Harwich Mariners

Nick Dalesandro is back with Harwich this year.
Nick Dalesandro is back with Harwich this year.

Harwich got off to a roaring start last year but ultimately couldn’t keep up with Y-D.

Five to Watch
1. Tyler Baum
2. Dwanya Williams-Sutton
3. Joey Bart
4. Jake McCarthy
5. Cameron Simmons

Pitchers
Dylan Grove – Oklahoma – Pitching mostly as a starter, tallied 4.71 ERA, 48 K in 36.1 IP
Cullen Dana – Seton Hall – Posted 3.56 ERA in weekend rotation, led Pirates in Ks with 76
Matthew Frisbee – UNC Greensboro – Top starter for Greensboro had 4.10 ERA, 74 Ks in 96.2 IP
Chris Gau – Jacksonville – Posted 3.96 ERA and struck out 69 in 75 IP as member of weekend rotation
Cal Kreuger – Indiana – Had 2.82 ERA pitching out of bullpen and in starting role for Hoosiers
Tyler Baum – North Carolina – Next Tar Heel star went 7-0 with 2.57 ERA as frosh in weekend rotation
Cole Kragel – Virginia Tech – 6-8 righty appears to have missed the spring with an injury
Jake Agnos – East Carolina – Led Pirate starters in ERA at 3.22, struck out 64 in 64.1 IP
Cole Aker – North Carolina – Pitching as starter and reliever, had 2.12 ERA and struck out 18 in 17 IP

Catchers
Nick Dalesandro – Purdue – Returning Mariner had strong sophomore campaign with .297 AVG, 3 HR
Cal Raleigh – Florida State – Set for second year with Mariners, hitting .226 as soph but has eight HR
Joey Bart – Georgia Tech – 2016 Wareham Gateman hit .296 with 13 HR in second season at Tech
Brad Debo – NC State – Led Wolfpack with .335 AVG and had 24 extra-base hits

Infielders
Jonathan India – Florida – Hitting .280 with 19 extra-base hits and 11 stolen bases for CWS squad after batting .290 with Harwich last summer
Justin Novak – Virginia – Versatile player hit .295 with 1 homer for Cavs this spring
Josh Smith – LSU – Batting .289 with four homers as freshman starter for CWS club
Jordan Verdon – San Diego State – 24th round pick in 2015 hit .301 and belted 16 extra-base hits for Aztecs in sophomore season
Cobie Vance – Alabama – Former 16th-round pick batted .293 with 12 extra-base hits as sophomore
Carter Hall – Georgia Tech – Limited to eight games in sophomore season, batted .308

Outfielders
Antoine Duplantis – LSU – Second year Mariner hitting .322 with 18 SB for Tigers this spring
Jake McCarthy – Virginia – After missing most of frosh season, hit .338 with 5 HR this year and ranked in top 10 nationally with 27 SB
Andrew Moritz – UNC Greensboro – Among national leaders in AVG, finished at .392 with 17 extra base hits and stole 16 bases
Cameron Simmons – Virginia – Second-best AVG in loaded Cavs lineup at .352, added nine home runs, 57 RBI
Matt Vierling – Notre Dame – Top hitter for Irish batted .330 with 7 HR, 31 XBH
Dwanya Williams-Sutton – East Carolina – Led league in hitting as a 2016 frosh and batted .286, smacked seven homers in injury-shortened 2017

Y-D Red Sox

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The Y-D Red Sox won the Cape League title again last year. Can anybody stop them in 2017?

Five to Watch
1. Drew Mendoza
2. Kris Bubic
3. Sean Hjelle
4. Alfonso Rivas
5. Carlos Cortes

