Posted on

More Magic

Jimmy Pickens hit a home run and a walk-off bunt single to lead Chatham to a division-clinching victory.

 
The Chatham Anglers have a lot going for them this season – solid starting pitching, a terrific bullpen, some ever-increasing pop in the batting order and a team on-base percentage that would make Billy Beane proud.

A little magic doesn’t hurt either.

Chatham clinched the Eastern Division title on Wednesday night with its fifth walk-off victory of the summer, a 6-5, 10-inning thriller over Y-D. The division crown is Chatham’s first since it shared the title with Y-D in 2001.

The Anglers were coming off an 8-1 loss to Brewster heading into Wednesday’s game, and they fell behind Y-D 5-0 despite having Tommy Lawrence (Maine) on the mound. Lawrence hadn’t given up a run since June, but was touched up for four in five innings.

Chatham got one back in the sixth on a Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) sacrifice fly but went to the ninth trailing 5-1. If Chatham was to deliver more heroics, it would be the toughest road yet.

The Anglers did it anyway.

Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) smashed a two-run home run to get Chatham closer and to breathe new life into the comeback. It was the fourth home run in as many games for Pickens, who suddenly ranks second in the league in long balls.

Michael Russell (North Carolina) followed with a base hit and Gonsolus got Chatham within one on an RBI double. Brandon Sedell (Nova Southeastern) then brought home the tying run with a single.

After keeping Y-D off the board in the top of the 10th, Chatham went back to work. Blake Butera (Boston College) was hit by a pitch and Dante Flores (USC) walked. J.D. Davis (Cal State Fullerton), who was 3-for-5, was intentionally walked, bringing Pickens to the dish, with the chance to be a hero.

The way he’d been hitting, the script called for a grand slam. Pickens bunted instead, Y-D had no play and Butera sprinted home with the winning run.

Pickens finished the day 4-for-6 with three RBI, while Davis was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. The emergence of those two – they’re hitting .483 and .436 over the last two weeks – is another reason to like Chatham’s chances, but they’re not the only heroes.

Magic like Chatham’s comes from a team effort – and the Anglers are pretty good at that.

 

Orleans 8, Brewster 2

Orleans owns the 2013 season’s longest winning streak, and it just keeps going. The Firebirds stretched it to eight last night with an 8-2 victory over the Whitecaps. The Firebirds led 3-2 before scoring five in the ninth to pull away. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI to lead the offense, and four of his teammates added two hits each. On the mound, Bobby Poyner (Florida) went five shutout innings, giving up just two hits while striking out one. Conor Harber (Western Nevada CC), Jeremy Rhoades (Illinois State) and Trevor Kelley (North Carolina) pitched a scoreless inning apiece out of the bullpen.

 

Hyannis 2, Bourne 0

Cotuit and Falmouth both won, but the Harbor Hawks stayed one point ahead thanks to a shutout victory over the Braves. Cy Sneed (Dallas Baptist) delivered his best start of the summer, striking out five and allowing just four hits in six innings. Kevin Doherty (Virginia) made his Cape League debut and worked a scoreless frame before Jordan Foley (Central Michigan) finished off the shutout with a two-inning save. Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) and Brian Anderson (Arkansas) each had two hits and scored a run to pace the offense. For Bourne, Kris Gardner (Wichita State) was the hard-luck lose after his best start of the season. He allowed just two unearned runs in seven innings.

 

Falmouth 13, Harwich 1

The Commodores won their third straight with their second 13-run performance of the summer. Facing Harwich standout Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky), Falmouth took a 2-0 lead in the first before blowing the game open and chasing Shepherd with six runs in the fifth. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) hit his league-best eighth home run, part of a 2-for-3, four RBI night. Troy Stein (Texas A&M) also homered and drove in two, while Kevin Cron (TCU) went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Starting pitcher John Means (West Virginia) didn’t need all the offense. He struck out seven and allowed just one hit in six innings, taking a no-hitter into the fifth. Falmouth remains two points back of Hyannis in the West.

