Daily Fog: Streak Stopping

As the ninth-inning fog thickened, Addison Johnson looked at right-fielder Whit Merrifield and threw up his hands, in a what-can-we-do kind of gesture.

I don't know what he was worried about.

My dad and I got to Chatham late last night after I made the trip over from Rhode Island, so we missed Johnson's spectacular catch. If he had needed to make another one, even in the thick fog, he probably would have been able to.

It was that kind of night for the Anglers, and they needed it.

The Anglers beat Brewster 10-1 to snap a seven-game losing streak. As crucial as it was to stop the skid, it was just as big to beat the Whitecaps, who came into the game tied with Chatham for third in the East -- and for the final playoff spot, as it's shaking out now.

Chatham's defense shined all night, even in the few innings I saw, and the offense did the rest. Joey Terdoslavich (Long Beach State) went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Matt Duffy (Vermont) drove in two. They backed Shawn Tolleson (Baylor), who allowed one run on four hits in six strong innings.

Elsewhere

• Another streak came to an end last night as Harwich beat Y-D 8-4, snapping the Red Sox' nine-game winning streak. Justin Wright (Virginia Tech), who has been mostly a reliever this summer, got the start for Harwich and allowed two runs in five innings. Harwich scored three earned runs but four unearned against Y-D starter John Leonard (Boston College). Trent Mummey (Auburn) and Connor Powers (Mississippi State) hit home runs for the Mariners. Leon Landry (LSU) had three hits and three RBI.

• Bourne and Wareham both posted blowout victories to keep the top of the West standings looking the same, with Bourne ahead by a point. The Braves beat Cotuit 13-1 thanks to an 11-hit attack, powered in large part by Raynor Campbell (Baylor). Campbell, who had five RBI this summer coming into last night, drove in six runs in last night's game alone. He also went 4-for-5 with a home run. Bourne starter Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) was dominant in five innings of work, striking out 10 and allowing a run on four hits.
  

• Wareham kept pace with a 10-3 victory over Hyannis. George Springer (Connecticut) broke the game open with a two-run homer in the fifth, and he finished with two hits and three RBI. Alex Dickerson (Indiana) had three hits for the Gatemen, with Shea Vucinich (Washington State) and Jordan Swagerty (Arizona State) getting two each. Blake Monar (Indiana) allowed two earned runs in seven innings to pick up the win.
  

• Orleans beat Falmouth 6-5 in 12 innings. The winning run scored on a controversial play when Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) grounded into a fielder's choice, before an errant throw to get him at first base allowed the game-winning run to score. Danny Muno (Fresno State) had four hits for the Firebirds and Devin Lohman (Long Beach State) had two RBI.
  

• A special note on Falmouth's Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State). With a 3-for-5 night against Orleans, Cunningham raised his league-leading average to .405. Cunningham is seven for his last 14. With eight games left, he's got a shot to hit .400. No one with enough at-bats to qualify has hit .400 this decade, which is as about as far back as you can look on the league's web site. The highest league-leading average this decade was J.C. Holt's .388 in 2003. Jimmy Cesario hit .387 last year, but that happened without him playing after the all-star game.
  

Daily Fog, Quickly

A little short on time this morning . . .

Y-D continues to stay hotter than any team's been this summer. The Red Sox beat Wareham 8-3 last night for their ninth consecutive win. They've now opened up a 10-point lead in the East. Ace Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) got the start and struck out six in five innings. He gave way to Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt), who picked up the win with three strong innings. The game was tied before Wareham scored five runs over the last two innings. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) went 2-for-5 and drove in four runs.

Bourne split a doubleheader with Harwich, but the one win was enough to vault into first place, by a point over Wareham. In the first game, Harwich's Mike Gipson (Florida Atlantic) struck out six in six innings, and the offense delivered a balanced effort, with four players driving in runs as Harwich won 5-1. Bourne won the second game 7-2 behind a solid start from Robert Morey (Virginia), who allowed two runs in five innings. Zack MacPhee (Arizona State) drove in two for the Braves. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) finished the twin bill 3-for-5 with a home run, his league-best seventh of the year. He's now hitting .331.

Cotuit got three strong pitching performances and a big game from Zack Cox (Arkansas) to beat Chatham 2-1. It's the second-straight win for the Kettleers, who are tied with Wareham for second place. Chatham has lost seven in a row. Craig Fritsch (Baylor) got the start for Cotuit and allowed a run in 3.2 innings. Navery Moore (Vanderbilt) and Ben Rowen (Virginia Tech) combined for 5.1 scoreless innings of relief. Cox went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

Brewster scored early then held off Orleans for a 4-2 victory. Combined with the Chatham loss, the win propels Brewster into a tie with Chatham for third place in the East. Steven Maxwell (TCU) picked up the win for the Whitecaps with five strong innings, striking out five and allowing one run. Tyler Thornburg (Charleston Southern) got the save. Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia) snapped out of a cold streak with a 3-for-4 day. Harold Martinez (Miami) hit a home run and drove in two. Jarrett Parker (Virginia) also drove in two.

Hyannis was two outs away from making its game with Falmouth official, but fog persisted and forced the game to be called with the Mets leading. Since the game wasn't official, it'll be started from scratch at a later date.

What to Watch For Tonight

Can Y-D make it 10 in a row? The Red Sox will host Harwich tonight at 5 p.m., with John Leonard (Boston College) scheduled to get the start. Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) is Harwich's probable starter.

Daily Fog: Moving On Up

You can't see it right now since the standings haven't been updated, but last night's games created a quirky little situation in the West. Bourne has 18 wins, Wareham has 17, Cotuit 16, Falmouth 15 and Hyannis 14. I don't really know what to call that. Symmetry?

Whatever it is, it amounts to the parity everyone wants to see.

Because of ties, the points race isn't so symmetrical, and Falmouth and Hyannis are a more distant fourth and fifth than their win totals would indicate. But with the playoffs the way they are, it's not out of the realm of possibility that one of those teams could make a run to the last playoff spot.

They helped their cause last night.

Falmouth continued its occasional blowout trend with an 11-2 victory over Harwich. Brian Fletcher (Auburn) went 5-for-5, B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) hit his fifth home run and Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) raised his league-leading average to .397. All in all, the Commodores pounded 18 hits in giving a big cushion to Kyle Winkler (TCU), who went five strong innings.

Over in Bourne, Hyannis staked Tyler Wilson (Virginia) to an early lead and he did the rest. Wilson, who has a scoreless streak of 21 innings and an ERA of 0.86, went seven shutout innings in this game to stop Bourne's four-game winning streak. Ryan Cuneo (Delaware), Ryan Graepel (North Carolina) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (South Carolina) each had two hits to back Wilson.

Elsewhere

In the only other game of the night, Cotuit topped Brewster 5-3. Zach Maggard (Florida Southern) and Zach Cone (Georgia) each hit home runs to pace the Kettleer offense. Jake Buchanan (NC State) won his third game of the summer and kept his ERA under one at 0.84. Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern), who still hasn't allowed a run this year , worked two scoreless frames to pick up his fourth save.

What to Watch For Tonight

Y-D will visit Wareham in a battle of two top teams and, potentially, two top pitchers. Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt) is scheduled to go for Wareham against either Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) or John Leonard (Boston College).

Daily Fog: One-Sided Rivalry

Here's one way to get a leg-up on your division rival: Beat them. Every chance you get.

That's exactly what the Bourne Braves have done, and it's a huge reason why they're where they are in the West standings. Bourne has beaten Wareham five times, out-scoring the Gatemen 34-7 in those games. The five wins account for more than a quarter of all of Bourne's wins, and more than a third of Wareham's losses. To some extent, Bourne and Wareham have defined each other's seasons. Even if just two of the games had a different result, the Gatemen would be in first place by seven points. If three games were different, the Gatemen would officially be running away with the division.

As it is, Wareham has a slim one-point lead over Bourne for first, and the Braves actually have one more win.

They've also got another dominant performance in the books.

Last time the teams met, Bourne's Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) took a no-hitter into the fifth and the bullpen held the lead as Bourne won 4-0. Last night, Seth Maness (East Carolina) was even better. He carried a perfect game into the eighth before a single broke it up. Maness allowed nothing else the rest of the way in finishing off a complete-game one-hit shutout. Bourne won the game 8-0.

Maness has been good this summer, but not dominant. Last night, he was as dominant as anybody has been all summer, short of Chad Bell in his no-hitter. If you take away the fact that Bell finished that no-hitter off and Maness didn't, Maness was probably more dominant. He struck out 11, didn't walk anybody and faced just one batter over the minimum. In the process, he lowered his ERA to 2.30, and he's now got 31 strikeouts against just four walks in 27.1 innings.

He also had plenty of support. The Bourne defense didn't make an error and the offense delivered eight runs for the second straight night. Rob Segedin (Tulane) continued to sizzle with a 3-for-3 performance. Adam Rice (Coastal Carolina) and Kyle Roller (East Carolina) hit home runs and Pierre LePage (Connecticut) drove in two runs.