Pitchers
Tim Brennan – St. Joseph’s – Cemented spot as one of top pitchers in Atlantic 10 with 2.85 ERA, 60 K in 75.2 IP
Michael Hendrickson – Michigan – No. 2 starter behind former Y-D pitcher Oliver Jaskie had 4.06 ERA, 70 K
Tommy Henry – Michigan – Struck out 39 in 31 innings of relief with 3.19 ERA
Sean Hjelle – Towering righty (6-11) went from closer to ace this year, striking out 94 in 100 IP with 3.87 ERA
Karl Kauffmann – Michigan – Posted 2.03 ERA in limited relief action
Riley McCauley – Michigan State – Saved nine games and struck out 41 in just 21.2 innings
Shane McClanahan – South Florida – Had big debut after redshirt year, posting 3.20 ERA, 104 Ks in 76 IP
Josh McMinn – Oral Roberts – Went 9-3 with 2.47 ERA in weekend rotation, striking out 75
Hunter Parsons – Maryland – Cal Ripken League Pitcher of the Year last summer struggled to 12.05 ERA this spring
John Rooney – Hofstra – Had ERA over five but struck out 86 in 82.1 innings in weekend rotation
Zane Strand – Arizona State – Highly touted freshman missed all but .2 innings of season with injury
Spencer Van Scoyoc – Arizona State – More walks than strikeouts in up-and-down freshman year but managed 3.86 ERA
Kris Bubic – Stanford – Top starter for Cardinal had 2.79 ERA, 96 K in 90.1 IP

CATCHERS
Domenic DeRenzo – Oklahoma – Hit eight home runs as a freshman but struggled to .183 AVG this year
Nick Meyer – Cal Poly – Batted .255 with two homers as everyday catcher

INFIELDERS
Kyle Isbel – UNLV – Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year in 2016 hit .290 with 6 HR this year
Connor Kaiser – Vanderbilt – Shortstop for the Commodores hit .219 with one HR this spring
Christian Koss – UC Irvine – Scuffled at the plate with .180 average in 40 games this season
Drew Mendoza – Florida State – Top 2016 HS prospect to attend college hitting .270 with 8 HR
Carter Pharis – UAB – After strong freshman year, hit .305 with three HR this spring
Nicholas Quintana – Arizona – Red Sox’ 11th-round pick in 2016 hit .293 with 6 HR in freshman campaign
Alfonso Rivas – Arizona – Had breakout sophomore year with .371 AVG, 7 HR, 63 RBI
Jake Slaughter – LSU – Earning regular duty as frosh with Tigers and hitting .258
Nico Hoerner – Stanford – Has started all but one game in two years, hitting .307 this season

OUTFIELDERS
Carlos Cortes – South Carolina – 20th-round pick last year hit .286 with team-best 12 homers in first season
Jonah Davis – California – Hit .275 with two homers and stole 10 bases in second season with Bears
Alex McKenna – Cal Poly – Broke out for big sophomore season, hitting .356 with five HR, 13 SB
Luke Miller – Indiana – Followed up strong freshman season by hitting .272 with 10 home runs

Hyannis Harbor Hawks

Ford Proctor returns to Hyannis this spring.
Ford Proctor returns to Hyannis this summer.

The Harbor Hawks snuck into the playoffs last year after a tremendous season the year before.

Five to Watch
1. Dominic DiCaprio
2. Tyler Frank
3. Ford Proctor
4. Jake Mangum
5. Nick Sandlin

Pitchers
Trysten Barlow – Mississippi State – Busy reliever has 5.59 ERA in 25 appearances
Michael Brettell – Central Michigan – Latest in CMU-Hyannis pipeline had 4.26 ERA, 43 Ks
Ricky Constant – UMass- Lowell – Had 10.20 ERA in limited action thought did K 27 in 15 IP
Kevin Coulter – Mercer – Posted 4.86 ERA with 47 Ks as weekend starter
Brooks Crawford – Strong reliever for Tigers struck out a batter an inning with 1.23 ERA
Ryley Gilliam – Clemson – Saved four games and struck out 50 in 35 IP
Connor Green – Ole Miss – Struck out 55 in 54.1 IP with 5.29 ERA in swing role
Chase Haney – Florida State – Has 4.35 ERA and ranks third on team in appearances for Omaha-bound Seminoles
M.D. Johnson – Dallas Baptist – Pitching mostly as a starter, 6-6 righty tallied 4.43 ERA
Ethan Larrison – Indiana State – Latest Sycamore to follow in Sean Manaea’s Hyannis footsteps had 3.13 ERA as a reliever
Tyler Myrick – Florida International – Emerged as top starter for Panthers with 3.73 ERA, 57 Ks
Nick Sandlin – Southern Miss – Tallied 8 saves and fanned a whopping 80 in 56.2 IP
Christian Tripp – New Mexico – 6-7 righty had ERA over five but saved six games
Davis Vainer – Alabama – Saved five games and stuck out 44 in 28.2 innings
Matthew Mervis – Duke – Big recruit for Blue Devils had 7.83 ERA in 21 appearances

