoreless innings. Each team got its lone bit of offense on solo home runs. Gavin Cross (Virginia Tech) did the honors for Brewster with his second of the season. Brooks Lee (Cal Poly) hit his second for Y-D and is now batting .387. 

Cotuit 13, Hyannis 5

Smith was terrific for Cotuit, giving up two hits and striking out 10 against just one walk in five innings of work. The bullpen encountered a little bit of trouble, but the Kettleers had already provided plenty of run support. RJ Schreck (Duke) homered and drove in two. Brett Roberts (Florida State) added three hits and two RBI. Ben Rice (Dartmouth) and Brooks Baldwin (UNC Wilmington) also drove in two runs each. Cole Cummings (UC Santa Barbara) went 2-for-5. He has at least one hit in each of the six games he’s played. 

Bourne 3, Chatham 3

Bourne’s six-game win streak to start the season is over, but the Braves are still unbeaten after a tie with Chatham. The Anglers were in position to send Bourne to its first loss, but a ninth-inning rally by the Braves forced the tie. It was a 3-2 Chatham lead with two outs in the ninth when Braylen Wimmer (South Carolina) knocked an RBI single to score Jake Agnos (East Carolina) with the tying run. The winning run was stranded on second as Chatham salvaged the tie. Agnos and Kyler Fedko (UConn) led the Bourne offense with two hits each. Jordan Patty (Central Michigan) struck out six in four strong innings for the Braves. Seth Stephenson (Temple College) went 3-for-3 for Chatham. Adam Tulloch (West Virginia) struck out six in four innings and is up to seven innings without a run allowed. 

Falmouth 3, Wareham 3

Another tie? Yep. These two were even throughout. Falmouth scored two runs in the top of the first and Wareham scored two in the bottom half. The Commodores added a run in the second. So did the Gatemen. From there, it was all zeroes. Kade Kern (Ohio State) provided the bulk of the offense for Wareham with his second home run of the season. Kodie Kolden (Washington State) — yes even the initials matched tonight – had an RBI for Falmouth, as did Jace Bohrofen (Oklahoma). Chase Jeter (Sacred Heart) was the pitching star for Falmouth with three scoreless innings. Samuel Natera (New Mexico State) struck out seven in four scoreless innings for Wareham. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Two of the top arms on the New England college baseball season face off as Harwich visits Y-D. Cam Schlitter (Northeastern) gets the ball for Harwich. Nick Dombkowski (Hartford) is slated to go for the Red Sox. 

One week into the season, the Bourne Braves still haven’t lost a game.  

Sunday’s 9-2 win over Cotuit was the sixth in a row for Bourne. It’s the best start in the Cape League since Chatham also went 6-0 in 2013. Before that, it was the 2007 Y-D Red Sox who won six in a row out of the gates.

The latest victory was a pretty good representation of what has worked for the Braves, who rank first in the league in team batting average and first in team ERA. It was more of the same against the Kettleers, with the Bourne offense pounding out 12 hits and the pitching staff allowing just one earned run. 

Four different Braves delivered two-hit games. Cayden Wallace (Arkansas) led the charge, going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Joe Lampe (Arizona State) came through with his third two-hit game of the season, Christian Knapczyk (Louisville) had two hits and an RBI and Reggie Crawford (UConn) went 2-for-5 with an RBI. 

Crawford also finished out the game with a scoreless inning of relief. Before him, it was Nick Zwack (Xavier) going five strong innings for the win, striking out three and allowing just two hits. Benjamin Ethridge (Kennesaw State) shook off a tough first outing of the summer to allow one run in two innings. Xavier Lovett (Mississippi State) pitched a perfect eighth. 

Bourne has outscored opponents 44-17 this season. Next up is a home game on Monday night against – coincidentally – the Chatham Anglers, whose 2013 start is the gold standard of the last decade. The Anglers lost their seventh game – also coincidentally, to Bourne. These Braves have a shot to surpass that start. 

Brewster 3, Wareham 0

Brewster pitched a shutout for the second straight game. Dating back to a 3-2 win before the shutouts, the Whitecaps are working on a 23-inning scoreless streak. Harry Rutkowski (Rutgers) set the tone in this one, striking out nine and allowing just two hits over six innings. Griffin Green (Virginia Tech) kept it going with two scoreless frames. Hunter Patteson (Central Florida) struck out the side in the ninth for his second save. On the offensive side, Brewster got a home run from Gavin Cross (Virginia Tech), who had gone hitless in his first five games of the season before busting out with the long ball. Will Simpson (Washington) added an RBI, as did Colin Davis (Wofford). Davis also stole ANOTHER base, giving him eight in six games. Brewster is 3-2-1 and Wareham is 2-4. 