The Braves were in a rough patch not too long ago, but they've now won four in a row. They've got ten games left in the regular season, including the season finale against Wareham.

The Gatemen better hope they've got a cushion by then.

Elsewhere

Y-D topped Chatham 6-4 for its eighth consecutive win. It's also Chatham's sixth straight loss. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) drove in two runs to lead the Red Sox, whose six runs were all unearned. Mario Hollands (UC Santa Barbara) got the win with five solid innings, while Chase Dempsay (Houston) and Kevin Rhoderick (Oregon State) combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) allowed his first earned run of the summer in the ninth but held on for his 11th save.

Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) went 2-for-5 and delivered a walk-off single in the ninth to give Falmouth a 4-3 victory over Cotuit. Cunningham is now hitting .393 and he drove in Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) with the winning run. Chad Bell (Walters State) started for Cotuit and struck out 10 in 6.2 innings. Nick Tepesch (Missouri) pitched well for Falmouth, striking out eight and allowing one earned run in six innings.

Orleans topped Harwich 3-1 for its second win in a row. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) was lights-out, allowing just one hit and an unearned run in eight innings. He struck out nine and walked just one. Alex Hassan (Duke) relieved Reyes in the ninth and picked up the save. Kevin Muno (San Diego) had three hits and Riccio Torrez (Arizona State) had two to lead the Firebirds.

Hyannis and Brewster split a nip-and-tuck doubleheader, with Brewster winning game one 4-3 and Hyannis taking game two 3-2. Brewster won game one on the strength of a four-run sixth inning. Tant Shepherd (Texas) accounted for two of the runs with a two-run homer. Ryan Cuneo (Delaware) had a home run for Hyannis. In game two, the teams played nine innings before Hyannis' Dustin Harrington (East Carolina) broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the ninth.

What to Watch For Tonight

Just three games on the schedule. League ERA leader Jake Buchanan (NC State) is scheduled to go for Cotuit at Brewster.

Daily Fog: Still Going

They had more players on the field at Fenway on Thursday than any other team, but real proof of what the Y-D Red Sox have accomplished comes in what they're doing on the Cape.

And they're still doing it.

After what was for them a two-day all-star break, the Red Sox beat division rival Chatham 6-3 last night for their sixth consecutive victory. Orleans also lost last night, putting the Red Sox in first place by eight points in the East.

Y-D now has the best team average and best team ERA in the league and both those dimensions were on display last night. Jordan Casas (Long Beach State), one player who wasn't an all-star, went 3-for-4 while Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) hit a home run and knocked in two, raising his league-leading RBI total to 21. The game was tied 3-3 until the seventh, when Ben McMahan (Florida) doubled and eventually came around on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Hanover (LSU).

The Red Sox added two insurance runs in the eighth and Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) continued his dominance with a scoreless ninth inning, giving him a league-best 10 saves. Burgoon helped make a winner out of Greg Peavey (Oregon State), who pitched three innings of relief after starter Michael Goodnight (Houston) lasted just four innings.

The loss was the fourth in a row for Chatham, and Orleans is on the same streak. Combined with Y-D's surge, things have really opened up in the East.

Elsewhere

Bourne was supposed to play a doubleheader with Brewster but had it postponed. With a Cotuit loss mixed in, Wareham took the opportunity to jump into sole possession of first place in the West with a dramatic 2-1 win over Orleans. The Gatemen trailed 1-0 from the third inning on, but Jordan Swagerty (Arizona State) jump-started a rally with a leadoff single in the top of the ninth. He eventually scored the tying run on a base hit by Chris Hannick (Cal State Northridge). Later in the inning, Shea Vucinich (Washington State) drove home Connor Rowe (Texas) with the go-ahead run. Josh Slaats (Hawaii) picked up the win for Wareham with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Bruce Kern (St. John's) helped get it to that point with four scoreless innings.

Falmouth swept a twin bill the day before the all-star game and kept the good times rolling last night with a 3-2 victory over Hyannis. Like Wareham, the Commodores trailed all game before a two-run rally in the ninth. Theirs came in the bottom half and was a bit more dramatic, as B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) hit a walkoff two-run homer to turn a 2-1 deficit into the 3-2 win. It was the fourth home run of the year for Vollmuth, who is emerging as one of the top freshmen in the league. The Commodores are still five games under .500, but only seven points out of a playoff spot.

Seven different players had hits and the bullpen shined as Harwich held off Cotuit 3-2. The Mariners broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh on an RBI single by Phil Gosselin (Virginia). Justin Wright (Virginia Tech) pitched 3.1 innings of relief to pick up the win, with Brian Dupra (Notre Dame) getting the save. Those two combined to limit Cotuit to three hits over the final 4.1 innings.

What to Watch For Tonight

Chad Bell (Walters State) will try to continue his recent dominance as Cotuit visits Wareham. He pitched a no-hitter two weeks ago and in his most recent start, allowed one run and struck out seven in seven innings. Wareham will counter with Josh Mueller (Eastern Illinois). The Gatemen are just two points ahead of Cotuit.

All-Star Live Blog

6:45 - So I fully planned on being at Fenway Park this evening, but I am at home instead. If I had just left in the morning, without glancing at any radar, I probably would have been fine. But idle hands and attractive meteorologists are a bad recipe for me. I kept going back to them until their fear-mongering convinced me that Hurricane Barry was on the way. So with the possibility of a drive from Little Rhody going for naught in a Boston deluge, I made the prudent but potentially regrettable decision to stay home and watch on NESN. Of course, it appears now that they'll play through this eminently light rain, and I am of course wishing I was there. However, I will soldier on. I feel I've taken one for the team here. I'm pretty well-acquaintaned with Murphy and his law, so I'm pretty sure this is all me. If I was at Fenway, I really would have brought a hurricane. So you're welcome. Anyway, the point is, I'll be watching and doing a little live blog here for anyone else who is not at Fenway. Stay tuned.

6:50 - They're starting early to get ahead of the rain. Workman on the mound for the home West squad, ready to go.

6:53 - Top four in East lineup looks real strong. Gary Brown leading off.

6:55 - Workman strikes out Brown with a 94 mph high fastball.

6:56 - Wates goes down swinging on a curveball. Workman hasn't been here long, but there's no doubting the stuff.

6:58 - Miscommunication in the outfield almost costs the West, but Todd Cunningham makes the diving catch in center. That's a 1-2-3 inning for Workman. In all-star appearances the last two years, he now hasn't allowed a base-runner and he has struck out four.

6:59 - It took until the third inning for a run to score last year. Todd Cunningham leading off for the West against Rob Rasmussen.

7:01 - Cunningham reaches on a hard shot to third that got past Jedd Gyorko. They'll call it an error.

7:02 - That didn't take long. After the error, Zack Cox crushed the first pitch he saw to deep center for a triple. Cunningham scores to give the West a 1-0 lead.

7:03 - Kyle Roller goes down on strikes. Blame it on the Cotuit helmet he was wearing. Actually, Ryan Cuneo is wearing a Cotuit helmet too. Apparently, Cotuit brought the helmets.

7:06 - Cuneo works the walk, and it's first and third for the West. There weren't two runners on base in last year's game until the fifth inning. Almost a twin killing for the East, but Cody Stanley legs out the throw, and Cox scores. It's 2-0.

7:08 - Stanley caught stealing by Chatham's Mike Murray to end the inning.

7:10 - Baseball America's Aaron Fitt is at the game and blogging. He says 13,000 in attendance. That's a great crowd, even on a clear night.

7:12 - Another Gatemen gets the call for the West. Jack Armstrong in and throwing 96.

7:15 - Armstrong leaving everything up. He walks Mike Murray with one out.

7:16 - My first look at the new Harwich home unis. I'm a fan.

7:19 - A couple of ground balls get Armstrong out of the inning with no damage done.

7:20 - NESN has Oriole Brian Roberts in the booth. He played for Chatham in 1998. Reminiscing about facing Ben Sheets and Barry Zito.

7:25 - Kyle Blair on for the East. He gets two quick outs before a soft line drive from B.A. Vollmuth gets over shortstop.

7:26 - With Blair on now, that means two of the first four pitchers in the game were top-five round picks in the 2007 draft. Blair went in the fifth, Workman in the third.

7:27 - A walk puts two on, and the East West is threatening. Cunningham up.

7:30 - Cunningham hit by a 3-2 pitch. Bases loaded for Zack Cox.

7:31 - Zack Cox for MVP. Opposite field line drive plates Vollmuth for a 3-0 West lead. Bases still loaded for Roller.

7:32 - Blair gets out of the jam with a grounder to first.

7:34 - Make it three Gatemen in a row. Eric Pfisterer on the mound for the West.

7:37 - After a fielder's choice, a pickoff throw that glances off the glove of Roller allows Colin Walsh to take second.

7:41 - Pfisterer strikes out Brown and Wates to end the inning. Neither of those two have struck out much this year (Brown 9 in 85 AB, Wates 18 in 96). Impressive stuff from Pfisterer.

7:45 - Red Sox assistant GM Ben Cherington: "You could certainly make the argument that if you're going to see one amateur game in a year, this is it."

