Hyannis’s Judy Walden Scarafile Field at McKeon Park is another Cape Cod classic. Just a short distance from the Inner Harbor, the field is a stone’s throw from the ferry to Nantucket and the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum. The famous “Kennedy Compound” is a quick trip down the road.
McKeon is another field that’s shared and maintained by a school. St. John Paul II High School borders the field property. Bleachers line either side of the field netting. Trees border the ocean blue outfield fence.
Assistant Coach Ryan Hanigan was back to dispensing wisdom during batting practice. Each hitter received individualized feedback between rounds. He instructed Rowan Kelly (UCSB) to stay closed and load more into his front hip.
“Hanigan has been doing an unbelievable job with our hitters, pitchers, catchers, and coaching staff,” Manager Kelly Nicholson said. “He’s made an incredible impact in 13 games. [Hanigan] really cares, and wants to make every player better. I got to [Eldredge] two and a half hours before we were supposed to leave today. He was in there with our analytics guys going over video.”
Rowan Kelly was the standout offensive player of the game. Hitting out of the leadoff spot, the speedy outfielder was a homer shy of the cycle. Orleans bats worked nine walks all together. Dominic Cadiz (UCLA) popped two sacrifice flies. Orleans hurlers did not allow a run — striking out 12 Hyannis hitters. It was a much needed statement victory for the Birds.
“Rowan Kelly is exactly the type of guy you want in the leadoff spot,” Nicholson said. “He can bunt, he can run, he’s got sneaky power. He’s going to put the ball in play. He brings really good energy to the field everyday.”
No matter the Birds’ record, they always own the first inning. After recording his first hit last night, Kelly doubled out of the leadoff spot. Bub Terrell (Auburn) struck first, singling to score Kelly. A Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) sacrifice fly to left scored Cadiz, representing another Birds run.
LJ Cormier (Auburn) continued running a masterclass in pitching with efficiency in his second Orleans start. No extra flair, no pacing the mound, just the action of coming set before delivery. Cormier filled up the zone, striking out two Hawks in the first.
The righty made three more Hawks look like they’d never held a bat before in the second. He struck out the side, showing amazing feel for his changeup. While Kelly Nicholson and Pitching Coach Jim Lawler preach the importance of a changeup, Cormier has been a longtime enjoyer.
“The changeup has always been my pitch,” Cormier said. “Even this spring, I threw it over 50 percent of the time. It’s a pitch I can always come back to with confidence.”
Before each inning, Cormier crouches with hat in hand behind the mound in prayer. He worked around two runners in the third to throw another zero on the board.
Cadiz continued to flip the script in the fourth. After Jack Giordano walked the bases loaded, he delivered a sacrifice fly to center. Considering their struggles with men on, it felt like much more than one run.
Cormier hustled through another inning in the fourth. He got three outs via weak contact to put the Birds back in the driver’s seat. He posted four innings of one-hit ball, striking out six while only walking one. He was firing on all cylinders.
“I knew pregame how all my pitches were moving,” Cormier said. “I think [my efficiency] makes hitters more uncomfortable. They get in the box, look up, and know the ball is coming. They really have no time to get comfortable. Getting ahead early also puts me at an advantage, because the hitter doesn’t know what’s coming.”
Firebirds broadcaster Andrew Giesler added another tally mark to his Orleans shattered bat count in the fifth, now totalling 19 on the season. Myatt walked and advanced all the way to third thanks to some defensive folly, but did not score. It was Cumiskey who had shattered his lumber this time.
The Firebirds went to the bullpen early again. Andrew Cutler (George Washington) replaced Cormier after a stellar outing. He fooled the Hawks catcher with a slider so badly that he injured himself swinging, grabbing his lower back as he met with trainers then exited the field. Cutler finished the fifth shortly after.
Rowan Kelly (UCSB) continued to be the offensive spark plug. He tripled in the top of the sixth, turning on the jets after splitting the left-center gap, scoring Ryan MacDougall (Dayton). A wild pitch allowed Rowan to touch home. 5-0 Birds. The bullpen badly needed to hold on.
Cutler stayed cool in the sixth. He got two quick groundouts and blew away Caden Miller with a high fastball for a scoreless frame. His gutsy performance extended into the seventh. He allowed a leadoff double, but the runner Trey Hawsey was hit by a ground ball moving to third, ruling him out. Cutler racked up another K and ended the inning with a flyout.
Jake Echols (Grand Canyon) entered for the eighth as the sky darkened. The light towers blazed against a now overcast skyline. The righty may only touch 90 with his fastball, but its elite ride bested two more Hawks for a clean inning.
Kelly wasn’t done. He ripped a single to left in the ninth. He moved to third with ease thanks to a passed ball and wild pitch. Cadiz came through again with his second sacrifice fly RBI of the night to make the score 6-0. Everybody loves insurance.
Eli Iwanaga (UCLA) slammed the door in the ninth, recording his best outing yet as a Firebird. He punctuated the best team pitching performance of the season to date.
“It all starts with pitching,” Kelly Nicholson said. “We only walked three guys. I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but it’s hard to lose a game when you don’t give up any runs.”