Catchers
Dominic DiCaprio – Rice – Coming off huge sophomore year – .366, 6 HR, 49 RBI
Chris Proctor – Duke – Hit .255 as regular catcher for Blue Devils

Infielders
Tyler Frank – Florida Atlantic – Top hitter for Owls batted .336 with 11 HR
Dakota Julylia – Jacksonville – Batted .232 in sophomore year with Dolphins
Reid Leonard- Morehead State – Shortstop earned all-OVC honors with .328 AVG, 2 HR, 21 doubles
Cole Murphy – Cincinnati – 6-7 first baseman struggled in limited action this year with 13 starts and .174 average
Ford Proctor – Rice – Returning Hawk followed up CUSA Frosh of the Year season with .311 AVG, 4 HR
Daniel Robinson – Central Michigan – Batted .305, stole 22 bases for Chippewas this spring
Hunter Stovall – Mississippi State – Hit an even .300 with two homers for Bulldogs

Outfielders
Reece Hampton – Charlotte – Hit .264 with 10 extra-base hits for 49ers
Jake Mangum – Mississippi State – SEC Freshman of the Year & Bourne Brave in 2016 hit .327 with 14 SBs this year
Ryan Olenek – Ole Miss – Hit .272 and stole 10 bases for Rebels
Brandt Stallings – Georgia Tech – Hit .227 with six home runs in part-time duty
Connor Stephens – Jacksonville – Scuffled at the plate to a .200 AVG in sophomore year

Cotuit Kettleers

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The Kettleers will try to bounce back after a rare playoff miss last year.

Five to Watch
1. Greyson Jenista
2. Jason Bilous
3. Justin Hooper
4. Grant Koch
5. Ako Thomas

Pitchers
Jason Bilous – Coastal Carolina – Returning Kettleer posted 4.61 ERA with 60 K in 52.2 IP as sophomore
Mike Byrne – Florida – Tied for second in nation with 16 saves, struck out 80 in 66.2 IP
Chase Cohen – Georgia Southern – Posted 4.81 ERA as weekend starter and led team with 77 Ks
Clark Cota – UNC Wilmington – Tallied four saves with 3.08 ERA and 29 KS in 26.1 IP
Noah Davis – UC Santa Barbara – Went 7-4 in weekend rotation with 4.63 ERA, 65 Ks in 81.2 IP
Christian Demby – NC State – Finished with ERA over 7 in six appearances as a sophomore
Justin Hooper – UCLA – Former top draft prospect and 2016 Kettleer had 3.69 ERA this spring with 52 Ks in rotation and relief
Austin Kitchen – Coastal Carolina – Saved six games, struck out 30 in 35.2 IP for Chanticleers
Luke Shilling – Illinois – Walked more than he struck out and had 7.14 ERA in seven games
Chase Shugart – Texas – Key bullpen arm had 3.43 ERA in 29 appearances

Catchers
Thomas Dillard – Ole Miss – Hit .286, smacked four homers in first season in Oxford
Grant Koch – Arkansas – Also a Team USA invite, hit .264 with 13 HR in sophomore season
Gian Martellini – Boston College – Delivered strong sophomore season, hitting .302 with 5 HR, 14 2B

Infielders
Luke Alexander – Mississippi State – Didn’t hit for average – .222 – but ranked third on team with 5 HR
Greyson Jenista – Wichita State – Returning Kettleer had breakout sophomore year – .320, 9 HR, 41 RBI
Zack Kone – Duke – Batted .291 with 2 HR and stole 12 bases as Blue Devils’ shortstop
Blake Reese – Florida – Hit .243 in part-time role as a Gator sophomore
Ako Thomas – Michigan – Speedy second baseman earned All-Big 10 honors with .354 AVG, .462 OBP, 23 SB
Michael Toglia – UCLA – Hit .261, ranked second on team with eight homers in debut season
Terrin Vavra – Minnesota – Batted .308 with 14 extra-base hits in sophomore campaign