 

Cotuit 6, Wareham 3

Cotuit also kept pace in the West race with a victory over Wareham. Christian Cecilio (San Francisco) gave up a run in 4.2 innings before the bullpen took over. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) picked up the win and Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) grabbed the save with four strikeouts in two innings. Bradley Zimmer (San Francisco) led the offense with three hits, including a triple, and two RBI. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) also had three hits, while Austin Byler (Nevada) had two hits and an RBI. For Wareham, Sean Newcomb (Hartford) struck out seven in three innings while giving up two runs.

 

What to Watch

We’ll finally get a little separation in the West with Falmouth visiting Hyannis. The Falmouth starter is TBA, while Hyannis goes with newcomer Logan Carman (Southern Maine), a Division III All-American. In the East, Chatham is hosting a doubleheader with Harwich, beginning at 4 p.m.

Posted on

The Real Kettleers

Yale Rosen slides in safely for Cotuit during a game this week.

 
You could make a pretty good team out of players who have left Cotuit this summer. From Max Schrock, Will Remillard, Aramis Garcia and Brad Zimmer to Trevor Seidenberger and Dusty Isaacs, you’d be in good shape.

The latest loss is the biggest. Mike Ford arrived for his second summer in Cotuit coming off a draft in which he didn’t hear his name called despite a spring that will go down in Ivy League annals. Ford’s goal was to hook on with a Major League team – and he’s done it. He is expected to sign with the New York Yankees this week.

Ford, who was fresh off a 4-for-4, two home run day, was an MVP candidate. He could make the all-departed Kettleers squad a Cape League contender.

But I have a feeling the real Kettleers would still find a way.

On the day they said farewell to Ford, Cotuit beat Bourne 2-1 and took a three-point lead on Hyannis for first place in the West. The Kettleers – despite all the personnel losses, and despite having had 41 different players don their uniform – have the second-best record in the league.

On Tuesday, they got another strong pitching performance from Jared Walsh (Georgia), who continues to lead the league in ERA at 0.36. The only caveat is that Walsh hasn’t pitched deep into games – he doesn’t have a win or a loss – but he’s been so steady that he’s often set Cotuit on a path to victory.

He went 4.1 scoreless innings against the Braves, striking out three and allowing just one hit. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) allowed his first run of the year in relief but kept Cotuit in front and picked up the victory. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) turned in his third-straight two-inning stint and picked up the save.

Kyle Kubat (Nebraska) was strong in six innings of work for the Braves, but two unearned runs made the difference. Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) led the Cotuit offense with two hits, while Yale Rosen (Washington State) and Jake Fincher (NC State) had one RBI each.

Cotuit would have loved to have Mike Ford adding a home run to the victory or any of the former Kettleers chipping in. That’s not going to happen, but it sure looks like the Kettleers will be making the best of it anyway.

 

Harwich 3, Chatham 0

Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky) turned in his third scoreless start of the summer and his bullpen finished the job as the Mariners (16-13) knocked off first-place Chatham (9-9-1). Shepherd had gone six shutout innings twice before, and this one may have out-done the first two. He struck out eight and gave up just three hits against a Chatham team that’s been the best in the league. Johnathan Frebis (Middle Tennessee State) worked two scoreless innings in relief before Chris Oliver (Arkansas) struck out the side around a walk in the ninth for the save. Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) had two hits and an RBI to lead the Mariner attack. Derek Fisher (Virginia) and Branden Cogswell (Virginia) drove in the other runs. Harwich has won three straight.

 

Orleans 6, Hyannis 5

The Firebirds had dropped five in a row and – with Brewster hot on their heels – they were in danger of falling into the East basement. They stopped the streak and avoided that drop in the most dramatic fashion possible. With his team trailing 5-4 and Hyannis closer Eric Eck (Wofford) on the mound, Jordan Luplow (Fresno State) drove in the tying and winning runs with a base hit as Orleans walked off with a 6-5 victory over a Hyannis team that generally doesn’t lose close games. The Firebirds had also rallied for two runs in the eighth after Hyannis had gone up 4-2. The rally made a winner out of Brian Clark (Kent State), who went three innings and actually gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. Collin Slaybaugh (Washington State) had four hits to lead the Firebirds, who had said goodbye to an injured Greg Allen (San Diego State) earlier in the day. For Hyannis, Tyler Spoon (Arkansas) and Skyler Ewing (Rice) both hit their fourth home runs of the season. Ewing went 4-for-5 and now ranks third in the league in hitting.

