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Meat of the Order

Colton Shaver hit a three-run homer in Sunday's win and leads the league in RBI.
Colton Shaver hit a three-run homer in Sunday’s win and leads the league in RBI.

 
With only two teams left in the College World Series, Cape Cod Baseball League rosters are getting more solidified by the day. So too are batting orders and lineups, and the Wareham Gatemen appear to have come out of the early-season tinkering process with something special.

In the last two games, the Gatemen have trotted out as their 3-4-5 hitters Alex Destino (South Carolina), Colton Shaver (BYU) and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest). All three had big sophomore seasons at their respective schools. Combined, they batted .327 with 29 home runs.

And now that they’re actually combined, they’re doing some damage.

Destino, Shaver and Sheets combined for seven of Wareham’s 13 hits Friday and drove in eight runs as the Gatemen won a 9-8 slugfest over Brewster. The day before, they delivered four hits and three RBI in a victory over Hyannis.

Wareham is now 8-6-1, good for second place in the West and the third-best record in the league.

The Whitecaps not been an easy team to out-slug this season – they lead the league in runs scored, home runs and extra-base hits – but Wareham did it after falling behind 3-0. The Gatemen exploded for six runs in the fifth inning and tacked on a few more down the stretch to hold Brewster off.

After base hits by Jonathan Engelmann (Michigan) and Joey Bartosic (George Washington), the Gatemen got on the board with an RBI single by Cole Freeman (LSU). Then it was the meat of the order’s turn. Destino plated a run with a single, leaving two men on for Shaver. The BYU standout smacked a three-run homer to put his team in front. One pitch later, Sheets made it back-to-back home runs with one of his own.

Sheets added an RBI double to score Destino in the seventh, and Destino delivered a two-run double in the eighth, which ended up providing the one-run winning margin.

Robert Garcia (UC Davis) was credited with the win in relief and Jake Walters (Alabama) notched his first save.

Destino, Shaver and Sheets finished 7-for-13 with four runs scored and the eight RBI. Destino – the latest arrival among the three – is now hitting .480 with four multi-hit games in six starts. Shaver is at .289 with three homers and leads the league in RBI with 15. Sheets is batting .327 with two homers and 12 RBI.

 

Hyannis 9, Chatham 2

Hyannis had its best offensive day of the season and paired it with a strong starting pitching performance in a victory over Chatham. The Harbor Hawks’ previous season-high in runs was five. With 13 hits, seven extra-base hits and a pair of home runs, they nearly doubled it. Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico) went deep for the second time this season and Dylan Busby (Florida State) hit his first homer in his third game with the Hawks. Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) added three hits and two RBI. The offense was plenty for John Gavin (Cal State Fullerton), who had an ERA of 11.25 after three tough relief outings but shined in his first start. He allowed just two hits in 6.1 scoreless innings, striking out six. Chatham got two runs off the bullpen but nothing else.

Bourne 4, Orleans 2

The Braves kept a hold on first place in the West and sent Orleans to its fourth straight loss. Connor Wong (Houston) hit his second home run and his fifth double while driving in a pair of runs to lead the Braves. Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) and Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State) added two hits apiece. Five Braves pitchers took the hill, with no one going more than 3.1 innings. Brendon Little (North Carolina) struck out six of the seven batters he faced and earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) picked up a save. Orleans got a home run from Adam Haseley (Virginia), his second.

Y-D 5, Harwich 1

Y-D topped first-place Harwich for its seventh win in its last 10 games and moved out of the basement in the East. The Red Sox and Orleans are now tied for fourth in the division. The Mariners started two-time CCBL Pitcher of the Week Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall), who had yet to allow a run this season. He gave up three in the early going this time and once he settled in, the Red Sox were in front. Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) had an RBI single in the second as Y-D jumped to a 3-1 lead. A Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) home run and a Mikey Diekroeger (Stanford) RBI doubled added some insurance. Mitch Hart (USC) out-dueled McCarthy, allowing one run on five hits and striking out five in seven innings. Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched two scoreless frames for the save.

Falmouth 3, Cotuit 2

The Kettleers have pitched significantly better the last three games, but the improvement has only yielded one win. Falmouth rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the middle innings Sunday and held on for a one-run victory. Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) knocked in runs for the Commodores, who scored three despite only two hits. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just an unearned run on two hits in six innings for the win. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) earned the save. Colton Hock (Stanford) went five strong innings for Cotuit and Alec Byrd (Florida State) tossed 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

What to Watch

Off-day around the league today. Tuesday, Harwich sends league ERA leader B.J. Myers (West Virginia) to the hill for a battle between first place and second place in the East against Brewster.
 

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What a Relief

Taylor Lehman dominated in relief as Cotuit snapped an eight-game losing streak.
Taylor Lehman dominated in relief as Cotuit snapped an eight-game losing streak.

 
The Cotuit Kettleers could breathe a sigh of relief Saturday – thanks to some relief.

Taylor Lehman (Penn State) pitched five no-hit innings out of the bullpen to maintain an early lead and the Kettleers snapped an eight-game slide with a 6-3 victory over Yarmouth-Dennis at Lowell Park.

The Kettleers had issues in just about every facet of the game in their 1-12 start, and pitching was near the top of the list, with the team ERA hovering over five. Friday, they got a strong showing from a pair of pitchers in a hard-luck 2-1 loss to Hyannis. Saturday, there was more success, with the finish proving even better than the start.