Harwich 11, Chatham 6

Andrew Benefield (Dallas Baptist) hit a grand slam in a five-run first inning for Chatham, but it was Harwich who was grand from there. Brock Wilken (Wake Forest) hit a grand slam of his own for the Mariners, who regrouped from the tough first inning and pulled away for an 11-6 victory. Wilken finished with five RBI. Nick Lucky (Coastal Carolina) also homered and had two RBI. Ben Malgeri (Northeastern) went 2-for-5 for his second straight multi-hit game. Hal Hughes (Rice) also had two hits. Harwich starter Nick Sinacola (Maine) was charged with six runs due to the rough first inning but actually went five and allowed just one more, while striking out nine. Dalton Smith (Georgia Tech) was credited with the win thanks to three strong innings of relief. Harwich is 3-3 and Chatham dropped to 3-3-1. 

Falmouth 8, Hyannis 5

Like Chatham, Falmouth powered its way to a five-run first inning, but this one held up. Jake Dukart (Oregon State) had a three-run double to lead the fast start and Jonathan French (Clemson) hit a two-run homer. Kodie Kolden (Washington State) and Walter Ahuna (Kansas) drove in one run each. Tyler Tuthill (Appalachian State) struck out four in two innings and got the win. Andrew Yancik (McKendree) earned the save. Falmouth improves to 3-2-1. The struggles continue for Hyannis, which dropped to 1-5. 

Y-D 0, Orleans 0

The third tie of the season was the least eventful as Y-D and Orleans played to a scoreless draw. Luis Ramirez (Long Beach State) struck out seven and surrendered only two hits in five innings for Y-D. Reid McLaughlin (BYU) and Christian Culpepper (California Baptist) finished the job. On the other side, Jonathan Cannon (Georgia) delivered his second strong start for Orleans, going five scoreless with three strikeouts. He hasn’t allowed a run in nine innings this summer. Nick Wallerstedt (Arizona State) pitched two-thirds of an inning and Jakw Saum (UCLA) allowed just two hits in 3.1 innings. Scoring chances were limited. Jace Jung (Texas Tech) tripled to lead off the second for Orleans but was stranded at third. Brooks Lee (Cal Poly) stayed hot for Y-D with a 2-for-4 night. He has a hit in all but one game this summer and is batting .407. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Week two gets started with a full slate of games. Harwich sends Evan Shawver (Cincinnati) to the hill against Orleans after his 10 K debut.  

The Chatham Anglers tweaked the tag team and had a much better night. 

Daniel Federman, Garrett Crowley and Victor Mederos had some rough patches in the season opener, a 7-7 tie with Falmouth. Six days later, Mederos and Federman traded roles and, along with Crowley in the middle, the combined on a one-hit shutout as Chatham beats Hyannis 4-0. 

Off a strong season at Miami, Federman had pitched the best among the three pitchers in the opener. On Saturday, he earned the start and struck out four in 3.2 scoreless innings. He allowed a first-inning double and nothing else. Federman has yet to allow an earned run this season. 

Crowley was great in following Federman. The Fordham pitcher struck out six of the 12 batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit in three scoreless innings. 

Mederos is a highly regarded prospect for Miami, but he struggled in his Cape debut. Back on the mound, he kept the shutout going for Federman and Crowley with two scoreless innings.

It was just the third shutout in the league so far. 

Chatham’s offense provided support. Lyle Miller-Green (Oklahoma State) had a hit and two RBI and Kevin Parada had two hits. Jake Cunningham (Charlotte) had the only Hyannis hit. 

Chatham is now 3-2-1, matching Y-D for the top mark in the East. 

Brewster 2, Cotuit 0

It was also a shutout for Brewster, who handled Cotuit for a 2-0 win. Mason Barnett (Auburn) started the game and didn’t allow a hit in 2.2 innings. Connor Staine (Maryland) also stood out with three scoreless innings. Shawn Goosenberg (Northwestern) provided all the offense Brewster needed with a two-run home run. Colin Davis went 2-for-3 and continued to run wild on the bases, stealing his fourth and fifth bases already. 

