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Quality Time

Gunnar Heidt makes a play for Harwich in a game earlier this summer. The Mariners rallied Sunday, making a winner out of Aaron Bummer.

 
Fifty-six pitchers in the Cape Cod Baseball League have more strikeouts than Harwich’s Aaron Bummer (Nebraska).

One starting pitcher has a better ERA, and nobody has more wins.

Who needs strikeouts?

Bummer improved to 4-1 on Sunday with his fifth quality start of the summer, giving up just a run in six innings as Harwich shut down Falmouth’s powerful lineup for an 8-3 victory. A late Mariner rally made a winner out of Bummer.

It was another terrific performance from Bummer, who’s been the league’s most consistent pitcher. He opened the season with six shutout innings and then went seven scoreless in his next start. He gave up two earned runs in his next start and took the loss, but has gotten right back on track. He went six shutout innings in his last start before picking up the victory Sunday. Bummer is now 4-1 with a 0.84 ERA.

I’ve often wondered if the Quality Start statistic – at least six innings, no more than three runs – should be adapted for the Cape League, where even the best pitchers often don’t work deep into games. It doesn’t need to be changed for Bummer. He’s had five real quality starts in five tries.

On Sunday, Bummer didn’t strike out a batter but didn’t need to. He scattered five hits and gave up just the one earned run (Falmouth did score two unearned runs). Bummer needed only 88 pitches to get through six innings.

Even with all that, Bummer was on the verge of taking a hard-luck loss. Harwich trailed 3-0 but scored seven runs in the seventh inning to turn the game completely around. Branden Cogswell (Virginia) and Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) each drove in two runs for the Mariners, while Ian Happ (Cincinnati) and Ben Moore (Alabama) had three hits apiece.

Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) and Mason McCullough (North Carolina) finished off the victory for Harwich.

And Bummer put another win in the books.

 

Chatham 8, Y-D 5

The Anglers won for the third straight time, running their league-best record to 18-8-1, and it was yet another different route to a victory. Starter Andrew Chin (Boston College) gave up five runs in two innings, but in the meantime, Chatham scored seven runs of its own in the first two innings. After that, the bullpen dominated and kept Chatham in control. Dominic Moreno (Texas Tech), Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) surrendered just three hits over the final seven innings. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton) led the offense with two hits and four RBI. Connor Joe (San Diego) went 3-for-5 with two RBI.

 

Cotuit 5, Wareham 3

The Kettleers (17-10) also won their third straight and now have a four-point cushion atop the West. Cotuit scored four runs in the first inning and held off a late push by the Gatemen for the victory. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) had a double, a triple and two RBI, while Yale Rosen (Washington State) and Drew Jackson (Stanford) knocked in one run apiece. Patrick Corbett (Coastal Carolina) got the win in relief of Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina). Corbett struck out four in 3.1 innings. For Wareham, Brett Pirtle (Mississippi State) had three hits.

 

Bourne 5, Hyannis 2

Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) pitched six strong innings as the Braves won a rain-shortened game that lasted six innings. Kellogg struck out six, didn’t walk a batter and gave up one earned run on four hits. Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) drove in two runs, while Mason Robbins (Southern Miss), Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) and Tyler Kuresa (UC Santa Barbara) brought in one each. Hyannis (15-9), which has lost two in a row, got two hits from Steve Wilkerson (Clemson).

 

Brewster 11, Orleans 3

On the strength of a blowout win, the Whitecaps (10-16) are suddenly two points back of Orleans (11-15) for fourth place in the East. Brewster pounded out 17 hits. Scott Heineman (Oregon) went 5-for-5 with three runs scored at the top of the Brewster lineup. Nick Lynch (UC Davis) hit a home run, while Austin Bailey (San Diego), Chris Mariscal (Fresno State), and Trevor Mitsui (Washington State) knocked in two runs each. Orleans finished with 12 hits but managed just the three runs. Brewster starter Aaron Brown (Pepperdine) gave up two earned runs in five innings to pick up the win.

 

What to Watch

A couple of strong-armed Austins will square off in Bourne. Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) gets the ball for the Braves, with Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara) starting for Hyannis.

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Midseason Awards

The halfway point of the season always sneaks up on me. We’re roughly there now, with a couple of teams just past it and a few more right on the number.