Ross Achter (Toledo) held his own for four innings, allowing three runs. Then came Lehman, the 6-foot-8 left-hander. Both of his prior appearances had been starts. He allowed three earned runs in his first outing then was touched up for five in 3.2 innings the next time out.

Saturday, he relieved Achter to start the fifth and worked around a walk for a scoreless frame. And then he was rolling. Lehman retired the final 13 batters he faced after the fifth-inning walk. Since the walk was erased by a caught stealing, Lehman ended up facing the minimum in his five innings. He finished the game with a strikeout, his third.

The breakout performance helped the Kettleers stay in front after they had taken a 4-2 lead in the first inning. Ryan Hagan (Mercer) had a sacrifice fly and Cory Voss (New Mexico) delivered a two-run double to key the rally. Cotuit added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings, with Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer CC) and Jackson Klein (Stanford) knocking them in.

The Kettleers improved to 2-12 while Y-D went to 6-8.

 

Bourne 4, Falmouth 2

With first place in the West on the line, the Braves topped Falmouth to stay in the top spot. Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt) went six strong innings in his second start of the summer, allowing two runs and striking out four. Doug Norman (LSU) and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) finished the job by combining for three hitless innings. The offense was led by Justin Yurchak (Binghamton), who took over the league lead in hitting with his fourth consecutive multi-hit game. A transfer from Wake Forest who sat out this spring, Yurchak is now batting .438. Evan Mendoza (NC State) added two RBI and Connor Wong (Houston) knocked in one. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) went 1-for-4 to stretch his hitting streak to nine games.

Chatham 2, Brewster 0

The league’s top scoring offense was shut-out for the first time all season as a pair of Chatham pitchers led the Anglers to a key 2-0 win. Both teams are now 8-6, tied for second in the East. Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) and Simon Mathews (Georgetown) did the honors on the shutout, scattering a combined five hits. Chock surrendered only two in five innings but left with the game in a scoreless tie. Mathews followed with four scoreless frames and earned the win when Chatham scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Brewster starter Kade McClure (Louisville) struck out eight in six shutout innings before the Anglers break through against the bullpen. Hunter Lee (High Point) broke the 0-0 tie with an RBI single and Jake Palomaki (Boston College) homered the next inning.

Harwich 2, Orleans 1

The Mariners broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth and topped Orleans to improve to 11-3. They still haven’t lost consecutive games this season. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington) delivered the key hit with an RBI double in the eighth and he finished 2-for-4 while pushing his hit streak to four. A walk to Austin Filiere (MIT) put a runner on and pinch-runner Steven Foster (Hofstra) moved to second on a wild pitch before Feight’s clutch hit. The rally made a winner out of Austin Bain (LSU), who went two scoreless inning in relief. Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) notched the save. Starter Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) had gone six strong innings, allowing one run and striking out nine to take over the league lead in Ks. Joseph Dunand (NC State) added an RBI for the Mariners. Will Golsan (Ole Miss) knocked in the lone run for Orleans.

Wareham 5, Hyannis 4

Wareham lost a one-run lead in the top of the eighth but got it back in the bottom half and went on to a 5-4 win over Hyannis. Harrison Wenson (Michigan) plated what proved to be the winning run in the eighth with an RBI single after Colton Shaver (BYU) had started the rally with a single. Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine), who had given up the lead a half-inning before, returned to the mound for the ninth and pitched around a walk to seal the win. Shaver went 2-for-3 with two RBI to lead the Wareham offense. Joey Bartosic (George Washington) and recent arrival Cole Freeman (LSU) added two hits apiece. Hyannis got three hits from Dylan Busby (Florida State). With the win and Falmouth’s loss to Bourne, the Gatemen leapfrogged into second place.

What to Watch

The league’s Pitcher of the Week in the first two installments of the season will try to go for a third as Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) makes the start for Harwich at Y-D. McCarthy has yet to allow a run this season. He’s up against Mitch Hart (USC), who struggled in his first start but tossed five shutout innings his last time out.
 

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Eagles Have Landed

BC Logo
 

Chatham has welcomed in some good players from Boston College over the years – first-round pick Chris Shaw comes to mind – but they haven’t often welcomed in a group of Eagles coming off a spring like this.

Boston College made the program’s first-ever trip to a Super Regional this season and pushed host Miami to the limit before ending up one game shy of Omaha. As they embarked for their summer destinations, there was undoubtedly a desire to keep the momentum rolling into next year.

The Anglers have been one of the beneficiaries. In Friday’s game, BC’s Jacob Stevens went five scoreless innings for a 3-1 win over Bourne and teammate Donovan Casey went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Fellow Eagle Jake Palomaki added a run scored.

Chatham moved to 7-6 with the victory, good for a third-place tie with Orleans in the East.

Friday’s game was the Cape debut for Stevens, who showed early signs that he’ll be building on his big freshman year. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound right-hander was a stalwart in the weekend rotation for the Eagles, finishing with a 2.54 ERA en route to ACC All-Freshman honors. His 70 strikeouts ranked second on the team, just two behind the leader – none other than first-round pick Justin Dunn.

Friday, Stevens struck out two and walked two while allowing only three hits. When he departed after five innings, Chatham had a 2-0 lead and would stay in front the rest of the way.

