Sunday evening’s matchup between the Wareham Gatemen and the Falmouth Commodores will feature two teams both in search of their first win of the 2024 Cape Cod Baseball League season, after both were run-ruled in their season openers.
Wareham suffered an 11-1 loss to the Chatham Anglers at home, whereas the Commodores lost on the road to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks by a final score of 10-0. Falmouth was held to just two hits in the seven-inning game.
Ryan Smyth’s message to his team after their first loss was simple: we play again tomorrow. Sunday provides another opportunity for players to get comfortable with the pressure the Cape League brings and find their groove after some of them haven’t played baseball in almost one month.
“(It’s about) understanding that tomorrow’s a new day,” Smyth said Saturday night. “In this league you don’t have to wait until next week to play another game. Now we get right back at it tomorrow.”
Starting Pitchers
Cole Leaman, who is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign with Lehigh University, will toe the rubber for the Gatemen Sunday evening. The right-hander recorded 49 strikeouts and 23 walks across 46.2 innings of work, and his 2.31 ERA was the second-best among all Mountain Hawk pitchers.
Falmouth will start Hayden Frank (Lipscomb), who is back in the CCBL for a second summer. In 2023, with the Harbor Hawks, the left-handed pitcher saw 34 innings of work and posted a 3.71 ERA. He struck out 29 batters and walked 11. In his junior season at Lipscomb, Frank pitched 18.2 innings and finished the season with 20 strikeouts, two walks and a 4.34 ERA.
Players to Watch
Micheal Lippe (Louisville) and Jace Rinehart (USC Upstate) each put up two hits in Wareham’s season opener, and Lippe drove in the lone Gatemen run. Lippe appeared in 31 games for Louisville during the 2023 season and hit .345 with an on-base percentage of .415. In Rinehart’s junior season at USC Upstate, the outfielder became the first Big South player since 2016 to record 90-plus hits in a season. Rinehart also led the team in batting average (.366) and doubles (22).
Luke Gaffney (Purdue) was one of two Commodores to get a hit Saturday night, and is coming off an impressive season with the Boilermakers. The first baseman was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times throughout the season, as he set new program records in multiple categories including hits (75), home runs (13), RBIs (65) and slugging percentage (.628).
First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. at Guv Fuller Field. The game will be broadcast on Cape League TV
Top Photo Credit: Colby Turner stands at first base during Wareham's 11-1 loss to the Chatham Anglers, June 15 2024 at Spillane Field in Wareham. Photo by Kyler Armstrong.