It’s been an interesting year – not quite as eye-popping as last summer, but with some good storylines. Stars are starting to emerge, and these guys are the best of the best with 22 games in the books.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Kevin Cron, Falmouth

Cron’s teammate Rhys Hoskins has been the front-runner all season in my book, but in a 22-game sample size, one hot streak can mean a lot.

And Cron is on one.

He’s been steady all summer, with a nine-game hitting streak at one point, and in the last week, he’s been on fire.

At the halfway mark, Cron ranked fourth in the league in hitting at .367. He sat second in home runs with four. He led in RBI with 20. Cron’s triple-slash line was .367/.444/.620.

A former third-round pick, Cron had a great freshman season at TCU in 2012 but followed with a shaky sophomore year. It’s safe to say he’s back on track.

IN THE RUNNING

Rhys Hoskins, Falmouth
Dante Flores, Chatham
Mike Ford, Cotuit
Ian Happ, Harwich
Jose Brizuela, Brewster
Skyler Ewing, Hyannis
Jimmy Pickens, Chatham
Chris Marconcini, Orleans
D.J. Stewart, Y-D
Max Pentecost, Bourne

 

OUTSTANDING PITCHER

Erick Fedde, Y-D

This was the toughest of the three awards to pick. Nobody has run through the league with dominant outing after dominant outing. Fedde gets the nod with a blend of dominance, steadiness and durability.

The rising junior at UNLV delivered the best start of opening night and has kept doing it pretty much every step of the way.

In five starts, he leads the league in innings pitched with 30.2. He owns a 2.35 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, a league-high 26 strikeouts and just eight walks. Opponents are hitting just .204 against him.

IN THE RUNNING

Aaron Bummer, Harwich
Jaron Long, Bourne
Andrew McGee, Chatham
Bobby Poyner, Orleans
Ryan Kellogg, Bourne
Justin Kamplain, Brewster
Andrew Thome, Hyannis
Chandler Shepherd, Harwich
Lukas Schiraldi, Chatham

 

OUTSTANDING RELIEF PITCHER

Matt Troupe, Orleans

Troupe is one off the league-leading saves pace of Hyannis’ Eric Eck, but Troupe has been as dominant as any pitcher in the league.

The Arizona junior has five saves to go with a 0.00 ERA. He has struck out 16 and walked four in just 8.1 innings, giving him an eye-popping K/9 ratio of 17.3.

It’s still early, so that K/9 number will probably go down. But in the last four years, among pitchers with a good amount of innings, the highest number was around 15.

However it shakes out, it’s a safe bet Troupe will continue to dominate.

IN THE RUNNING

Eric Eck, Hyannis
Trace Dempsey, Bourne
Jacob Dorris, Chatham
Darrell Hunter, Y-D
Brian Miller, Cotuit
Sarkis Ohanian, Hyannis
Joel Seddon, Cotuit
Bradley Roney, Wareham
Patrick Corbett, Cotuit
Chad Sobotka, Chatham
Ryan Riga, Wareham
 

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Holding Steady

Chatham is heating up again after a brief hiccup.

 
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.

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Small Ball, Big Play

Y-D's Cole Peragine makes a play at second earlier this summer.

 
The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are the league’s best hitting team, and for a while there, they were playing like a squad that was exclusively the league’s best hitting team – either turning in blowout wins or finding themselves in slugfests.

On Saturday night, they were laying down squeeze bunts and flashing the leather so well that they ended up on ESPN.

The Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Brewster 4-3. The tying and go-ahead runs both came home on safety squeeze bunts by Andrew Daniel. In the ninth, Trevor Mitsui (Washington) hit what looked like the game-tying home run for the Whitecaps, but Y-D center-fielder Brandon Downes (Virginia) made a leaping catch to pull it back and keep the Red Sox in front. (You can watch the catch here.)

The play by Downes was so good that ESPN picked it up for SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. That’s the first time I can remember that a Cape League play has ended up on the Top 10. Kudos to Downes for making the play and to the Y-D broadcast crew for capturing it.

The squeeze bunts won’t be making ESPN, but they were key plays too. After the Red Sox got their first two runs on an RBI double by Taylor White (UNLV) and an RBI single by Taylor Smart (Tennessee), they went to small ball. Alex Blandino (Stanford) scored on Daniel’s bunt single in the sixth. In the eighth, with D.J. Stewart (Florida State) on third, Daniel dropped down another bunt, beat it out and watches Stewart scamper home with the go-ahead run.

