Late Innings

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Hyannis ranks next-to-last in team ERA in the Cape League, but if opponents are counting on getting their bats in gear when they face the Harbor Hawks, they better do it before the sixth inning.

In two consecutive wins, Hyannis relievers have allowed a total of two hits and no runs from the sixth inning on. The Harbor Hawks’ top four relievers are turning into one of the best crews in the league.

Garrett Cave (Florida International) leads the league in appearances with 14 and saves with seven. He ranks in the top 15 in the league in strikeouts despite pitching only 12.1 innings. With a big fastball, the 6-foot-4 right-hander has scouts keeping the radar guns handy until the late innings.

Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) is just behind Cave in appearances with 11 and has a 1.03 ERA with 20 strikeouts and not a single walk in 17.1 innings. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) has a 0.84 ERA in 10 outings and James Harrington (New Mexico) has yet to allow a run – earned or unearned – in 11.2 innings of relief.

The combined ERA for the quartet is 1.07. And while they can’t pitch every game, a combination of the four has had a hand in a lot of victories. Hyannis has won six of the seven games Harrington has appeared in and is 10-4 when Cave takes the mound.

Tuesday, Hyannis beat Wareham 6-1 with three of the standout relievers finishing the deal. Naylor pitched two scoreless innings and Harrington and Cave tossed one each. Last night, the Harbor Hawks rallied from a late deficit for a 5-4 win over Bourne, but the comeback was made possible by more dominant bullpen work. Stevens struck out three of the five batters he faced in 1.1 scoreless frames and Cave got the last two outs for save number seven.

Cody Henry (Alabama) led the Hyannis offense with two hits and two RBI, with his two-run single giving Hyannis the lead in the top of the ninth.

The consecutive wins have Hyannis at 13-15 and just one game out of second place in the West.

If the bullpen is involved, that gap may yet close further.
 

Harwich 4, Chatham 0

The Mariners showed off their embarrassment of pitching riches by trotting out Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) and Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) in the same game, and Chatham was held to two hits in a shutout win for Harwich. Wilson, the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, struck out five and gave up only two hits in five innings of work. Solomon, one of the arms getting a lot of buzz this season, returned to the bullpen after a start last time out and went four shutout innings without allowing a hit. He has given up two hits in his last 15.1 innings. The Harwich offense had 14 hits and stranded eight runners, but the four runs were plenty. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington) hit his second home run while Ernie Clement (Virginia) and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) had three hits each.

Y-D 4, Orleans 0

Y-D remained a game back of Harwich in the East with a 4-0 shutout of its own. Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) struck out five and scattered four hits in 6.1 innings and William Montgomerie (Connecticut) went the final 2.2 frames and didn’t surrender a hit. Matt Winaker (Stanford) went 4-for-5 with a run scored to lead the Y-D offense. J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara), Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) and Deon Stafford (St. Joseph’s) drove in one run each. Y-D has won two straight and is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Falmouth 12, Wareham 3

The Commodores slugged past Wareham and suddenly have a seven-point lead in the West standings. Tyler Lawrence (Murray State) led a 16-hit attack by hitting two home runs and driving in four. Leadoff man Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) added two hits and three RBI and Deacon Liput (Florida) knocked in two runs. Five different Commodores had multi-hit games. Starter Tyler Holton (Florida State) went only two innings, but his FSU teammate Cole Sands shined in relief, striking out six in three scoreless innings for the win.

Cotuit 5, Brewster 2

Cotuit has its first three-game winning streak of the season. Four pitchers combined to hold down the league’s best offense with Ross Achter (Toledo) earning the win in relief. Connor Simmons (Georgia Southern) and Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) didn’t allow a hit over the final 3.2 innings. Patrick Dorrian (Herkimer CC) led the Kettleers at the plate with two hits and two RBI. Recently-crowned CCBL Hitter of the Week Quinn Brodey (Stanford) went 1-for-4 and scored two runs.

 

What to Watch

After an off-day Thursday, two surging teams will meet in Yarmouth when the Red Sox host Falmouth.
 

Back in Town

J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.
J.J. Matijevic, pictured last summer, had a two-run homer in his 2016 Cape debut.

 
J.J. Matijevic came back to the Cape with a bang.

An all-star last summer and probably the top returning player currently on a Cape League roster, Matijevic (Arizona) made his season debut on the Fourth of July and smacked a two-run homer that sent Falmouth to a 2-0 win over Cotuit.

Matijevic finished third in the league in hitting last summer, batting .333 with four home runs. He hit .287 with four homers this spring and was a key part of Arizona’s runner-up finish in the College World Series.