7:46 - Chris Sale doesn't give Cherington much time in the booth. Groundout, strikeout, groundout, and we're on to the fourth.

7:48 - Dallas Gallant on for the West. He's the first non-starting pitcher to make an appearance.

7:53 - Mike Murray just misses a home run. A deep drive to right drifts foul.

7:54 - Gallant strikes out Murray. The East squad still has just one hit, and it was an infield single.

7:59 - BA's Aaron Fitt in the booth, summing up the league's makeup this year: "I think it's a very solid year. There aren't the consensus top guys . . . this summer will go a long way to establishing who goes in the first round."

8:02 - Good play from Wiswall on a low throw gets the East out of a jam. End four, still 3-0.

8:03 - Some speculation from the Cape Cod Times: "The West subbed all its reserves in, too, indicating that this game might not go on much longer."

8:10 - Stephen Harrold in for the West. He has issued a pair of walks. Two on, one out for the East.

8:11 - Nice double play turned by Nick Crawford and Derek Dietrich, ending the inning.

8:14 - The tarp is on the field. Rain delay.

8:18 - NESN still calling it a rain delay. Cape Cod Times seems to think it's over. The game is official at this point.

8:20 - Well that's that. NESN confirms the game has been called after four-and-a-half. Zack Cox wins the MVP award. He goes 2-for-2 with a triple and a single and two RBI.

8:21 - Great interview with Cox. Paraphrasing: "Everyone wants to make it to the Major Leagues, but this right here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

8:22 - As the Cape Cod Times noted earlier, the teams made sure to get all their positional subs into the game early. That left nine pitchers who didn't unfortunately didn't get to take the mound: Casey Gaynor, Aaron Meade, John Leonard, Tyler Burgoon and Russell Brewer for the East; Kevin Munson, Daniel Tillman, Patrick Cooper and Taylor Wall for the West.

8:24 - It's too bad that they had to call this one, but kudos to the Red Sox for allowing the league to play long enough to make it official. If this thing hadn't happened at all, it would have been a much bigger shame than an early ending.

Starry (and hopefully not rainy)

It's sadly fitting that in this wet, strange summer, the Cape League's biggest event could be heavily influenced by doppler radar.

The all-star game heads to Boston's Fenway Park tonight, and the forecast doesn't look great. Whatever happens, there will be an all-star game somewhere, some time. If rain forces a postponement of a suspension tonight, the game will be played in Hyannis on Saturday.

Here's hoping they play tonight, even if it's a little wet.

That, too, would be fitting in its own way.

If the 2009 class of Cape Leaguers have shown anything, it's that they can deliver good baseball, whenever they play.

I've found it tough to get a good feel for the 2009 season. That might just be me. It might be the rain. But the picture has come into focus lately, and it's becoming clear that there's a deep pool of talent on the Cape this year. There may not be a consensus top prospect or a shoo-in MVP, but there are a lot of players on the same plane. And I get the feeling that it's at a fairly high level.

Tonight, a lot of those players will take the field at Fenway Park. For this group, that will make taking the field in the Cape League all-star game a little more, even a lot more special.

They've earned a special opportunity. Let's hope they put on a good show.

Ten to Watch
A rundown of my picks for the top players at Fenway.

1. Todd Cunningham, Falmouth
He has hit from day one, and he's just not going to cool down. In a doubleheader yesterday, he went 3-for-5, raising his average to .394.

2. Jedd Gyorko, Brewster
He's 0-for-his-last-11 so his average has dipped to .308, but he might be the best all-around hitter in the league.

3. Chris Sale, Y-D
A tall lefty who has starred since the first day of the season, Sale is a good bet to be a first-rounder next year.

4. Gary Brown, Orleans
He was a late arrival, but he has done nothing but hit. And steal bases. And drive in runs.

5. Kyle Blair, Brewster
A high pick out of high school, Blair's performance has matched the hype this season. He's second in K's.

6. Zack Cox, Cotuit
Five tools, and plenty of production from perhaps the top frosh in the league: .364, 6 XBH

7. Kyle Roller, Bourne
Late-round pick this year is making his case for a big contract or a better result next June. Triple Crown candidate.

8. Mickey Wiswall, Y-D
BC star is league's leading run producer and is hitting .319.

9. Austin Wates, Y-D
Outfielder with some speed has been near the top in average all summer.

10. Tyler Burgoon, Y-D
League-leader in saves still hasn't allowed an earned run.

And Five More . . .
Because it was hard to narrow it down.

Brandon Workman
Derek Dietrich
Jack Armstrong
Kevin Munson
Dallas Gallant

What a Relief
Last year, the West squad had probably the six best starters in the league for the all-star game. This year, with Chad Bell and Jake Buchanan not chosen (big snubs, by the way), the West squad is much heavier on relievers. Brandon Workman, Eric Pfisterer, Jack Armstrong and Taylor Wall are the only starters. The rest of the innings will be left to bullpen guys, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Combined the five relievers -- Dallas Gallant, Stephen Harrold, Kevin Munson, Daniel Tillman and Patrick Cooper -- have struck out 111 in 79.1 innings, while allowing only 13 earned runs. So can we say just get the game to the fourth?

A Cardinal Firebird starter
Orleans' Rob Rasmussen is the second straight Orleans pitcher to start the all-star game. Last year, it was San Diego's Matt Thomson, who delivered one dominant inning. Rasmussen's 32 strikeouts are the most for an East all-star starter since 2005, when Chatham's Jared Hughes came in with 42.

Veterans
The East roster features just one freshman, Y-D's Tyler Hanover. The West has seven, including three starters.

Small Sample
Seven of the 24 position players in the game have played in fewer than 20 games.

Derby Bets
I predict we won't see a ton of home runs, based on Fenway's dimensions. I'd put my money on Hunter Morris sneaking a few around Pesky's Pole.

That's about all I've got for now. I will be heading out soon, taking a train in. For everyone who's going, have fun.

Yesterday, Quickly

I've got to get an all-star post up, so here's an abbreviated recap of last night's games.

Falmouth has had a pretty tough season, but the Commodores hit the all-star break on a roll thanks to a doubleheader sweep of Chatham. The Commodores took game one 7-6 on the strength of an 11-hit attack. Conner Mach (Missouri) hit a three-run homer that broke a 4-4 tie. Falmouth then held off a Chatham rally for the win. In game two, Falmouth won 5-2. Kyle Winkler (TCU) allowed two runs in six strong innings. Ryan Jones (Wichita State) went 2-for-2 and B.A. Vollmuth hit a home run. Jones went 5-for-5 in the two games, raising his average from .183 to .237. Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) went 3-for-5 in the two games and head into the all-star game with a league-best .394 average.

Brewster's Matt Lujan (San Francisco) went six shutout innings and Hyannis' Tyler Wilson (Virginia) was almost as good through seven, but the one unearned run Wilson allowed was the difference in a 1-0 Whitecaps victory. A Harold Martinez (Miami) fifth-inning single brought home the game's lone run, after Tant Shepherd (Texas) reached on an error. Kendal Volz (Baylor) made his first appearance for Brewster, tossing a scoreless inning in relief.

Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) struck out 10 in six shutout innings as Bourne topped Wareham 4-0 in a crucial game in the West. Pierre LePage (Connecticut) and Zack MacPhee (Arizona State) backed Wimmers with two hits apiece. After Wimmers' night was done, Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) struck out five in two hitless innings and Stephen Harrold (UNC Wilmington) struck out two in the ninth. The win moved Bourne into a tie with Wareham for first place in the West.

Daily Fog: Steady and Surging

It's one thing to get back into the mix with a winning streak. That's what a lot of teams have done this year, turning around some struggles and winning four or five in a row to get into the thick of things again.

To be near the top already and to pull away -- that means a little more.

And that's exactly what the Y-D Red Sox have done. Early in the season, they lost five straight games before responding with four straight wins. Since then, they've been probably the steadiest team in the league. In that span, they haven't lost more than two games in a row.

They've won a few, too.

The Red Sox beat Orleans, the team that's chasing them, by a 4-1 score last night. It's their fifth consecutive win. In the last nine games, they've lost just once, with one tie also mixed in.

Suddenly, the Red Sox have 20 wins, three more than anyone else in the league. With 41 points, they're in first place by six points, which has to be the largest margin in the East this season.

It helps that the Red Sox keep playing -- and beating -- Orleans. On Sunday, they swept a doubleheader with the Firebirds. The schedule is kind of quirky now because of the rainouts, so the teams got together again last night, which wasn't a good thing for Orleans. Y-D ace Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) struck out five and scattered seven hits in seven innings. He allowed one run, and picked up his fourth win of the summer. Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt) pitched two scoreless innings for the save.

As usual, the offense took care of the rest. The Red Sox, who lead the league in hitting, haven't blown people out in their winning streak, but they've always done enough. Last night, they touched up all-star Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) for three runs on six hits in five innings. The most impressive part of that was the balance. The Red Sox got RBI from leadoff man Jordan Casas (Long Beach State), No. 3 hitter Tyler Hanover (LSU), No. 7 batter Josh Rutledge (Alabama) and ninth batter Jonathan Jones (Long Beach State). League RBI leader Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) didn't drive in a run, but he didn't have to.

