It could have been deja vu. The Chatham Anglers have started hot before. In 2010, they won seven of their first 10 games – and just 13 more the rest of the season. They missed the playoffs.
When the 2013 Anglers raced to a 6-0 start and then lost five of six, it was hard not to think back and wonder if it was going to happen all over again.
It’s certainly not happening right now.
Chatham beat Harwich 10-6 for its third straight win and its sixth in seven games. While Cotuit has been steady, and Hyannis has been winning and Harwich and Falmouth have been hot, it’s the Anglers who own the most wins in the league. They’re 13-6-1 and leading the East by five points over Harwich.
Last night, Chatham pounded 13 hits in out-slugging a Harwich team that had just out-slugged Falmouth the night before. Dante Flores (USC) put together his third consecutive multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. He’s now hitting .365, good for second in the league.
Landon Lassiter (North Carolina) added two hits, as did Sheehan Planas-Arteaga (Barry), Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) and Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion). The Anglers got a hit from eight of nine spots in the order and an RBI from six.
Matthew Gage (Siena) turned in his second straight strong start, striking out two and giving up just two runs in six innings. Harwich did a little damage against the Chatham bullpen, but the Anglers held them off. Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) picked up his second save in as many chances since arriving on the Cape.
Just like that, the Anglers were back at the top. It looks like they plan to stay.
Falmouth 9, Y-D 8
The Commodores (12-8) bounced back from a slugfest loss to Harwich with a slugfest win over the Red Sox (9-10-1). Y-D led 8-6 going into the ninth, but Falmouth scored three runs to win it. Dylan Davis (Oregon State) beat the throw to first on a double-play attempt, which scored the winning run. Falmouth got a huge night from Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State), who hit his fourth home run as part of a 3-for-5, 4 RBI day. He also leads the league in RBI with 18. Kevin Newman (Arizona) and Sam Gillikin (Auburn) also had three hits for the Commodores. Davis, who had hit a home run in three straight games, finally did not go yard, but did hit a double and drove in two runs.
Cotuit 2, Hyannis 1
The Kettleers (12-8) snapped a three-game skid and posted their second win of the season over the Harbor Hawks (12-6). Cotuit, Hyannis and Falmouth are all tied atop the West standings with 24 points each. The Kettleers manufactured a run in the top of the ninth to break a 1-1 tie, with Jake Fincher (NC State) reaching on an error, stealing second and coming around on two wild pitches. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the victory. Steven Duggar (Clemson) had three hits to lead the Kettleers while Logan Ratledge (NC State) and Mike Ford (Princeton) had two each. Evan Beal (South Carolina) tossed five shutout innings with six strikeouts. Andrew Thome (North Dakota) also struck out six for Hyannis.
Brewster 5, Bourne 4
The Whitecaps have 40 hits in their last three games, and not surprisingly, they’re on a three-game winning streak that has improved their record to 6-13. On this night, they had 13 hits, bided their time against standout Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) and scored five runs over the last four innings to net the victory. Jose Brizuela (Florida State) went 3-for-5 while Scott Heineman (Oregon) stretched his hit streak to eight games with a 2-for-5 night in the leadoff spot. Trevor Mitsui (Washington State) and Aaron Brown (Pepperdine) added two hits each. Frankie Vanderka (Stony Brook) turned in a solid start, allowing three runs in seven innings. Trey Cochran-Gill (Auburn) got the win in relief.
Wareham 2, Orleans 1
The struggling Wareham offense scored the first two runs Orleans standout Bobby Poyner (Florida) has given up all year and made the lead stand up for the victory. Wareham is 4-16, while Orleans dropped to 9-10. Both Wareham runs came in the fifth. Chris Chinea (LSU) knocked in a run on a ground-out before Daniel Rosenbaum (Louisville) hit an RBI single. Three Gatemen pitchers made the slim lead hold up. Tucker Simpson (Florida) struck out four and gave up one run in 5.2 innings to out-duel his college teammate Poyner for the win. Ryan Riga (Ohio State) worked 2.1 scoreless innings and Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisana) picked up the save.
What to Watch
Hyannis and Cotuit will meet again at 5 p.m. at Lowell Park. Adam Ravenelle (Vanderbilt), who has only pitched out of the bullpen so far, will make his first start for Cotuit. Patrick Andrews (Clemson), who was solid in his first start, goes for Hyannis.