Stevens’ lead was sparked by his college teammates, as Casey drove in Palomaki to make it 1-0 in the first inning. Batting first and third in the order, Palomaki and Casey are off to strong starts. Palomaki, who hit .258 and stole 19 bases for the Eagles, is batting .310 and has scored six runs in nine games. Casey, coming off a spring in which he hit .273, is at .357 for the Anglers and his 2-for-4 night was his third consecutive two-hit game. He has a hit in all but one of the seven games he’s played.

With the Eagles coming through, Chatham also got two hits and a run scored from Sean Bouchard (UCLA). Chase Pinder (Clemson) also scored a run. Three relief pitchers took the mound after Stevens and finished off the win, with Moises Ceja (UCLA) earning his second save.

 

Brewster 3, Harwich 2

The league’s highest-scoring offense broke through late against the league’s best pitching staff as Brewster rallied past first-place Harwich. The Whitecaps trailed 2-1 before tying the game in the eighth and walking off with a 3-2 win in the ninth. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) doubled in the eighth and came around on an error on a ball off the bat of Brent Rooker (Mississippi State). Beau Jordan (LSU) then brought home Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) in the ninth with a walkoff RBI single. Jordan, Warmoth and Rooker all finished 2-for-4 to lead the charge for the Whitecaps. Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State) gave the Whitecaps some good pitching of their own, allowing one run in five innings. Tyler Zuber (Arkansas State) was credited with the win thanks to two scoreless innings of relief. Harwich got another strong performance from a starting pitcher as Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed one run in seven innings before Brewster got to the Mariner bullpen. The Whitecaps grabbed sole possession of second place in the East with an 8-5 mark.

Hyannis 2, Cotuit 1

Hyannis made two early runs stand up and went to 2-0 in the Barnstable Patriot Cup with a win over sliding Cotuit, which dropped its eighth in a row. Cody Henry (Alabama) scored an unearned run in the second inning and Chris Cullen (South Carolina) had a sacrifice fly to score Dylan Busby (Florida State) in the fourth. That was all the Harbor Hawk pitchers would need, as Alex Eubanks (Clemson) went six shutout innings and Al Pesto (Duke) and Garrett Cave (Florida International) closed out the win. Cave struck out the side around a hit in the ninth for his fourth save. Keith Rogalla (Creighton) and Cal Becker (Sonoma State) pitched well for the Kettleers.

Y-D 12, Wareham 4

Y-D built a 6-0 lead and answered a four-run Wareham rally with six more runs in a 12-4 blowout at Spillane Field. Seven different Red Sox knocked in runs, with Tyler Houston (Butler) and Kevin Smith (Maryland) plating two each. Matt Winaker (Stanford), Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) and Paul Rufo (Binghamton) had two hits each. Erich Uelmen (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) ran with the early lead, tossing five shutout innings with five strikeouts.

Falmouth 7, Orleans 3

Falmouth rallied from a 3-0 deficit with seven unanswered runs in the middle innings en route to a win over Orleans. Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs to lead the comeback efforts. Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) homered and drove in two. Seven different Commodores crossed the plate. The rally helped make a winner out of Brendan King (Holy Cross), who started and allowed three runs in five innings. Three Falmouth relievers combined to surrender just one hit over the final four innings.

What to Watch

The top three teams in the West are all within one point of each other in the standings, and two of them will meet Saturday as Bourne hosts Falmouth at Doran Park.

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Dominant Start

HAR16_bullpen
 
There have been Cape League pitching rotations that feature three or four future Big Leaguers. There have been staffs that heat up and dominate the playoffs. But I don’t remember many teams getting on early-season pitching run like the 2016 Harwich Mariners.

At at a time when a lot of arms are still getting stretched out and rotations are being solidified, the Mariners have had a remarkable first two weeks. In 12 games – and a 10-2 start – Harwich pitchers have allowed 16 earned runs. That’s a team ERA of 1.29.

For some perspective, the best mark at the end of the season last year belonged to Hyannis at 2.53. The best of the last ten years was Orleans’ 2.21 mark in 2010.

Thursday, the Mariners were up to their usual tricks, shutting out Chatham 6-0. It was their fifth shutout, which is only one less shutout than the other nine teams in the league have combined for.

Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s) did the honors this time. On the heels of six innings of one-run ball in his first start, McAuliffe allowed three hits in six scoreless innings this time, striking out six.

He gave way to the bullpen and watched three relievers give up just one total hit. Newcomer Austin Bain (LSU) fit right in with his bullpen-mates, tossing a perfect seventh. Nick Brown (William & Mary) pitched a perfect eighth and Ethan Landon (Michigan State) worked around a two-out single for a scoreless ninth.

At the plate, the Mariners got four hits from Ernie Clement (Virginia), who’s now hitting a league-best .426. Virginia teammate Pavin Smith added three hits and Joseph Dunand (NC State) had two hits and two RBI.

The Mariners also made only one error, which has been par for the course. They’ve made the fewest errors in the league with eight, which has made the pitching even better. The Mariners somehow have not allowed an unearned run.

Thursday’s win was the fourth in a row for Harwich, who owns the best record in the league.

 

Brewster 12, Hyannis 3

The Whitecaps hit double digits for the second time in three games with a lopsided win over Hyannis. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) hit his third homer, which ranks second to teammate Matt Davis for the league lead. A.J. Graffanino (Washington) added two hits and three RBI, Bryce Jordan (LSU) knocked in two and Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) drove in a pair. Hunter Martin (Tennessee) kept the Whitecaps in front when the game was closer in the early goings, allowing two runs and striking out eight in six innings. Zac Lowther (Xavier) made his second appearance after striking out nine in 3.2 innings his first time out, and fanned one in a scoreless inning of relief.

