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More of the Same

Ryne Birk catches a throw as Cotuit's Jeren Kendall slides underneath him in Monday's playoff game.
Ryne Birk catches a throw as Cotuit’s Jeren Kendall slides underneath him in Monday’s playoff game.

 
Cotuit went 0-for-6 against Hyannis in the regular season. If ever the Kettleers were going to break through, game one of their playoff series Monday looked like a pretty good time. They had ace Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) on the hill and the regular-season slate was wiped clean.

But Hyannis simply rolled on.

The top-seeded Harbor Hawks touched up Woodcock for eight runs – five of them earned – and built an 8-0 lead en route to a 10-3 victory at McKeon Park.

Woodcock ranked fourth in the league in ERA, but Hyannis had done a little damage against him in his final regular-season start, scoring three runs in 3.2 innings.

This time, the Harbor Hawks scored three runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third in racing to the early lead. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State) pitched six strong innings for the win, allowing just two unearned runs. Zach Girrens (St. Louis) picked up a three-inning save.

Jacob Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) and Ryne Birk (Texas A&M) both homered for the Harbor Hawks. Noll added a single and finished with four RBI. Colby Bortles (Ole Miss) and Jake Rogers (Tulane) drove in two runs each, while Bobby Melley (Connecticut) continued his triumphant return with a 3-for-3 night. He was coming off a 4-for-5 performance in the season finale, his first Cape game since June 14.

Cotuit showed some life late with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. Spencer Gaa (Bradley) had two hits and an RBI.

It was too little, too late, just as it has been all season for Cotuit against Hyannis. The Kettleers will have one more chance to change that.
 

Orleans 4, Chatham 1

East top seed Orleans also took care of business in its opener, rallying from an early 1-0 deficit to beat Chatham 4-1. The Anglers struck first and pushed a run across against Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), a pretty rare feat. But Jordan would go the next 5.2 innings without allowing another run. He struck out four. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) and Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) – who apparently is sliding to the bullpen – finished the job. The Firebirds took the lead in the second against Chatham starter Zac Gallen (North Carolina) and added two more runs in the fifth. Kyle Lewis (Mercer), Willie Abreu (Miami) and Nick Zammarelli (Elon) knocked in one run each. Abreu, who went 2-for-3, has a five-game hit streak that includes two home runs, giving Orleans one more dangerous hitter.
 

Y-D 3, Brewster 2

The only upset of the day happened at Stony Brook Field, where No. 3 Y-D rallied against the Brewster bullpen for a 3-2 victory over the No. 2 Whitecaps. Pitching figured to be the key for the Whitecaps – who had the league’s best batting average but the second-worst ERA – and Hunter Martin (Tennessee) gave them exactly what they needed. He went 6.2 shutout innings, keeping Brewster in front 1-0. Anthony Arias (Fresno State) relieved him with two outs in the seventh and got a quick third out but Y-D started the eighth with a single and a walk. The Red Sox then greeted new pitcher Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) with two straight run-scoring singles and a sacrifice fly. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State) and Dallas Carroll (Utah) had the base hits while Mike Donadio (St. John’s) delivered the sac fly. The Whitecaps got one run back in the bottom of the eighth but nothing else. Chad Hockin (Cal State Fullerton) then struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
 

Bourne 7, Wareham 1

The Braves scoed five runs in the second inning and never looked back in a 7-1 victory over Wareham. Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Bourne’s 10-hit attack. C.J. Chatham (Florida Atlantic) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Pete Alonso (Florida) had two hits. Cody Sedlock (Illinois), who opened the season in the Bourne bullpen but transitioned to the rotation for three regular-season starts in July, showed why that was a good move. He went seven innings and gave up just one run, striking out five. Bryan Baker (North Florida) pitched the final two innings.
 

Award Winners

A number of Cape League awards were presented Monday, most notably the MVP and Pitcher of the Year honors.

The MVP went to Brewster’s Nick Senzel, and deservedly so. The Tennessee standout was solid early in the season then got hot and never cooled off. He ended up hitting .364 – second only to Andrew Calica – and led the league in RBI with 33. He is Brewster’s first MVP since J.C. Holt in 2003.

Senzel also took home Top Prospect honors.

Mitchell Jordan, another shoo-in, won Pitcher of the Year honors. Jordan tied a CCBL record with a 0.21 ERA, while going 6-0 for Orleans. He is the second straight Firebird hurler to take top honors. Kolton Mahoney won it last year.
 

What to Watch

Brewster at Y-D, 4 p.m.
Hyannis at Cotuit, 4 p.m.
Bourne at Wareham, 7 p.m.
Orleans at Chatham, 7 p.m.

