Catching Fire

Brian Miller had three hits as Orleans won its fourth straight game.

All of a sudden, the best team in the league since day one has somebody hot on its tail.

Harwich lost 4-2 to Chatham for its third straight defeat last night. In the meantime, Orleans shut out Hyannis 4-0 for its fourth straight win. The Firebirds are now just a game back of the Mariners for first place in the East.

Orleans was 7-8 when its win streak began, and the streak has followed a pretty classic good baseball formula – three runs or fewer allowed in each game, at least nine hits and only two errors total across the four-game stretch.

The pitching was at its best in Saturday’s win. Joe Ryan (Cal State Northridge), who has allowed a run or less in each of his four starts, went five strong innings, giving up four hits and striking out three. The bullpen then held up its end of the bargain in dominant fashion. Eli Morgan (Gonzaga), Zach Willeman (Kent State) and Zach Logue (Kentucky) didn’t surrender a hit in teaming up for the final four innings.

At the plate, Keegan McGovern (Georgia) hit his second home run in the win streak, a pinch-hit solo shot in the eighth. Brian Miller (North Carolina) drove in the other three runs for the Firebirds with a 2-for-5 night. Riley Adams (San Diego), Justin Jones (Georgia State) and Will Golsan (Ole Miss) scored a run apiece.

Success on the mound and at the plate in the win streak has put Orleans in third place in both team ERA and team batting average – making them the most balanced team in the league by that measure. A few more wins, and the Firebirds could become the best in the league by another measure.

Y-D 3, Falmouth 1

The Red Sox aren’t far behind Orleans for label of hottest team in the league. They topped Falmouth for their third straight win Saturday, rallying from a 1-0 deficit with a run in the seventh and two in the ninth despite finishing with only four hits. Mikey Diekroeger (Stanford) knocked an RBI single to tie the game in the seventh. In the ninth, Will Toffey (Vanderbilt) delivered an RBI double to plate the go-ahead run. Matthew Whatley’s (Oral Roberts) sacrifice fly made it 3-1, and Bryan Pall (Michigan) pitched the bottom of the ninth for his third save. Cal State Fullerton standout Connor Seabold earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief in his Cape League debut. Diekroeger and Toffey had two hits each, the only hits for the Red Sox. Y-D is 10-9, over .500 for the first time this season. Falmouth got a home run from Trevor Larnach (Oregon State) and six innings of one-hit, shutout ball from Florida freshman standout Brady Singer before the Red Sox rallied.

Chatham 4, Harwich 2

Losers of four straight, Chatham knocked off first-place Harwich with runs in the seventh and eighth innings to break a 2-2 tie. Stuart Fairchild’s (Wake Forest) third hit of the night plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Patrick Mathis (Texas) hit his second home run of the summer in the eighth for a little insurance, and Moises Ceja (UCLA) tossed a scoreless ninth for his third save. That made a winner out of Isaac Mattson (Pittsburgh), who struck out five of the 10 batters he faced in 2.2 scoreless frames. Starter Tanner Chock (Presbyterian) also pitched well, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings. Chase Pinder (Clemson) had three hits and an RBI for the Anglers and Gunnar Troutwine (Wichita State) also knocked in a run. For Harwich, Packy Naughton (Virginia Tech) struck out five in 4.2 innings and leads the league in Ks with 26. Austin Filiere (MIT) had two hits and two RBI.

Bourne 2, Brewster 1

Bourne stopped a two-game slide and remained in first place in the West with a win over Brewster. An RBI single by Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Mangum, the SEC batting champ, finished 3-for-4, raising his average to .392. Connor Wong (Houston) and David MacKinnon (Hartford) added two hits each. Patrick Raby (Vanderbilt) allowed one run in five innings and left with the game tied. Doug Norman (LSU) earned the win in relief and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) picked up his third save with his fourth consecutive scoreless outing. Brewster got seven strong innings from Konnor Pilkington (Mississippi State), who took the hard-luck loss. Nick Dunn (Maryland) had two hits.