Falmouth 11, Cotuit 2

Falmouth also brought the bats, rolling a past a Cotuit team that continues to struggle. Brady Puckett (Lipscomb) tossed six scoreless innings and Falmouth built a 3-0 lead then exploded for eight runs in the seventh inning. Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State), Matt Duce (Dallas Baptist) and Tristan Gray (Rice) drove in two runs each for the Commodores and Willie Burger (Penn State) had three hits. Falmouth improved to 6-6 while Cotuit fell to 1-11.

Bourne 7, Wareham 7

A battle for first place in the West ended with the teams in exactly the same spot as Bourne and Wareham played to a 7-7 tie that was called after 12 innings. The Gatemen led 7-4 going into the eighth inning, but the Braves pushed a run across in the eighth and tied the game in the ninth. Neither team scored in the extra frames. Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) plated the tying run with an infield single in the ninth to score Willy Yahn (Connecticut), part of a 4-for-7 day that included two runs scored. Evan Mendoza (NC State) added three hits and two RBI for the Braves. K.J. Harrison (Oregon State) led the Wareham offense, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Recent arrival Alex Destino (South Carolina) added three hits.

Y-D 5, Orleans 1

Y-D snapped a two-game skid with a victory over Orleans. Will Gaddis (Furman) struck out seven and allowed one run in 6.1 innings for the win. Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) combined for 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. Leadoff man Tyler Houston (Butler) homered and drove in three runs to pace the offense for the Red Sox, with Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) and Paul Rufo (Binghmaton) each going 2-for-4.

What to Watch

Good pitching meets good hitting at Stony Brook Field tonight as Harwich visits Brewster. The Mariners, as mentioned, own the league’s best ERA. Brewster has scored the most runs in the league.

If you want to follow more of the Summer Nine journey, I’m in Santa Barbara, California, today to check out the perennial California Collegiate League contender Santa Barbara Foresters. Catch up on Twitter @Summer9Book

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Powered Up

Matt Davis and Brewster have had the league's top offense thus far.
Matt Davis and Brewster have had the league’s top offense thus far.

 
(Note: Apologies for the lack of Daily Fog Monday and the late post today. I’m in Alaska for the Summer Nine book project, which you can read more about here, and I have no idea what time it is!)

Brewster’s Matt Davis (VCU) earned Cape League Player of the Week honors for his fast start, and it’s a good bet he won’t be the last Whitecap hitter to get some recognition.

Brewster won its fourth straight game Monday, 11-6 over Falmouth, and offense has set the stage for the success. The Whitecaps lead the league in runs scored, averaging about seven per game, and rank second in batting average. In extra-base hits – always a good measuring stick of which team truly has the best offense – the Whitecaps lead the league by a wide margin, with 20 doubles, 10 home runs and four triples. They lead two of those three individual categories and are second in doubles.

And Monday, they did damage against a team with the second-best ERA in the league and a starting pitcher who went five scoreless innings in his first start. The Whitecaps touched up Jacob Godfrey (Arizona State) for nine runs – seven earned – in the first three innings of the game and cruised from there, finishing with 13 hits.

Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) – in his third game of his second summer with the Whitecaps – hit a first-inning grand slam and Brewster was off-and-running. Johnson added one more RBI and finished 2-for-5. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) had his best day as a Cape Leaguer, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Nicholas Dunn (Maryland) went 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Julian Infante (Vanderbilt) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Zack Gahagan (North Carolina) also homered.

Staked to the big early lead, Brewster used seven pitchers and remained in control throughout.

 

Harwich 3, Y-D 0

Harwich Mariner pitching continues to be the story of the early part of the Cape League season. The Mariners ran their record to a league-best 8-2 with a 3-0 victory over Yarmouth-Dennis Monday. They’ve won three of their last four games, with all the wins coming by shutout. The Mariners have allowed 14 runs in 10 games, by far the lowest number in the league. It was B.J. Myers’ (West Virginia) turn Monday. Coming off seven innings of one-run ball against Y-D in his first start, he struck out three, walked one and gave up four hits in 7.1 scoreless innings. Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) did the rest, continuing his dominant start to the season with 1.2 scoreless frames for his fourth save. At the plate, Ernie Clement (Virginia) went 4-for-5 and scored two runs from the leadoff spot. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) each had two hits and an RBI.

Hyannis 5, Bourne 2

Winless through seven games, Hyannis has suddenly won three in a row. Five pitchers combined to hold Bourne to two runs on seven hits in Monday’s win. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) earned the win in relief with Garrett Cave (Florida International) picking up a save. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-4 with two RBI and has now driven in five runs in the three-game win streak. Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) added two hits and two RBI, Trey Truitt (Mercer) had two hits for his second consecutive multi-hit game and Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) scored two runs. Bourne got two hits from Jake Mangum, who is picking up where he left off after hitting over .400 at Mississippi State this spring. He’s 5-for-13 since arriving on the Cape.