 

Falmouth 5, Y-D 1

The Commodores had gone 1-4 in their last five, with the only win coming against Y-D. They matched up with Y-D again Tuesday and used a four-run seventh to pick up another victory, snapping a two-game skid. They’re now 16-12, a point back of Hyannis for second in the West. Troy Stein (Texas A&M) went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI to lead Falmouth. Casey Gillaspie (Wichita State) and Leon Byrd, Jr. (Rice) drove in one run each. On the mound, John Means (West Virginia) went six innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out three. Donny Murray (Holy Cross) got the victory.

 

Brewster 5, Wareham 1

The Whitecaps (11-17) won for the fifth time in seven tries and remained two points out of fourth in the East. Brandon Leibrandt (Florida State) was dominant for a second-straight start, allowing just an unearned run on three hits in five innings. He now has a 1.59 ERA and hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last two starts. Nick Lynch (UC Davis) went 1-for-3 with three RBI to pace the offense, while Nicholas Vazquez (Pittsburgh) and Cole Lankford (Texas A&M) also drove in runs. For Wareham, Sean Newcomb (Hartford) was a bright spot. The big lefty – who started on opening night then missed a big chunk of time with illness – had his best performance since returning. He struck out five in three innings of relief.

 

What to Watch

Just two games on the schedule today. Orleans visits Hyannis and Wareham heads to Bourne. Both are 6 p.m. starts. In Hyannis, Jeff Hoffman (East Carolina) will make his third start of the summer.

Posted on

Right Where They Belong

Fred Shepard, pictured in last year's league championship series, dominated for Wareham last night.

 
Monday featured a host of good pitching performances in the Cape League. They were authored by the usual suspects from UCLA and Texas, but also by guys from Maine and Amherst.

Tommy Lawrence (Maine) tossed six shutout innings for Chatham in a 4-2 victory over Brewster, while Fred Shepard (Amherst) went seven scoreless for Wareham in a 5-0 win over Falmouth.

For both, it wasn’t the first time they’ve proven themselves on the Cape League’s stage.

Lawrence, who’s part of a long line of Maine Black Bears to don a Chatham uniform, had a 3.55 ERA last summer in a swing role for the Anglers. He struck out 35 in 38 innings.

This spring, Lawrence built on the solid summer by going 11-3 with a 2.32 ERA for Maine. He was unanimously selected as the America East Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Lawrence was welcomed back to Chatham this year and is having an even better time on his second go-round. Lawrence gave up two runs in his first appearance but hasn’t given up another since. He now owns a 1.03 ERA.

On Monday, he made his second start and was dominant. He struck out five and gave up just four hits. Brewster tried a rally after Lawrence had departed but could get no closer than two runs. Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion) and Connor Joe (San Diego) led the offense with one RBI each. It was Chatham’s fourth straight win.

In Falmouth, Shepard had a similar night. He struck out five and scattered six hits in seven innings against Falmouth’s powerful lineup. The win was his first of the year. Matt Walsh (Franklin Pierce) drove in two runs to lead the Wareham offense.

Shepard has had even more to prove than a guy like Lawrence. Amherst is a Division III program, and Shepard was coming off a tough sophomore year when he hooked on with the Gatemen on a temporary contract last summer. He ended up providing some valuable innings and started the decisive game of the league championship series, which Wareham went on to win.

Not surprisingly, with that playoff performance on their minds, the Gatemen brought Shepard back this summer when they had some holes to fill on their roster. He’s responded with a solid campaign and he now ranks third in the league in strikeouts.

It’s a success story for sure, and the same could be said for Lawrence. You’ll see a lot of hot radar guns on the Cape, and arms that get first-round love. But sometimes it’s just as fun to see a couple of small-school pitchers proving that they belong too.

 

Harwich 5, Cotuit 0

Harwich got a terrific performance from Dillon Peters (Texas) and shut out Cotuit 6-0. Peters, who had a great spring in Austin, gave up three runs in his first Cape start last week. This time, Peters gave up just two hits in seven scoreless innings and struck out five. Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) and Jake Drossner (Maryland) finished off the shutout. The Harwich offense was led by Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleston), who went 3-for-4. Mitch Morales (Florida Atlantic) drove in two runs.

