BREWSTER, Mass. — For the past few days, the Brewster Whitecaps just haven’t looked like themselves.

A team usually comfortable leaning on its bullpen — even while it was equipped with multiple arms making their Cape League debuts — had now seen its relievers surrender 10 runs in their past two outings. At the same time, its new wave of talented bats had also now fallen out of their honeymoon phase — leaving consistent members of the lineup like Adam Magpoc (San Diego State), Carson Tinney (Texas) and Alex Sosa (Miami) to pick up their slack.

Brewster needed some kind of jolt, a fresh perspective that could help them return to the energy-filled, raucous brand of baseball which had carried them to where they were now. Just days after 22 Brewster alumni had been selected in the 2025 MLB Draft, another former Whitecap turned Major League draftee stopped by to supply it. Spencer Jones (‘21) — a top prospect within the New York Yankees organization — paid a visit to Stony Brook Field ahead of the first pitch Wednesday night.

“He happened to show up today at a very perfect time, because he’s one of the very few guys that understands how the grind of this summer is what made him what he is today, and he relayed that to the team,” Whitecaps manager Jamie Shevchik said postgame. “I don’t know if his words necessarily turned (our game around), but there was definitely a different feeling in the dugout today.”

Brewster (15-10-1) rallied behind that feeling in a dominant 12-3 win over Falmouth (11-14-1), their third triumph in three games over the Commodores this season. Trailing by one at the end of the second inning, the Whitecaps outscored the ‘Dores 12-2 over the next three. Eight different Whitecaps registered at least a hit, as Cal Fisher (Florida State), Dalton Wentz (Wake Forest), and Tinney each led the charge for the ‘Caps offense with 3 RBIs apiece.

The feeling in the ‘Caps dugout was clearly different, but you would never have guessed it based on their first-inning performance. After relying on first-time starters in both of their last two defeats, Shevchik turned to a more seasoned opening arm on the mound: Duncan Marsten (Wake Forest). Through 11.1 frames of work up until that point — which included two starts — he entered the contest boasting a 2.38 ERA. In a matter of moments, it was quickly brought up a few ticks.

After walking the first batter he faced on a full count, Marsten immediately recovered by striking out the next. With a runner on third, Justin Osterhouse (Purdue) read Marsten’s pitch in the corner of the strike zone and lifted a single into center field. The drive brought the Commodores to 116 earned runs against opposing pitchers — the most of any team on the Cape at that point.

The remainder of Marsten’s outing wasn’t exactly stainless, but it did enough to keep the Commodores’ from piling onto their lead before Brewster’s bats could answer. While Marsten’s mediocre outing saw him allow four hits, three earned runs and three walks through just over three frames of work, it turned out to be just enough to help the ‘Caps get the job done.

In their past two games, the Whitecaps’ offense had underperformed — and that’s putting it lightly.

During their most recent five-game string of victories, the Whitecaps averaged 6.4 runs per game as racking up three or more runs in a single inning became a regular occurrence. But in their past two losing efforts against Orleans and Wareham, Brewster had mustered just six total. In addition, only five different Whitecaps had contributed at least a hit during the small losing span. Shevchik mentioned postgame slumps such as these aren’t uncommon at this point in the season.

“This is the part (of the season) that beats the hell out of you. It’s harder to get to the field every day. It’s harder to take extra swings, but some way you’ve got to will it to happen,” Shevchik said.

Where had all the runs gone? Where had all Brewster’s once-shining offensive depth disappeared off to? On Wednesday, everything came back at once.

It started in the third. Back in the leadoff spot for the third straight game, Magpoc delivered a base hit to set the table for the offensive onslught that ensued. Working his way to third with back-to-back steals — lifting him to a CCBL-leading 17 — Magpoc was escorted home by Fisher via a single. Two more timely strikes by Sosa and Ryan Martin (Dallas Baptist) quickly flipped the game on its head, now 4-1 in favor of the ‘Caps. Brewster tacked on one more run to close the frame thanks to consecutive wild pitches from the Commodores’ reliever, a fitting end to a nightmarish frame for Falmouth.

To open the next half inning, the ‘Dores cut into Brewster’s edge with two runs of their own as Marsten’s command remained inconsistent, but the effort was ultimately meaningless. What followed was one of Brewster’s most dominant innings of the campaign, one that not only ensured it a victory but also sent a message to the rest of the CCBL: They were still very much the team to beat.

Tinney got the party started with a three-run blast, the first of three Whitecap homers in the frame. Fisher and Wentz kept the line rolling, each launching two-run homers of their own with ease. It seemed like no matter who stepped up to the plate, a highlight-reel moment would surely transpire. When the dust finally settled, the Whitecaps ballooned their cushion to nine.

From there, a bullpen on the heels of giving up a combined 10 runs in their past couple outings finally bounced back. Following Kyle Kipp’s (Boston College) brief appearance in the fourth and fifth innings, Mavrick Rizy (Louisiana State) continued to look untouchable — securing his seventh and eighth punchouts of the season one filthy fastball and slider at a time. As darkness ushered in an early ending to the contest, Zach Bates (Illinois) guided the Whitecaps’ defense through the final three outs, closing a game that had really already been over awhile ago.

“We had more energy today, and it kind of just went up and down the lineup,” Fisher said. “I think once we started that first inning hitting and having guys on it just carried throughout the whole game.”

Title photo credit: Kayla McCullough