The small-ball success made a winner out of reliever Darrell Hunter (Oregon), who struck out four in three spotless innings. Y-D is now 6-7-1.

 

Bourne 4, Cotuit 3

The hyped-up pitching match-up between Alex Haines and Ryan Kellogg ended up as a footnote when Bourne (7-7) rallied from a two-run deficit with three in the ninth and walked off with a 4-3 win. Mason Robbins (Southern Miss), who had a flair for the dramatic last summer, started the ninth with a double and came home on an error. A sac fly by Tyler Kuresa (UC Santa Barbara) brought home the tying run before Pat Kelly (Nebraska) singled home Bobby Boyd (West Virginia) with the winning run. Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) went 2-for-3 to lead the Braves offense. Kellogg (Arizona State) struck out three and gave up one earned in five innings. Haines (Seton Hill) struck out three in four scoreless frames and still hasn’t given up a run this summer.

 

Chatham 8, Harwich 4

The Anglers (8-5-1) stopped Harwich’s three-game winning streak with an 8-4 victory. Matthew Gage (Siena) struck out four and gave up two runs in five innings to pick up his first win and Jacob Dorris (Texas A&M Corpus Christ) worked two scoreless innings for the save. Dante Flores (USC) led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Cal State Fullerton standout J.D. Davis, who was 1-for-9 since arriving on the Cape, broke out with a 2-for-4 night. Connor Joe (San Diego) and Blake Butera (Boston College) also drove in runs. Harwich (9-5) got three hits from Branden Cogswell (Virginia) but couldn’t get back into the game after falling behind early.

 

Falmouth 9, Wareham 1

The Commodores (9-5) stretched their win streak to three and matched Cotuit and Harwich for the league’s best record with a blowout win over the Gatemen (2-12). Falmouth has won six of seven overall. Craig Schlitter (Bryant) was dominant on the mound, striking out three and giving up just a run on three hits in seven innings. Sam Gillikin (Auburn) went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI to lead a 13-hit attack. Joseph Maggi (Arizona) also had three hits, Kevin Newman (Arizona) had two and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) drove in two runs.

 

What to Watch

Two good match-ups on tap in the West. Bourne and Cotuit will meet for the second straight night. Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic), who was part of a combined no-hitter the last time he faced Cotuit, gets the ball again for the Braves, while Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) is slated to start for Cotuit. In Falmouth, the Commodores host 8-4 Hyannis at 5:30 p.m. John Means (West Virginia), who has a 1.86 ERA in two games, goes for Falmouth. Andrew Thome (North Dakota), who’s 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA, gets the ball for Hyannis.

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Party Like It’s 2012

Chris Marconcini had six RBI as Orleans out-slugged Y-D 17-12.

 
So. About that lack of offense.

As expected this year, one of the league’s early storylines is the return to typical Cape League offensive numbers after last year’s inflation. For one night, though, Orleans and Y-D didn’t get the memo. The Firebirds won 17-12 at Red Wilson Field.

The combined run total was more than the season run total of eight Cape League teams. The Firebirds and Red Sox also combined for five home runs, which is more than the season total for nine Cape League teams. And the night’s biggest star, Chris Marconcini (Duke), had six RBI, more than anyone in the league had for the season coming into last night.

It was that kind of night.

The fireworks started early. Orleans scored four runs in the top of the first on a Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) grand slam. The score was actually 4-4 going into the fifth before the Firebirds delivered two more big innings, getting five in the fifth and four in the sixth.

The Firebirds got their second grand slam from Marconcini, who finished 3-for-5 with the home run and six RBI. Jordan Betts (Duke) also homered for the second time in as many games.

Y-D did its part for the slugfest too. The Red Sox got home runs from Robert Pehl (Washington) and Taylor Gushue (Florida), while D.J. Stewart (Florida State) had two doubles and two RBI. Trailing 17-6, the Red Sox scored six runs in the ninth and the Firebirds committed three errors in the inning, but the hole was too big.

Orleans held on and for one night, celebrated a whole lot of offense.