Outfielders
Griffin Conine – Duke – Son of ex-Big Leaguer Jeff, batted .298 with team-high 13 home runs, 56 RBI
Daniel Gardner – San Diego – Hit .296 last season, but apparently didn’t play for Toreros this year?
TJ Hopkins – South Carolina – Hit .258 with 18 extra base hits for Gamecocks
Brett Kinneman – NC State – Hit .282 and ranked second on team with 10 HR
Miles Lewis – Michigan – Like Thomas, ran a lot for Wolverins (19 SB); also hit .296
Nelson Maldonado – Florida – One of Gators’ top hitters batted .316 with 6 HR, 31 RBI

Falmouth Commodores

Screenshot 2017-06-13 at 5.17.08 PMFalmouth made another trip to the finals last year but fell short against Y-D. They’ll be back for another run this summer.

Five to Watch
Tyler Holton
Jon Olsen
Alec Bohm
Cadyn Grenier
Trevor Larnach

Pitchers
Will Ethridge – Ole Miss – Shined out of bullpen with 2.41 ERA, 50 K in 41 IP
Brian Gadsby – UCLA – Posted 5.09 ERA in Bruins’ bullpen this season
Tyler Holton – Florida State – Ace of Seminoles staff went 10-2, 2.22 ERA and 132 KS in 105.1 IP
James McArthur – Ole Miss – 6-7 righty had 4.73 ERA in weekend rotation
Matt Mercer – Oregon – Solid in weekend rotation with 3.16 ERA, 59 K in 88.1 IP
Mitchell Miller – Clemson – 6-4 lefty saw just 3.2 innings action in first season with Tigers
Jon Olsen – UCLA – Went 7-1 with 2.86 ERA in weekend rotation with 80 K in 85 IP
Robbie Peto – North Carolina – 30th round pick redshirted in first year with Tar Heels
Thomas Ponticelli – San Francisco – Returning Commodore had 2.45 ERA, 65 Ks in spring
Cole Sands – Florida State – Had 5.24 ERA but pitched Seminoles to ACC Tournament title
Dalton Feeney – NC State – Freshman from North Dakota had 3.53 ERA in bullpen this spring
Ryan Zeferjahn – Kansas – 37th rounder last year had 5.23 ERA, 40 K in 32.2 IP this year

Catchers
Austin Biggar – Georgia – Earned 44 starts but hit .193 in first season with Bulldogs
Adley Rutschman – Oregon State – Hitting .246 with 2 HR as regular catcher for Beavers

Infielders
Alec Bohm – Wichita State – Coastal Plain League ’16 top prospect hit .305 and belted 11 home runs this spring
Logan Davidson – Clemson – Batted .286 with 12 home runs, 10 SB in freshman year
Zeke Dodson – Lipscomb – Follows three Lipscomb 2016 CCBL all-stars to Falmouth after hitting .309
Cadyn Grenier – Oregon State – Returns to Falmouth after hitting .276 with 5 HR for top ranked Beavers
George Janca – Texas A&M – Hitting .257 with five HR for Super Regional club Aggies
Trevor Larnach – Oregon State – Second year Commodore hitting .301 with 3 HR

Outfielders
Austin Langworthy – Florida – Two-way player hitting .243 and has 4.02 ERA
Josh Watson – TCU – Back for second year with Commodores after hitting .241 this spring
Hunter Steinmetz – Missouri State – Batted .302 with 6 HR for Super Regional Bears

Bourne Braves

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After narrowly missing out on a finals berth last year, the Braves bring in a talented crew.

Five to Watch
1. Jeremy Eierman
2. Tim Cate
3. Zack Hess
4. Patrick Raby
5. Jackson Lueck