 

Hyannis 3, Bourne 3

Hyannis and Bourne played 12 innings before the league curfew kicked in and they settled for a 3-3 tie. Skyler Ewing (Rice) went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI to lead the Harbor Hawks while Ryan Padilla (New Mexico) had two hits and an RBI. Mason Robbins (Southern Miss) knocked in two runs and Tim Caputo (Rhode Island) drove in one for Bourne. A host of pitchers turned in solid relief performances, none more impressive than Jordan Foley (Central Michigan). He recorded nine outs – eight by strikeout.

 

Y-D 4, Orleans 3

On a day when the Red Sox lost ace Erick Fedde to Team USA (he could return after Team USA is done) and outfielder Eric Filia to an injury, they picked up a win to ease some of the sting, holding off an Orleans charge for a 4-3 victory. James Kaprielian (UCLA) didn’t factor in the decision but was dominant on the mound, striking out 10 in six innings. He allowed one run on four hits. Kody Kerski (Sacred Heart) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) led the offense with a home run and two RBI. Kyle Wood (Purdue) also drove in a run. For Orleans, Ross Kivett (Kansas State), a 10th round pick this year who opted not to sign, went 4-for-5 with an RBI. He owns a 10-game hitting streak.

 

What to Watch

The top two teams get together at Whitehouse Field when Harwich hosts Chatham at 7 p.m. Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky), who’s been terrific this summer, goes for Harwich. Andrew Chin (Boston College), coming off his first tough outing of the year, starts for Chatham.
 

Posted on

Midseason Awards

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

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

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Kevin Cron, Falmouth

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

And Cron is on one.

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

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

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

IN THE RUNNING

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

 

OUTSTANDING PITCHER

Erick Fedde, Y-D

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

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

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

IN THE RUNNING

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

 

OUTSTANDING RELIEF PITCHER

Matt Troupe, Orleans

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

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

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

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

IN THE RUNNING

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

Posted on

Coastal Duo

Ben Smith delivers a pitch for Cotuit earlier this summer.

 
Ben Smith and Patrick Corbett left Coastal Carolina in the spring knowing they’d be back together this summer in Cotuit.

I’m not sure they knew they’d be this together.

The Coastal Carolina teammates have each pitched in four games for the Kettleers – the same four games. Smith has started four, and Corbett has come on in relief in the same four.

It’s mostly a quirky coincidence, but it’s also been very effective.

Smith suddenly leads the league in strikeouts with 22 while Corbett has yet to allow an earned run in 8.1 innings of work. Cotuit has won three of the duo’s four games, with the only loss a walk-off by Chatham – when Smith and Corbett had already departed.

That Chatham game marked the first use of the tag team. Smith started and went 2.2 innings. Corbett followed him to the mound and went 2.1. Five days later, in a 6-3 win over Orleans, Smith stretched out to five strong innings, while Corbett chipped in for one out in the eighth. Their next game against Wareham, they were in full-on tag team mode, with Smith going six innings and Corbett finishing the job with three.

Last night, the Kettleers beat Brewster 8-2 with Smith and Corbett combining for seven strong innings. Smith struck out seven and gave up two runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work. Corbett came on in the fifth and struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings. Brian Miller (Vanderbilt) then worked two scoreless frames to finish it off.

The Cotuit pitchers had plenty of run support. Logan Ratledge (NC State) hit his second home run – in his second game with the Kettleers. The rest of the attack was balanced. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), Yale Rosen (Washington State), Kevin Bradley (Clemson), Jake Fincher (NC State) and Galli Cribbs, Jr. (Clarendon) all drove in one run each.

The win was Cotuit’s 11th of the year, best in the league.

If they need another one five days from now, they’ll know who to call.