Orleans will have its other ace, Eric Lauer, on the hill as it tries to finish off a sweep of Chatham at Veterans Field. Lauer finished the regular season as the league leader in strikeouts.
 

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Second Place Shutouts

Chatham players celebrate during a game earlier this season.
Chatham players celebrate during a game earlier this season.

 
Second place has been a distant second for much of the Cape League season, but with shutouts last night – and losses by first-place Orleans and Hyannis – second place teams Chatham and Bourne made up a bit of ground.

The Anglers cruised past Wareham 8-0 and are now four games back of Orleans, while the Braves tipped Y-D 4-0 to get within two games of Hyannis.

Chatham got five strong innings from Daniel Castano (Baylor), who struck out three and gave up just two hits. Carl Burdick (San Diego), James Mulry (Northeastern) and Andre Scrubb (High Point) finished off the shutout.

Every Chatham pitcher was on the hill with a big lead as the Anglers scored all eight of their runs in the first four innings. It was a good breakout for a team that had scored only five runs in its last five games.

Nine different Anglers had hits. Aaron Barnett (Pepperdine) and Garrett Hampson (Long Beach State) led the way with two RBI apiece. Will Craig (Wake Forest) and Jake Fraley (LSU) each scored two runs. Nate Mondou (Wake Forest) had two hits and an RBI.

Chatham has won two in a row and is now 18-13.

Over at Doran Park, the Braves didn’t have quite as much offense, but the pitching was just as good. Alex Robles (Austin Peay) who had taken a loss in three straight starts, went a long way in securing a victory with six shutout innings. He scattered five hits and struck out two. Cooper Hammond (Miami) and Gavin Pittore (Wesleyan) did the rest.

Pete Alonso (Florida) and Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) drove in runs to lead the offense. National Freshman of the Year Brendan McKay (Louisville) made his Bourne debut after a Team USA stint and went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

The Braves have won two in a row and are 14-15-2.

 

Brewster 10, Orleans 6

The Whitecaps scored more runs than anybody has tallied against Orleans all year in a 10-6 victory at Eldredge Park. Corbin Burnes (St. Mary’s) was touched up for three earned runs and the Orleans bullpen didn’t have much better luck, as Brewster racked up 13 hits. Nick Senzel (Tennessee) went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs to bring his league-best RBI total to 22. Cassidy Brown (Loyla Marymount) hit his third home run. Jack Meggs (Washington) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Robbie Tenerowicz (California) and Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) added two hits each. For Orleans, Bobby Dalbec (Arizona) hit his league-best sixth home run and Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) smacked his fourth, but the Whitecaps kept the Firebirds off the board over the final three innings. Starter Jordan Sheffield (Vanderbilt) allowed two earned runs in five innings for the win.
 

Harwich 6, Hyannis 1

West-leading Hyannis also went down, as Harwich raced to an early lead against Harbor Hawks ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) and cruised to a 6-1 win. Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) and Preston Palmeiro (NC State) hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning, with Neuse’s going for three runs. Mike Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) hit a solo home run in the second. The Mariners had only four other hits on the day, but the early burst was enough. Cam Vieaux (Michigan State) struck out seven and gave up just one run in seven innings, his second straight very strong start. Joe Ravert (La Salle) pitched the final two innings.
 

Falmouth 5, Cotuit 2

The Commodores moved into third place in the West with a 5-2 victory over Cotuit and Wareham’s loss. Tate Blackman (Ole Miss) homered in drove in three runs while Heath Quinn (Samford) went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Boomer White (Texas A&M) added two hits. Alex Phillips (San Jacinto) allowed one run in six innings for the win and Stephen Villines (Kansas) tallied his sixth save. Falmouth improved to 13-18 while Cotuit dropped to 11-20.
 

What to Watch

Orleans’ Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) takes his 5-0 record and 0.00 ERA to Veterans Field for his first meeting of the year with Chatham. The Anglers are slated to give the ball to Ty Damron (Texas Tech), who went six innings without allowing an earned run in his last start.
 

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Four-for-Four

Nick Solak

Nick Solak and Bourne improved to 4-0 against Hyannis this summer with a win Wednesday.
Nick Solak and Bourne improved to 4-0 against Hyannis this summer with a win Wednesday.

 
For most of the summer, the West Division standings have had Hyannis at the top and nobody else particularly close. The Harbor Hawks are 17-13 right now and no other team is even above .500.

But in that landscape, a funny thing has happened: Bourne has consistently gotten the better of the first-place Harbor Hawks.

With a 3-2 victory Wednesday night at Doran Park, the Braves moved to 4-0 against Hyannis this summer. That’s nearly a third of their 13 total wins on the season. Hyannis still owns a six-point lead on the second-place Braves but it would be a whole lot bigger if not for their head-to-head series.