Bourne 6, Wareham 5

Bourne won again to remain undefeated at 5-0. The Braves did most of their scoring early for the latest victory, then held on in the late innings. Dalton Rushing (Louisville) stayed hot with two hits. Five different players had RBIs. Wareham made a comeback attempt, but Bourne held it off. Trystan Vrieling (Gonzaga) was credited with the win in relief. Wareham hit two home runs in the loss, one each for Kade Kern (Ohio State) and Nicholas Cimillo (Manhattan). Owen Diodati (Alabama) continued his torrid start with three hits. 

Y-D 8, Orleans 7

The Red Sox scored two in the ninth for a comeback win over Orleans. It was an unusual game-winning rally, with Y-D doing it despite not getting a hit. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases. Chase Luttrell (Long Beach State) tie the game on a sacrifice fly. Peyton Graham (Oklahoma) scored the winning run when Orleans committed an error on a ball in play by Nathan Baez (Arizona State). Graham finished with three runs scored and a home run for the Red Sox, while Brooks Lee (Cal Poly) went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Jaret Godman (Oklahoma) set the stage for the rally with four scoreless innings of relief. For Orleans, Tyler Locklear (VCU) hit a grand slam. Rhylan Thomas (USC) delivered his third multi-hit game in a row. 

Harwich 11, Falmouth 9

Harwich built a big early lead then stayed in front as the game turned into a slugfest in the late innings. Ben Malgeri (Northeastern) and Carter Putz (Notre Dame) had three hits each to lead the Mariner onslaught. Aaron McKeithan (UNC Charlotte) hit a home run and drove in two. Brock Wilken (Wake Forest) also went deep for the Mariners. Carson Seymour (Kansas State) got the win in relief. Aaron Holiday (Old Dominion) continued a dominant start with his third consecutive hitless and scoreless outing. He was credited with his second save after striking out the side in the ninth. Jace Bohrofen (Oklahoma) hit his second home run of the season for Falmouth. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Nick Sinacola (Maine) ranked sixth in the nation in strikeouts in the spring. After fanning four in his Cape League debut, he gets the start for Harwich against Chatham. 

Owen Diodati appears to be getting back on track this summer. 

After an uneven second year at Alabama, Diodati is off to a great start with Wareham. On Friday, he hit his third home run in four games to lead the Gatemen over Orleans 4-2. 

Highly touted out of high school in Canada, Diodati was in line for a huge freshman season when the 2020 college baseball season was cut short. He hit five home runs in just 17 games. 

This year ended up being a bit of a detour. Diodati hit 11 home runs but encountered some rough patches and finished with a .230 batting average. He finished the season in an 11-game homerless drought. 

In his first Cape League at-bat, Diodati reached on an error but hasn’t needed much help since. He homered in his second at-bat, a two-run shot against Cotuit. On Wednesday, he went 3-for-4 with a three-run bomb. And on Friday, he went 2-for-4 again, with his solo shot in the first inning help stake the Gatemen to the lead. 

Diodati is hitting .375 with a league-best three home runs. He’s tied for the league lead in RBI with eight, having driven in almost half of Wareham’s total runs on the season. 

Friday’s win was the second straight for the Gatemen, putting them at 2-2. Cade Fergus (George Washington) and Jimmy Crooks (Oklahoma) also went deep in the win. Kade Kern (Ohio State) went 2-for-4 and stole two bases. 

Wareham’s pitching was solid as well. Jonathan Brand (Miami Ohio) didn’t allow a hit in four innings of work. Matt Svanson (Lehigh) struck out six in four scoreless innings and Devereaux Harrison (Long Beach) worked out of trouble in the ninth for the save. 

Orleans is also 2-2 after the loss. Jordan Sprinkle stole two bases, but the Firebirds were held to just four hits. 

Bourne 4, Harwich 1

The Braves stayed unbeaten with a 4-1 victory over Hawich, moving to 4-0 on the season. Hunter Omlid (Central Arizona) allowed one run in three innings, while three relievers combined for six shutout innings. Mike Sansone (Fairfield), who had a big hand in Fairfield’s historic spring, got the win with three Ks in four scoreless innings. Eric Adler (Wake Forest) recorded his second save. Joe Lampe (Arizona State) and Christian Knapczyk (Louisville) both went 2-for-4 to lead the Bourne offense. Harwich fell to 1-3 with the loss. 