He wasted little time returning to Falmouth after Thursday’s final game in the CWS championship series. Monday, he was in the starting lineup for the Commodores, batting second and playing first base.

His homer in the fifth inning – after a Cadyn Grenier (Oregon State) walk – was all the offense Falmouth needed. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) allowed just two hits and fanned seven in seven shutout innings. Seth Elledge (Dallas Baptist) and Corbin Martin (Texas A&M) finished the shutout with a scoreless inning each.

Tristan Gray (Rice) added two hits for the Commodores and Joshua Watson (TCU) – another late arrival from Omaha – also had two.

Falmouth and Cotuit split their holiday series, with the Commodores improving to 11-10 after Monday’s win.

 

Wareham 2, Bourne 1

A holiday sweep of Bourne has Wareham alone in first place in the West. The Gatemen rode strong pitching and an opportunistic offense to their third consecutive victory and their second in a row over the Braves. Zachary Pop (Kentucky) gave up one run in five innings in his second start of the summer and Gunner Leger (Louisiana-Lafayette) was again dominant in relief. Leger, who has made two starts and two relief appearances, has given up three hits in 11 innings with 15 strikeouts this season. Monday, he surrendered one hit in three scoreless innings and struck out four. Casey Mize (Auburn) followed Leger and pitched the ninth for the save. Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) went 2-for-3 to lead the offense and his RBI single in the second – following an error – staked Wareham to a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, Bart scored what proved to be the winning run on a passed ball, making both of Wareham’s runs unearned. That made for a hard-luck loss for Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) who struck out eight and six innings and now leads the league in strikeouts.

Harwich 11, Brewster 7

For the first time all season, an opponent scored more than five runs against Harwich – and the Mariners won anyway. They racked up 20 hits – which might be a league-season high – and broke a 7-7 tie with a grand slam in the top of the eighth for a slugfest win over Brewster. Nick Feight (UNC Wilmington), back after a stint at Team USA trials, came through with the grand slam after a single and two walks loaded the bases. It was Feight’s first homer of the summer. Austin Filiere (MIT) also homered and drove in two, Antoine Duplantis (LSU) had two hits and two RBI and Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) went 4-for-4 and scored two runs. Johnny Adams (Boston College) and Joseph Dunand (NC State) had three hits each. Harwich raised its team batting average from .246 to .260. Brewster had plenty of offense of its own, with Bryce Jordan (LSU) going 4-for-4 with two RBI, Matt Davis (VCU) getting three hits and Logan Warmoth (North Carolina) driving in three runs. It was the fourth straight loss for Brewster.

Chatham 6, Orleans 3

The longest win streak in the league met its end at Veterans Field as Chatham topped Orleans 6-3. The Anglers took a lead in the fifth, added to it in the seventh and held off a push by Orleans. Lincoln Henzman (Louisville) struck out eight and allowed just an unearned run in 5.2 innings for the win. Austin Magestro (UNC Wilmington) notched a four-out save. Stuart Fairchild (Wake Forest) and Jordan Romero (LSU) led the Anglers at the plate with two hits and an RBI apiece. Chase Pinder (Clemson), Sean Bouchard (UCLA) and Patrick Mathis (Texas) drove in one run each. Orleans – which had won five in a row – got a home run from Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) but only six hits on the day.

Hyannis 8, Y-D 5

The second-longest win streak in the league also came to an end as Hyannis stopped Y-D’s four-game heater. The Harbor Hawks broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth on a Chris Hudgins (Cal State Fullerton) RBI double and a two-run single by Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee). Garrett Cave (Florida International) ran with the lead, striking out two in a scoreless ninth for the save. That made a winner out of James Harrington (New Mexico), who tossed three perfect innings of relief. Hudgins was one of four Harbor Hawks with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4. Cody Henry (Alabama) went 3-for-3, Dylan Busby (Florida State) went 2-for-2 with two RBI and Trey Truitt (Mercer) went 2-for-5. Y-D got two hits and two RBI from J.J. Muno (UC Santa Barbara).

 

What to Watch

The best pitching staff in the league will try something a little different in the rotation as dominant reliever Austin Bain (LSU) makes his first start when Harwich hosts Bourne. Bain has 12 strikeouts in seven scoreless relief innings this summer.
 

A different year

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Last seen in a well-played, three-game Cape League championship series, Hyannis and Yarmouth-Dennis are still looking for their first victories of the 2016 season. The Harbor Hawks fell to 0-4 with a 6-1 loss to Orleans Monday, while defending champion Y-D dropped to 0-3 with a 9-1 defeat at the hands of Harwich.