Wednesday, the Harbor Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning and made it 2-0 in the sixth. Starter Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) was cruising with the lead and took a no-hitter into the fifth.

Even from that beginning, Bourne still found a way.

The Braves scored three runs in the sixth inning, with a double by Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) and a single by Camden Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) setting up RBI for Pete Alonso (Florida), Corey Julks (Houston) and Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State).

Bourne’s Indiana State bullpen tandem then took over. Ryan Keaffaber, who had served up a home run in the top of the sixth, worked a scoreless seventh and college teammate Austin Conway followed with two perfect innings en route to his seventh save.

The Harbor Hawks got two hits from Blake Tiberi (Louisville), who now qualifies for the batting average leaderboard – and vaulted to the top spot with his .380 average. They also got the first home run of the summer from recent arrival Matt Thaiss, who won a national championship with Virginia.

But against Bourne, nothing the Harbor Hawks do has mattered much.

The Braves have their number.
 

Orleans 12, Harwich 3

Orleans is on its third streak of at least four wins this summer thanks to a 12-3 drubbing of Harwich last night. The Firebirds scored five runs in each of the first two innings as they put the game away quickly. Nick Zammarelli (Elon), who’s quietly been one of the team’s steadiest performers, had a loud night, hitting a three-run homer in the first and knocking in two with a single in the second. He finished 2-for-4 with five RBI. Willie Abreu (Miami) and Alex Call (Ball State) drove in two runs each. Leadoff man Bryan Reynolds (Vanderbilt) scored three runs. Starting pitcher Kyle Serrano (Tennessee) allowed two runs in four innings. Carmen Benedetti (Michigan) got the win in relief.
 

  • Y-D 4, Falmouth 3

    • The Firebirds aren’t the only hot team in the East, as Y-D pushed its win streak to five in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 walk-off victory over Falmouth. With the game tied 3-3 in the ninth, the Red Sox strung together four straight singles, with the fourth one winning the game. Tommy Edman (Stanford) delivered it, plating Joshua Vidales (Houston) with the winning run. Earlier in the at-bat, Edman had failed to get down a squeeze bunt, which caused the runner from third to get tagged out in a rundown. Edman then came through and now has a hit in 10 straight games and ranks fourth in the league in hitting at .341. Vidales and Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) each had three hits. Chad Hockin (Cal State Fullerton) made his first appearance of the summer and got the win with three innings of relief. Y-D improved to 16-14, tied with Brewster for third place in the East.
     

    Brewster 2, Cotuit 1

    The Whitecaps stayed hot with a little late drama as well, edging Cotuit for their third straight win. Trailing 1-0 in the ninth, the Whitecaps tied it on a J.C. Escarra (Florida International) RBI single and won it later in the inning when Escarra raced in from third on a wild pitch. Brewster had been shut-out by Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech) but had managed to stay within a run thanks to a strong pitching performance of its own. Alex Schick (California) gave up one run in 6.1 innings Four relievers teamed up for the final 2.2 innings and allowed just one hit.
     

    Chatham 2, Wareham 1

    The Anglers rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to slip past Wareham at Veterans Field. Daulton Jefferies (California) made his return from Team USA for the Gatemen and allowed one run in four innings, but Chatham pushed through against the Gatemen bullpen, plating the go-ahead run in the seventh on an RBI single by Todd Czinege (Villanova). Brandon Miller (Millersville) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief. Cameron Stone (Stony Brook) and Aaron McGarity (Virginia Tech) finished off the victory. Aaron Barnett (Peppedine) added two hits and an RBI for the Anglers.
     

    What to Watch

    Nothing on the schedule today. When games get going again Friday, Orleans will host Brewster in a battle of streaking East teams.
     

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    Be Like Mitch

    Mitchell Jordan tossed six shutout innings to improve to 5-0.
    Mitchell Jordan tossed six shutout innings to improve to 5-0.

     
    News flash: Mitchell Jordan (Stetson) allowed an extra-base hit Saturday night.

    But it was a return to originally-scheduled programming soon after.

    Jordan continued his absolutely dominant summer with six more shutout innings as Orleans beat Brewster 2-0. Jordan – six starts and 33 innings into his Cape League career – still has a 0.00 ERA.

    Brewster’s Ryan Peurifoy (Georgia Tech) doubled in the third inning for the first extra-base hit allowed by Jordan this summer. It put runners on second and third, an earned run just 90 feet away. Jordan responded by striking out Brewster’s best hitter, Nick Senzel (Tennessee) to end the inning. He didn’t allow another hit, finishing with six innings of two-hit baseball, to go with nine strikeouts.