 

Harwich 3, Cotuit 2

Harwich (4-3) got no-hit by Cotuit’s Chris Ellis (Ole Miss) for six innings but broke out for three runs in the final three innings to knock off the Kettleers 3-2. The Kettleers (6-2) pushed one across in the ninth, but Chris Oliver (Arkansas) struck out Steven Duggar (Clemson) to end it. That made a winner out of reliever Jonathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State). Derek Fisher (Virginia) had the first hit for Harwich, an RBI double that came after Branden Cogswell (Virginia) had reached on an error. A single, two errors and a sacrifice fly by Mark Zagunis (Virginia Tech) plated two runs in the eighth. The Kettleers made four errors, but Mike Ford (Princeton) was a bright spot, going 3-for-4. He now leads the league in hitting at .476.

 

Hyannis 1, Chatham 0

Just three days after losing to Chatham 10-0, Hyannis (5-2) shut down the Anglers for a 1-0 victory, handing Chatham (6-2) its second consecutive 1-0 loss. Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist) struck out three and gave up just two hits in seven scoreless innings. Mike Gunn (Arkansas) and Sarkis Ohanian (Duke) worked the final two innings without allowing a hit. Lukas Schiraldi (Navarro College) struck out five in six innings for Chatham, but Hyannis got to him for one run that proved to be enough. Austin Slater (Stanford) knocked in the only run with one of his two hits. Jay Baum (Clemson) scored the lone run.

 

Bourne 3, Brewster 0

The Braves (4-4) won their fourth straight game with their second consecutive shutout. Arizona State star Ryan Kellogg didn’t disappoint in his Cape League debut, tossing six shutout innings with three strikeouts. Jack English (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out four in two innings of relief and Trace Dempsey (Ohio State) struck out two in the ninth to pick up the save. Eric Fisher (Arkansas) led the offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBI. Bobby Boyd (West Virginia) added two hits and Clint Freeman (East Tennessee State) had two RBI.

 

Falmouth 8, Wareham 3

The Commodores (4-4) pounded out 12 hits en route to a victory over the Gatemen (1-7). Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) led the big night, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Kevin Cron (TCU) also had two RBI, Kevin Newman (Arizona) had three hits and Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) had two. Hunter Brothers (Lipscomb) got the win in relief for the Commodores.

 

What to Watch

It should be a great pitching match-up in Bourne, where the red hot Braves send Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) to the mound against Cotuit’s Alex Haines (Seton Hill). Gomber struck out 103 this spring, while Haines was the NECBL’s top prospect last year and a 33rd round pick of the Rockies this year.

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Back Up

Dominic Jose, pictured last summer, had an RBI as the Harbor Hawks got back into the win column on Thursday.

 
It’s been a rollercoaster season so far for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, but the good thing about a rollercoaster is you usually don’t have to wait long to go back up.

After starting the year 3-0, then getting shut-out in their next two games, the Harbor Hawks got back into the win column with a 4-3 victory over Wareham (1-6) on Thursday in the only game on the schedule.

The Harbor Hawks wasted no time breaking the shut-out spell, striking for all four of their runs in the first inning. They used two hits, two walks and an error to get it done.

Jake Hernandez (USC), a late Hyannis pickup who hit five home runs for Orleans last year, knocked in the first run. Dominic Jose (Stanford) also had an RBI. Another run scored on an error and Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) later scored on an errant throw in a rundown.

Armed with the lead, Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara) allowed just a run in five innings of work for the win. The Gatemen made some moves against the Hyannis bullpen, but Eric Eck (Wofford) stranded the tying run in the ninth to pick up his second save.

Hyannis is now 4-2 and sitting just behind Cotuit in the West standings.

The Gatemen fell to 1-6, but they did out-hit the Harbor Hawks 10-6. Tino Lipson (UC Davis) was a bright spot again, stretching his hitting streak to seven games.

 

What to Watch

Back to a full slate of action tonight with a lot of solid arms on the hill. Kyle Cody (Kentucky), who gave Wareham its only victory, will try to get another one as the Gatemen welcome to Falmouth and Craig Schlitter (Bryant) to town for a 7 p.m. start. In Bourne, Arizona State freshman standout Ryan Kellogg makes his first start as the Braves host Brewster.

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A New Streak

Jaron Long, pictured last year, tossed five strong innings as the Braves knocked off Chatham on Wednesday.

 
On Sunday, the Bourne Braves were 0-4.

On Wednesday, they improved to 3-4 and celebrated an impressive victory. The Braves knocked off Chatham 1-0, ending the Anglers’ run of six straight wins to open the season.