I guess that's what happens when you get a winning streak going.

Even if you really didn't need one

Elsewhere

Jake Buchanan (NC State) posted an ERA over six this spring so you might think that he would eventually drop down from the top spot on the ERA leaderboard. Or he could pull away with one of the most dominant performances of the summer. Buchanan picked the second option. He tossed a complete-game shutout last night to lead Cotuit past Hyannis 3-0. Buchanan struck out 11, walked one and allowed just three hits. He lowered his league-best ERA to 0.50, and he continues to make me wonder how he was left off the all-star team.

By the way, that was Cotuit's third straight win. The Kettleers remain tied with Wareham atop the West.

Speaking of Wareham, the Gatemen had one of those "staff days," where they pitch a bunch of guys, probably in preparation for the all-star game. It didn't cost them anything, as five pitchers combined on a two-hit shutout and a 3-0 win over Brewster. All-stars Jack Armstrong (Vanderbilt) and Brandon Workman (Texas) were the bookends, and neither allowed a hit while combining for five shutout innings. Scott Rembisz (Florida International) picked up the win. George Springer (Connecticut) led the Wareham offense with two hits and a home run.

Mike Gipson (Florida Atlantic) delivered his best start of the summer, striking out 10 and allowing just three hits in seven shutout innings as Harwich topped Chatham 7-2. Gipson, who has great strikeout numbers (38 in 30 innings), lowered his ERA to 3.00. Dan Grovatt (Virginia) went 3-for-4, while Leon Landry (LSU) homered and drove in two. Trent Mummey (Auburn) also had two hits and two RBI.

Bourne scored two in the bottom of the ninth and walked off with a 4-3 victory over Falmouth. Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) hit the walk-off single, knocking in Ben Klafczynski (Kent State) with the winning run.

What to Watch For Tonight

Bourne, which sits a game behind Wareham, will send Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) to the mound against the Gatemen. This will be the second start of the summer for Wimmers. He's scheduled to go against Blake Monar (Indiana).

Daily Fog: A Quick Duel

My parents are vacationing on the Cape so I went over this weekend to visit them, which didn't leave me any time to write yesterday. We did, however, have time to go to the Chatham game last night.

Not that we needed much time.

Wareham's Cole Green (Texas) and Chatham's Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State) staged perhaps the best pitchers' duel of the summer, and it didn't take them long to do it. In a game that lasted just an hour and 54 minutes, Lyons and the Anglers came away with a 1-0 victory. Dean Green (Oklahoma State) hit a bases-loaded line drive that clipped the glove of a diving Ryan Pineda (Cal State Northridge) and brought home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Though the one run ended up defining the game's result, the pitching was the real story.

Both Green and Lyons ended up with 11 strikeouts. If I had been keeping a scorebook, I could tell you how many were strikeouts looking. I wasn't but I can still tell you: it was a lot. Green and Lyons were constantly ahead and freezing hitters time and again. Lyons, in particular, had a knee-bukcling curveball that he kept dropping right into the zone with two strikes.

It was as impressive a pitchers' duel as I've seen in a long time. Both allowed just two hits. Lyons didn't walk anybody. After a while, it didn't seem possible that either team could break through. The teams had one hit apiece through the first six innings, and both of the players who reached were thrown out trying to steal second. When Brett Eibner (Arkansas) hit a two-out double in the eighth, it was the first time a player for either team had been to second base. Zach Wilson (Arizona State) hit a sinking line drive to center that looked like it might bring Eibner home, but Addison Johnson (Clemson) made a charging catch to keep things scoreless.

Chatham finally put something together in the ninth. Green started missing some spots, and I actually thought he got squeezed on a couple of pitches as he issued a pair of one-out walks. After a mound conference, he got real wild and walked Mike Murray (Wake Forest) on four pitchers, prompting a change. Jordan Swagerty (Arizona State) came in and faced Green, who crushed the line drive to second. Had Pineda somehow caught it, he would have doubled the runner off first. Instead, the ball rolled into right field and the game was over.

As we packed up to leave, I felt a pang of regret that I hadn't gotten to see Chatham flamethrower Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech), who had been warming up in the late innings. If it had gone to extras, he probably would have been on the mound.

But then I realized: I saw all the pitching I needed to see.

Elsewhere

With Wareham's loss and their own 5-3 comeback victory over Bourne, Cotuit moved into a first-place tie in the West. The Kettleers trailed 3-2 going into the eighth but put up three runs to take a lead. An RBI single by Jeff Rowland (Georgia Tech) brought home the go-ahead run and Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech) drove in two more with a double. Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern) then worked a scoreless ninth to secure the victory. Rowland and Plagman both finished with two hits for the Kettleers, as did Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) and Chris Bisson (Kentucky). Rob Segedin (Tulane) went 3-for-4 with an RBI for Bourne.

Y-D swept a huge doubleheader with Orleans for its league-best 18th and 19th wins. The Red Sox are now in first place by four points over the Firebirds, who had been hot until last night. Y-D got strong pitching in both games, with Mario Hollands (UC Santa Barbara) going five shutout innings in game one and Austin Ross (LSU) tossing six shutout frames in game two.

Brewster an Falmouth split their doubleheader, with the Whitecaps taking game one 2-1 and the Commodores winning game two 3-0. In the opener, Brewster got two RBI from Daniel Butler (Arizona) and didn't need much more. Kyle Blair (San Diego) allowed a run on three hits in six innings and struck out 11. Jordan Cooper (Wichita State) pitched well for Falmouth, but the bullpen allowed an unearned run in the sixth. In game two, Mark Pope (Georgia Tech) surrendered just two hits in five shutout innings for Falmouth. B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) hit his second home run to spark the offense.

Harwich got a big performance from Anthony Sosnoskie (Virginia Tech) and a strong start from John Gast (Florida State) then held on for a 4-2 victory over Hyannis. Gast allowed four hits in 6.1 scoreless innings. Hyannis rallied for two in the ninth, but Glen Troyanowski (Florida Atlantic) got a strikeout to strand two runners and end the game. Sosnoskie went 3-for-4 with two home runs -- his first two of the year -- and three RBI for the Mariners.

What to Watch For Tonight

Orleans and Y-D will get together again for their third game in two days. Not sure about the pitching match-ups, though Chris Sale (Flodia Gulf Coast) is listed in the probables. Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) is listed for Orleans, but he pitched the second game of yesterday's doubleheader.

Daily Fog: A Sleeping Giant

The first 25 games of the season have not gone well for the Falmouth Commodores. They have nine wins, the lowest number in the league, and in a Western Division race that has really tightened up, they're the only team that's still not in the mix.

But a little streak can make a big difference in a Cape League summer, and Falmouth has the kind of team that can do it.

I was originally going to write this post about Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State), who's still one of the league leaders in hitting, despite Falmouth's struggles. Then I decided I should probably mention Brian Fletcher (Auburn), before I looked down the stat sheet and realized Hunter Morris (Auburn) was also tearing it up. B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Miss) and Chris O'Brien (Wichita State) deserve a mention too.

As these realizations hit me, it became clear: the Commodores have a lineup that's turning into one of the most dangerous in the league.

They posted an 8-3 victory over Cotuit last night, and I wouldn't be shocked if they continued to deliver nights like that, now that things are starting to click.

Cunningham has been a key cog in all of Falmouth's big victories this season. In a 10-2 win on July 11, he went 4-for-5. In a 14-9 win on July 6, he went 2-for-4 with four runs scored and three RBI. Last night, the trend continued, as Cunningham went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. He's not hitting .380 with two home runs and 11 RBI. A little more power the rest of the way, and he could put himself into the MVP conversation, if he's not already there. Falmouth players have won the last two MVP awards.

While Cunningham has been big in Falmouth's big wins, he's obviously been steady all the way along, even in the losses. Now, he's getting a little more help. Fletcher, who's hitting .323, went 2-for-5 last night with two runs and an RBI. O'Brien, who leads the league in on-base percentage and is one of just four players in the league with more walks than strikeouts, went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Vollmuth didn't do much last night, but he's hitting .260 and six of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases.

And then there's Morris. Perhaps the league's best pure slugger, he's really starting to heat up. Since taking an 0-for-4 on Sunday, Morris is eight for his last 11, with a home run, four runs scored and three RBI. For a while, it looked like he might turn in the more typical Cape League power-hitter line, with a .260 average and a big home run total. Now, he's hitting .313 with four home runs.

All in all, there's a lot to like in the Falmouth lineup. The Commodores are currently second in the league in hitting, but I could see that improving. The pitching certainly needs to improve -- the Commodores are last in ERA -- but if it does, Falmouth is a team to watch.