Chatham 7, Wareham 1

Two pitchers who had tremendous springs combined for 6.2 strong innings as Chatham beat Wareham. NEC Pitcher of the Year James Karinchak (Bryant) struck out six in three innings of one-hit ball and WAC Pitcher of the Year Nick Meservey (Seattle) gave up just an unearned run on two hits in 3.2 innings. Matt Pidich (Pittsburgh) and Moises Ceja (UCLA) picked up where they left off with 2.1 scoreless frames, as Wareham finished the day with just three hits. The Anglers needed the shut-down performances because the game was close throughout. But with a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth, the Anglers scored five runs to blow the game open. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) had two hits and two RBI. Sean Bouchard (UCLA), D.J. Artis (Liberty) and Hunter Lee (High Point) also knocked in runs. With the win, Chatham moved back to .500 at 5-5.

Orleans 10, Cotuit 4

The Firebirds improved to 6-4 and handed Cotuit its fifth straight loss. Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) led the big offensive day, going 3-for-3 and driving in five runs as he continued his hot start. Kirtley – who hit .323 with seven homers this spring – has four multi-hit games in five starts for the Firebirds. Brian Miller (North Carolina) added two hits, three runs scored and an RBI, and Riley Mahan (Kentucky) had a run and an RBI. Kirk McCarty (Southern Mississippi) went five scoreless innings in his first start for Orleans. Eli Morgan (Gonzaga), who struggled mightily in his last outing, struck out five in two scoreless innings of relief. For Cotuit, Vanderbilt star Jeren Kendall made his second appearance as he gets some time on the Cape before heading to Team USA.

What to Watch

League-wide off day today. When the action resumes, Harwich’s pitching may get another boost as Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) makes his debut at Cotuit.
 

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A Summer Project

summer nine (2)
 
“Baseball, to me, is still the national pastime because it is a summer game. I feel that almost all Americans are summer people, that summer is what they think of when they think of their childhood. I think it stirs up an incredible emotion within people.”
– Steve Busby, former Kansas City Royals pitcher

Summer was hot and humid and fun, but not terribly interesting in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. But for two weeks every July, we packed up the van and headed north. Once we passed over the bridge and into Cape Cod, summer was a little bit magical. The beach and the twilight that seemed to last forever, and everything in between.

And there was baseball, a game nearly every night in the Cape Cod League, where college players spend their summer. From the bleachers behind home plate or the hill in center field, we watched future stars, getting autographs and remembering names. It’s always tempting to wax poetic on America’s Pastime, but it feels especially right on Cape Cod. It’s baseball that feels familiar, even if you’ve never seen it before.

For me, the magic of a childhood baseball fascination stuck around, and I started writing about the Cape League at rightfieldfog.com. Along the way – after a move to Rhode Island – I found more baseball that felt a little magical, at Cardines Field in Newport and Old Mountain Field in South Kingstown. I read about the amazing Midnight Sun Game in Alaska, the talent in the Northwoods League, the tradition in California.

Summer collegiate baseball, I realized, is part of the fabric of America’s Pastime – and a unique part. It’s a small-town game full of Big League dreams, the crack of the bat on a summer night, a passion that draws in so many people for no other reason than the passion itself.

And it’s time to tell a few of those summer baseball stories.

This summer, I’ll be weaving my way through the summer baseball landscape for the book Summer Nine. The nine is for nine days, the lens through which the stories will be told, from the Cape to Alaska and a lot of places in between. Two stops on the journey are already down, with seven more to go.

The words on a page are a ways off, of course, but you’ll be able to follow along here and on Twitter @Summer9Book. And Right Field Fog will still be going strong, as well.

Let’s find some summer magic, shall we?

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Another Breakthrough

HYA15 team
 
Perhaps the Hyannis Harbor Hawks just prefer a matinee. In a 2 p.m. game at McKeon Park Saturday, the Harbor Hawks finally broke through for their first win of the season, beating Wareham 5-4.

The night before, Hyannis lost a 1-0, extra-inning decision to Harwich, probably its most frustrating loss of all. The Gatemen – who took the train to Hyannis as part of a promotion – took a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning Saturday, but Hyannis rallied with four in the eighth and held off a final push in the ninth for the win.

Trey Truitt (Mercer) was hit by a pitch to start the rally and Ford Proctor (Rice) doubled for his third hit of the day. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) plated both of them and gave Hyannis the lead with a two-run single. After two more hits, Cody Henry (Alabama) knocked a two-run double to make it 5-2.

Wareham managed two runs in the ninth, but James Harrington (New Mexico) induced a ground ball to end the game, stranding runners on first and second. Harrington was credited with the save. The win went to reliever Trysten Barlow (Mississippi State). Starter Alex Eubanks(Clemson) didn’t factor in the decision but had a good day, allowing one run in six innings while fanning three.

Proctor, who had a strong freshman season for Rice, led the Hyannis offense with a 3-for-4 day in his third start on the Cape. Rutherford – who has a hit in six of Hyannis’ eight games – went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Hyannis is now 1-7 overall, matching Cotuit’s record. Those teams will meet for the first time this season today.
 

Orleans 1, Harwich 0

Harwich was on the winning end of a game that was 0-0 most of the way Friday, but was on the losing end Saturday as Orleans walked off with a 1-0 win in the bottom of the ninth. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt) walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Brian Miller (North Carolina) brought him home with the winning run on a base hit. Before that, pitching had dominated to the tune of eight scoreless innings. Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) got the win in relief for Orleans. He was the third of three relievers who maintained starter Joe Ryan’s (Cal State Northridge) shutout. Ryan scattered six hits in five innings. Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out six in six scoreless innings for Harwich. For the Orleans offense, Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits for the third straight game since his arrival. Ernie Clement (Virginia) had a three-hit day for Harwich.