 

Hyannis 4, Harwich 2

The Harbor Hawks (10-4) matched up against Harwich’s Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky), who hadn’t allowed a run in two starts. Shepherd struck out nine in six innings, but Hyannis touched him up for three runs on its way to an impressive victory. Steve Wilkerson (Clemson), Skyler Ewing (Rice) and Jeff Schalk (UAB) all homered for the Harbor Hawks, while Chase Griffin (Georgia State) drove in the other run. The three home runs matched the team’s season total going into last night. Hyannis also got strong pitching. Austin Pettibone (UC Santa Barbara) struck out four in six scoreless innings on the same night his brother Jonathan picked up a win for the Philadelphia Phillies. Eric Eck (Wofford) picked up his third save with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth. For Harwich, Derek Fisher (Virginia) went 3-for-4 while Ian Happ (Cincinnati) had two hits and an RBI. The Mariners are 9-7 and have dropped three in a row.

 

Chatham 7, Bourne 5

The Anglers (10-5-1) joined Cotuit and Hyannis in the double-digit win club with their third straight win. They scored five runs in the first inning and never trailed, holding off a charge from Bourne to win. Hunter Redman (Texas Tech) had a huge night to lead the offense, going 4-for-4 with an RBI. He had three hits for the season before that. Jimmy Pickens (Michigan State) added two hits and an RBI, while Josh Eldridge (Old Dominion) knocked in two runs. North Carolina standouts Landon Lassiter and Michael Russell made their Cape debuts and had one hit apiece for the Anglers. On the mound, Joe Goodman (High Point) picked up the win in relief and Kyle Funkhouser (Louisville) picked up a save in his debut. Bourne (7-9) got three hits from Trent Gilbert (Arizona) and two RBI from Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State).

 

Orleans 11, Falmouth 5

The Firebirds (8-7) scored double-digit runs for the second time this year and moved over .500 with the victory over Falmouth. They finished with 17 hits off of a parade of Falmouth pitchers, doing all their damage in the first four innings. Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) led the charge, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Ross Kivett (Kansas State) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Austin Davidson (Pepperdine) had two hits and three RBI. Leadoff man Greg Allen (San Diego State) went 2-for-6, stretching his hit streak to six games. He has also had three straight multi-hit games and is now hitting .333, good for third in the league. Corey Miller (Pepperdine) picked up the win with five solid innings. Four relievers worked one inning each. Kevin Newman (Arizona) had three hits for Falmouth (9-7).

 

Wareham 6, Y-D 3

The Gatemen (3-13) snapped a give-game skid with a much-needed victory over Y-D (7-8-1). Kurt McCune (LSU), a former Friday starter for the Tigers who spent the spring working his way back from injury, was solid in his first Cape start of the year, striking out two and allowing two runs in five innings. Trey Killian (Arkansas) was terrific in relief, giving up one run and striking out five in a four-inning save. The offense got two hits and two RBI from Trevor Podratz (Hawaii), plus three hits and an RBI from Cole Stancil (St. Leo). The team’s 12 hits were a season-high for the Gatemen.

 

What to Watch

Teams square off tonight in the first of two holiday rivalry games, with all the same teams meeting tomorrow on the other’s home field for the Fourth of July. Cotuit hosts Falmouth tonight at 5 p.m. in a battle of two of the West’s best teams. Chris Ellis (Ole Miss), who has given up one earned run in three starts, goes for the Kettleers against Trey Teakell (TCU), who has a 1.47 ERA in three starts. In the East, Orleans hosts Chatham at 7 p.m., with Trent Szkutnik (Michigan) on the mound. He allowed two runs in his first start. Aaron Garza (Houston), who owns a 2.34 ERA, starts for Chatham.

 

Posted on

It’s a Start

Keaton Haack is one of many Harwich starting pitchers who have been dominant this year.

The Harwich Mariners lead the league with a 2.04 ERA. It’s an impressive number. Look a little deeper, and it’s even more impressive.

Harwich’s starting pitching has been unbelievably good.

Last night, Jalen Beeks (Arkansas) went six shutout innings as the Mariners cruised to a 6-1 victory over Brewster. That was the sixth time in 11 games that a Harwich starter has allowed no earned runs.

And the numbers don’t end there. In the team’s seven wins, Harwich starters have given up a total of three earned runs, and every starter has gone at least five innings. The starters’ ERA in the team’s victories is 0.67.