Four pitchers combined to shut-out the Anglers, who lead the league in hitting and hadn’t scored fewer than four runs in any game this year. Jaron Long (Ohio State), who had a 3.46 ERA for the Braves last year, made his return and tossed five shutout innings, scattering five hits and striking out seven. Ryan Harris (Florida) allowed one hit in two innings, before Nigel Nootbaar (USC) and Trace Dempsey (Ohio State) finished it off with a hitless inning each.

Aaron Garza (Houston) pitched well for Chatham, allowing one run in five innings, but that one run was the difference. The Braves scored it in the third, when Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State) – who finished 3-for-3 – singled, stole second and raced home on a two-out RBI single by Mason Robbins (Southern Miss). Pentecost is now hitting .389.

Just like that, the Cape League has no more undefeated teams. I’m sure Chatham will be fine – no shame in ending a six-game winning streak with a 1-0 loss.

The real takeaway is that Bourne is in a surge of its own – and could be primed for more. In their three straight wins, the Braves have pounded 39 hits. Their pitching staff, which already ranks second in ERA, is about to get better, with Austin Gomber (Florida Atlantic) and Ryan Kellogg (Arizona State) scheduled to make their first starts in the next two games. Gomber went 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA and 103 strikeouts for Florida Atlantic this spring. Kellogg, a freshman, was 11-1 with a 3.15 ERA for the Sun Devils.

Look out for the Braves.

 

Cotuit 6, Orleans 3

While Chatham saw its streak end, Cotuit kept winning. The Kettleers have won five in a row and now own the same 6-1 record as the Anglers. Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina) went five strong innings for the win and Brian Miller, the Vanderbilt closer this spring, picked up his first save of the summer. At the plate, Mike Ford (Princeton) continued his tremendous start with a 3-for-5 day. He’s now hitting .412. Elliott Caldwell (Spartanburg Methodist), who’s headed to South Carolina next year, made his second start of the year and blasted a home run. Hunter Cole (Georgia) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) each had two hits. Cole has four multi-hit games this summer, most in the league. In a losing effort, Orleans (3-3) actually hit three home runs, the first time this summer that a team has hit more than one homer in a game. Will Fulmer (Montevallo), Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) and Jordan Betts (Duke) hit the homers.

 

Brewster 7, Hyannis 0

The Whitecaps (1-5) broke into the win column with a shutout of the Harbor Hawks, who have been shut-out twice in a row after their 3-0 start. Justin Kamplain (Alabama) was dominant for the Whitecaps, striking out eight and giving up just two hits in six innings. His Alabama teammate Jonathan Keller added two scoreless frames and Brad Schreiber (Purdue) finished it off with a scoreless ninth. The seven runs were a season-high. Trevor Mitsui (Washington), Joe Chavez (UC Riverside) and Chris Mariscal (Fresno State) had a hit and an RBI each. Austin Bailey (San Diego) went 2-for-3.

 

Harwich 5, Wareham 1

Harwich (3-3) scored three in the first and never looked back en route to a win over the Gatemen (1-5). Making his final start before returning to South Bend, Notre Dame two-sport star Pat Connaughton struck out seven and gave up just one run in five innings for the win. Sean Fitzgerald (Notre Dame) and Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) finished it off. C.J. Hinojosa (Texas), who now has a four-game hitting streak, went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Tanner English (South Carolina) and Ben Moore (Alabama) drove in one run each. Derek Fisher (Virginia), the Northwoods League top prospect last summer, made his Cape debut and drove in a run.

 

Y-D 8, Falmouth 4

In a battle of teams that have been up-and-down, the Red Sox (3-4) broke out with all eight of their runs over the final four innings to beat the Commodores (3-4). Wayne Taylor (Stanford), who had only one hit in his first three games, led the charge by going 4-for-4 with an RBI. Cole Peragine (Stony Brook) went 2-for-3 and also knocked in a run. Matt Honchel (Miami of Ohio), Brandon Downes (Virginia) and Kyle Wood (Purdue) all had two hits each, while Florida State standout D.J. Stewart had a hit and a run scored in his Cape League debut. On the mound, Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst) got the win in relief. Max Murphy (Bradley) knocked in two runs for the Commodores. Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) saw his season-long hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-5.

 

What to Watch

Just one game on the schedule tonight as Hyannis hosts Wareham at 6 p.m. The Harbor Hawks will send UC Santa Barbara standout Austin Pettibone to the hill. He ranked 12th in the nation in innings pitched this spring and had a 2.98 ERA. The Wareham starter is TBA.