Cotuit 16, Y-D 5

Cotuit scored more runs Friday than it had scored all season in a blowout of Y-D. Luke Gold (Boston College) led the onslaught, hitting his second and third home runs as part of a 3-for-5, six RBI night. Brett Roberts (Florida State) wasn’t far behind Gold’s pace, going 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBI. Dylan Beavers (Cal), who has hit safely in every game this summer, had two htis and three RBI. Cole Cummings (UC Santa Barbara) chipped in three hits. Jake Brooks (UCLA) was the recipient of all the offense, earning the win with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief. 

Brewster 5, Chatham 2

The Whitecaps are in the win column after a victory over Chatham. Brain Fitzpatrick (Rutgers) struck out seven and allowed two runs in 3.1 innings, before giving way to a dominant bullpen effort. Ryan Cardona (Marist), Dale Stanavich (Rutgers) and Hunter Patteson (Central Florida) combined on 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Nick Biddison (Virginia Tech) had two hits and an RBI. Jake Thompson (OKklahoma State) and Zach Neto (Campbell) knocked in one run each. The Whitecaps stole four bases, led as always by Colin Davis (Wofford), who stole his fourth and fifth bases of the season. For Chatham, which fell to 2-2-1, Caden Grice (Clemson) stayed hot with two hits. 

Falmouth 4, Hyannis 3

Falmouth broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the eighth and held off Hyannis in the ninth. Brayden Taylor (TCU) scored the go-ahead run before Alec Sayre (Wright State) drove in what proved to be a crucial insurance run. Taylor went 3-for-5 for his third multi-hit game of the summer.  Jake Dukart (Oregon State) added three hits and Jonathan French (Clemson) homered in a two-hit night. Anthony DeFabbia (Stetson) struck out four in four scoreless innings. Michael Esposito (South Carolina) issued three walks in the ninth but escaped with Hyannis putting just one run on the board. 

WHAT TO WATCH

The two hottest teams in the league square off at Doran Park. Bourne is unbeaten at 4-0 and Wareham has won two straight.  

Twelve different pitchers have taken the mound for Orleans in three games this season. It was another team effort Thursday and it worked. Six pitchers combined to hold down Orleans in a 6-4 victory at Eldredge Park, the only game of the day. 

Chase DeLauter (James Madison), who had made a bigger impact so far with his bat, flashed the other side of his two-way skill set by drawing the start and tossing a scoreless inning. Conner Thurman (San Diego), off a season in which he led San Diego in strikeouts, had the best showing on the staff with three innings of one-hit, shutout baseball. He struck out four. 

Cotuit did some damage off Jeffrey Praml (Southern New Hampshire), scoring three runs, but managed just one more run off the next three arms. Carter Smith (BYU) pitched his second scoreless outing of the young season, Nick Hull (Grand Canyon) allowed one run in 1.1 innings. 

Jake Saum (UCLA) struck out three and didn’t allow a hit in finishing off the win. 

The pitchers were backed by a four-run third inning and key insurance in the late innings. DeLauter finished with two RBI, giving him five on the season. Rhylan Thomas (USC), Tyler Locklear (VCU) and Connor Kokx (Long Beach) went 2-for-4 with one RBI. 

The win puts Orleans at 2-1, while Cotuit drops to 1-2. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Back to a full slate Friday night. Interesting story to watch for Cotuit. Ryan Long gets the start. He pitches at D-III Pomona-Pitzer, which did not have a 2021 season. Long had a solid showing in the West Coast League two summers ago. 

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Two of the hottest starts in the league have been delivered by Harwich players, and their Mariners finally had something to show for it on Wednesday. 

Brock Wilken (Wake Forest) and Cade Beloso (LSU) had two hits each as Harwich picked up its first win of the season 5-2 over Hyannis. 

Wilken is a coming off a slugging season with the Demon Deacons. He smacked 17 home runs to go with a .279 batting average. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder started the summer with two hits in the season opener. He followed it up with a 1-for-3 day on Monday. In powering Wednesday’s win, he went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. 

Beloso had less success to build on, having hit .226 for the Tigers in the spring. Just like his teammate Wilken, Beloso had two hits in the opener and one in game two. Last night, he went 2-for-3 with a double. 

Beloso has the top batting average in the league at .556. Wilken is at .500, one of several players tied with that mark. 

Harwich also got two RBI from Josh Hood (Penn). 