Even some of the losses have featured strong performances. Pat Connaughton (Notre Dame) and Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky) both had scoreless outings in losses. In fact, in 11 games, Harwich has had only one start that could be called bad – a three-inning outing by Sam Howard (Georgia Southern), who gave up four earned runs.

Aaron Bummer (Nebraska) and Shepherd have been at the head of the class. Both have made two starts without allowing an earned run. Beeks, who was a reliever at Arkansas, has done his part as well. He allowed two earned runs in his first start before dominating last night. He gave up just two hits in six innings.

With pitching like that, the offense doesn’t have to out-slug people, which is good considering Harwich’s team batting average is .218. That offense should get better as some recent arrivals settle in, but even now, the Mariners have been steadily taking control of games. Derek Fisher (Virginia) went 2-for-5 with three RBI on Tuesday, while Ian Happ (Cincinnati) drove in two and Aaron Barbosa (Northeastern) had three hits.

The bullpen got in on the act too, with three pitchers combining to allow just a run in finishing Beeks’s strong performance.

As long as that keeps up – and the Mariners keep finishing – look out.

Because it sure looks like the starts are going to be good.

 

Hyannis 4, Bourne 3

The league-leading Harbor Hawks (8-3) played extra-innings for the second night in a row and won again, edging the Braves (5-7) on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Skyler Ewing (Rice). Kyle Freeland (Evansville) was dominant on the mound for the Harbor Hawks, striking out eight in seven scoreless innings. The Braves made their comeback in the eighth and ninth thanks in large part to two home runs by Max Pentecost (Kennesaw State), who is the first Cape Leaguer in 2013 to hit two homers in the same game. But Hyannis came back to life in the 10th, with Landon Curry (Indiana State) singling, getting to second on an error, stealing third and scoring on Ewing’s fly ball. Hyannis has played six one-run games, and amazingly, has won all of them.

 

Falmouth 4, Orleans 0

Falmouth (7-5) shut down a hot Orleans (6-5) team for its fourth victory in five games. Trey Teakell (TCU) went seven shutout innings, striking out four and scattering six hits for his second win of the year. In both victories, he hasn’t given up a run. Kevin McKanna (Rice) finished the job with two scoreless innings. Kevin Cron (TCU) and Conner Hale (State College of Florida) led the offense with two hits and two RBI each. Cron hit his league-leading sixth double.

 

Cotuit 9, Wareham 2

Nobody has won more lopsided games than Cotuit, and the Kettleers (8-4) did it again with an easy victory over the Gatemen (2-10). Ben Smith (Coastal Carolina) struck out eight and gave up one earned run in six innings. His Coastal Carolina teammate Patrick Corbett did the rest, allowing just one hit in three scoreless frames. Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt), who started the year 0-for-6, had his third multi-hit game in the last six, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. He’s now hitting .310. Kevin Bradley (Clemson), who had been off to a rough start, matched his season total for hits with a 3-for-3, two RBI night.

 

Chatham 5, Y-D 5

The Red Sox (4-7-1) forced extra innings with two runs in the ninth, and the teams only got one more inning in before darkness forced the game to end in a 5-5 tie. Chatham (7-4-1) took a 5-1 lead in the sixth but watched the Red Sox get two in the sixth and the two in the ninth to tie it. D.J. Stewart (Florida State) hit a two-run homer in the ninth, his first of the year, to force extras. Taylor Smart (Tennessee) also had an RBI for the Red Sox, while Dante Flores (USC) went 4-for-4 for the Anglers.

 

What to Watch

Just one game on the schedule tonight as Harwich visits Orleans. Nick Howard (Virginia), a two-way player who has only hit so far, is scheduled to make his pitching debut for the Mariners. Interestingly, he’ll square off with his Virginia teammate Josh Sborz, who has a 4.15 ERA in two relief appearances for Orleans.

 

Posted on

The Stars are Out

Cotuit's Mike Ford is the Cape League's leading hitter through 10 games.

 
Ten games is not a lot in a baseball season, but in one as short as the Cape League’s, it’s not an insignificant amount. We’re almost a quarter of the way through the season.