Y-D 5, Bourne 1

Break up the Red Sox. Winless two days ago, Y-D won its third straight Saturday with a 5-1 victory over West-leading Bourne. Tyler Houston (Butler) led an 11-hit attack with three hits and two RBI. Kevin Smith (Maryland) and Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) added two hits each. The Red Sox staked starter Michael Baumann (Jacksonville) to an early 2-0 lead and he ran with it, allowing just an unearned run in five innings for the win. Collin Snider and Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) closed out the victory. Jake Mangum (Mississippi State), one of the nation’s leading hitters this spring, made his debut for Bourne and started in the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4.

Chatham 5, Falmouth 2

The Anglers gave up two runs in the first inning but nothing else and rallied from the early deficit to move back to .500 at 4-4. Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) settled in after Falmouth touched him up early, going five innings for the victory. Jason Foley (Sacred Heart) pitched three scoreless innings of relief and Moises Ceja (UCLA) pitched a scoreless ninth for the save. Kyle Adams (Richmond) and Chase Pinder (Clemson) had RBI single to start the rally in the fourth inning. A single run in the fifth and two more in the ninth provided some insurance. Pinder would finish with a 3-for-4 day. Jake Palomaki (Boston College) and Sean Bouchard (UCLA) had two hits each. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had an RBI and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went 3-for-4. Kevin Merrell (South Florida) continued his blistering start with his sixth multi-hit game of the summer.

Brewster 7, Cotuit 5

Brewster leads the league in runs scored and had another solid day in a victory over Cotuit. Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) hit his first home run and Matt Davis (VCU) went 2-for-4 with two RBI to take over the league lead with 11. Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) – the NECBL MVP last year – went 2-for-4 in his second start for the Whitecaps this summer. A.J. Graffanino (Washington) added two RBI. Aaron Soto (Tennessee) allowed five runs in six innings but all the offense made him a winner. His college teammate Jacob Westphal (Tennessee) earned the save. For Cotuit, Cory Voss (New Mexico) hit a grand slam and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) had two hits.

What to Watch

Hyannis and Cotuit meet for the first time this season at Lowell Park. Charlie Barnes, who led Clemson in strikeouts this summer, makes his second for Hyannis after allowing four runs in four innings his first time out. Justin Hooper (UCLA), a 6-foot-7 freshman, is set to make his debut for Cotuit.
 

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So far, yet so close

Max Burt scored what proved to be the winning run for Harwich in the 11th inning.
Max Burt scored what proved to be the winning run for Harwich in the 11th inning.

 
They are near opposites. Harwich is 6-1, Hyannis 0-7. The Mariners have scored 40 runs and allowed 13. The Harbor Hawks have scored 13 and allowed 40.

But there was little separating the two in an 11-inning classic Friday night at McKeon Park.

They played scoreless inning after scoreless inning, and though Harwich had more chances, the teams got all the way to the 11th without a run going on the board. The Mariners eventually broke through in the top of the 11th.

For Harwich, it was an impressive win that showcased the pitching that has defined the team’s hot start. Do a little math on those 13 runs allowed in seven games and you see how good Mariner hurlers have been.

For Hyannis, it had to have been a frustrating night in a frustrating start. The Harbor Hawks didn’t blink against a team that’s had a lot more early success than them but ended up with the same result that they’ve found every time out.

Both starting pitchers went five strong innings. Hunter Williams (North Carolina) allowed two hits and struck out five. Mac Sceroler (SE Louisiana) – a 36th-round pick of the Phillies in last week’s draft – struck out six and scattered six hits in his five scoreless frames.

Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville), Teddy Rodliff (Stony Brook) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) combined for six innings of three-hit baseball. Al Pesto (Duke) went two scoreless innings for Hyannis and Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) was into his fourth inning when Harwich struck.

Having stranded 12 runners to that point, the Mariners got a single from Max Burt (Northeastern). A sac bunt and a groundout sent him to third. Ernie Clement (Virginia) then smacked an 0-1 pitch for a base hit to score the game’s first – and only – run.

Schellenger came on for the bottom of the 11th, having tossed two perfect innings so far this summer. He gave up his first hit this time – a one-out double by Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) – but struck out cleanup man Carl Stajduhar (New Mexico) and No. 5 hitter Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) to end the game.

Schellenger has now struck out seven in three innings of work and leads the league with three saves. Tyler Kirkpatrick (Marist) and Nick Dalesandro (Purdue) had three hits each for the Mariners. UNC-Wilmington star Nick Feight made his debut and went 0-for-5.

Hyannis got two hits from Rutherford.
 

Brewster 4, Chatham 2

There was also an extra frame in Chatham, where Brewster topped the host Anglers thanks to a pair of runs in the 10th. Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) drew a bases-loaded walk for the go-ahead run and Ryan Gridley (Mississippi State) delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2. And Chatham likely didn’t feel too confident at that point. Brewster reliever Zac Lowther (Xavier) – the Friday starter for a regional squad – came on with one out in the seventh inning and struck out the first two batters he faced. Then he struck out two more in the eighth. When the dust settled and Lowther pitched a scoreless 10th to finish off the win, he had struck out nine of the 12 batters he faced in 3.2 one-hit, shutout innings. Quite a Cape League debut for Lowther, who ranks eighth in the league in strikeouts – after 3.2 innings. For Chatham, J.B. Bukauskas (North Carolina) struck out nine in five innings.