Pitchers
Nick Bennett – Louisville – Freshman vaulted into weekend rotation for Cardinals with 2.70 ERA, 59 Ks
Jonathan Bowlan – Memphis – 6-6 sophomore has 3.75 ERA, 78 Ks in 84 IP
Tim Cate – UConn – Pitched for Team USA last summer, starred this spring with 3.33 ERA, 102 Ks in 75.2 IP
Dylan Coleman – Missouri State – Posted 4.99 ERA as sophomore with 96 K in 92 IP
Ray Gaither – Dallas Baptist – Pitching mostly as a starter, posted 5.11 ERA with 68 Ks
Carter Henry – Houston – 6-4 frosh had 5.58 ERA but struck out a batter an inning
Zack Hess – LSU – Highly touted recruit has K’d 71 in 52 innings, mostly in relief
Bryan Hoeing – Louisville – Holds 5.06 ERA in swing role as sophomore
Nolan Kingham – Texas – Went 10-4 in sophomore season with 2.84 ERA and 67 Ks in 92 IP
Chad Luensmann – Nebraska – Returning Brave had 3.74 ERA, 8 saves in Cornhusker bullpen
Patrick Raby – Vanderbilt – Posted best ERA among Vandy starters at 2.36, struck out 85 in 99.1 IP
Ronnie Rossomando – UConn – Starter and reliever had 4.01 ERA, 41 Ks
Christian Ryder – Georgia – Pitched mostly in relief in debut season, posting 6.86 ERA

Catchers
Lyle Lin – Arizona State – 16th round pick last year hit .290 in first season with Sun Devils
Zac Susi – UConn – Batted .286 with two homers as Huskies’ everyday catcher

Infielders
Andy Atwood – Oregon State – Hitting .239 in part-time duty for top-ranked Beavers
Spencer Brickhouse – East Carolina – Big left-handed swinger blasted 10 HR, hit .310 in freshman year
Turner Brown – East Carolina – Hit .263 and stole 10 bases in sophomore campaign
Kody Clemens – Texas – Son of Roger hit .241 with 5 HR in sophomore campaign
Joe Davis – Houston – One of nation’s top frosh last year hit .299 with 8 HR this season
Jeremy Eierman – Missouri State – Tied for sixth in the nation with 22 HR, while batting .312 and stealing 15 bags
Tyler Fitzgerald – Louisville – Hitting .215 but seeing significant action as frosh with Cards
Andrew Fregia – Sam Houston State – Batted .310 with seven homers in second season with Bearkats
Jared Triolo – Houston – Batted .271 with 16 extra-base hits

Outfielders
Jameson Hannah – Dallas Baptist – Hit .328 with 9 HR, 32 XBH in sophomore season
Jackson Lueck – Florida State – One of top hitters for Noles, batting .313 with 9 HR
Grant Witherspoon – Tulane – Versatile player hit .299 with 5 HR this spring

Wareham Gatemen

Robert Metz is set to be back for his second summer in Wareham.
Robert Metz is set to be back for his second summer in Wareham.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wareham Gatemen are looking for more after finishing in second place in the West Division last summer.

Five to Watch

1. Nick Madrigal
2. Rylan Bannon
3. Tristan Pompey
4. Brett Conine
5. Mason Feole

Roster Rundown

Pitchers
Frankie Bartow – Miami – Closer for Hurricanes notched 12 saves with 3.60 ERA
Brett Conine – Cal State Fullerton – One of nation’s top closers has 15 saves, 1.49 ERA for CWS bound Titans
Peyton Culbertson – Arkansas State – Led team’s starters with 66 Ks but had 6.32 ERA
Tanner Dodson – California – Splitting time as starter and reliever, had 5.37 ERA
Mason Feole – UConn – AAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year had 3.38 ERA, 75 Ks
Justin Glover – Georgia – Posted 3.94 ERA in Georgia bullpen
Miller Hogan – St. Louis – Top starter for Billikens had 2.70 ERA, 78 Ks in 90 IP
Jordan Britton – Oregon State – Solid utility arm for top-ranked Beavers has 2.45 ERA
Evan McKendry – Miami – Pitching in swing role, struck out 64 in 63.2 IP with 4.10 ERA
Robert Metz – George Washington – Returning Gateman hit .339 for GW with 5.02 ERA on mound
Justin Montgomery – Cal Baptist – Had 4.55 ERA with 36 K in 27.2 IP for D-II power
Will Neely – Tennessee – Posted 3.43 ERA while pitching as a starter and a reliever
Fitzpatrick Stadler – Arizona State – In limited innings, 6-9 righty had 4.85 ERA
Greg Veliz – Miami – Second-best weekend starter for ‘Canes had 3.38 ERA, 66 Ks in 61 IP
Justin Hagenman – Penn State – Good K numbers (75 in 80.1 IP) but 5.49 ERA, 1-11 record
Joey Matulovich – California – Ranked second on team in IP and had 4.76 ERA
Griffin Roberts – Wake Forest – Closer for Demon Deacons has 8 saves, 80 K in 52.2 IP
Blakely Brown – Georgia – Struck out 29 in 26 innings with a 6.92 ERA