Elsewhere

Bourne snapped its five-game losing streak in emphatic fashion. After a day off Thursday, the Braves hosted Chatham Friday and stormed to a 10-1 victory on the strength of a nine-run sixth inning. To that point, the Braves were getting shut down by Anglers starter Patrick Johnson (North Carolina), who allowed two hits in five inning. But once Johnson left the game, the floodgates opened. The Braves sent 13 men to the plate and scored more runs in the one inning than they had in their last four games, combined. Rob Segedin (Tulane), Nick Schwaner (New Orleans) and Chris Wallace (Houston) each drove in two runs to power the Braves' attack. Bourne starter Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) struck out eight but walked six in five innings and took a no-decision. Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) picked up the win with three strong innings.

Y-D moved into a tie for first in the East thanks to a 3-1 victory over Brewster. Michael Goodnight (Houston), who lasted just 2.2 innings in his last start, allowed only three hits in five shutout innings this time around. Goodnight didn't factor in the decision but kept the game tied. Y-D broke through with two in the top of the ninth. Josh Rutledge (Alabama) had an RBI single to bring home the go-ahead run and Micah Gibbs (LSU) brought in an insurance run with a double. Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) struck out two in the bottom of the ninth for his league-best eighth save. For Brewster, Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia) hit his fourth home run.

In a game that went nearly five hours because of a lightning delay, Wareham out-lasted Hyannis 7-3. Ryan LaMarre (Michigan) had one of the best offensive nights the league has seen this summer, going 3-for-4, with two doubles, two runs scored and four RBI. His second double, brought home two runs and broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh. Dean Kiekhefer (Louisville) got the win for Wareham with three lights-out innings in relief. He allowed just one hit. The win kept Wareham in a first-place tie with Bourne.

Orleans had 16 hits and blew past Harwich 10-2. Gary Brown (Cal State Fullerton) continued to be a major spark for the Firebirds, delivering four hits and three RBI. This boxscore was not reported so the numbers aren't factored into the leaderboards, but a little math tells me that Brown is now hitting .383, tops in the league. All the offense was more than enough for Rob Rasmussen (UCLA), who struck out six in 5.2 innings.

Daily Fog: A Race Again

Remember last year, when no team really ever pulled away? As recently as last week, it looked like we were headed for a different script this year, at least in the West. The Bourne Braves had surged into the top spot, and they were starting to pull away.

Funny how quickly things can change.

The Braves have lost five straight. They were off last night, and so was Wareham, who had moved into a first-place tie on Wednesday with a doubleheader sweep.

Cotuit did play, and the Kettleers posted an 8-5 victory over Orleans.

All of a sudden, we've got a three-way tie for first in the West. Bourne, Cotuit and Wareham all have 28 points.

The Kettleers are maybe the most surprising part of this equation. They had lost six straight before Sunday, when Chad Bell (Walters State) threw a no-hitter against Chatham. That win started a 4-0-2 stretch for the Kettleers.

Last night, they won in seven innings, with the game getting called due to darkness. Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech) hit a solo home run that broke a 5-5 tie in the sixth inning. Cotuit added an insurance run when Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina) brought home Chris Bisson (Kentucky) with a bunt single.

Ben Rowen (Virginia Tech), who pitched three scoreless innings of relief, was lights-out once he got the lead, facing the minimum in the seventh. Rowen, who's tied for the league lead in appearances, picked up his second win. He has a 2.63 ERA.

The Cotuit offense got good showings from Cory Vaughn (San Diego State) and Jeff Rowland (Georgia Tech), who each had two hits. Both of those guys have had their struggles this summer, but they're now hovering around .250. If they can continue to hit well, they'll provide a big lift for the Kettleers.

For Orleans, Kevin Muno went 4-for-4 with two steals and two runs scored. The Firebirds have lost to Cotuit twice in the last three days.

Elsewhere

In the only other game on the schedule, Hyannis beat Brewster 5-0 for its second shutout in as many days. Tyler Wilson (Virginia) struck out nine and allowed just two hits in seven innings. Kevin Moran (Boston College) and Dallas Gallant (Sam Houston) each tossed a scoreless inning to preserve the shutout. At the plate, the Mets got another big night from Jackie Bradley Jr (South Carolina), who went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and an RBI. Bradley is now six for his last 12, with three extra-base hits and four RBI. He was hitting under .200 before this stretch. The Mets also got two hits from Dustin Harrington (East Carolina) and Johnny Reuttiger (Arizona State). Eddie Rohan (Winthrop) drove in two runs. Hyannis is now just three points out of first place in the West.

What to Watch For Tonight

Bourne will try to get back on track at home against Chatham. The Braves will send Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) to the hill against Patrick Johnson (North Carolina).

All-Star Rosters Announced

Culled from the Cape Cod Times Twitter . . .

West

C - Cody Stanley - Cotuit - UNC Wilmington
C - Cameron Rupp - Cotuit - Texas
INF - Kyle Roller - Bourne - East Carolina
INF - Nick Crawford - Hyannis - UAB
INF - B.A. Vollmuth - Falmouth - Southern Miss
INF - Zack Cox - Cotuit - Arkansas
INF - Derek Dietrich - Wareham - Georgia Tech
OF - Todd Cunningham - Falmouth - Jacksonville State
OF - Brian Fletcher - Falmouth - Auburn
OF - Zach Cone - Cotuit - Georgia
OF - Johnny Ruettiger - Hyannis - Arizona State
DH - Ryan Cuneo - Hyannis - Delaware

P - Brandon Workman - Wareham - Texas
P - Jack Armstrong - Wareham - Vanderbilt
P - Eric Pfisterer - Wareham - Duke
P - Dallas Gallant - Hyannis - Sam Houston State
P - Stephen Harrold - Bourne - UNC Wilmington
P - Kevin Munson - Bourne - James Madison
P - Dan Tillman - Cotuit - Florida Southern
P - Patrick Cooper - Falmouth - Des Moines Area CC
P - Taylor Wall - Falmouth - Rice

Alternates - P Seth Rosin (Hyannis), P Turner Phelps (Bourne), P Mark Gormley (Hyannis) and C Dan Burkhart (Hyannis)

East

C - Mike Murray - Chatham - Wake Forest
C - Dan Butler - Brewster - Arizona
INF - Mickey Wiswall - Y-D - Boston College
INF - Colin Walsh - Brewster - Stanford
INF - Blake Kelso - Y-D - Houston
INF - Jedd Gyorko - Brewster - West Virginia
INF - Tyler Hanover - Y-D - LSU
OF - Dan Grovatt - Harwich - Virginia
OF - Austin Wates - Y-D - Virginia Tech
OF - Gary Brown - Orleans - Cal State Fullerton
OF - Alex Hassan - Orleans - Duke
DH - John Barr - Brewster - Virginia

P - Rob Rasmussen - Orleans - UCLA
P - Kyle Blair - Brewster - San Diego
P - Casey Gaynor - Orleans - Rutgers
P - Aaron Meade - Harwich - Missouri State
P - Elliot Glynn - Orleans - Connecticut
P - Chris Sale - Y-D - Florida Gulf Coast
P - John Leonard - Y-D - Boston College
P - Tyler Burgoon - Y-D - Michigan
P - Russell Brewer - Chatham - Vanderbilt

Alternates - P Taylor Hill (Chatham), P Eric Jokisch (Harwich), P Matt Price (Harwich) and C Micah Gibbs (Y-D).

I'll have some first impressions up later tonight.

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.

Daily Fog: Out of the Woodwork

One of the more interesting trends in the 2009 Cape League season is the high number of recently-drafted players who have found their way to the Cape. I did a quick comparison between this year and last, and there's definitely a difference.

Last year, six players who were picked in the first 15 rounds of that June's draft ended up seeing some action on the Cape. The highest pick was fourth-rounder Jason Kipnis.

This year, the number is 11. The highest pick is third-rounder Bryan Morgado, who's pitching for Bourne.

So far, most of these high picks have stuck around. They're also almost all pitchers. Of the 11, Harwich's Connor Powers is the only position player. The presence of pitchers like Morgado, Tyler Lyons and Chad Bell has added a new dimension to the Cape League's arms race.

One team just caught up.

Sometimes these guys come out of nowhere -- at least from the perspective of an outside observer -- and that's exactly what happened last night for Brewster. The Whitecaps used a pair of recently-added fifth-round picks -- Nathan Baker (Mississippi) and Caleb Cothame (Vanderbilt) -- to beat Wareham 5-1.

Baker had pitched one inning out of the bullpen before getting the start last night. He allowed one run on three hits and struck out four in four innings of work. Cotham, who pitched for Brewster last year, was even better. He surrendered just one hit in three shutout innings and struck out seven. Cotham ended up getting the win. For a Wareham team that's struggling to hit the ball, I can't imagine it was much of a pleasure to see those two take the mound back-to-back.

We'll see how the rest of the summer plays out for Baker and Cotham, but their presence -- however long it lasts -- has to be a good thing for the Whitecaps. After last night's game, Brewster has the second-worst team ERA in the league, and outside of Kyle Blair (San Diego), Matt Lujan (San Francisco) and Sean Hoelscher (TCU), their starting pitchers have not put up great numbers. If they end up in the rotation, Baker and Cotham could certainly provide a boost.

Whatever happens, it's fun to see some big names make an appearance.