Wareham 3, Cotuit 2

Friday, Cotuit won a one-run game for the first time in seven tries. Saturday, Wareham returned the favor, dropping the Kettleers to 1-7 in one-run games with a 3-2 victory at Spillane Field. Three runs in the third inning were all the Gatemen needed as three pitchers combined on a solid showing. Ethan Small (Mississippi State) went four scoreless innings for the win and Ryan Wilson (Pepperdine) escaped trouble in the eighth and tossed a perfect ninth to finish off the win. Colton Shaver (BYU) upped his league-best RBI total to 20 and Gavin Sheets (Wake Forest) also drove in a run. For Cotuit, Colton Hock (Stanford) allowed two earned runs in six innings. Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) homered and Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had two hits.

What to Watch

Today brings the openers in the two-game home-and-home holiday sets. As has been the case throughout the year, Harwich and Brewster looks an intriguing match-up. Two-time Cape League Pitcher of the Week Shane McCarthy (Seton Hall) gets the ball for the Mariners today against Brewster’s high-powered offense.

June 29, 2016June 29, 2016

Close Calls

Willy Yahn scored a run as Bourne edged Cotuit.

The best team batting average and second-best on-base percentage in the league have helped the Bourne Braves race to the top of the West with a 10-5-1 record. Their knack for winning close games has helped, too.

With a 5-4 win over Cotuit Tuesday, the Braves went to 6-1-1 in games decided by two runs or less. That means half the team’s games have been close, and the Braves have won all but one of them.

There have been late heroics, like a walk-off on opening night and a victory in 10 innings the next night. There have also been games like Tuesday, where the bullpen finishes strong and holds up an early lead.

The Braves jumped on Cotuit with five runs in the top of the first inning. They wouldn’t score again and Cotuit got within a run, but the last three pitchers to take the mound pitched a hitless inning each to preserve the slim lead.

The first run of the game came home on a wild pitch. David MacKinnon (Hartford) then knocked a two-run single, Evan Mendoza (NC State) plated a run with a base hit and MacKinnon raced in on a passed ball. Just like that, it was 5-0.

Bourne starter Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) – making his first appearance since hooking on with the Braves after being released by Chatham – allowed one run in four innings before the Kettleers scored two in the fifth. Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) had a pair of RBI to lead the comeback effort.

Reliever Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) gave up one run in 1.2 innings before giving way to the big finish. Sean Leland (Louisville), Ronnie Rossomando (Connecticut) and Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro) combined for three near-perfect innings. The only base runner reached on a walk and was later erased on a double play. Wantz earned his second save and struck out two in the ninth, giving him 15 Ks in 10.1 innings.

With the win, the Braves have a one-game lead on Wareham for first place in the West. Bourne has won three in a row.

Wareham 1, Chatham 0

The Gatemen kept pace with Bourne thanks to a shutout of Chatham. Jeff Bain (California) went four innings to start the scoreless string. Nick Sprengel (San Diego) then delivered the most dominant stint, striking out seven in three perfect innings of relief on his way to earning the win. Ryan Selmer (Maryland) and Christian Taugner (Brown) tossed one inning each to finish off the shutout. Four Chatham pitchers were almost as good, with starter Andrew Karp (Florida State) striking out five in four innings to lead the way. But Wareham’s one run in the sixth inning was enough. Harrison Wenson (Michigan) led off the inning with a double. With two outs, Cole Freeman (LSU) brought him home with a base hit for the only run the Gatemen would need. Wareham improved to 9-6-1 while Chatham is one of three East teams sitting at 8-8.

