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Still Battling

Eddie Muhl pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Monday's win.
Eddie Muhl pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Monday’s win.

 
Brewster and Hyannis are on the verge of the playoffs, but they’ve been there for a while now and haven’t been able to take the leap. That’s due to their own struggles and late pushes by the teams behind them.

With a win and a Brewster loss, Chatham moved within one point of the Whitecaps for the final playoff spots in the East. Meanwhile, Cotuit topped Hyannis – the sixth straight loss for the Harbor Hawks – to get within three points of the last spot in the West. With two games remaining for everybody, any of those four teams could still make the postseason.

Chatham knocked off West-leading Falmouth for its key win Monday. Caleb Gilbert (LSU), who hadn’t gone more than four innings in any outing, went seven strong, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out seven. Falmouth used four pitchers as it preps for the playoffs and Chatham did damage against all of them, even ace Brady Puckett (Lipscomb). Jeremy Vasquez (Florida) went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. D.J. Artis (Liberty) continued his late-season surge with three hits, two runs and an RBI. Kyle Adams (Richmond) and Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) drove in one run each.

Chatham improved to 16-25-1. Both of its remaining games are against Orleans. Brewster takes on first-place Harwich in its last two.

In Hyannis, Cotuiti made up ground in the fastest way possible for the second time in the last four games, topping the Harbor Hawks. Hyannis hasn’t won since the day after the All-Star Game.

Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina), who struggled in his first start July 18, delivered a second consecutive strong performance, going five innings and allowing one run. Eddie Muhl (George Washington) followed with 2.2 scoreless frames and Alec Byrd (Florida State) finished the job for the save.

A two-run single by A.J. Balta (Oregon) powered a three-run third inning that put the Kettleers in control. Balta finished 2-for-5 with three RBI. Ryan Hagan (Mercer) added two hits and two RBI. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) also had two hits and Jordan Pearce (Nevada) scored two runs.

Despite the six straight losses, Hyannis still has a leg up on the Kettleers and can clinch a playoff spot with a victory. Cotuit needs to win out and have Hyannis lose both of its last two. Hyannis has Falmouth and Y-D to finish up and Cotuit gets Y-D and Wareham.

 

Bourne 3, Harwich 2

Bourne walked off on Harwich, with David MacKinnon (Hartford) coming around on a wild pitch and a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth. The big finish capped a rally from a 2-0 hole by the Braves, who tied the game in the seventh on a two-run single by Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State). Zach Spangler (Kent State) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) struck out four of the seven batters he faced but was tagged with the loss on the unearned run in the ninth. MacKinnon scored two runs for the Braves. Johnny Adams (Boston College) had an RBI for Harwich. The Mariners remain three points in front of Y-D in the East and can clinch the division title and the top seed with one victory.

Wareham 5, Orleans 4

The Gatemen scored two in the eighth and held off a Firebird rally in the ninth for a 5-4 win. A two-run double by Adrian Tovalin (Azusa Pacific) broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth. Orleans got an RBI fielder’s choice from Brian Miller (North Carolina) in the ninth, but Christian Taugner (Brown) came on and stranded Miller at first to end the game. Dalton Horton (TCU) got the win in relief for the Gatemen. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Cole Freeman (LSU) had two hits and scored two runs, pushing his average to .378 as he remains in position for the batting title.

Y-D, Brewster 4

A run in the eighth and two in the ninth pushed Y-D past Brewster. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) scored in the eighth on a dribbler by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton). In the ninth, Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) plated the tying run with an RBI double and Toffey gave the Red Sox the lead with a run-scoring base hit. Calvin Faucher (UC Irvine) then worked around a walk and an error in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win for Y-D. J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara) had two hits and scored two runs for the Red Sox. Persinger added two hits. For Brewster, Kekai Rios (Hawaii) had two hits and two runs scored.

 

What to Watch

The playoff chase continues for Cotuit and Chatham. The Kettleers visit Y-D at 4:30 p.m. Chatham hosts Orleans at 7.
 

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Staying for the Summer

Connor Simmons picked up the win in Saturday's game.
Connor Simmons picked up the win in Saturday’s game.

 
Humming since opening day, the Cape League’s busy transactions page will slow down now. Sunday was the deadline for signing players on temporary contracts to full contracts, the biggest step in solidifying rosters for the rest of the summer. Some changes will still pop up, but the merry-go-round of the early part of the season is over.

Cotuit was among the busiest teams yesterday, signing 10 temps to full contracts. Then the Kettleers went out and celebrated.

Four players hit home runs and six pitchers held on to the lead as the Kettleers beat Falmouth 9-4 at Lowell Park.

Clay Fisher (UC Santa Barbara), a late arrival after the Gauchos’ trip to Omaha, had about as good a Cape League debut as you could draw up, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam. The slam came in the fourth inning and made it an 8-0 lead.

Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) and A.J. Balta (Oregon) added their first home runs of the summer and Cory Voss (New Mexico) hit his second. Jackson Klein (Stanford), Cal Stevenson (Arizona) and Alonzo Jones (Vanderbilt) added hits to the big offensive day.

On the mound, one of those freshly signed temps, Ross Achter (Toledo) started and allowed one run in three innings. Another one, Connor Simmons (Georgia Southern) went 3.2 scoreless innings and was credited with the win.

The victory was the third in four games for the Kettleers, who are 5-15 and making up a bit of ground in the West. They’re three games back of fourth-place Hyannis.

 

Wareham 5, Bourne 2

The Gatemen topped Bourne and moved into a first-place tie with the Braves in the West. Adrian Tovalin (Azusa Pacific) homered, while Alex Destino (South Carolina), Colton Shaver (BYU) and Luke Bonfield (Arkansas) drove in one run each. Brett Conine (Cal State Fullerton) allowed two runs in four innings ahead of a dominant effort by the Gatemen bullpen. Robert Garcia (UC Davis) and and Jake Matthys (Angelo State) combined for five scoreless innings of relief. Wareham has now won two straight.

Orleans 5, Chatham 0

The Firebirds pushed their win streak to five with a shutout of Chatham and now own the second-best record in the league. Making his fourth start, Jason Morgan (North Carolina) delivered his best start with five two-hit innings and six strikeouts. Kevin Smith (Georgia), Chandler Day (Vanderbilt) and Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) finished off the shutout. At the plate, the top of the Orleans order led the charge. Leadoff man Brian Miller (North Carolina) went 2-for-5 with two RBI. No. 2 hitter Zach Kirtley (St. Mary’s) homered and also drove in two runs. Justin Jones (Georgia State) went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs.

Harwich 2, Brewster 1

With Orleans winning, Harwich could have lost its grip on first place in the East but remained a game ahead of the Firebirds thanks to a typical pitching performance. Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) came up with his fourth quality start in as many tries, allowing one run on six hits in six innings. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. Reliever Austin Bain (LSU) struck out five of the eight batters he faced in two scoreless frames and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) tossed a scoreless ninth for his fifth save as the Mariners hung on to the one-run edge. Brewster starter Kade McClure (Louisville) was strong in his own right, striking out nine in seven innings, but after carrying a shutout into the seventh, he gave up a two-run homer to Johnny Adams (Boston College) that proved to be the difference.

Y-D 8, Hyannis 7

One team had a player with two home runs and six RBI – and lost. Hyannis’ Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) hit a grand slam in the third inning and a two-run homer in the fifth, but Y-D won a slugfest 8-7 on a ninth-inning walk-off squeeze bunt by Nolan Brown (TCU) to score J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara). Y-D had also rallied from a 7-5 hole with two runs in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Brendan Skidmore (Binghamton) and a balk that allowed a run to score. Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) homered and drove in two runs for the Red Sox and Tyler Houston (Butler) also had two RBI. Dillon Persinger (Cal State Fullerton) went 4-for-5 in the leadoff spot. For Hyannis, Ford Proctor (Rice) chipped in two hits and Brett Netzer (Charlotte) homered.

What to Watch

Fourth of July Baseball from Wareham to Chatham tonight. At Spillane Field, it’ll be a battle for first place between the Gatemen and the Braves.
 

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Wareham ready to go

wareham
 
Wareham has a talented team on deck that has a chance to be close to a finished product early on.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Colton Shaver
2. Alex Destino
3. Jake Walters
4. Gunner Leger
5. K.J. Harrison
 

NOTABLE

  • The Gatemen have a new head coach, as Jerry Weinstein takes over for Cooper Farris. Weinstein has an extensive resume in the college and professional ranks, most recently serving as the Rockies’ developmental supervisor.

  • Wareham didn’t have a fantastic season last year, but it did include Andrew Calica hitting over .400. As individual accomplishments go, that will be tough to top.

  • Lots of players — hitters and pitchers — coming off big springs and ticketed for Wareham. The best news for the Gatemen? There may not be many detours. The Gatemen have six players in Super Regionals, less than a lot of Cape League teams. There’s also only one current Team USA invite on the roster.

  • Robert Garcia, Gunner Leger and Jake Walters could make a pretty strong top of the rotation for the Gatemen. All three were the top starters for their teams and put up terrific numbers.

  • Pepperdine’s Ryan Wilson saved six games this spring and struck out well over a batter an inning. Definitely a potential closer for the Gatemen.

  • Alex Destino is listed as a pitcher/first baseman on the Wareham roster, but has only pitched one inning for South Carolina this year. It wil be interesting to see if he gets any time on the mound. Given his offensive success, he wouldn’t have to be a two-way guy to contribute. Destino has 10 home runs as the Gamecocks head to Super Regionals.