Wareham 6, Falmouth 5

The Gatemen held off a late push and stopped Falmouth’s four-game win streak with a 6-5 win at Spillane Field. K.J. Harrison (Oregon State) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Wareham offense. Joey Bartosic (George Washington) and Preston Grand Pre (California) each drove in a run and scored a run. Starter Jake Walters (Alabama) allowed one run in four innings. Cole Stapler (Nicholls State) got the win in relief, striking out six in three innings. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) gave up two runs in the top of the ninth but got out of a bases-loaded jam with the lead intact. Willie Burger (Penn State) led Falmouth with two hits and an RBI. Both teams are now 5-2.

Bourne 9, Orleans 5

The Braves raced to an 8-0 lead in the first two innings and stayed in front throughout as they improved to 6-1. They’ve also scored the most runs in the league with 49 in seven games. Connor McVey (Cincinnati) and Evan Mendoza (NC State) had two-run doubles to lead the charge in the first inning. McVey, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) and David MacKinnon (Hartford) all had RBI in the four-run second inning. On the night, McVey and Yurchak finished with three hits each. Willy Yahn (Connecticut) and Connor Wong (Houston) had two apiece. Keith Weisenberg (Stanford) earned the win in relief for the Braves. James Ziemba (Duke) and Conner O’Neil (Cal State Northridge) combined for 3.2 scoreless innings after Weisenberg departed. Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) was a bright spot for Orleans with a grand slam in the third inning.

Y-D 3, Cotuit 2

Fresh off its first victory, Y-D made it two in a row in dramatic fashion. With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Matthew Whatley (Oral Roberts) drew a one-out walk, took second on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on a walk-off single by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton). Y-D, 0-5 just two days ago, is now 2-5 and only one game out of fourth place in the East. Cotuit fell to 1-6. The late heroics were part of a big day for Skidmore, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and drove in all three Y-D runs. Nolan Brown (TCU) – whose college team is in Omaha in a redshirt year for him – also had three hits for the Red Sox. Nathan Kuchta (San Diego) got the relief win for the Red Sox after Will Gaddis (Furman) allowed just an unearned run in seven innings. For Cotuit, Hagen Owenby (East Tennessee State) and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) knocked in runs.

What to Watch

Update: Apologies – was looking at the Sunday schedule somehow, so no Cotuit-Hyannis tonight.

 

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Top three

BOU16_team
 
On a night when Harwich took its first loss of the 2016 season, Falmouth and Bourne seized the chance to match the Mariners for the league’s best record. The Commodores beat Hyannis 8-2 and the Braves blew past Chatham 12-4. Both teams are 5-1 along with Harwich, who lost to Wareham 3-2.

Falmouth took over the label of hottest team in the league with its fourth straight win. The Commodores scored three runs in the first inning and got six strong innings from Brady Puckett (Lipscomb), the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year. Puckett was touched up for three runs in an opening night start against Chatham, but allowed just an unearned tally in this one. He scattered five hits and struck out two. Brett Gilchrist (Dallas Baptist) fanned four in two innings of relief and Tyler Jones (Wichita State) finished off the win with a scoreless ninth.

The offensive attack was spearheaded by the top of the order. Kevin Merrell (South Florida), Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State), Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) went a combined 8-for-15 with seven runs scored and six RBI. They accounted for all but two of Falmouth’s hits.

Merrell is now hitting .481 from the leadoff spot, with two hits in each game of Falmouth’s win streak. Lawrence, a late addition who hit .355 for Murray State this spring, has homered in each of his two appearances with the Commodores.

While Falmouth is the hottest team in the league, Hyannis fell to 0-6 and is the last remaining winless club.

Over at Doran Park, Bourne fell behind 4-0 in the top of the first inning but had a few big innings of their own in rallying for the lopsided win. The Braves scored three runs in the fourth and seventh innings and exploded for six in the sixth inning.

Connor Wong (Houston) went 4-for-6 with two RBI and is now hitting .400 in his second go-round on the Cape. David MacKinnon (Hartford) and Luis Alvarado (Nebraska) chipped in three hits each, while Toby Handley (Stony Brook) had two RBI. Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) had two hits and two runs scored and has now hit safely in every game this season.

J.T. Perez (Cincinnati) settled in after giving up the four early runs and didn’t allow another one in four innings of work. As Bourne rallied, its relief corps took control, with Christian Taugner (Brown), Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) and Zach Cook (Winthrop) combining for five scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

In the losing effort, Chatham got two RBI from Patrick Mathis (Texas), who is tied for the league lead with nine, and two RBI from Chase Pinder (Clemson), who went 1-for-4 in his Chatham debut. Chase’s brother, Chad, played for Virginia Tech and Chatham and was a second round pick of Oakland in 2013.
 

Wareham 3, Harwich 2

The Gatemen handed Harwich its first loss thanks to a run in the top of the ninth inning. K.J. Harrison (Oregon State) – the 2015 Pac 12 Freshman of the Year – made his first appearance in Wareham and drew a one-out walk in the ninth. He took second on a wild pitch and came home on an RBI single by Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest). Reliever Casey Mize (Auburn), who had already pitched two scoreless innings, added one more to finish off the win. Pavin Smith (Virginia) led off the inning with a base hit but was cut down at second trying to stretch it to a double. Mize then worked around a walk to close out the win. Sheets led the Wareham offense with two RBI. Before Harrison scored the go-ahead run, he knocked in the first run with an RBI double. Harwich got three hits from Smith. Starter Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) was strong in a no-decision, striking out nine in six innings.

