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Game 22 Preview: Chatham at Harwich
CHATHAM, Mass. — For Chatham, the second half of the season started off just like the first: A disappointing offensive performance in a shutout loss.
Just as they couldn’t plate a run on Opening Day against Falmouth, the Anglers had trouble obtaining any sort of offensive momentum against Brewster Wednesday, spoiling a fantastic five-inning, one-hit performance from Austin Breedlove (Tennessee/transfer). After exploding for a seven-run first inning in their last visit to Stony Brook Field, the Anglers were quieted in a 2-0 loss to the Whitecaps.
With Henry Ford (Tennessee) and Ethan Mendoza (Texas) leaving Monday, Chatham manager Dennis Cook has since struggled to find a reconfigured lineup combination that works for him, leaving the A’s offense in a similar state as when it began the season. Now, after a much-needed off-day, the Anglers will return to Whitehouse Field to take on Harwich, hoping to reset heading into the remainder of the summer.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Chatham’s (8-10-3, East) third contest of the season against Harwich (10-7-3, East) Friday.
It’s been eight days since Anglers fans have seen Nate Taylor (Georgia/transfer) on the mound, but the former Bulldog will certainly be a sight for sore eyes on Friday. Taylor leads Anglers starters with a miniscule 0.88 WHIP, and with JT Quinn (Georgia) having departed the Cape, he now holds the active team-lead with 18 punchouts thus far. While he took his first loss of the year in Chatham’s 4-0 defeat to Orleans, Taylor is primed to bounce back against the Mariners in his third start of the year.
On the other side, Matthew Heiberger (Alabama) is set to make his first start of his Cape League career for Harwich, having made four relief appearances with the Mariners in 2025. While Heiberger hasn’t made an impact in Harwich’s rotation yet, he has been a formidable presence in the Mariners bullpen. In 11.1 innings of work this summer, he has posted a sterling 0.79 earned run average, limiting opposing hitters to a meager .088 batting average.
Maddox Molony (Oregon) crushed the A’s pitching staff when these teams faced off just six days ago. The Oregon third baseman went 2-4 against the Anglers, with his first hit being a three-run homer in the third inning that extended Harwich’s lead to five. Limiting him will be a tall task for Taylor throughout Friday’s contest.
However, keeping Aiden Robbins (Texas) off the base paths might be even more difficult for the Anglers. Hitting just one spot behind Molony in the Mariners’ order, Robbins reached on three of his four plate appearances, walking once and going 2-3 with a double. He’s only been on the Cape for eight games, but he’s wasted no time making his mark, having posted a .310 average and a 1.080 OPS for the Mariners thus far.
Due to the vast amount of catchers on the roster, Cade Arrambide (LSU) hasn’t established himself as an everyday player yet, making just four appearances since his June 29 arrival on the Cape. However, he’s produced despite playing sparingly, scoring twice and notching three hits in those contests. Carrying significant pedigree as the best high school catching prospect in the 2024 class, it’s only a matter of time before Arrambide will showcase his skills more consistently.
Another one of his peers behind the backstop, Chase Fralick (Auburn), has been forced all around the diamond in Chatham, playing third base and first in order to make his presence felt in the A’s lineup. Fralick hasn’t gotten off to the hottest start on the Cape, hitting just .196 with a .552 OPS, but his .356 on-base percentage indicates he’s due for a return to his collegiate form, when he hit .335 with an .897 OPS in his first season with the Tigers.
When Ashton Larson (LSU/transfer) belted a fifth-inning grand slam in Chatham’s 11-8 win over Falmouth Sunday, it was supposed to serve as a good omen for the A’s offense going forward. It was just the kind of electrifying play that has the power to reinvigorate a team’s bats, setting in motion some offensive momentum that could carry itself over across the next several games.
However, it seems that momentum got thrown out the window with the departures of Ford and Mendoza. Both players left the Anglers soon after their win over the Commodores, making Larson’s grand slam the last run scored by an active Angler. Having suffered two straight shutout losses since, Chatham’s drought has now extended to 20 consecutive innings without an active player scoring.
When these two teams faced off on July 5, each side had exactly eight hits in Chatham’s 6-1 loss to Harwich. Unfortunately for the A’s, only two of their eight knocks were for extra bases, while the Mariners pummeled Anglers pitching for four extra base hits — including Molony’s aforementioned three-run blast.
Chatham righty Mason Bixby (TCU/transfer) struggled in his first start of the season, allowing five runs in three innings to take his second loss of 2025. He gave up six of Harwich’s eight hits on the day, and only struck out one Mariner compared to the three free passes he issued.