Harwich 5, Brewster 1

B.J. Myers (West Virginia) picked up his league-best third win by shutting down the Cape’s highest scoring offense as Harwich topped Brewster. Myers struck out six and scattered five hits in seven shutout innings. He’s now 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA and has gone at least seven innings in each of his three starts. The only run he’s allowed was in his first start. Nick Brown (William & Mary) and Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) finished off the win for the Mariners. Pavin Smith (Virginia) went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Harwich offense, and Cal Raleigh (Florida State) had two RBI. Harwich improved to a league-best 12-4. Brewster got a home run from Ryan Noda (Cincinnati) – his fourth – plus two hits by Nick Dunn (Maryland). Tyler Zuber (Arkansas State) pitched six solid innings of relief for the Whitecaps and struck out six, putting him into a tie for the league lead with 21 Ks.

Hyannis 6, Falmouth 3

The Harbor Hawks handled Falmouth for their seventh win in nine games since their 0-7 start. Andrew Gonzalez (Michigan State) got the start and was hit for three runs in 4.1 innings, but five Hyannis relievers teamed up for a dominant showing, allowing only two hits over the final 4.2 innings. Matthew Naylor (North Florida) was credited with the win and Tyler Stevens (New Mexico) picked up the save. The bullpen efforts set the stage for a rally and the Harbor Hawk offense obliged with three runs in the third and three more in the fifth. A two-run home run by Cody Henry (Alabama) was the biggest blow. Zach Rutherford (Old Dominion) added three hits and an RBI, with Brett Netzer (Charlotte) and Jordan Rodgers (Tennessee) also driving in runs. For Falmouth, Michael Gigliotti (Lipscomb) had three hits.

Orleans 5, Y-D 3

The Firebirds snapped a four-game slide with a victory over Y-D. Kirk McCarty (Southern Mississippi) struck out seven and allowed two runs in 5.1 innings for the win. Brandon Bielak (Notre Dame) earned the save. Keegan McGovern (Georgia) homered and drove in two to pace the offensive attack for Orleans, while Brian Miller (North Carolina) and Riley Mahan (Kentucky) drove in one run each. Justin Jones (Georgia State) scored a pair of runs. Orleans went to 8-8. Kevin Smith (Maryland) had three hits for Y-D, which dropped to 7-9.

What to Watch

Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) makes his second start of the summer when Harwich visits Orleans.

June 5, 2016June 7, 2016

Firebirds building on big year

The 2015 Firebirds were one of those once-in-a-few-years Cape League teams that more closely resembles an all-star squad, and the result was 31 wins. With nobody back from that team, the 2016 Firebirds have a tough act to follow.

Five to Watch

1. Riley Adams
2. Michael Mediavilla
3. Zach Warren
4. Chandler Day
5. Zach Kirtley

Notable

Vanderbilt’s Donny Everett, who died in a drowning accident last week, was slated to play for Orleans this summer. The Firebirds Twitter account joined the college baseball community in offering condolences.

Two other Commodores, Chandler Day and Ethan Paul, will head for Orleans. Day is a highly-touted freshman pitcher, while Paul had a solid season in the Vanderbilt infield.

Zach Willeman followed Eric Lauer to the mound a few times this season for Kent State and will follow his footsteps to Orleans this summer. Lauer was terrific for the Firebirds last year and even better for the Golden Flashes this spring. Willeman was the Kent State closer.

The Kent State connection isn’t the only one from last year’s Orleans’ rotation. Kyle Serrano’s Tennessee teammate Zach Warren is bound for Orleans after a pretty good sophomore season

Gonzaga’s Eli Morgan had the best starting pitching numbers among incoming Firebirds, going 10-2 with 99 strikeouts.

Will Stokes isn’t even the official closer at Ole Miss. That job belongs to former Falmouth Commodore Wyatt Short, but Stokes still managed to save seven games. He and Short combined for 18.

Miami has been one of the best teams in the nation and Michael Mediavilla has certainly pulled his weight. He’s 10-1 on the year and went seven strong innings in a regional win Saturday.

San Diego catcher Riley Adams is one of just five sophomores among the 15 Johnny Bench Award semifinalists. He had a strong sophomore campaign, improving across the board from a freshman season that was also pretty good.

Virginia’s Adam Haseley was a key part of last year’s College World Series championship, but he and the 2016 Cavaliers were bounced out of their own regional Sunday by East Carolina.