Harwich had lost two straight to open the season. The five runs are a season-high, but pitching also had a lot to do with the win. Billy Seidl (Duke) struck out five and didn’t allow an earned run in four innings of work. Trey Dombroski (Monmouth), Carson Seymour (Kansas State) and Aaron Holiday (Old Dominion) combined for five scoreless innings out of the bullpen. 

Bourne 13, Falmouth 8

Central Michigan standout Andrew Taylor was fantastic in his Cape League debut and his offense was pretty good, too as Bourne outlasted Falmouth. Coming off an All-American campaign, Taylor struck out eight and allowed just two hits in four scoreless innings. He left with a 6-0 lead that almost completely disappeared when the bullpen took over. But Bourne’s offense kept rolling throughout and continued adding to the lead, finishing with 16 hits. Nick Goodwin (Kansas State) went 4-for-5 with a homer two RBI, while Christian Knapczyk (Louisville) went 3-for-5 and drove in two. Six different Braves had at least two hits. Reggie Crawford (Uconn) and Zach Agnos (East Carolina) also went deep. Michael Curialle (UCLA) continued a hot start for Falmouth with a grand slam. Bourne is now 3-0. 

Chatham 4, Brewster 2

Chatham built an early 4-0 lead and held on down the stretch for a win over Brewster. Caden Grice (Clemson) hit his second home run and leadoff man Cameron Chick (Nebraska) also went deep. Matthew Garcia (Chipola) drove in the other run for the Anglers. On the mound, Sebastian Keane (Northeastern) and Alexander McFarlane (Miami) went three scoreless innings each. Zachary Maxwell (Georgia Tech) allowed one run in two innings but eventually stopped Brewster’s comeback efforts for the save. Angler pitchers racked up 12 Ks. Chatham is 2-1 while Brewster is still seeking its first win. 

Wareham 7, Y-D 1

Owen Diodati (Alabama) homered for the second time in three games to lead Wareham’s best offensive night of the season and its first win. Kade Kern (Ohio State) drove in three runs. Ian Villers (California) tossed four scoreless innings and the Gatemen took a shutout into the ninth, when Y-D finally got on the board. The Gatemen improved to 1-2 while Y-D went to 2-1. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Just one game on the schedule Thursday as Cotuit makes the trip to Orleans. Harrison Cohen starts for Cotuit following a strong season with George Washington. Conner Thurman, who led San Diego in strikeouts, gets the ball for the Firebirds. 

Rain made for a quiet third day of the season in the Cape League, with one game canceled and three others getting underway but falling short of being official. They won’t be completed or rescheduled. 

In the one game that did go final, it was a pitcher keeping things quiet. 

Y-D’s Nick Dombkowski (Hartford) was terrific in a 3-2 win over Chatham, allowing just an unearned run in six innings. Chatham had three pitchers deliver strong performances but ended up on the wrong end of the pitchers’ duel. 

Dombkowski was in the news about a month ago when he threw a no-hitter amid the controversy around Hartford’s decision to drop from Division I to Division III. It was part of a great season for Dombkowski, who had a 3.13 ERA and 72 Ks in 60.1 innings on his way to all-conference honors.

Two summers ago, Dombkowski played in the Cape League for Bourne and was solid, putting up a 2.47 ERA. He’s eligible for this year’s draft but is on the Cape for now with Y-D and delivering. He scattered six hits on Tuesday while striking out five and allowing no earned runs. 

Jaret Godman (Oklahoma) finished off the win with 2.1 good innings of relief. 

The Y-D offense was led by Briley Knight (Portland), who drove in all three Y-D runs with one swing of the bat, a bases-loaded double in the second inning. 

Chatham’s Aaron Davenport (Hawaii) allowed those three runs and nothing else. Adam Tulloch (West Virginia) and Cade Winquest (Texas-Arlington) didn’t allow a run out of the bullpen. Jake DeLeo (Georgia Tech) went 3-for-4 to lead the Chatham offense and is now hitting .500 through three games. 

Y-D is now 2-0-1, while Chatham drops to 1-1-1. 

WHAT TO WATCH

All-American pitcher Andrew Taylor (Central Michigan) is due to make his first CCBL start for Bourne as the Braves visit Falmouth. Taylor struck out a school record 125 in the spring. 

Reggie Crawford did a little bit of everything for the Bourne Braves on Monday night.

Just like his team has done. 