    This is the time of year back in 2012 that Sean Manaea – who will be the measuring stick for Cape League aces for a long time – started to fully cement an incredible summer, with dominant start after dominant start. Jordan isn’t quite on the same strikeout pace as the former Hyannis star, but as RFF commenter Orville suggested, his overall performance is looking downright Manaean. This is not simply a great beginning or a hot streak – Jordan is having a tremendous summer.

    Jordan leads the league in wins with five, strikeouts with 40 and ERA at 0.00. He has given up 11 hits the entire summer, for an opponents batting average of .104. He has gone at least five innings in every start and hasn’t surrendered more than three hits in any of them. He was won five consecutive starts after a no-decision in his summer debut.

    Saturday’s win also came at an important time for the Firebirds, who had lost two in a row. They scratched a run across in the first on an error and added one in the ninth on a Willie Abreu (Miami) sacrifice fly.

    Two runs were plenty. Brewster’s J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount) had a strong start as well, giving up one run in six innings. But as has been the case all summer, it wasn’t good enough to keep up with Mitchell Jordan.
     

    Y-D 8, Chatham 1

    Gio Brusa (Pacific) hit two home runs and drove in five, and Ricky Thomas (Fresno State) picked up his fifth win as Y-D stopped Chatham’s four-game winning streak. Brusa, who got off to a slow start in his second summer on the Cape, now has a hit in nine straight games and is batting .286 with four home runs. He hit a three-run shot in the third inning Saturday and added a solo shot in the fifth. Donnie Walton (Oklahoma State), Stephen Wrenn (Georgia) and Cole Billingsley (South Alabama) each chipped in two hits, and Y-D scored five earned runs off Zac Gallen (North Carolina), who came in with a 0.00 ERA in three starts. Thomas allowed one run in 5.2 innings for his fifth win in as many tries. With the win, Y-D moved one point ahead of Harwich for fourth place in the East.
     

    Bourne 4, Hyannis 1

    The Braves have moved into second place in the West, and though they’re still six points back of division leader Hyannis, they’re also 3-0 against the Harbor Hawks after Saturday’s win. Bourne was shut-out for six innings but scored three in the seventh and one in the ninth. Nick Solak (Louisville) and Pete Alonso (Florida) each had two hits and an RBI. Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) also had two hits. Cody Sedlock (Illinois) allowed one run in 5.2 innings of work. Doug Norman (LSU) got the win in relief and Austin Conway (Indiana State) tallied his sixth save. For Hyannis, ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) righted the ship after a tough outing in his last start, going 5.2 scoreless innings.
     

    Wareham 2, Cotuit 1

    Evan Hill (Michigan) turned in his third great start, going six innings with one unearned run as Wareham edged Cotuit 2-1. Hill, a 6-5 lefty, has now had three starts in which he’s gone at least five innings without giving up an earned run. He also struck out seven on Saturday and gave up only one hit. Ian Hamilton (Washington State) took the baton in the seventh and tossed three scoreless innings to finish off the win. The Wareham offense was sparked by Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara), who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, who has delivered two hits in three straight games.
     

    Falmouth 4, Harwich 1

    Austin Tribby (Missouri) went six strong innings and the Falmouth offense smacked four doubles in a 4-1 victory over Harwich. Tribby scattered six hits and gave up one run in six innings for the win. Cobi Johnson (Florida State) got the save. Michael Tinsley (Kansas) went 3-for-4 while Heath Quinn (Samford) was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
     

    What to Watch

    Division leaders Orleans and Hyannis will meet for the third time, this one at Eldredge Park. They have split their first two meetings.
     

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    Lucky 13

    Chatham has had a lot to celebrate with three straight wins.
    Chatham has had a lot to celebrate with three straight wins.

     
    The only teams in the Cape League currently sporting a win streak are the teams already stationed atop the East division. With lopsided victories last night, first-place Orleans and second-place Chatham gained a little more cushion.

    Orleans beat Cotuit 13-2 at Eldredge Park for its fourth straight win. The Firebirds are now 18-6 (that’s .750 baseball, if you’re scoring at home).

    In neighboring Chatham, the Anglers won their third straight, beating Wareham 13-6. The Anglers are still eight points behind Orleans but have a three-point cushion on third-place Harwich and are just one win off the pace of Hyannis for the second-best record in the league.

    For Orleans, a win streak is nothing new. At various points, the Firebirds have won six, four and three games in a row this summer, accounting for most of their wins. But the 13-2 win was their highest-scoring game and it came on the heels of an 11-2 win Tuesday. Perhaps the Firebirds are getting even hotter.