Elsewhere

Back to the aforementioned game for a moment. Harold Martinez (Virginia) and John Barr (Virginia) led the Brewster offense with two hits and an RBI apiece. Jarrett Parker (Virginia) and Daniel Butler (Arizona) also drove in runs. Parker, somehow, is hitting only .237 since arriving from the College World Series, but it seems like he's had a hit in every game. That average is going to go up at some point.

Apparently, Cotuit just needs dominant pitching performances to keep from hitting the skids again. After Chad Bell's no-hitter snapped a five-game losing streak, the Kettleers tied both games of a doubleheader on Monday before getting a complete-game from Jake Buchanan (NC State) on Tuesday to beat Orleans 5-2. Buchanan, who leads the league with a 0.67 ERA, struck out eight and didn't walk anybody against an Orleans team that had won five in a row. He allowed just one earned run. Cory Vaughn (San Diego State), who's breaking out of an early slump, hit his second home run of the year to back Buchanan. Brian Guinn (California) added two hits and two RBI as the Kettleers improved to 10-12-4, just four points behind first-place Bourne.

Speaking of Bourne, the once-scorching Braves have now lost four straight -- all on the road -- after last night's 5-4 decision in Falmouth. Hunter Morris (Auburn) went 3-for-3 and hit his fourth home run, while B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Mississippi) added a triple and three RBI for the Commodores. Morris' solo shot in the eighth gave Falmouth the lead, and Cecil Tanner (Georgia) preserved it with a scoreless ninth.

Three teams in the East now have 15 wins after Chatham beat Hyannis 4-2 last night. Shawn Tolleson (Baylor), who's been a little up and down for the Anglers, went six innings and allowed two runs. Jesse Hahn (Virginia Tech) didn't allow a hit in 2.1 innings of relief, and Russell Brewer got the final two outs for his sixth save. The Anglers broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh when Dean Green (Oklahoma State) and Steven Brooks (Wake Forest) hit back-to-back doubles. Brooks later scored an insurance run on a wild pitch.

What to Watch For Tonight

Wareham will visit Harwich for its second doubleheader in three days. Brett Eibner (Auburn) and Brandon Workman (Texas) are scheduled to go for the Gatemen against Aaron Meade (Missouri State) and Eric Jokisch (Northwestern).

Daily Fog: Double Statements

The league staged a pair of doubleheaders last night, and one probably left everyone feeling pretty unsatisfied. Wareham and Cotuit played to a pair of 3-3 ties.

The other one? Well, Orleans was certainly satisfied.

The Firebirds hosted West-leading Bourne, the hottest team in the league, last night and swept a twin bill by 6-2 and 2-1 scores. Not only were those big victories over one of the best teams in the league, they gave Orleans the credentials to put itself in the same category. The Firebirds now have 15 wins, tied with Y-D for most in the league. They've won five in a row.

In the first game, the Firebirds trailed until the sixth when they put up five runs en route to the 6-2 win. Riccio Torrez (Arizona State) had a double and Danny Muno (Fresno State) drove in two with a single to lead the rally.

The game one victory went to Jimmy Reyes (Elon), who pitched into the seventh.

In game two, Jorge Reyes (Oregon State) struck out seven in six innings, keeping Orleans locked in a 1-1 tie with the Braves. In the bottom of the seventh, the Firebirds broke through. Steven Selsky (Arizona) scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

Just like that, the Firebirds had finished off quite a night. It's funny because I tend to think of doubleheaders as a bad thing, and I'm sure they're a grind, but when something like this happens, you can see the other side of it.

I think the Firebirds are glad they played two last night.

Elsewhere

As for the other doubleheader, Wareham and Cotuit couldn't break away from each other. The first game went nine innings, but was called a tie after that to leave time for game two. The second game was still called because of darkness, ending after six innings. Ryan LaMarre (Michigan), George Springer (Connecticut) and Jake Lemmerman (Duke) drove in runs for the Gatemen in the fourth inning of game one, while Cotuit answered quickly with an RBI single by Zach Cone (Georgia). It was a similar story in game two as Wareham took the lead before Cotuit answered. The ties put Wareham four points back of first-place Bourne. Cotuit is six back.

After getting no-hit on Sunday, Chatham put up 10 hits last night against Hyannis. Unfortunately for the Anglers, the Mets put up 12 and held off a late charge for a 4-3 victory. Elliot Soto (Creighton) drove in two runs for the Mets and Ryan Cuneo (Delaware) hit his third home run. Chatham loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth, but Mark Gormley (Brown) somehow worked out of the jam to preserve the Hyannis win.

Y-D got home runs from Brian Hernandez (UC Irvine) and Micah Gibbs (LSU) and a dominant start from Mario Hollands (UC Santa Barbara) to beat Harwich 5-3. Hollands allowed one earned run on four hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking none. His ERA now sits at 2.29 after three starts. In addition to the home runs, Y-D got two RBI from Mickey Wiswall (Boston College), who now leads the league in that category.

What to Watch For Tonight

Brandon Workman (Texas) is scheduled to make his first start of the summer for Wareham as the Gatemen host Brewster. The Whitecaps counter with another new face, Nathan Baker, who has pitched one inning in relief. I'll assume this is the Nathan Baker from Mississippi, in which case, the league has another big arm trying to gain some leverage. A junior lefty, Baker had a 3.63 ERA for Ole Miss this spring, with 69 strikeouts in 67 innings. He was drafted in the fifth round this year by the Pirates.

Daily Fog: Answering Bell

That's one way to end a losing streak.

The Cotuit Kettleers had lost five straight heading into last night's game against Chatham. They needed a big performance to stop the skid, and they got a bigger one than they ever could have imagined.

Chad Bell (Walters State) pitched the first nine-inning no hitter in the Cape League since 2007, leading Cotuit to an 8-2 victory over Chatham. The last pitcher to do it was Hyannis' Matt Daly, who's now a lights-out closer for Lansing in the Class A Midwest League.

Bell could find himself at a similar level sooner rather than later. He's committed to transfer from Walters State to Tennessee for next season. But he was also a 14th-round pick this year, which marked the third time he'd been drafted. He was picked out of high school and again after his first year at Walters.

Whatever happens, Bell has emerged as one of the top-performing pitchers in the Cape League, with the no-hitter as the cherry on top. Bell now has a 2-1 record, a 1.01 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. He has allowed nine hits all summer.

Last night, he carried a perfect game into the fifth, when Dean Green (Oklahoma State) walked. A walk and an error paved the way for two unearned runs in the ninth, but even then Bell was in control. He struck out Rick Oropesa (USC) to end the game.

Bell finished with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Thankfully for him and for Cotuit, the two late runs didn't matter. The Kettleers had an 8-0 lead when the ninth inning began. Kevin Keyes (Texas) and Brandon May (Alabama) both hit home runs and May finished with four RBI to power a strong offensive effort.

Elsewhere

Bell wasn't the only pitcher in dominant form last night. Brewster's Kyle Blair (San Diego) struck out 12 in a complete-game four-hitter as the Whitecaps rolled past Bourne 10-2. The Braves had won eight of nine, but they ran into a buzzsaw in Blair. The righty allowed just two unearned runs and his season ERA dropped to 0.92. The 12 strikeouts moved him to second in the league in that category. Blair was backed by an 11-hit attack. Jarrett Parker (Virginia), Harold Martinez (Miami) and Dan Butler (Arizona) all hit their first home runs of the season.

So I guess it was kind of a big night all around, because this is seriously notable too: Harwich beat Hyannis 6-5 last night in 15 innings, the longest Cape League game of the season. Harwich was involved in a 13-inning game on June 29, and the Mariners have come away with the victory in both of their marathons. This one was pretty epic, with 15 pitchers taking the hill and the teams combining for 35 hits. After Hyannis took a 5-4 lead in the top of the 14th, Harwich answered with one of its own to force another frame. The Mariners won it on a walk-off sinlge by Jeff Vigurs (Bryant).

Orleans beat Falmouth 9-2 for its third win in a row. The Firebirds now have the fewest losses in the East, and by that measure, are sitting in first place. Elliot Glynn (Connecticut) struck out five and allowed one hit in six shutout innings for the win. Riccio Torrez (Arizona State) hit a home run and Ross Heffley (Western Carolina) drove in three.

Wareham and Y-D went 10 innings but their game ended in a 2-2 tie when darkness crept in. Blake Monar (Indiana) struck out seven in 7.1 innings for the Gatemen, while Greg Peavey (Oregon State) allowed two runs in five innings for Y-D. Brandon Workman (Texas) made his first appearance of the summer for Wareham and got touched up for the tying run in the ninth inning on a home run by Mickey Wiswall (Boston College).

What to Watch For Tonight

Alex Wimmers (Ohio State) will make his first start of the summer as part of a doubleheader between Bourne and Orleans. Wimmers, who has a 3.00 ERA in two relief appearances, is scheduled to go in the second game.

Daily Fog: Bourne Again

In the preseason, I thought the Bourne Braves looked like the most talented team in the league. But with more ifs than any other team, a lot of things had to go right.

