daily fog: whatever works

The Orleans Cardinals really just haven't been stopped the last two weeks. They've won close games and blowouts, pitchers' duels and slugfests. It doesn't matter which. In their last 11 games, they're 9-1-1, with the only loss coming by a 1-0 score.

The last two nights, they've won a pair of one-run games, beating Bourne 3-2 on Sunday and Chatham 2-1 last night. They've done that despite being without their closer, Kyle Kamppi. According to the team's website, Kamppi (Georgia Southern) was released for violating team rules.

But even though Kamppi had eight saves and a .64 ERA, the Cardinals haven't missed a beat. Duke outfielder and part-time pitcher Alex Hassan has stepped into the closer's role and converted both of his save opportunities without allowing a run.

That's pretty remarkable. Obviously, it's a luxury to have an extra pitcher like Hassan, who had five saves for Duke this year, but the fact that he has stepped in seamlessly is also a sign of how well things are going. The Cardinals are in first place by six points now and nobody wants to let that slip. That means different players have to step up at different times, and that's exactly what's happeneing.

Elsewhere

• Nate Freiman (Duke) had two hits and an RBI to lead the way for the Cardinals last night. He's now hitting .253. For Chatham, highly-touted freshman Matt Harvey (North Carolina) made his first start. He struck out eight and allowed two runs on six hits in six innings of work.

• In the only other game on the schedule, Harwich stopped Hyannis' five-game winning streak with a 7-3 victory. Michael Morrison (Cal State Fullerton) allowed two runs on two hits in six innings for the Mariners, and D.J. LeMahieu (LSU) went 4-for-5. Mark Fleury (North Carolina) hit a two-run home run in a four-run eighth inning.
  

What to Watch For Tonight

• Andrew Carraway (Virginia) will try to get Hyannis back to its winning ways when he leads the Mets into Wareham, who sends Max Perlman (Harvard) to the hill.