I wrote about Cotuit’s speed yesterday, and so did the Cape Cod Times today.
Then the Kettleers went and did it all.
They were still running loose on the base paths, stealing six bases against Harwich last night, led by three from Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina). But that’s not the only thing they were doing. Cory Vaughn (San Diego State) hit a grand slam and Brandon Cumpton (Georgia Tech) tossed eight shutout innings as the Kettleers posted a 7-0 victory over the Mariners, the most lopsided win of the season for any Cape League team.
It was a season-high in runs and it tied a season-high in hits for the Kettleers, who now haven’t lost since opening night. But as impressive as they’ve been, this one probably takes the cake.
Vaughn, the son of former Major League and Cape Leaguer Greg Vaughn, had been struggling mightily, with just one hit in his first 13 at-bats. But he broke out in a big way on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with two singles and the grand slam. Vaughn was the top prospect in the Northwoods League last year. If he continues to bust out this year, he could emerge as one of the Cape’s top prospects and as a key middle-of-the-order bat for a team that’s going to have a lot of runners in scoring position.
Vaughn wasn’t the only piece to the offensive puzzle last night. In addition to his three steals, Noel went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a home run of his own. Like Vaughn, Noel had also been struggling but he’s now hitting .278 with nine steals. Jeff Rowland (Georgia Tech) and Zach Cone (Georgia) also drove in runs for the Kettleers.
All the offense was more than enough for Cumpton. The Georgia Tech sophomore pitched for Cotuit last summer and did some good things, striking out 20 in 20.1 innings. He also had some problems with walks and his ERA was up over four. But last night, Cumpton shined. Making his first appearance of the summer, Cumpton allowed just three hits in eight innings. He only struck out three but Harwich couldn’t sustain anything against him. The Mariners stranded seven runners.
All in all, a really impressive night for the Kettleers. And as if they needed a boost, Clemson’s Chris Dwyer, a fourth-round pick as a draft-eligible freshman, has decided to come to the Cape.
Elsewhere
In the only other game of the night, Chatham improved to 4-1 with a 5-4 extra-innings victory over Wareham. The Gatemen led 4-1 much of the way before Chatham tied the game with three in the seventh. A two-run double by Dean Green (Oklahoma State) was the big blow.
The game stayed knotted at four until the 10th. Nick Schwaner (New Orleans) and Matt Duffy (Vermont) singled to start the inning. Brian Harris (Vanderbilt) pinch ran for Schwaner and moved to third on a bunt single by Joey Terdoslavich (Long Beach State). With the bases loaded and nobody out, Wareham reliever Keith Bilodeau (Maine) got the strikeout he needed, but the ball got away and Harris scampered home with the winning run.
Taylor Hill (Vanderbilt) picked up the win for Chatham with two scoreless innings of relief.
The game was the seventh one-run game of the season in the league. There’s been at least one every night.
What to Watch For Tonight
We’re back to the beginning of a few pitching rotations, with several early standouts set to make their second starts. Mitch Mormann (Des Moines Area CC) will go for Falmouth against Hyannis and Austin Hudson (Central Florida). Y-D’s Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) will be pitching at home against Brewster, while Wareham’s Eric Pfisterer (Duke) will go against Harwich. Also of note, Cotuit’s Max Russell (Florida Southern) will make his first start.
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