    Orleans got 17 hits and blasted three home runs against the Kettleers. Ronnie Dawson (Ohio State) hit one for the second straight game, while going 3-for-5 with four RBI. Willie Abreu (Miami) and Justin Jones (Georgia State) each hit their first home runs. Orleans now has 20 homers on the summer, nine more than any other team.

    Kyle Lewis (Mercer) and Nick Zammarelli (Elon) had three hits apiece, with Zammarelli doing it for the second straight night. Lewis went for a multi-hit game for the fifth time in seven games, raising his average to .360. Vanderbilt’s Bryan Reynolds, making his second appearance since arriving late from Omaha, went 2-for-4.

    Eric Lauer (Kent State) had no trouble making the lead stand up, tossing six innings of no-run, one-hit baseball. He struck out eight and brought his ERA to 1.38.

    Over in Chatham, the Anglers didn’t flash quite as much pop as the Firebirds, getting only one extra-base hit, but they piled up the singles in hitting a season-high in runs. Like Orleans, it wasn’t their first big game of the week. They beat Harwich 12-4 on Sunday.

    Tuesday, they scored five runs against highly-touted lefty Matt Krook (Oregon). Leadoff man Trenton Brooks (Nevada) went 4-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored. Jake Fraley (LSU) and Todd Czinege (Villanova) each went 3-for-5. Fraley is now hitting .400 and Chatham is 4-2 in the six games he’s played.

    Luke Persico (UCLA) and Nick Sciortino (Boston College) drove in two runs each.

    Ty Damron (Texas Tech) made his first start since June 22 and the big offensive night helped make it a warm welcome. Damron gave up one unearned run in six innings. Wareham scored five runs in the top of the ninth against the Chatham bullpen but the deficit was much too large.

    Two streaking teams scoring 13 runs each are pretty tough to beat.
     

    Falmouth 6, Hyannis 1

    Falmouth’s Michael Tinsley (Kansas) hit the third pitch he saw from Hyannis ace Nick Deeg (Central Michigan) out of the park, and the Commodores were off-and-running. They scored five runs and chased Deeg – he of the 0.32 ERA – before he could even escape the first. J.J. Matijevic (Arizona) had an RBI and Shane Benes (Missouri) had two. Staked to the early lead, Conor Costello (Oklahoma State) turned in his best start of the summer, giving up one run on three hits in seven innings of work.
     

    Harwich 4, Y-D 3

    The bottom three teams in the East are trading places nearly every day and Harwich continued the musical chairs with a seventh-inning rally to beat Y-D. With his team trailing 3-2, Sheldon Neuse (Oklahoma) hit a two-run triple in the seventh and Harwich was in business from there. The bullpen didn’t allow a run in the final four innings and Luke Scherzer (Virginia Tech) nabbed his league-leading seventh save. Harwich also got a home run from Matt Gonzalez (Georgia Tech) and two hits from Brock Deatherage (NC State).
     

    Bourne 5, Brewster 4

    The Braves and Whitecaps scored all their runs in the final four innings, and Bourne managed one more in a 5-4 victory over Brewster. Corey Julks (Houston) had two hits and two RBI. Nick Solak (Louisville), Pete Alonso (Florida) and Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) had one RBI each. Bourne’s Josh Rogers (Louisville) and Brewster’s Alex Schick (California) both delivered solid starts before the bats arrived. Austin Conway (Indiana State) got the save for the Braves.
     

    What to Watch

    Just a make-up game between Brewster and Orleans on tap tonight. The Firebirds will be going for their fifth win in a row.
     

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    Big Bats

    Will Haynie hit his third and fourth home runs of the year to lead Cotuit past Y-D 11-1.
    Will Haynie hit his third and fourth home runs of the year to lead Cotuit past Y-D 11-1.

     
    In 84 Cape League games prior to Tuesday night’s slate, teams had hit double digits in runs only five times. Tuesday, it happened twice.

    Perhaps the bats – always behind at the start of a Cape summer – are catching up.

    Bourne beat Falmouth 12-3 with a 15-hit, six extra-base-hit attack, while Cotuit broke out for its best offensive day of the season in an 11-1 victory over Y-D.

    (Chatham and Orleans also had big nights, scoring nine and eight runs, respectively, while Hyannis went and ruined the league-wide storyline with a 1-0 victory over Brewster.)

    For Bourne, the offense was steady in the early going, with single runs in the first, second and third innings, and four in the fourth. For good measure, the Braves scored five in the top of the ninth to hammer it home.

    Camden Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBI. Six other players drove in runs, with Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) and Jacob Robson (Mississippi State) bringing home two each. Florida standout Pete Alonso, playing his second game in a Braves uniform, went 3-for-5 with a double and scored a run. C.J. Chatham (Florida Atlantic) had a triple. Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

    The 12 runs were a season-high for the Braves, who raised their team batting average by a whopping .10 points, from .229 up to .239.