Y-D 10, Brewster 8

Y-D grabbed its first win with an emphatic rally. Trailing 4-1 in the eighth, the Red Sox scored eight runs then held off Brewster’s own comeback attempts for the victory. A two-run homer by Kevin Smith (Maryland) and a two-run double by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) were the big blows in the eight-run inning. Smith finished the night with four hits and Skidmore had three. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt), making his 2016 Cape debut, went 2-for-5. Corey Dempster (USC) knocked in two runs. The late push by Y-D spoiled a strong start by Brewster’s Hunter Martin (Tennesse), who allowed one run in 6.1 innings. Brewster also got a huge day at the plate from Matt Davis (VCU), who homered twice and drove in five. He’s hitting .400 and leads the league in home runs with four.

Orleans 6, Cotuit 5

Fresh off its first win, Cotuit took a 5-4 lead in the third inning, but Orleans scored two in the seventh and went on to a 6-5 win. Ethan Paul (Vanderbilt), Drew Lugbauer (Michigan), Scott Hurst (Cal State Fullerton) and Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) had two hits each to lead the Firebirds, with Paul driving in a pair of runs. Kevin Smith (Georgia) – a different Smith than the one who had four hits for Y-D – got the win in relief and Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) earned his first save. Cotuit got two hits and two RBI from Jordan Pearce (Nevada).

What to Watch

North Carolina standout J.B. Bukauskas makes his second start for Chatham and potentially his last before Team USA training begins June 27. The Anglers host Brewster, which is starting Bryan King, a solid performer at McNeese State this spring.
 

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Breakthrough

COT16_team
 
Tim Susnara hit .176 last summer and was hitless in two games this year. David Gerics and Ross Achter are on temporary contracts.

Wednesday, they provided the heroics as Cotuit grabbed its first win of the season.

Susnara’s pinch-hit, two-run single broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth while Gerics and Achter combined for a solid pitching performance in a 5-3 win over Brewster at Lowell Park.

Not much has gone right in the early going for the Kettleers, who rank last in the league in team batting average and eighth in ERA. But with the victory Wednesday, they’re at 1-4 and they avoided the 0-5 starts that have caught Y-D and Hyannis.

Susnara (Oregon) stepped to the plate for Dayton Dugas (Wichita State) with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. Facing Hansen Butler (North Carolina), a returning Whitecap, Susnara worked the count full and smacked a base hit to plate two runs.

In the seventh, Cal Stevenson (Arizona) scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run, but Achter (Toledo) didn’t need it. After Gerics (Pomona-Pitzer) allowed two runs in 4.2 innings, Achter – a solid starter for Toledo this spring – put four zeroes on the board before the Whitecaps grabbed a run in the ninth. The Whitecaps threatened for more when they loaded the bases, but Achter struck out Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) to end the game.

Achter earned the win and struck out four. Jackson Klein (Stanford) and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) knocked in one run each for the Kettleers and Albee Weiss (Cal State Northridge) homered.

 

Falmouth 3, Y-D 0

The Commodores notched their second straight shutout and their third consecutive victory with a 3-0 triumph over Y-D. Jake Bird, who had a good freshman season at UCLA before struggling a bit this year, was terrific in his Cape debut, pitching six no-hit innings with five strikeouts. Y-D touched up Keegan Baar (Michigan State) for its first two hits but no runs. Justin Hoyt (Jacksonville State) and Stephen Villines (Kansas) finished out the shutout, with Villines grabbing his second save, which is tied for the league lead. Matt Duce (Dallas Baptist) and Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) hit solo home runs to lead the Falmouth offense, with Bryce Johnson (Sam Houston State) adding an RBI groundout. Y-D remained winless as it managed only the two hits.

Chatham 8, Bourne 3

The Anglers smacked 13 hits and got solid pitching to hand Bourne its first loss of the season. Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) led the Chatham offense with three hits and an RBI. D.J. Artis (Liberty) continued his hot start with two hits and two RBI, and Sean Bouchard (UCLA) delivered the same line in his Cape debut. Patrick Mathis (Texas) also chipped in two RBI, his sixth and seventh of the year, and stretched his season-long hit streak to five. Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win. Three relievers had scoreless outings, including Seattle U standout Nick Meservey, who was making his first appearance in Chatham. For Bourne, Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) had two RBI.

Orleans 11, Wareham 7

Trailing 7-4, Orleans scored seven runs in the eighth inning to stun Wareham. Twelve men came to the plate in the big rally, with singles by Chris Triano (Keystone College) and Riley Adams (San Diego) getting things started. Amazingly, Wareham recorded two outs with those two still on base, but the rally went on a long time after that. Payton Squier (UNLV) had a pinch-hit two-run single and Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) knocked in the tying run with a base hit. With the bases loaded, Riley Mahan (Kentucky) hit a triple to give Orleans the lead. Adam Haseley’s (Virginia) RBI single capped the rally. Wareham put a runner on in the ninth as it looked for a rally of its own, but Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) worked around it for a scoreless final frame. Hasely and Mahan had three hits each to lead the Firebird attack. Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) hit a grand slam for Wareham.

What to Watch

Falmouth is riding a streak of two consecutive shutouts and will look for another with Lipscomb star Brady Puckett on the hill for a home game against Hyannis. Puckett, the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year, allowed three runs in his first Cape start on opening night.