Brian Miller, North Carolina infielder, is not to be confused with Brian Miller, Vanderbilt reliever who starred for Cotuit in 2013. This Miller looks like he could be a fixture at the top of the Orleans order after hitting .345 and stealing 21 bases.

PITCHERS

Brandon Bielak – SO – Notre Dame – Struck out almost a batter an inning with 2.10 ERA pitching mostly out in relief
Chandler Day – FR – Vanderbilt – Highly-touted, projectable freshman held his own in debut, with 4.26 ERA in 10 appearances
Sean Guenther – SO – Notre Dame – Saved five games as a freshman before pitching mostly as a starter with 4.62 ERA this year
Calvin LeBrun – SO – Gonzaga – Went 5-4 with 4.97 ERA while pitching mostly out of the bullpen for Zags
Zach Logue – SO – Kentucky – Split time as reliever and starter and posted 2.68 ERA, 38 Ks
Kirk McCarty – SO – Southern Miss – Ace of Golden Eagle’s staff is 8-1 with 3.15 ERA and 89 strikeouts
Michael Mediavilla – SO – Miami – Saturday starter leads ‘Canes in strikeouts with 69 and holds 10-1 record with 3.23 ERA
Eli Morgan – SO – Gonzaga – Second-best starter for Bulldogs went 10-2, 3.66 ERA, 99 Ks in 103.1 innings
Jason Morgan – SO – North Carolina – Weekend starter went 3-3 with 4.10 ERA and 47 Ks
Joe Ryan – SO – Cal State Northridge – Pitched as both starter and reliever and finished with 3.35 ERA
Kevin Smith – FR – Georgia – Went 5-1 in swing role with 3.91 ERA, 40 Ks for Bulldogs
John Sparks – SO – Austin Peay – Struggled out of the pen for Governors, finishing with ERA over 10
Will Stokes – SO – Ole Miss – Has saved seven games with 2.93 ERA in team-high 30 appearances
Zach Warren – SO – Tennessee – Had solid season in weekend rotation with 4.04 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 58 Ks
Zach Willeman – SO – Kent State – Finished top 10 in the nation in saves with 14 while posting 2.70 ERA

CATCHERS

Riley Adams – SO – San Diego – Had terrific season for Toreros, batting .327 with 6 HR, team-best 25 extra-base hits
Drew Lugbauer – SO – Michigan – Standout in NECBL last summer hit .294 with 7 home runs as a sophomore

INFIELDERS

Joe Baker – SO – Texas – Followed strong freshman year with bit of a sophomore slump, finishing at .245 with 1 HR
Garrett Benge – SO – Oklahoma State – Solid performer for Cowboys hitting .298 with four homers
Will Golsan – SO – Ole Miss – Has started every game but one for Rebels and is batting .273 with three homers, 31 RBI
Zach Kirtley – SO – St. Mary’s – Starred as a freshman and was top player for tourney team this year – .326, 7 HR, 43 RBI
Riley Mahan – SO – Kentucky – Followed all-star campaign in Perfect Game League with .316, 5 HR sophomore season
Ethan Paul – SO – Vanderbilt – Fourth-leading hitter for Commodores with .283 AVG, 4 HR, 9 SB

OUTFIELDERS

Adam Haseley – SO – Virginia – Omaha standout in championship run last year still hot, with .304 AVG and 1.73 ERA as a pitcher
Scott Hurst – SO – Cal State Fullerton – Hitting .214 in 50 games for Titans
Garrett McCain – SO – Oklahoma State – Batting .203 in part-time duty for Cowboys
Keegan McGovern – SO – Georgia – Hit .263 with 6 HR, team-best 35 RBI in sophomore campaign
Brian Miller – SO – North Carolina – Led Tar Heels with .345 AVG and stole 21 bases in 26 tries
Sean Watkins – SO – Loyola Marymount – Hit .256 at the plate, saved seven games with 2.86 ERA out of bullpen