    The outburst was plenty for Keegan Akin (Western Michigan), who tossed five shutout innings. Doug Norman, who had a strong spring in LSU’s bullpen, made his first Braves appearance and picked up the save. Bourne improved to 8-8-1.

    Over at Lowell Park, Cotuit was up to similar tricks, although they were a bit more condensed. After getting shut-out for five innings, the Kettleers scored five runs in the sixth inning and six runs in the eighth to blow past Y-D.

    Will Haynie (Alabama) was the star of the show with two home runs, a three-run shot in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth. Haynie, though he’s only batting .179, is now tied for the league lead in homers with four.

    Gene Cone (South Carolina) also homered and drove in two, while Jackson Klein (Stanford) had two hits and two RBI.

    Daniel Brown (Mississippi State) gave up one run in five innings on the hill, and Matthew Milburn (Wofford) went the last four innings for the win. He struck out six.

    The win was the second straight for Cotuit, who is now 6-12.
     

    Chatham 9, Wareham 2

    The Gatemen had won three in a row, but Chatham broke open a close game with five runs in the sixth inning on its way to the 9-2 win. Aaron Knapp (California) and Will Craig (Wake Forest) each had two RBI for the Anglers. Trenton Brooks (Nevada), Cory Raley (Texas Tech) and Kyle Adams (Richmond) added two hits each. Jesse Adams (Boston College) allowed one run in five innings of work for the win. Wareham got a home run from Jarett Rindfleisch (Ball State). Chatham improved to 10-8, which is the third-best record in the league. Wareham is 9-9.
     

    Orleans 8, Harwich 5

    Orleans also had a big inning – a five-run fourth – to pull away from Harwich in an 8-5 victory. The Firebirds racked up 16 hits, led by three each from Austin Miller (Loyola Marymount) and T.J. Nichting (Charlotte). Kyle Lewis (Mercer) had two hits and two RBI for his third consecutive two-hit game. The emerging star is second in the league in hitting with a .368 mark and is tied for the league lead in home runs and RBI. In addition to the big night at the plate, Orleans got another strong outing from Mitchell Jordan (Stetson), who struck out eight in six innings of two-hit ball. The only run he allowed was unearned, keeping his season ERA at 0.00. Jordan is 3-0 and leads the league in strikeouts with 25.
     

    Hyannis 1, Brewster 0

    The lone exception on the offensive night was in Hyannis, where the Harbor Hawks and Whitecaps were scoreless for eight innings before a walk-off in the ninth. Nicholas Pappas (College of Charleston) plated the winning run with a two-out single in the ninth, scoring Austin Hays (Jacksonville). Before those heroics, two Hyannis pitchers and four Whitecaps were engaged in quite the duel. Vance Tatum (Mississippi State) scattered five hits in five scoreless innings for Hyannis, before Andrew Civale (Northeastern) struck out five in four scoreless frames. Alex Schick (California) gave up just two hits in six innings for Brewster.
     

    What to Watch

    No games today. When things pick back up Wednesday, Wareham might be a good place to be. Matt Krook (Oregon), the former first-round pick who’s working his way back from Tommy John Surgery, is slated to start for the Gatemen against Cotuit’s Jon Woodcock (Virginia Tech), who is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA.
     

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    Bourne Identity

    BOU15_celebrate
     
    A good start is great, but as so many Cape League teams have shown – especially since the playoffs expanded – a great finish is even better. And a bad start can be left completely behind.

    The Bourne Braves still have a ways to go before they can think about a big finish, but the bad start has certainly been erased. With a big chunk of players still with their college teams when the Cape season began and some hard-luck losses mixed in, Bourne got off to an 0-6-1 start this summer. Once they got off the skid, they stayed and have won seven of their last nine, emerging as one of the league’s hottest teams.

    Saturday, the Braves knocked off West-leading Hyannis 3-0. They were facing Devin Smeltzer (Florida Gulf Coast), who was fresh off a no-hitter, and they touched him up for 10 hits. On the other side, Ryan Smoyer (Notre Dame) tossed six shutout innings to get the Braves on their way.

    Reid Humphreys (Mississippi State) led the offense with two hits and two RBI. He’s one of only four players in Saturday’s starting lineup that was also in the opening day starting nine. Those four – Humphreys, Camden Duzenack (Dallas Baptist), Ryan Boldt (Nebraska) and Corey Julks (Houston) – have been solid, and the reinforcements have helped do the rest. Guys like Nick Solak (Louisville) and Pete Alonso (Florida) are major additions that make Bourne’s lineup a whole lot better. Solak is hitting .314. Alonso made his debut Saturday and went 1-for-4 with an RBI, after hitting five homers for the Gators this spring.