They didn't really go right. For example: Of the five players I was excited to see in Bourne's Early Look, four are not in Bourne, and the fifth -- Alex Wimmers -- was a late arrival who has pitched only out of the bullpen so far.

But the Braves have shown an amazing ability to adjust on the fly. Their two best hitters -- Kyle Roller and Stefen Romero -- were not on their initial roster. Neither was their most overpowering starting pitcher, Bryan Morgado.

That's just the tip of the iceberg and there's a common thread running through it all -- these things have gone right.

Very right.

The Braves beat Cotuit 5-1 last night for their eighth win in nine games. They're in first place by seven points and they're tied with East leaders Chatham and Y-D for most points in the league.

Last night's game was as complete an effort as they've delivered all season. The first five players in the batting order delivered one RBI each, with Pierre LePage going 3-for-5 (Connecticut) to lead the way. Nick Schwaner (New Orleans) and Raynor Campbell (Baylor) also had two hits and Roller (East Carolina) hit his fourth home run.

On the mound, Turner Phelps (James Madison) got the start and allowed one run on four hits in 6.1 innings. Cameron Roth (UNC Wilmington) and Kevin Munson (James Madison) combined for 2.2 perfect innings to finish it off. In all, those three pitchers retired 21 batters in a row. Cotuit didn't have a baserunner after the third inning.

That stat is pretty remarkable, but considering what Bourne's bullpen has done, the back end of that performance isn't a huge surprise. If you want to highlight Bourne's biggest strength, I think you've got to look at the bullpen first.

That's certainly what the Braves do: “Our bullpen is fantastic," Phelps told the Cape Cod Times. Our starting pitchers know that if we can get it to the (relievers), they’ll come in and shut the game down.”

The numbers are pretty staggering. In Bourne's last eight wins, relievers have pitched 29 innings. They have allowed just four runs. Five times, they haven't allowed any runs.

Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) and Justin Poovey (Florida) have emerged as lights-out setup men, while Munson and Stephen Harrold (UNC Wilmington) essentially give the Braves two closers. Neither Munson nor Harrold has allowed an earned run this summer. While Harrold leads in saves with six, Munson has better peripheral numbers, with 17 strikeouts in 9.1 innings. Combined, Harrold and Munson have allowed 10 hits in 19.1 innings of work. Harrold hasn't even allowed an unearned run.

It's all pretty ridiculous, and it's a big reason why the Braves are where they are.

Where we thought they'd be, I guess, even if they took a slightly different road.

Elsewhere

I headed over to Wareham last night to catch the Gatemen against Harwich. I ended up seeing a lot more offense than I expected from the teams that run nine-ten in the league in team batting. Wareham led most of the way, but Harwich scored four in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth to tally for a 9-7 victory. Connor Powers (Mississippi State) hit a long home run -- his first of the year -- to give Harwich a lead, but Wareham started stringing hits together soon after. Derek Dietrich (Georgia Tech), Ryan Pineda (Cal State Northridge), Brett Eibner (Arkansas) and Ryan LaMarre (Michigan) all had doubles to lead the charge, and Eibner added a triple on a ball that bounced in front of left-fielder Leon Landry before taking a crazy bounce over his head. But Harwich started rallying and chased Wareham starter Josh Mueller (Easter Illinois) before continuing to hit against the Wareham bullpen. An RBI double by Powers brought home the tying run in the eighth and a sac fly by David Herbek (James Madison) scored the go-ahead run.

After falling off the pace momentarily, Y-D got right back on it with an 8-1 victory over Chatham. The teams are now back to having the same number of wins. Y-D's John Leonard (Boston College) allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, earning his second victory of the summer. On offense, the Red Sox pounded Chatham pitching for 14 hits. Blake Kelso (Houston) and Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) had two RBI each. Five players had two hits.

Every once in a while, Falmouth -- the team with the worst record in the league -- comes up with a blowout. Last night, the Commodores blitzed Hyannis 10-2, ending a three-game winning streak for the Mets. B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Missippi) went 3-for-5 with a home run, a triple and three RBI and Chris O'Brien (Wichita State) also had three RBI. Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) went 4-for-5 and now leads the league in hitting. Hunter Morris (Auburn) hit his third home run. Jordan Cooper (Wichita State) delivered a quality start for Falmouth, allowing one run in five innings.

Orleans scored seven runs in the first inning en route to a 9-4 victory over Brewster. Kevin Muno (San Diego), Michael Olt (Connecticut), Jeremy Gould (Duke), Danny Muno (Fresno State) and Gary Brown (Cal State Fullerton) all drove home runs in the big inning, with Gould's two-run homer serving as the exclamation point. Rob Rasmussen (UCLA) struck out nine in 5.2 innings and picked up the win. The Firebirds have won two in a row and are three games over .500.

What to Watch For Tonight

Bourne will try to stay hot on a visit to Brewster. Robert Morey (Virginia), who has a 1.29 ERA in two appearances will go for the Braves against Kyle Blair (San Diego).

Daily Fog: Streaking

A hot team met a cold team in the West last night, and the results were predictable.

Hyannis beat Cotuit 6-3. It's the third straight win for the Mets and the fifth straight loss for the Kettleers. Those two streaks have caused some upheaval in the standings. Hyannis has moved into third place, just two points out of second. Cotuit, who has been near the top all summer, now finds itself in fourth.

Cotuit had Seth Blair (Arizona State) on the mound in this one, and he might have been able to serve as a stopper if not for some shaky defense behind him. The Kettleers made four errors, and only half of the Mets' runs were earned.

Though the Mets are in the middle of the pack in team batting average, they're not a team that you want to provide with extra outs. Their big three -- Nick Crawford (UAB), Ryan Cuneo (Delaware) and Cody Hawn (Tennessee) -- are as good an offensive trio as there is in the league this summer. They delivered last night, with Cuneo going 3-for-4 and Hawn and Crawford each going 2-for-5.

Cuneo and Hawn are still one-two on the RBI leaderboard, and they've particularly strong in the Mets' win streak. The last two games, they've combined to go 8-for-16 with four runs scored and five RBI. That's some solid production from the middle of the order. Hawn actually has an eight-game hitting streak going. He's batting .391 with four home runs and 14 RBI. If he had enough plate appearances, he'd be leading the league in hitting. That goes along with a tie for first in home runs.

Offense hasn't been the only piece to the puzzle for the Mets. The first two wins in the streak were both shutouts. Last night, Tyler Wilson (Virginia) made his first start and allowed two runs in five innings. The bullpen did the rest. Eric Maust (Notre Dame) allowed one run in 1.1 innings before Mark Gormley (Brown) and Dallas Gallant (Sam Houston) shut the door. Gormley struck out four and didn't allow a hit in 1.2 innings. He hasn't allowed an earned run since moving from Brewster to Hyannis. Gallant continued his dominance with one perfect inning and two strikeouts. Gallant has 10 strikeouts in his last four innings and, remarkably, is second in the league in strikeouts. He has pitched just about half the number of innings as leader Chris Sale.

The victory moved Hyannis to 9-11-1. Just a few days ago, when they got swept by Wareham in a doubleheader, it looked like they were fading. They're not back to .500 yet, but they're right in the thick of things.

Elsewhere

With a Y-D loss and their own 5-2 victory over Harwich, the Orleans Firebirds moved into second place in the East. Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) allowed a run on two hits in six innings of work to pick up the win. Alex Hassan (Duke) got the save. Hassan also contributed at the plater, where he went 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Jaren Matthews (Rutgers) went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Michael Olt (Connecticut) and Jeremy Gould (Duke) also drove in runs.

Chatham finally got itself a little breathing room atop the division, winning 6-4 over Brewster on a night when Y-D lost. That's the first time since June 28 that the teams have had different results. The Anglers got their victory thanks to two runs in the eighth. Both came home on a triple by Matt Perry (Holy Cross), who was pinch-hitting. I guess that was the right button to push. Jeff Schaus (Clemson) and Joey Terdoslavich (Long Beach State) added two hits for Chatham. Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia) had two doubles for Brewster.

Bourne topped Y-D 7-5 for its second victory in a row and its seventh win in its last eight games. The Braves had 12 hits, with a Nick Schwaner (New Orleans) three-run homer serving as the biggest blast. Raynor Campbell (Baylor) had three hits for the Braves, with Kyle Roller (East Carolina) and Chris Wallace (Houston) adding two apiece. Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) has his worst outing of the summer -- 4 ER in 5 IP -- but he did enough to get the win. As usual, Justin Poovey (Florida) and Stephen Harrold (UNC Wilmington) were lights-out in relief. Harrold picked up his sixth save, which ties him with Y-D's Tyler Burgoon (Michigan) for tops in the league.

What to Watch For Tonight

Bourne will try to stay hot against Cotuit, who will be trying to stop its skid. Turner Phelps (James Madison) is scheduled to go for the Braves against Chad Bell (Walters State), who allowed just a run in six innings his last time out.

Daily Fog: Match Game

Chatham and Yarmouth-Dennis have a nice little race going in the East. They've got the most wins in the league, and it seems like they've been tied atop the division forever.