  • Seven of the 14 hitters on the Wareham roster hit at least eight home runs this spring. That’s no small feat in the world of college baseball.

  • The highest total belongs to D-II Azusa Pacific’s Adrian Tovalin, who blasted 22 of them. He was one of the national leaders in D-II.

  • Wareham has quite a trio of catchers, all of whom hit around .300. And Colton Shaver and Harrison Wenson could be the best offensive catchers on the Cape. Shaver has 23 home runs in two years at BYU and Wenson hit eight for Michigan this spring.

  • K.J. Harrison won the Pac 12 Freshman of the Year honor for Oregon State last year and followed it with a pretty strong sophomore season. His teammate, Nick Madrigal, is the one Team USA invite.

  • Wake Forest was a powerful offensive team in the ACC this spring, and Gavin Sheets did much of the damage with nine home runs.

  • Luke Bonfield is off to Wareham after playing for Y-D last summer. He’s coming off a good spring for Arkansas.

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    PITCHERS

    Jeff Bain – SO – California – Has pitched well in swing role for two seasons, finishing with 3.43 ERA, 32 Ks in 42 innings this year
    Brett Conine – FR – Cal State Fullerton – Pitched mostly in relief and had 5.10 ERA in 15 appearances with 24 strikeouts in 30 IP
    Robert Garcia – SO – UC Davis – Made 11 relief appearances before shining in starting role, finishing with 2.73 ERA, 78 Ks, .208 OBA
    Ty Harpenau – FR – Texas Tech – Mid-week starter and reliever has 6.85 ERA, 32 Ks for Super Regional bound Texas Tech
    Anthony Herron – JR – Jefferson College – Missouri State commit had 1.76 ERA, 89 Ks in 66.2 IP in junior college ranks
    Gunner Leger – SO – Louisiana Lafayette – Reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year starred as Friday starter this year, with 2.26 ERA, 81 Ks
    Casey Mize – FR – Auburn – Had solid season in bullpen and mid-week rotation, finishing at 3.52 with 59 Ks in 69 IP
    Zachary Pop – SO – Kentucky – One of Northwoods top prospects last year had 5.21 ERA this spring in relief and mid-week starts
    Ryan Selmer – RS SO – Maryland – Led team in appearances and saved four games with 4.50 ERA
    Ethan Small – FR – Mississippi State – Highly-touted freshman has 20 Ks in 10.1 IP, though ERA is high thanks to two rough outings
    Nick Sprengel – FR – San Diego – Went 5-7 with 5.92 ERA as starter and reliever but fanned 70 in 65.1 innings
    Jake Walters – SO – Alabama – Top starter for Tide finished with 2.67 ERA, 84 Ks in 84.1 innings
    Ryan Wilson – SO – Pepperdine – Started three games before taking on closer’s role and finished with six saves, 0.63 ERA
     

    CATCHERS

    Joey Bart – FR – Georgia Tech – 27th-round pick out of high school started 41 games as a freshman and hit .296
    Colton Shaver – SO – BYU – Hit 13 homers as a frosh and didn’t slow down much this year, batting .335 with 10 long balls, 57 RBI
    Harrison Wenson – JR – Michigan – Johnny Bench Award semifinalist hit .289 with team-high 8 HR and 56 RBI
     

    INFIELDERS

    Alex Destino – SO – South Carolina – One of top prospects in Coastal Plain League last year hitting .325 with 10 HR, 59 RBI
    Cole Freeman – SO – LSU – JUCO transfer hitting .324 while starting every game in first season with Tigers
    Preston Grand Pre – SO – California – Batted .290 with five steals and .349 OBP while manning second base for Golden Bears
    K.J. Harrison – SO – Oregon State – PAC 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015 saw average dip a bit to .265 but still hit 10 HR, 28 XBH
    Nick Madrigal – FR – Oregon State – 17th-round pick, highly-touted recruit hit .333, made only five errors at second base in debut
    Gavin Sheets – SO – Wake Forest – Finished second on the team behind All-American Will Craid with .326 average, nine homers, 45 RBI
    Adrian Tovalin – SO – Azusa Pacific – Had huge year for D-II Cougars, hitting .365 with 22 home runs
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Luke Bonfield – SO – Arkansas – Hit .211 in 27 games for Y-D last summer and batted .304 with eight home runs this spring
    Carl Chester – SO – Miami – Grabbed full-time spot this year and is hitting .338 with 2 HR and team-high 16 steals
    Jonathan Engelmann – SO – Michigan – Hit .257 as a sophomore in 39 games
    Austen Wade – SO – TCU – Saw limited action last year before emergence this season has led to .307 AVG, 25 RBI, 13 SB