Daily Fog: Double, No Trouble

Sorry for the delay . . .

Maybe Wareham should play more doubleheaders.

The last 10 days have been kind of a roller-coaster for the Gatemen. They've played 11 games. They've been to Martha's Vineyard. They've tied three games. They've lost some heartbreakers.

But through it all, when the Gatemen play two games in a day -- which they've done three times in 10 days -- they haven't lost.


The trend continued last night for the Gatemen and the impact of it made its biggest impression yet. The Gatemen went on the road and beat Harwich 5-1 and 2-1. With those four points and a Bourne, the Gatemen are suddenly tied for first in the West.

Apparently, all those postponements weren't the worst thing in the world.

Last night, Wareham got a pair of complete games en route to the wins. Making his first start of the summer, Brandon Workman (Texas) took the ball in game one and turned in the kind of performance that he delivered consistently all of last summer. Workman struck out nine, walked one and allowed just a run. Harwich starter Aaron Meade (Missouri State) matched Workman with nine strikeouts in seven innings, but when the game went to an extra frame, Wareham scored four unearned runs off the Harwich bullpen. A dropped popup paved the way, and Alex Dickerson (Indiana) made Harwich pay, belting a three-run homer later in the inning. It was his first of the summer.

In game two, Brett Eibner (Arkansas) was staked to a 2-0 lead in the first. A George Springer (Connecticut) RBI single brought home the first run, and the second scored on an error. Eibner proceeded to hold on to the slim lead the rest of the way, striking out eight in seven innings.

Just like that, the Gatemen were a first-place team. They're still not crushing the ball -- they're ranked last in the league in batting average -- but they're scrapping, and I still think their offense has plenty of potential. If they get more starts like the two they got yesterday, the pitching will be in good shape, too.

And maybe the best news? They're still got two doubleheaders on the schedule.

Elsewhere

Cotuit got another strong pitching performance and continued its resurgence with a 3-0 victory over Y-D. Ricky Bowen (Mississippi State) got the start and went five shutout innings. Matt Grace (UCLA) and Navery Moore (Vanderbilt) combined for a scoreless inning before Jeff Walters (Georgia) closed the game with three innings of one-hit ball in just his second appearance of the summer. Cotuit's offense got two hits from Cory Vaughn (San Diego State). Zach Cone (Georgia) and Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech) drove in runs. The Kettleers have won two in a row and are just two points back of first place. They had lost six in a row coming into the week.

Bourne saw its skid stretch to five as Hyannis topped the Braves 5-0. Seth Rosin (Minnesota), who's emerging as the Mets' top starter and one of the best in the league, struck out five in five shutout innings. Jimmy Messer (North Carolina) worked three scoreless innings in relief and Mark Gormley (Brown) went one scoreless frame. Jackie Bradley Jr. (South Carolina) went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Dustin Harrington (East Carolina) went 3-for-5 with one run knocked in.

Chatham beat Falmouth 6-4 for its second straight victory. Dean Green (Oklahoma State) went 2-for-3 with a grand slam for the Anglers and Logan Verrett (Baylor) allowed three runs in five innings to pick up the win. Russell Brewer (Vanderbilt) picked up his seventh save, which ties him for the league lead.

Orleans and Brewster somehow got through 11 innings before finally succumbing to darkness in Brewster. The teams ended up with a 3-3 tie. Tim Ferguson (Ole Miss) went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI and Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia) went 3-for-6 for the Whitecaps. Gary Brown (Cal State Fullerton) went 2-for-5 and drove in two to lead the Orleans offense.

What to Watch For Tonight

Only two games on the docket. Hyannis hosts Brewster and Orleans visits Cotuit. The Kettleers will have Seth Blair (Arizona State) on the mound as they go for their third win in a row.