A young two-way standout at UConn, Crawford went 3-for-5 at the plate and pitched a scoreless inning of relief in a 9-1 win over Brewster. Bourne’s nine runs and 14 hits are both league highs in the early going. The Braves have also allowed just one run on the year en route to a 2-0 start.  

Crawford has been heralded as the next big star at a UConn program that has produced more than its fair share in recent years. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound first baseman and left-handed pitcher batted .291 and had a 2.35 ERA this season en route to second-team all-conference honors. He’ll spend part of the summer with Team USA but is with the Braves now and getting a chance to show what he can do. His 3-for-5 day at the plate included two doubles. He also had a hit in Sunday’s opener. On the mound, Crawford struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect inning. 

Though they weren’t as busy as he was, Crawford wasn’t the only Brave delivering a big performance. 

Braylen Wimmer (South Carolina) has been at the front of the line through two games. He homered for the second straight day on Monday, blasting a three-run shot in the third inning to break a scoreless tie. He hit it off Bryce Hubbart (Florida State), who has the potential to be one of the top arms in the league. 

Tanner Schobel (Virginia Tech) also went deep as part of a huge night. Off a solid freshman season with the Hokies, Schobel made his debut and went 4-for-5 with the homer, four RBI and three runs scored.

In addition to Crawford, two other pitchers had scoreless outings. Jake Bennett (Oklahoma) struck out three in four scoreless frames. Austin Parsley (UNC Greensboro) was terrific across three innings, striking out six. 

Chatham 6, Orleans 3

After a tie in the season opener, Chatham made its debut at Veterans Field and broke out with a rivalry win over Orleans. A four-run fifth inning put the Anglers in front, and they held off a late push by the Firebirds, who dropped to 1-1. Star freshman Caden Grice (Clemson) hit his first summer home run in the early going. The big inning featured a three-run double by Lyle Miller-Green (Chipola) and a run-scoring double by Jake DeLeo (Georgia Tech). Miller-Green, who will transfer from the JUCO ranks to Oklahoma State, is 4-for-8 with two extra-base hits through his first two games. The Anglers also got a home run from Johnny Castagnozzi (North Carolina). Five pitchers took the hill for Chatham, with the first and last pitching the best. Austin Vernon (NC Central) struck out four and didn’t allow a hit in three innings. Trevor Martin (Oklahoma State) struck out four of the sixt batters he faced en route to a save. For Orleans, Jace Jung (Texax Tech) had two hits and two RBI. 

Yarmouth-Dennis 3, Harwich 0 

Locked in a scoreless game for six innings, the Red Sox broke through with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth, while keeping their own shutout going. Briley Knight (Portland) broke the seal with an RBI single in the seventh and Wyatt Hoffman (Pacific) added a sacrifice fly. An RBI single by Peyton Graham (Oklahoma) provided the final run. Both Knight and Graham finished the day with two hits. Drew Thorpe (Cal Poly), who fanned 104 in a great spring, struck out four and scattered six hits in five scoreless innings. Zach Franklin (Western Carolina), Reid McLaughlin (BYU) and Brandon Dufault (Northeastern) finished off the shutout. Harwich starter Evan Shawver (Cincinnati) delivered the best start of any pitcher in the league so far, striking out 10 in six shutout innings. 

Falmouth 8, Wareham 4

Falmouth has scored 15 runs in two games and – after a tie on opening night – has a win to show for it thanks to an 8-4 triumph over Wareham. Michael Curriale (UCLA) continued a spectacular start to the season with a 3-for-3 night. He’s now 5-for-7 with three extra base hits in two games. Alec Sayre (Wright State) added two hits and two RBI. Jace Bohrofen (Oklahoma) had two hits and one RBI. Anthony DeFabbia (Stetson) was credited with the win in relief. For Wareham, which fell to 0-2, Jim Jarvis (Alabama) had two hits and an RBI. 

Hyannis 7, Cotuit 4

Cotuit’s Blake Klassen (UC Santa Barbara) homered on the second pitch of the game, but Hyannis had the last laugh, taking the lead in the middle innings and holding on for its first win of the season. Dominic Johnson (Oklahoma State) went deep for the Harbor Hawks. Zane Harris (Wright State) chipped in two hits. Cotuit managed just one run against the Hyannis bullpen. Tommy McCollum (Wingate) got the win in relief. Trey Braithwaite (Navy) earned the save. For the Kettleers, Klassen went 3-for-5. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Two standout pitchers from mid-major programs on opposite ends of the country square off as Chatham visits Y-D. Hawaii’s Aaron Davenport starts for the Anglers against Hartford’s Nick Dombkowski.  