They kind of have been.

Since June 29, there have been eight days on which Chatham and Y-D each had a game. On every single one of those days, the teams ended up with the same result. Two wins or two losses, and no in between. It's perfectly even too, with four wins each and four losses each. The only difference was on July 2, when Y-D won on a day when Chatham didn't play. Since that point, the teams have been tied every day.

They ran the streak of consecutive days with the same results to six last night. And though I'm sure both of them would like to break away, they'll both be happy with their victories.

A day after losing to Brewster in a game where they had eight hits but just one run, the Red Sox broke through for nine runs on 15 hits in a 9-1 victory over Cotuit. Amazingly, there was only one extra-base hit among the 15 hits for Y-D, but the Red Sox still managed to get the runs home. Most of them came in the early innings, with Y-D getting five runs in the first inning and three in the third.

Josh Rutledge (Alabama) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Jake Schlander (Stanford) was 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead the way. Blake Kelso (Houston), Mickey Wiswall (Boston College) and Ben McMahan (Florida) also had two hits.

All the early support was more than enough for Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast). He was a hard-luck loser in a 1-0 game his last time out. This time, he went six shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing four hits. Sale is now tied for the league lead in wins and tops in strikeouts. He continues to cement himself as the top performing starter in the league.

As for Chatham, the Anglers came away with a 5-3 victory over Brewster. Logan Verrett (Baylor), who has been strong in two relief appearances, was just as strong in his first start. He allowed just one hit and an unearned run in five innings. He struck out eight. Verrett now hasn't allowed an earned run in 10.1 innings of work.

Flamethrower Jess Hahn (Virginia Tech), who touched 98, pitched two hitless innings. The Vanderbilt late-innings duo of Taylor Hill and Russell Brewer each allowed a run but minimized the damage in keeping Chatham in front. Brewer picked up his fourth save.

On the offensive side, Chatham got two hits each from Phillip Pohl (Clemson) and Brian Harris (Vanderbilt). For Brewster, Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia) hit his third home run in just 10 games.

Elsewhere

On the losing end in that Y-D game were the Cotuit Kettleers, who have dropped four in a row. The Kettleers have allowed 32 runs in that span, including 14 to Falmouth at the start of the skid. Their own offense has a little more depth now, with the addition of Texas' Kevin Keyes and Cameron Rupp. But Cotuit needs better performances from its starting pitchers, too. Chad Bell (Walters State) has turned in the only quality start in the last four games. Seth Blair (Arizona State) is scheduled to get the ball tonight. His complete-game win over Falmouth on the Fourth of July was Cotuit's last victory.

In the second annual Martha's Vineyard game yesterday afternoon, Falmouth stopped Wareham's three-game winning streak with a 6-2 victory. Brian Fletcher (Auburn), who has 10 hits in a six-game hitting streak, went 2-for-4 with two RBI to pace the Commodores. Ryan Jones (Wichita State) went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Todd Cunningham (Jacksonville State) had two hits and B.A. Vollmuth (Southern Mississippi) also delivered two. Hunter Morris (Auburn) hit his second home run. All the offense backed Taylor Wall (Rice) who allowed two hits and struck out six in six shutout innings. He lowered his ERA to 0.53, second in the league. For Wareham, Zach Wilson (Arizona State) saw his 10-game hitting streak come to an end.

Hyannis posted its second shutout in a row with a 5-0 victory over Harwich. Seth Rosin (Minnesota) allowed three hits and struck out six in five shutout innings. Kevin Moran (Boston College), Mark Gormley (Brown) and Thomas Girdwood (Elon) combined to preserve the shutout. Cody Hawn (Tennessee) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Ryan Cuneo (Delaware) knocked in two, upping his league-leading total to 15. For Harwich, Leon Landry (LSU) made his first appearance since arriving from the College World Series. He went 2-for-4 with a double.

What to Watch For Tonight

Bourne's Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) will make his third start of the season, and if any pitcher has earned must-see status, it's him. In 10 innings, he has 21 strikeouts and only three walks. He's scheduled to go at home tonight against Y-D and Michael Goodnight (Houston).

Daily Fog: What a Relief

One of the biggest differences between a college season and a Cape League season is the amount of pitching depth on the Cape. Players always talk about how much tougher it is when you're facing a Friday starter on a lot more nights than Friday.

The depth extends to the bullpen, where every year, dozens of players put up crazy numbers.

This year is no exception, and last night was a shining example.

The five teams that won all got outstanding relief performances, with four of their bullpens not giving up a single run after starters left the game. The only exception was Brewster, whose pen allowed one run. No starter went beyond the seventh inning, but on this night, they didn't really need to.

Here's the combined line for the five bullpens: 12 pitchers, 15 innings, 11 hits, 1 run and 20 strikeouts.

In terms of individuals, the star of the night was Hyannis' Dallas Gallant (Sam Houston State), who turned in perhaps the best extended relief performance of the summer. After Austin Hudson (Central Florida) left after six shutout innings with Hyannis leading 3-0, Gallant came in and emphatically shut the door. In three shutout innings, he struck out eight and allowed two hits. So yeah, that means all but one of the outs he recorded came via the strikeout. Gallant now has 26 strikeouts, which ranks him fourth in the league. Everyone else on the leader board is a starter. Gallant has pitched 16 innings. The next-lowest total on the top-five list? Eric Cantrell's 20.

As for a standout team effort from last night, I'd highlight both Wareham and Bourne. For the Gatemen, starter Eric Pfisterer (Duke) allowed three hits to Chatham in the first inning and not another in the rest of his 6.2 innings. Keith Bilodeau (Maine) and David Fischer (Connecticut) kept up their end of the bargain, combining for 2.1 hitless innings. Fischer struck out the side in the ninth as Wareham won 5-1.

In Bourne, four relievers each turned in a scoreless inning -- Alex Wimmers (Ohio State), Justin Poovey (Florida), Stephen Harrold (UNC Wilmington) and Kevin Munson (James Madison). Munson picked up the save, his first of the season. Harrold has five saves to lead the Braves.

Elsewhere

We'll start with a little more detail on the aforementioned games. The Hyannis offense backed Hudson and Gallant with three early runs in the 3-0 victory over Orleans. Cody Hawn (Tennessee), Trent Whitehead (East Carolina) and Jackie Bradley, Jr. (South Carolina) all drove in runs. Dan Burkhart (Ohio State), the Big 10 Player of the Year who hasn't yet heated up this summer, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Bradley, a freshman All-American, has also been struggling, but had a double in this one. That's his first extra-base hit of the summer. For Orleans, Gary Brown (Cal State Fullerton) continued his strong start with a 2-for-4 day, and Danny Muno (Fresno State) also had two hits.

Bourne also got things going early, posting three runs in the first two innings on the way to a 3-1 victory over Falmouth. Kyle Roller (East Carolina), Rob Segedin (Tulane) and Nick Schwaner (New Orleans) each had two hits, with Schwaner driving in two. Bourne starter Seth Maness (East Carolina) allowed just an unearned run in five innings. Falmouth's Tommy Collier (San Jacinto), one of the top starters in the league so far, surrendered three runs in five innings.

Chatham got a run off Pfisterer in that first inning but nothing else. With the stage more than set, Wareham rallied for the victory on the strength of a four-run second inning. Three of the four runs that scored in that inning were unearned. Zach Wilson (Arizona State) went 2-for-4 to up his average to .361. Ryan LaMarre (Michigan) went 1-for-2 with an RBI. The win was Wareham's third straight. The Gatemen sit three points back of first-place Bourne, and they should get a boost soon. Texas pitchers Cole Green and Brandon Workman are in town.

Brewster topped Y-D 5-1 for its fourth straight win. The Whitecaps are now back to .500 at 8-8-3, and they're just five points out of first place. Sean Hoelscher (TCU) picked up the win for Brewster with 6.1 shutout innings. David Goforth (Ole Miss) picked up his third save after coming in with two runners on base in the eighth, getting out of that jam and working a scoreless ninth. Brewster's offense was led by recent arrival Tant Shepherd (Texas), who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Harwich starter Aaron Meade (Missouri State) allowed two runs and walked five, but he also struck out eight in five innings and ended up with the win as the Mariners topped Cotuit 5-2. For the Kettleers, Jake Buchanan (Nebraska) allowed his first earned run of the season, but it was three unearned runs that did the Kettleers in. Connor Powers (Mississippi State) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Dan Grovatt (Virginia) also added two hits. Grovatt now has the requisite number of plate appearances to qualify for the average lead, and his .390 mark puts him in the top spot. Zack Cox (Arkansas), who drew high praise on Greg Schimmel's blog, went 3-for-4 with two RBI and is now hitting .389 for the Kettleers, who have dropped three in a row.

What to Watch For Tonight

Actually, watch for it today, as Wareham and Falmouth meet on Martha's Vineyard at 1 p.m. Matt Barnes (Connecticut) is scheduled to go for Wareham against Taylor Wall (Rice). It looks like both teams will be broadcasting the game.