Friday, July 17, 2009

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).

    Thursday, July 16, 2009

    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.

    Wednesday, July 15, 2009

    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).

    Tuesday, July 14, 2009

    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.

    Monday, July 13, 2009

    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.

    Sunday, July 12, 2009

    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).