Catchers
Blake Sabol – Southern California – Highly touted recruit hit .250 in first season with Trojans

Infielders
Ben Baird – Washington – 20th round pick struggled in first year to .091 AVG
Rylan Bannon – Xavier – Big East Player of the Year hit .339 with 15 HR, 17 SB
Jarren Duran – Long Beach State – Stole 19 bases, batted .308 in sophomore season
Willie MacIver – Washington – Hit. 292 with 13 extra base hits as Huskies’ everyday third baseman
Nick Madrigal – Oregon State – One of nation’s best has .383 average, 4 HR, 19 2B, 16 SB as Beavers head to Omaha
Bryant Packard – East Carolina – Hit .276 with 12 extra-base hits for Pirates
Cam Shepherd – Georgia – Former Red Sox’ late round pick hit .307, 5 HR in second season with Bulldogs

Outfielders
Logan Baldwin – Georgia Southern – Hit .308 with 19 extra base hits and stole 13 bases
Kyle Dean – BYU – Hit .279 with six homers for Cougars
Steven Kwan – Oregon State – Right behind Madrigal with .345 AVG for Beavers
John Toppa – UConn – Former RI high school star hit .267, stole 10 bases as sophomore
Tristan Pompey – Kentucky – First team all-SEC pick hit .361, mashed 10 HR, 18 2B

Three Cheers

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And we thought three championships in four years was good.

The streak that first inspired the talk of a Yarmouth-Dennis dynasty has to take a backseat now. With a 3-0 win over Falmouth Saturday in game three of the title series, the Red Sox won their third consecutive Cape Cod Baseball League crown, and the dynasty reached new territory.

No team had won more than two consecutive league championships since 1975, when Cotuit won its fourth in a row. Since then, five teams had won two in a row but couldn’t make it three.

Y-D has also now won six championships in 13 years. Again, that puts Y-D in the neighborhood of the Cotuit teams of the 1970s and early 1980s, which at one point won seven crowns in a 13-year span.

You can also throw in the two championship series losses in 2010 and 2012. That means Y-D has played for the title eight times in 13 years.

Whatever measuring stick you use, it’s a remarkable achievement.

The championship came out of a series deficit for the second year in a row. Falmouth – seeking its first Cape League title since 1980 and looking to avenge a loss to Y-D in the 2014 championship series – opened with a bang.

But Y-D out-slugged the Commodores Friday to stay alive. Saturday was a different kind of game, but Y-D won that one, too.

Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) followed almost exactly in the footsteps of last year’s game-three hero Brandon Bailey, who pitched six shutout innings. Sammons did the same, striking out six, allowing just two hits and escaping damage from five walks.

Playing from behind for the second day in a row, Falmouth couldn’t get a rally going against the Y-D bullpen, as William Montgomerie (Connecticut) and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) combined for three hitless innings of relief.

At the plate, early offense again carried the day for the Red Sox, who scored a run in the first and two in the second. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) led off the game with a double, moved to third on a sac bunt and came home on a Kevin Smith (Maryland) sacrifice fly.

In the second, Matt Winaker (Stanford) doubled, Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) scored on a balk and Nolan Brown (TCU) plated a run with a base hit.

Falmouth starter Jake Bird (UCLA), who was riding of three straight solid starts, departed after an inning and a third. George Capen (Holy Cross), who spent most of his summer in the NECBL, did yeoman’s work in relief with 4.1 scoreless innings and Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) got the Commodores out of a jam in the sixth and went 2.1 scoreless. Stephen Villines (Kansas) pitched a quiet ninth.

But keeping the score where it was didn’t lead to a victory for the Commodores. After Sammons finished strong, Montgomerie struck out the side in the seventh. Faucher stopped Falmouth’s best chance in the eighth, striking out back-to-back batters with two men on base. He ended up fanning four of the six batters he faced, including the last one, as Y-D raced onto the field for another championship celebration.

The dynasty lived – and it looks even better.
 

