Daily Fog: End of the Line

The way things have been going, you got the feeling it would take something special to stop the Chatham Anglers.

Three Bourne pitchers delivered it.

Turner Phelps (James Madison), Justin Poovey (Florida) and Stephen Harrold (UNC Wilmington) combined on a four-hit shutout as the Braves toppled the Anglers by a 4-0 score, snapping Chatham's six-game winning streak.

It was the third start of the season for Phelps, who turned it into his longest and best start so far. The sophomore righty allowed just two hits, struck out nine and walked only one in six shutout innings. Bourne gave Phelps the lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth, and the bullpen helped keep the lead, a crucial part of the equation against the comeback-minded Anglers. Poovey struck out two and allowed one hit in two innings. Harrold surrendered a leadoff single in the ninth but got three straight groundouts to end the game.

It's the first time this season that Chatham has been shut out. The Anglers came into last night's game leading the league in hitting, but they dropped behind Y-D after their four-hit performance.

Kaleb Fleck (Pitt-Johnstown) got the start for Chatham and pitched well, surrendering just a run on two hits in four innings. Cody Freeman (Mississippi State) hit a solo home run for the Braves. Raynor Campbell (Baylor) scored the second run on a wild pitch and a throwing error. A dropped fly ball allowed two runs to score in the ninth.

The Anglers still sit in first by eight points, and they're the only team in the East with a winning record. Bourne improved to 4-4-2.

Elsewhere

Rob Gariano (Fairfield) got credited with the shortest complete game of the season as the Harwich-Hyannis game got called in the sixth because of rain. The Mets were trying to rally when the game was called. They had runners on second and third. Before that, Gariano had been lights-out. Making his second start, the junior righty struck out 11 and walked nobody through his 5.1 innings. For the season, he has struck out 19 without a single walk, one of the more impressive early pitching lines of the season. Harwich made a winner out of Gariano thanks to two runs in the second and one in the fifth. Levi Michael, North Carolina's freshman who was making his first appearance, drove in a run, as did David Herbek (James Madison) and Marcus Niddifer (Kentucky).

Y-D got just enough offense, and Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) delivered a lights-out relief performance to lead the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over Orleans. After a strong start by Jared Ray (Houston), who allowed just an unearned run in six innings, Burgoon struck out seven and didn't allow a hit over the final three innings. Burgoon is establishing himself as the league's best reliever. He now has four saves and 16 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. He has not allowed a hit or an earned run. On the offensive side, Jonathan Jones (Long Beach State) led the way for the Red Sox with three hits and an RBI. Elliot Glynn (Connecticut) allowed one run in 5.2 innings for Orleans.

The other two games were postponed because of rain.

What to Watch For Tonight
Two first-place teams will get together in Cotuit as the 9-2 Chatham Anglers take on the 5-4-1 Kettleers. Before last night, Cotuit had handed Chatham its only loss. Chad Bell (Walters State) will get the start for Cotuit against Chatham's Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State). Both have been impressive in the early going.