Just as they couldn’t plate a run on Opening Day against Falmouth, the Anglers had trouble obtaining any sort of offensive momentum against Brewster Wednesday, spoiling a fantastic five-inning, one-hit performance from Austin Breedlove (Tennessee/transfer). After exploding for a seven-run first inning in their last visit to Stony Brook Field, the Anglers were quieted in a 2-0 loss to the Whitecaps.
With Henry Ford (Tennessee) and Ethan Mendoza (Texas) leaving Monday, Chatham manager Dennis Cook has since struggled to find a reconfigured lineup combination that works for him, leaving the A’s offense in a similar state as when it began the season. Now, after a much-needed off-day, the Anglers will return to Whitehouse Field to take on Harwich, hoping to reset heading into the remainder of the summer.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Chatham’s (8-10-3, East) third contest of the season against Harwich (10-7-3, East) Friday.
Probable Starters
It’s been eight days since Anglers fans have seen Nate Taylor (Georgia/transfer) on the mound, but the former Bulldog will certainly be a sight for sore eyes on Friday. Taylor leads Anglers starters with a miniscule 0.88 WHIP, and with JT Quinn (Georgia) having departed the Cape, he now holds the active team-lead with 18 punchouts thus far. While he took his first loss of the year in Chatham’s 4-0 defeat to Orleans, Taylor is primed to bounce back against the Mariners in his third start of the year.
On the other side, Matthew Heiberger (Alabama) is set to make his first start of his Cape League career for Harwich, having made four relief appearances with the Mariners in 2025. While Heiberger hasn’t made an impact in Harwich’s rotation yet, he has been a formidable presence in the Mariners bullpen. In 11.1 innings of work this summer, he has posted a sterling 0.79 earned run average, limiting opposing hitters to a meager .088 batting average.
Harwich Players To Watch
Maddox Molony (Oregon) crushed the A’s pitching staff when these teams faced off just six days ago. The Oregon third baseman went 2-4 against the Anglers, with his first hit being a three-run homer in the third inning that extended Harwich’s lead to five. Limiting him will be a tall task for Taylor throughout Friday’s contest.
However, keeping Aiden Robbins (Texas) off the base paths might be even more difficult for the Anglers. Hitting just one spot behind Molony in the Mariners’ order, Robbins reached on three of his four plate appearances, walking once and going 2-3 with a double. He’s only been on the Cape for eight games, but he’s wasted no time making his mark, having posted a .310 average and a 1.080 OPS for the Mariners thus far.
Chatham Players To Watch
Due to the vast amount of catchers on the roster, Cade Arrambide (LSU) hasn’t established himself as an everyday player yet, making just four appearances since his June 29 arrival on the Cape. However, he’s produced despite playing sparingly, scoring twice and notching three hits in those contests. Carrying significant pedigree as the best high school catching prospect in the 2024 class, it’s only a matter of time before Arrambide will showcase his skills more consistently.
Another one of his peers behind the backstop, Chase Fralick (Auburn), has been forced all around the diamond in Chatham, playing third base and first in order to make his presence felt in the A’s lineup. Fralick hasn’t gotten off to the hottest start on the Cape, hitting just .196 with a .552 OPS, but his .356 on-base percentage indicates he’s due for a return to his collegiate form, when he hit .335 with an .897 OPS in his first season with the Tigers.
Number To Know: 20
When Ashton Larson (LSU/transfer) belted a fifth-inning grand slam in Chatham’s 11-8 win over Falmouth Sunday, it was supposed to serve as a good omen for the A’s offense going forward. It was just the kind of electrifying play that has the power to reinvigorate a team’s bats, setting in motion some offensive momentum that could carry itself over across the next several games.
However, it seems that momentum got thrown out the window with the departures of Ford and Mendoza. Both players left the Anglers soon after their win over the Commodores, making Larson’s grand slam the last run scored by an active Angler. Having suffered two straight shutout losses since, Chatham’s drought has now extended to 20 consecutive innings without an active player scoring.
Last Time They Played
When these two teams faced off on July 5, each side had exactly eight hits in Chatham’s 6-1 loss to Harwich. Unfortunately for the A’s, only two of their eight knocks were for extra bases, while the Mariners pummeled Anglers pitching for four extra base hits — including Molony’s aforementioned three-run blast.
Chatham righty Mason Bixby (TCU/transfer) struggled in his first start of the season, allowing five runs in three innings to take his second loss of 2025. He gave up six of Harwich’s eight hits on the day, and only struck out one Mariner compared to the three free passes he issued.
