Chatham travels to Orleans on Friday for its second doubleheader of the summer. Despite being East Division rivals, the two sides haven’t played since June 13. The Anglers and Firebirds were slated to meet in back-to-back contests, on July 4 and 5, but both were postponed due to inclement weather.

In recuperation, Chatham and Orleans will face off at 3:30 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. Both games will span just seven innings. Following Friday’s doubleheader, the A’s and Firebirds have another scheduled at Veterans Field on July 28.

Chatham enters Eldredge Park following a 7–4 loss to Yarmouth-Dennis. Despite jumping out to a 2–0 start, the Anglers allowed runs in four consecutive innings and couldn’t recover. Orleans, on the other hand, suffered a 15–5 thrashing to Hyannis on Thursday. In the divisional standings, Chatham sits in the basement while the Firebirds are perched at second place.

Here’s everything you need to know before 14 innings ensue between Chatham (9–20–2 East) and Orleans (16–15–0 East).

Probable Starters

Game One
Gabe Davis (Oklahoma State): Though Davis gave up six earned runs in 2.2 innings during his last outing against Falmouth, those numbers serve as an anomaly. Through Davis’ first 9.2 innings, he relinquished a single run while tallying nine strikeouts.

Evan Truitt (Charleston Southern): In five games and four starts, Truitt has garnered a 4.00 ERA He earned his lone win of the season during a five-inning, four-strikeout effort in a 13–2 win over Brewster. Truit’s totaled 18 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.

Game Two
Maxx Yehl (West Virginia): Poised to make his first Chatham start, Yehl has largely served as a reliable reliever for the Anglers in six features this summer. Yehl boasts a 3.29 ERA across 13.2 innings pitched but has also allowed 12 walks and 13 hits.

Greysen Carter (Vanderbilt): Carter hasn’t allowed a single run on the Cape yet. His 0.00 ERA is accompanied by six total strikeouts and four walks. Though Carter is used to tossing about an inning per appearance, like Yehl, Friday will mark his first start for Orleans.

Chatham Players To Watch

Deric Fabian (Florida): Fabian enters Eldredge Park on a three-game hit streak. In 15 games, he holds a .400 batting average and is tied for third-highest on the Anglers with seven RBIs in 50 at-bats. After reaching the Championship Game of the 2023 College World Series with Florida, Fabian recently announced his transfer to Auburn for the 2024 season.

Kaeden Kent (Texas A&M): Kent, one of three Chatham All-Stars, possesses a .323 batting average this season. The Aggie has enjoyed a hot streak as of late, notching eight total hits in the last four games. On Tuesday, Kent recorded a whopping four RBIs in a 12–12 tie at Cotuit on Tuesday.

Orleans Players To Watch

Jack Penney (Notre Dame): Penney will likely attain his 100th at-bat this season on Friday. So far in 2023, he’s utilized his chances at the plate to the tune of a team-high 12 RBIs and a .276 batting average. Penney has also earned 17 walks.

Eddie Micheletti Jr. (George Washington): Micheletti’s two home runs both came on July 13 in a 12–0 battering of Harwich. With the Firebirds this summer, the Revolutionary has tallied 11 RBIs and 23 hits. Though Micheletti holds a .240 batting average, he’s struck out just 10 times in 96 at-bats.

Number To Know: 1

Chatham’s first win of the season was a 2–0 victory over Orleans. The victory also marked the first time in 2023 where the Anglers shut out an opponent. Since then, the Firebirds have notched zero runs just once, when they fell 5–0 to Harwich on July 7.

Last Time They Played

The last time Chatham played Orleans, the Anglers utilized a masterclass pitching tandem of Brody Brecht and Matt Wilkinson to a 2–0 shutout victory on June 13.

The win was Chatham’s first of the season. Offensively, its two runs came by way of a wild pitch in the third and seventh innings.