Six-hundred eighty-one days later, the Cotuit Kettleers returned to Lowell Park on Sunday. 

And they won again.

It was Aug. 9, 2019 when the Kettleers won the Cape Cod Baseball League championship. On that picture perfect summer evening, no one had any idea that the title clincher would be the last Cape League game for nearly two years. 

With the 2020 season canceled due to the pandemic, Cape League diamonds were oddly quiet last summer. It was especially jarring at Lowell Park, considering the cheers that had gone up in the 2019 title series. Kettleers volunteers opened the merchandise stand on a few Saturdays. People came just to reconnect with their home field. I did a book a signing for Summer Baseball Nation on one of those Saturdays. It was fun but it was hard to escape the weirdness of it all. 

The new contrast on Sunday was much more welcome. The fans were back, and the Kettleers were, too, picking up where they left off as the rare two-year reigning champions. 

Cotuit scored three runs in the second inning and stayed in front of Wareham throughout in an 8-5 win. Eric Brown (Coastal Carolina), coming off a spring in which he hit nine home runs, delivered the biggest blow with a three-run blast. Last year’s Futures League MVP Ben Rice (Dartmouth) went 2-for-3 with two RBI. 

Six different pitchers took the mound for the Kettleers. Andre Granillo (UC Riverside) had the best showing, with five strikeouts across three scoreless innings. 

Wareham was led by Alabama slugger Owen Diodati, who went 2-for-4 with a home run. 

But this day belonged to the Kettleers and the fans at Lowell Park. 

It was good to be back. 

Bourne 3, Hyannis 0 

Bourne had the best pitching performance of opening day with a shutout of Hyannis. Three pitchers combined on the shutout. Gordon Graceffo (Villanova) struck out five in four innings. Nick Zwack (Xavier) fanned six and allowed just one hit in his four innings. Eric Adler (Wake Forest) allowed two hits in the ninth but struck out three to finish it off. The Braves also hit two home runs, Braylen Wimmer (South Carolina) and Dalton Rushing (Louisville) doing the honors. 

Orleans 8, Harwich 1

It feels like the Firebirds are loaded this summer, especially in terms of who is already in town, and they cruised to a win over Harwich at a packed Eldredge Park. Chase DeLauter, who hit .386 for James Madison this spring, went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Baylor star Jared McKenzie was 2-for-4, and Texas Tech All-American Jace Jung had an RBI. Coming off a solid season with Georgia, 6-foot-6 righty Jonathan Cannon struck out two in four scoreless innings. College teammate Michael Polk kept it going with two scoreless innings and Carter Smith (BYU) did the same. Nick Wallerstedt (Arizona State) allowed one run in the ninth but finished off the win. Harwich had Nick Sinacola (Maine) – one of the nation’s strikeout leaders – on the hill to start. He fanned four and allowed two runs. 

Y-D 5, Brewster 5

One of the rule changes for this summer is no extra innings, and opening day gave us not one, but two ties. In this one, the Whitecaps led 4-1 in the eighth and 5-3 in the ninth, but the Red Sox rallied twice. Andrew Compton (Georgia Tech) led the first rally with a two-run single in the eighth. Pascanel Ferreras (Western Carolina) delivered a game-tying two-run base hit in the ninth. In addition to the heroics, Y-D got a big day from highly touted shortstop Brooks Lee (Cal Poly), who went 4-for-5. Cooper Weiss (Coastal Carolina) homered for Brewster and Will Simpson (Washington) went 3-for-4. 

Chatham 7, Falmouth 7

It was Chatham delivering a ninth-inning rally to force the other tie. The Anglers trailed by one in the top half when the latest Georgia Tech catching star, Kevin Parada, delivered an RBI single that tied the game. In his third inning of work, Andrew Yancik of D-2 McKendree University in Illinois kept Falmouth off the board in the bottom half to preserve the draw. Chatham’s offense was led by Michael Curialle (UCLA) with two hits and two RBI. For Falmouth, Lyle Miller-Green (George Mason) homered and drove in two as part of a 3-for-4 night. 

WHAT TO WATCH

Day two brings a few rivalry matchups with Cotuit visiting Hyannis and Orleans heading to Chatham.