No Surprises

Will Toffey's two-run homer started Y-D on its way to a big offensive day.
Will Toffey’s two-run homer started Y-D on its way to a big offensive day.

 
From the things that are not surprising department, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox are still alive.

After dropping game one of the Cape League championship series to Falmouth Thursday, the Red Sox hit three home runs and six extra-base hits in mashing their way to a 9-4 win and a series tie Friday afternoon.

For the second year in a row, the Red Sox have forced a decisive game three. Falmouth will host it tonight at 6 p.m.

With the wind blowing out at the already hitter-friendly Red Wilson Field Friday, home runs were a safe bet, and the Red Sox didn’t waste any time paying up. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) hit a laser line drive homer to left-center in the first – a two-run shot – and Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) went back-to-back with a solo homer, staking Y-D to a 3-0 lead.

Falmouth got a run back in the second and another in the third, but the rallies were marked more by missed opportunities and Y-D escapes. With two outs and the bases loaded in the second, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) stung a line drive to center and Corey Dempster (USC) made a full-extension diving catch.

With runners on second and third and only one out in the third, Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) hit a sharp line drive to third. Will Toffey caught it then dove to touch third base with his glove, doubling up J.J. Matijevic (Arizona).

The Red Sox then added to their lead on a two-run double by Matt Winaker (Stanford) in the third and a Kevin Smith (Maryland) two-run homer in the fourth.

Jared Janczak (TCU), after battling through the second and third innings, ended up going five strong, allowing one earned run for the win.

Falmouth showed a little life with two home runs of its own in the seventh – by Matijevic and Tristan Gray (Rice) – but one more time, the meat of Y-D’s order came through. Deon Stafford had an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh and Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) plated him with a sacrifice fly.

Falmouth got the lead runner on in the eighth and ninth innings, but both were erased on double plays as Sam Delaplane (Eastern Michigan) finished out the win.

Y-D’s 3-4-5 hitters – Smith, Toffey and Stafford – went a combined 7-for-12 with three home runs, seven runs scored and five RBI. For the playoffs, the lowest batting average among them is .375. Falmouth will have to find a way to get through that murderer’s row in game three.

So it all comes down to this. Falmouth chasing its first title since 1980. Y-D looking for its third straight.

Time for a championship.

 

One Away

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Seeking their first Cape League championship since 1980, the Falmouth Commodores moved as close to it as they’ve been in those 36 years Thursday night.

Swept in their five finals appearances since their win in 1980, the Commodores opened up a 1-0 series lead with a 5-4 win over Yarmouth-Dennis at Arnie Allen Diamond.

Cape League Pitcher of the Year Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) had his worst outing of the summer but held tough through 6.2 innings, and Falmouth found a way to win, with a fifth-inning run that broke a 4-4 tie proving to be the difference.

Passantino hadn’t allowed more than three runs in any start this year, and that happened just once. Every other outing, he allowed one or zero runs.

This time, Y-D broke through early with a run in the top of the first then scored three in the fourth on one swing of the bat by Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s), whose homer made it a 4-2 lead for the Red Sox.

To his credit, Passantino responded by retiring the next 11 batters he faced, and with his offense coming to life, he left with the lead.

The Commodores tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a home run by Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) and a Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) RBI double.

The offense came against Y-D’s best starter, as Falmouth returned the favor on what the Red Sox had done to Passantino. Oliver Jaskie (Michigan) had a 0.98 ERA in the regular season and allowed just an unearned run in 6.2 innings in his first playoff start.

And Falmouth did one more bit of damage in the fifth. Deacon Liput (Florida) and J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) singled and Joshua Watson (TCU) bunted them to second and third. Tristan Gray (Rice) then singled to right to give Falmouth the 5-4 lead.

Stephen Villines (Kansas) relieved Passantino in the seventh and kept his team in front. He gave up two hits in the eighth before Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) came on and worked out of trouble. In the ninth, Y-D got a leadoff single from Matt Winaker (Stanford), who stole second to get the tying run into scoring position. Martin got two straight strikeouts and a groundout to end the game.

The teams will now head to Red Wilson Field at 4 p.m. today. That was the site of a Y-D finals series turnaround last year, when the Red Sox came back from a 1-0 series deficit on their way to the title over Hyannis. It was also the spot where Falmouth lost the 2014 Cape League championship series.