    Smoyer made his third start Saturday and out-dueled Smeltzer. He didn’t strike out a batter but only allowed four hits in his six scoreless innings. Bryan Baker (North Florida) and Austin Conway (Indiana State) closed out the shutout, with Conway grabbing his third save.

    Hyannis remains atop the division at 10-7, but Wareham – and now the red-hot Braves – are right on their tail. The Braves’ bad start seems like a long time ago.
     

    Falmouth 1, Harwich 0

    Bourne’s win was one of three Saturday shutouts. Falmouth’s came on the shoulders of four pitchers, with Jack Finnegan (McLennan CC) getting the win in relief and Stephen Villines (Kansas) notching the save when he struck out the side around a single in the ninth. Adam Oller (Northwestern State) started and went five scoreless. The day’s only offense came in the sixth, when Boomer White (Texas A&M) knocked an RBI single. That made Harwich’s Scott Tully (Notre Dame) a very hard-luck loser. He went eight innings, struck out seven and allowed just the one run. Falmouth improved to 7-10 with the win.
     

    Brewster 3, Chatham 0

    Brewster had the other shutout, as J.D. Busfield (Loyola Marymount) and three relievers combined to quiet Chatham’s bats. Busfield, who was a terrific closer for Loyola, continued his transition to a Cape rotation with his third start, and his best yet. He went six and allowed only two hits. Anthony Arias (Fresno State), Trent Paddon (Oregon) and Thomas Hackimer (St. John’s) did the rest, with Hackimer recording the save. Chatham starter Daniel Castano (Baylor) gave up only one earned run, but three Chatham errors led to a pair of unearned tallies. Colin Lyman (Louisville) and Nico Giarratano (San Francisco) each had two hits for the Whitecaps.
     

    Cotuit 5, Orleans 4

    The Kettleers were on a seven-game skid but stopped despite having to match up with East-leading Orleans. The Firebirds rallied from a 4-3 deficit to tie the game in the top of the ninth – setting up more heartbreak for the Kettleers – but this time, Cotuit rallied and pushed the winning run across in the bottom of the ninth on the old walk-off walk by Kort Peterson (UCLA). Brett Stephens (UCLA) and Branden Berry (Cal State Northridge) went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Cotuit offense. Nick Lewis (Baylor) got the win with five strong innings of relief. He struck out five and allowed only the ninth-inning run. Kyle Lewis (Mercer) had two hits and two RBI for Orleans. He now ranks second in the league in hitting, tied for first in home runs and tied for third in RBI.
     

    Wareham 4, Y-D 2

    Wareham won its third in a row, moved one game over .500 and got within two points of first place Hyannis. Evan Hill (Michigan) went five shutout innings for the win and Ryan Olson (Cal Poly Pomona) picked up the save. Nick Cieri (Maryland) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Andrew Calica (UC Santa Barbara) went 2-for-3 with an RBI. The Gatemen continue to lead the league in runs scored with 78 in 17 games.
     

    What to Watch

    It’s a battle of division leaders at Eldredge Park when Orleans hosts Hyannis. Kyle Cedotal (SE Louisiana), who had a great spring and has a 0.90 ERA this summer, will start for the Firebirds. Dakota Hudson (Mississippi State), who has struck out seven in each of his starts, goes for Hyannis.
     

    Posted on

    Braves primed for the top again

    bourne 15
     
    With Falmouth getting hot in the playoffs, it’s easy to forget that Bourne owned the West Division last year and finished with the best record in the league. A couple of guys will be back from that team, and they’ll be joined by a strong influx of talent that has the Braves looking like a top on-paper contender.
     

    FIVE TO WATCH

    1. Brendan McKay
    2. Boomer Biegalski
    3. Ryan Boldt
    4. Nick Banks
    5. Pete Alonso

     

    NOTABLE

  • C.J. Chatham ends up in Bourne? We need to be better than that, people.

  • Florida State’s Boomer Biegalski will be among the most proven incoming CCBL starting pitchers after settling into ace duties for Florida State this year. He struck out 120, good for ninth in the country.

  • With Biegalski leading the way, the Braves have as impressive a collection of starters as any in the league. Keegan Akin, Matt Crohan, Ryan Keaffaber, Brendan McKay, Josh Rogers, Ryan SMoyer and Dominic Taccolini were all weekend rotation guys this year.

  • McKay has earned a Team USA camp invite, but if he comes to Bourne, he could be the league’s top freshman. The two-way star has a 1.77 ERA and a .314 average.

