The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox eight-game winning streak was in serious jeopardy as the fading sun tucked behind the trees at a packed Red Wilson Field Sunday night. The Hyannis Harbor Hawks — the West Division leaders and best offensive team in the league — led, 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth.
Nobody aboard. One out. Jack Bell worked a terrific at-bat and walked before Dean Carpentier slammed a double off the wall in left. With the tying and winning runs in scoring position, Hyannis elected to intentionally walk Brayden Dowd, setting the stage for Avery Ortiz.
On a 1-0 pitch, Ortiz looped a soft liner into shallow center. Bell scored and Carpentier raced around third, sliding in with the winning run. The entire Y-D team sprinted to mob Ortiz behind second base. They chased him into right-center, ripped off his jersey and drenched him with a water bath.
“It was awesome,” Ortiz said. “A great group of guys. For me to be able to come through and deliver for my team, that was something that was huge for me.”
With the 5-4 walk-off win, Y-D extends the streak to nine games and retains the best record in the league at 10-2-1. The Red Sox have allowed the fewest runs in the league through two weeks. They lead in ERA (2.23), WHIP (1.09) and BAA (.187). Y-D has three qualified pitchers with ERAs under 2.00 in Carson Ballard, Hunter Watkins and Brady Hamilton.
At the plate for the Red Sox, AJ Soldra owns a .367 batting average and a 1.124 OPS in 11 games. Chris Hacopian has come to the plate 52 times and is the only qualified player in the league who has yet to strike out.
Y-D resumes its chase at history on Tuesday night in Cotuit. The longest winning streak in Cape League history is 13, recorded by the Kettleers in 2002.
Despite the loss on Sunday, Hyannis remains atop the standings and the only team above .500 in the West at 8-4-1. The Brewster Whitecaps have cooled off after their hot start, going 5-5 in the last ten, but sit second in the East Division with an 8-5 record. Josiah Ragsdale continues to lead the league in batting average (.400) and stolen bases (12). Maika Niu of the Falmouth Commodores tops the charts in OPS (1.029) and homers (4).
Two big home runs in big moments came early in the week on Tuesday. Chatham trailed Harwich, 7-4, entering the bottom of the tenth after the Mariners had scored four in the top of the inning. Mississippi State’s Ace Reese hit a three-run homer to tie the game, which ended, 7-7. Bourne and Orleans were locked in a pitchers’ duel, 1-1, entering the ninth. Logan Hughes blasted what became the game-winning solo home run to give the Braves a 2-1 victory.
There is one game on the schedule Monday, but it will take place off Cape at Citi Field in New York. For the first time, the Cape League will face off against the MLB Draft League in a nine-inning exhibition contest featuring top talent from both leagues. The Cape League’s roster is headlined by Hacopian, Cotuit’s Jarren Advincula, and Chatham’s Henry Ford. First pitch at the home of the New York Mets is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
One of the biggest days of the summer is upcoming later this week when the league will celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth of July. Teams will participate in parades around the Cape in the morning followed by a full slate of games in the evening. Hyannis returns to Red Wilson Field on Friday at 5 p.m. for a rematch of Sunday’s thriller against Y-D.
(Featured image by Georgia McKay)