Hyannis has had two close games mixed in with the winless start, falling 3-2 to Bourne on opening night and 5-4 to the Braves again two days later. Y-D has struggled a little more, with a league-worst 8.64 ERA setting the stage for some tough endings. The Red Sox actually lead the league in home runs with five but still haven’t had enough offense.

Both teams will have some reinforcements arriving as we get deeper into the season – particularly Y-D’s pitching staff – but there was no help on the way Monday.

Orleans raced to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first against Hyannis and never looked back. A two-run double by Chris Triano (Keystone College) was the big blow. Riley Adams (San Diego) also knocked in a run with a double.

Jason Morgan (North Carolina) ran with the early lead, allowing one run on two hits in five innings, while fanning five. A fourth-inning home run by Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) provided Hyannis with its only offense. Charlie Barnes (Clemson) struck out seven in four innings for the Harbor Hawks but was touched up for the early runs.

For Orleans, Riley Mahan (Kentucky) and Adam Haseley (Virginia) each had three hits. Triano, who hit .405 with 13 homers for D-III Keystone, is off to a 5-for-7 start with the Firebirds.

In Harwich, Y-D ran into the team that’s off to the hottest start this summer. Harwich raced to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings and cruised to its fourth straight win.

Austin Filiere (MIT) hit his second home run of the summer and drove in four. Pavin Smith (Virginia) also went deep for the Mariners. Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) added two RBI.

Harwich starter B.J. Myers (West Virginia) delivered one of the best starts of the young Cape League season with seven strong innings. He allowed one run and struck out four. Y-D managed just five hits against Myers and the Harwich bullpen.
 

Bourne 10, Cotuit 1

Cotuit also remained winless while Bourne ran its record to 3-0 with a 10-1 win at Doran Park. The Braves smacked 16 hits, with Willy Yahn’s (Connecticut) 3-for-5 day leading the charge. Former Wareham Gateman David MacKinnon (Hartford) had two hits, as did Connor McVey (Cincinnati) and Tyler Friis (Indiana State). Nine of Bourne’s 16 hits went for extra bases. Joshua Shapiro (Marshall), who had an ERA over five this spring, shined in his Cape debut, pitching six shutout innings for the win.

Falmouth 5, Wareham 4

The Commodores held off a late charge for a win over Wareham, as both teams went to 2-1 on the year. Willie Burger (Penn State) went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Falmouth attack. Kevin Merrell (South Florida) added two hits and two runs scored. Jeffrey Passantino (Lipscomb) went 6.1 strong innings, while Tyler Jones (Wichita State) got the win in relief. Brac Warren (Oregon) went two innings for the save. Robert Metz (George Washington) had two hits for the Gatemen and Colton Shaver (BYU) continued his hot start with a double and an RBI.

Brewster 14, Chatham 6

The Whitecaps scored double-digit runs for the second straight game but took an unusual route. Trailing 5-4, they scored 10 runs in the seventh inning to blow the game open. Sixteen men came to the plate in the big inning and several of them reached more than once. Seven hits, four walks, two hit-batsmen and two errors accounted for the offense. Colby Maiola (UMass Lowell) drew a bases-loaded walk for the go-ahead run and the lead grew from there. Eight different Whitecaps finished with at least one RBI in the game. Matt Davis (VCU) drove in three runs. Nick Dunn (Maryland) had four hits. Jacob Westphal (Tennessee) was the beneficiary of the big inning and got the win in relief. Chatham got three hits from Patrick Mathis (Texas).

What to Watch

Harwich will try to get to 5-0 as it visits Orleans. Ryan McAuliffe (St. John’s), who’s coming off a pretty good spring in the Red Storm rotation, is slated to start for the Mariners. Colton Hatchcock (Memphis) is set for his Orleans debut.
 

Scoring in the rain

HAR16_austin filiere
 
Harwich leads the league in runs scored so far this summer, and that might have been the case even if everyone else wasn’t rained out on Saturday. After scoring eight runs in their opener, the Mariners ran past Hyannis 12-4 Saturday in the only game on the schedule.

Both teams had double-digit hits, but a combination of key hits, three Hyannis errors and 10 walks issued by Hyannis pitchers made Harwich significantly more productive. The Mariners scored two runs in the second, three in the third and busted the game open with six runs in the fourth, with three consecutive walks setting the table for the outburst.