  • Bourne has a couple of guys with strong bullpen experience, but it will be hard for any of them to push Miami’s Bryan Garcia from the closer’s role, once he arrives from Omaha. Garcia has saved 25 career games in just two seasons with the Hurricanes.

  • Veteran catchers are not a bad place to start building a roster, and Bourne has a pair of returning Cape Leaguers in Jason Delay and Brian Serven.

  • Lots of big-time hitters on the roster, but from a purely statistical standpoint, no one was better than Lehigh’s Mike Garzillo, who hit .359 with 13 homers this spring.

  • Ryan Smoyer, Pete Alonso and Ryan Boldt were all Northwoods League stars last year and will be primed to follow the familiar path to Cape League stardom this year.

    •  

    PITCHERS

    Keegan Akin – SO – Western Michigan – Starter for most of his career, had 4.33 ERA with 75 Ks in sophomore season
    Boomer Biegalski – SO – Florida State – JUCO transfer emerged as ace this year, striking out 120 in 108 IP, with 3.17 ERA
    Matt Crohan – SO – Winthrop – Lefty had big sophomore season, going 7-4 with 3.05 ERA, 87 Ks on way to Big South second team nod
    Bryan Garcia – SO – Miami – Set Miami freshman record for saves last year with 15, has 10 more this year with Miami off to CWS
    Cooper Hammond – SO – Miami – Another key in Miami bullpen, leads team in appearances and owns 1.85 ERA
    Ryan Keaffaber – SO – Indiana State – MVC Freshman of the Year after closing in 2014 had 2.73 ERA in move to rotation this year
    Brendan McKay – FR – Louisville – Two-way star may be nation’s top freshman, but has also earned Team USA invite
    Andy Ravel – SO – Kent State – 21st-round pick out of high school had 3.13 ERA with 55 Ks in second season at Kent State
    Alex Robles – SO – Austin Peay – Two-way player had 3.31 ERA and batted .328 with three homers
    Josh Rogers – SO – Louisville – Solid starter for Cards is 8-1 with 3.53 ERA after posting 3.96 ERA with Braves last summer
    Cody Sedlock – SO – Illinois – Has 4.02 ERA in 21 appearances this year, mostly out of bullpen
    Ryan Smoyer – SO – Notre Dame – Top prospect award winner in Northwoods League last year went 9-1 with 2.27 ERA this spring
    Kirby Snead – SO – Florida – Followed busy freshman year with strong summer in Northwoods, has 3.19 ERA as reliever this year
    Jacob Sparger – SO – Louisville – Solid bullpen arm has 2.08 ERA in 14 appearances for Louisville
    Dominic Taccolini – SO – Arkansas – Moved to weekend rotation after strong freshman year and went 6-4 with 4.32 ERA
    Robert Tyler – SO – Georgia – Freshman All-American missed most of sophomore season after an injury, returning in May
     

    CATCHERS

    Jason Delay – SO – Vanderbilt – Hit .226 for Bourne last summer and batting .301 for Commodores this season
    Brian Serven – SO – Arizona State – Had some struggles in Bourne last year but returned to Tempe and hit .294 with 6 HRs this spring
     

    INFIELDERS

    Pete Alonso – SO – Florida – One of Northwoods League’s best last summer hitting .304 with three homers for Omaha-bound Gators
    C.J. Chatham – SO – Florida Atlantic – Followed strong debut with breakout sophomore season, hitting .344 with 28 XBH, 43 RBI
    Camden Duzenack – SO – Dallas Baptist – Helped lead DBU’s continued emergence with .286, 4 HR season
    Mike Garzillo – JR – Lehigh – Second baseman had huge junior year, batting .359 with 13 HR, 54 RBI and 15 SB
    Casey Golden – SO – UNC Wilmington – Freshman All-American last year hit .283 with 6 HR in second season
    Reid Humphreys – SO – Mississippi State – After part-time duty last year, hit .247 and was second on team in HR with 5
    Corey Julks – FR – Houston – Grabbed full-time job as season went on and hit .302 with 5 HR, 38 RBI
    Nick Solak – SO – Louisville – One of top hitters for dynamic Louisville offense, batting .326 with three homers, 18 SB
     

    OUTFIELDERS

    Nick Banks – SO – Texas A&M – Led SEC in hitting for much of the year, now batting .366 with 7 HR, 47 RBI
    Ryan Boldt – SO – Nebraska – Baseball America’s top prospect in the Northwoods League hit .344 in second season in Lincoln
    Vince Fernandez – SO – UC Riverside – West Coast League all star last summer had breakout sophomore year with .316 average, 7 HR