Ten games in, hot starts can begin turning into trends. Stars can begin to cement their spots.

Two stars were on full display last night.

Cotuit’s Mike Ford (Princeton) hit a home run and went 2-for-4 to maintain his place as the league’s leading hitter with a .429 average. Falmouth’s Rhys Hoskins (Sacramento State) also homered and now leads the league in home runs with three and RBI with 11.

For both, it’s a welcomed start.

Ford hit .252 for Cotuit last year. He pitches too and had an ERA over six. This spring, though, he made history at Princeton, where he was named Ivy League Player and Pitcher of the Year, the first person ever to hit that double. He came back to Cotuit on a temporary contract, but I’m guessing he’ll stick around. He owns a 1.92 ERA in 4.2 innings on the mound to go with his work at the plate.

Hoskins was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2012 when he hit .353 with 10 home runs, but he didn’t have a great summer in the West Coast League. He hit just .237. This spring, his numbers dipped to .283 and three home runs.

But this summer, Hoskins has been fantastic. He has played in every one of Falmouth’s games and has gotten at least one hit in all but one of them. In his last three games – which came after his one hitless performance – he’s gone 6-for-12 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Ford and Hoskins are also helping their teams pile up the victories. Cotuit beat Hyannis 7-2 last night to take over first-place in the West. Steven Duggar (Clemson) and Rhett Wiseman (Vanderbilt) had three hits each in addition to Ford’s good night. Joel Seddon (South Carolina) got the win with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Falmouth hit the road to take on a red-hot Bourne team and shut the Braves down completely, winning 8-0 for their third straight victory. Joseph Maggi (Arizona), Kevin Cron (TCU), Conner Hale (State College of Florida) and Troy Stein (Texas A&M) joined Hoskins with two hits apiece. John Means (West Virginia) went 5.2 innings for his first win.

 

Harwich 8, Y-D 0

Harwich (6-3) won its fourth straight game as Y-D found itself on the wrong end of a rough night again. The Red Sox (3-7) have given up 40 runs in their last three games. Harwich, meanwhile, has allowed a total of four runs in its winning streak. Chandler Shepherd (Kentucky) continued the string of quality starts with six shutout innings. He struck out one and allowed three hits. Jake Drossner (Maryland) and Michael Costello (Radford) finished it off. The offense was led by Gunnar Heidt (College of Charleson), who hit a third-inning grand slam on his way to a five-RBI night. Tanner English (South Carolina) and Derek Fisher (Virginia) also drove in runs.

 

Orleans 6, Chatham 5

After blowing a 5-0 lead in the seventh inning, the Firebirds (5-4) scored a run in the ninth to beat Chatham (6-4) by a run. Chris Marconcini (Duke) was the hero as his solo home run in the ninth got the Firebirds back in front. It was his second home run in three games and was part of a 3-for-5 night. Matt Troupe (Arizona), who had come on in the eighth, sealed the win with a scoreless ninth. Zach Fish (Oklahoma State) also went 3-for-5 for the Firebirds. On the mound, Bobby Poyner (Florida) delivered a strong start with five scoreless innings. Mitchell Gonsolus (Gonzaga) had three hits and two RBI to lead Chatham.

 

Wareham 3, Brewster 1

The Gatemen (2-8) snapped a six-game losing streak by shutting down the Whitecaps, who were coming off a 14-run explosion the night before. Andro Cutura (Southeastern Louisiana) turned in his second strong start for Wareham, striking out six in five shutout innings. Dillon Ortman (Auburn) and Dalton Brown (Texas Tech) finished the job. The Wareham offense still didn’t smash the ball but did rack up nine hits. Cole Stancil (St. Leo) went 2-for-3 while Will Schwanke (Arkansas) and Brock Stewart (Illinois State) drove in runs.

 

What to Watch

Chatham and Cotuit – who were the league’s hottest teams in week one – get together for their second meeting at 5 p.m. in Cotuit. The last time they met, Chatham won in a walk-off. This time, the Anglers send ace Andrew McGee (Monmouth) to the hill. He ranks third in the league in strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a run in his two starts. Cotuit counters with Jared Walsh (Georgia), who’s given up just one run in his two starts.