Austin Filiere (MIT) had the only extra-base hit for the Mariners – a double – but there were plenty of run-scoring singles. Anthony Critelli (Holy Cross) and Max Burt (Northeastern) had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored apiece. Ryan Brown (College of Charleston) and Kyle Davis (West Virginia) drove in two runs each. Tyler Kirkpatrick (Marist) scored three runs.

Harwich’s own pitchers were knocked around a bit, too, but they didn’t hurt themselves further. Starter Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) allowed four runs on 11 hits in five innings but didn’t walk a batter. Brandon Bass (Notre Dame) shined in three scoreless innings of relief, striking out six of the 10 batters he faced, while also not issuing any walks. Spencer Stockton (Jacksonville) finished off the win with a perfect ninth.

Cody Henry (Alabama) homered to lead Hyannis, which fell to 0-2.

 

What to Watch

Looks like the weather will cooperate for a full slate of games Sunday. Orleans and Chatham get their annual rivalry series started at 7 p.m. at Veterans Field.
 

Mariners back at it

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Harwich will aim for a return to the playoffs after a rare down year.
 

FIVE TO WATCH

1. Nick Feight
2. Zach Schellenger
3. Tyler Wilson
4. Evan White
5. Cal Raleigh

 

NOTABLE

  • Nick Feight had an enormous sophomore season, perhaps the best performance among sophomores around the country. The UNC-Wilmington catcher hit .349, blasted 21 home runs and racked up an eye-popping 91 RBI in only 60 games.
  • Zach Schellenger fanned 30 in 33 innings pitched with Harwich last summer, and it’s safe to say he upped that K-rate this spring. Schellenger struck out 70 in 45.1 innings out of the Seton Hall bullpen.
  • Pitchers in the Atlantic 10 are apparently playing for second place in the race for the conference’s top pitching honor with Tyler Wilson. The Rhode Island sophomore has won the award in each of his first two years in Kingston and was dominant this year. He also led URI’s upset of South Carolina in the opening round of an NCAA regional, battling back for a strong showing after giving up four early runs. It was URI’s first NCAA tournament win in school history.
  • Kentucky had a down year, but Evan White didn’t. His .376 average was good for third in the SEC.
  • If the Mariners didn’t have enough pop behind the plate in Feight, they’ll welcome in Florida State’s Cal Raleigh, who has 10 homers in his first season with the Seminoles.
  • Antoine Duplantis of LSU stepped right into a starting job and hasn’t disappointed. His athleticism will likely stand out this summer, as you’d expect with his genes. His mother was a heptathlete and volleyball player at LSU and his father was an All-American pole vaulter for the Tigers.
  • Florida has so much pitching depth that a reliever who’s not even the close went on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft. Once the depth thins out a bit next year, Harwich-bound Jackson Kowar could be next in line as a Gator star. He has fanned 44 in 34 innings as a freshman.
  • Another Gator freshman, Jonathan India, is ticketed for Harwich, as well. Jonathan India has been one of the team’s top hitters.
  • If you’re looking for the old small school underdog type to root for, your search is over. Austin Filiere of MIT is slated to play for the Mariners off a huge sophomore season in which he hit over .400 with double-digit home runs. Not many MIT baseball players have been on the Cape or been drafted, for that matter. Filiere is aiming for both.
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    PITCHERS

