What’s a good way to continue a hot start? Sweeping a doubleheader isn’t bad.
The Hyannis Harbor Hawks and Orleans Firebirds both took care of business on Sunday, with each sweeping a twin bill. Hyannis took two from Chatham to improve to 7-2, best in the league. Orleans won a pair of one-run games over Cotuit to move to 6-2-1, the best record in the East.
Hyannis was coming off a loss to Harwich on Saturday but had no trouble getting past the Anglers. In game one, starter Dylan Floro (Cal State Fullerton) took a no-hitter into the sixth, when Joe Sever (Pepperdine) broke it up with a single. Floro left right after the single, having gone 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts. He also walked five and allowed an unearned run but it was still an impressive performance. Floro’s two previous outings came in relief. If the plan is to stretch him out and make him a starter, he could turn into an ace.
Hyannis ended up winning the first game 5-1. In addition to Floro’s performance, Hyannis pounded 12 hits. Austin Elkins (Dallas Baptist) went 3-for-4 with three RBI.
It was more of the same in game two. Andrew Strenge (Cincinnati) allowed one run in five innings and Nick Wittgren (Purdue) picked up the save as Hyannis won 4-1. Joey DeMichele (Arizona State) drove in a run and Cal Towey (Baylor) knocked in two.
The Harbor Hawks are now four points ahead of Wareham for first place in the West.
As for Orleans, the Firebirds found a way to take two close ones from Cotuit for their third and fourth wins in a row. Cotuit came back from a three-run deficit with two in the sixth in game one, but Trevor Gott (Kentucky) worked out of a first-and-third jam in the sixth then pitched a scoreless seventh to seal the 4-3 win.
The Firebird offense was powered by three home runs, as many as the Firebirds had for the whole season coming into the game. Steve Selsky (Arizona) and Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville) each hit their second and Maxx Tissenbaum (Stony Brook) hit his first.
In game two, the Firebirds again struck with the long ball. With the game tied at one in the sixth, Rudy Flores (Florida International) cranked his first home run for the 2-1 lead. That’s where it stayed as Mike Hauschild (Dayton) picked up his first save.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
Game: Only one on the schedule today, a rescheduled match-up between Hyannis and Bourne. It’s at Bourne at 6 p.m.
Players: Harbor Hawks Dan Gulbransen (Jacksonville) and Eric Stamets (Evansville) are both among the league leaders in hits with 11.