    Maddux Conger – FR – Vanderbilt – Limited action but strong performer in Vandy bullpen, with .79 ERA in nine appearances
    Austin Bain – SO – LSU – Started two games but pitching mostly in relief for Tigers and has struck out 31 in 28 innings
    Brad Bass – JR – Notre Dame – Saved two games and posted 1.91 ERA in 19 relief appearances for Fighting Irish
    Jackson Kowar – FR – Florida – Successful as starter and reliever with 3.37 ERA, 44 Ks in 34.2 innings in debut with Gators
    Shane McCarthy – SO – Seton Hall – Top starter for Pirates went 6-4 with 2.38 ERA and 84 Ks in 102 innings
    B.J. Myers – SO – West Virginia – Worked as a starter and reliever, finishing with 4.05 ERA, 53 strikeouts in 66.2 innings
    Packy Naughton – SO – Virginia Tech – Native of West Roxbury, Mass., had ERA over six but struck out 74 in 76 IP this spring
    Teddy Rodliff – SO – Stony Brook – Notched seven saves with 3.20 ERa, 26 Ks and just three walks in 39.1 innings
    Zach Schellenger – SO – Seton Hall – Returning Mariner saved six games and struck out a whopping 70 batters in just 45.2 innings
    Peter Solomon – SO – Notre Dame – Struck out a batter an inning with 1.40 ERA in nine bullpen outings
    Hunter Williams – SO – North Carolina – Started seven games with solid numbers for Harwich last year and had 3.10 ERA in swing role at UNC
    Tyler Wilson – SO – Rhode Island – Two-time Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year went 13-1 with 2.29 ERA, 122 Ks in 102.1 IP this year
    Tommy DeJuneas – SO – NC State – Finished with six saves and 6.37 ERA while striking out 27 in 29.2 innings pitched this spring
    Brian Brown – SO – NC State – Weekend starter for Wolfpack went 7-3 with 3.70 ERA, 79 Ks in 87.2 innings
    Nick Brown – JR – William & Mary – Led team in strikeouts by wide margin with 85 in 96 innings, while posting 5.53 ERA
    Ethan Landon – RS SO – Michigan State – Pitched well in Spartans’ rotation, tallying 2.75 ERA, 59 Ks in 85 IP
    Matt Minnick – SO – Mercyhurst – Went 7-1 and struck out 61 in 54.1 innings for D-II power Mercyhurst
    Spencer Stockton – SO – Jacksonville – Finished with 3.21 ERA as a starter for Dolphins
    Speros Varinos – JR – Tufts – Fanned 79 in 67 innings and went 7-1 with 2.15 ERA for D-III Jumbos
    Ryan McAuliffe – JR – St. John’s – Went 5-2 with 4.32 ERA in weekend rotation for Red Storm
    David McKay – SO – Florida Atlantic – Led team in strikeouts with 66 and had 3.74 ERA in weekend rotation
    Brett Daniels – SO – North Carolina – Finished third on the team in appearances and posted 2.17 ERA with 34 Ks in 37.1 IP
    Liam Conboy – JR – Susquehanna – Racked up nine saves with 33 Ks in 27 IP for D-III squad
     

    CATCHERS

    J.D. Andreessen – SO – Campbell – Hit .294 with two homers for emerging Big South squad
    Cal Raleigh – FR – Florida State – Standout freshman making quick impact in Tallahassee, hitting .308 with 10 HR and 50 RBI
    Nick Feight – SO – UNC Wilmington – All-American led one of nation’s best offenses with .349 AVG, 21 HR, 91 RBI
     

    INFIELDERS

    Ernie Clement – SO – Virginia – Second-best hitter for Cavs finished at .351 with a homer and 18 XBH
    Jonathan India – FR – Florida – As Gators head to Super Regionals, ranks second on the team with .310 AVG and has 4 HR, 13 SB
    Jack Flansburg – JR – Oklahoma – Batted .278 and hit four homers for Sooners, while finishing third on team in RBI
    Pavin Smith – SO – Virginia – Hit .329 and finished second to first-round pick Matt Thaiss for team lead in home runs with eight
    Joe Dunand – SO – NC State – Hit .297 with four home runs and finished third on the team with 47 RBI this season
    Evan White – SO – Kentucky – Ranked third in SEC with .376 average, and added five home runs, 40 RBI and 10 stolen bases
    Kyle Davis – SO – West Virginia – Batted .280 with .394 OBP and led Mountaineers with 10 home runs
    Kyle Fiala – JR – Notre Dame – Leading hitter for Fighting Irish finished at .301 with 4 HR, 28 RBI, 10 SBs
    Austin Filiere – SO – MIT – Starred for D-III MIT with .428 AVG, .546 OBP, 13 HR, 55 RBI and 14 stolen bases
    Ryan Tufts – JR – Virginia Tech – Batted .284 with 18 extra-base hits and finished third on Hokies with RBI
    Anthony Critelli – JR – Holy Cross – Batted .267 and led team in home runs with nine and RBI with 41
    Max Burt – SO – Northeastern – Started every game for Huskies and hit .238
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Ryan Brown – SO – College of Charleston – Freshman All-American last year met sophomore slump this year, finishing with .223 AVG
    Antoine Duplantis – FR – LSU – Burst onto scene with .323 AVG, 14 XBH, 36 RBI and 13 stolen bases while starting every game
    Steven Foster – SO – Hofstra – Hit .278 while getting on base at .407 clip and stole nine bases
    Trey Harris – SO – Missouri – SEC All-Freshman pick struggled with the bat this year, hitting .216 though he drove in 36
    Brock Deatherage – SO – NC State – Returning Mariner hit .317 this spring with six homers and stole 14 bases
    Logan Farrar – JR – VCU – Hit .295 with three home runs and stole team-best 15 bases
    Tyler Kirkpatrick – JR – Marist – Batted .263 with two homers for Red Foxes this spring