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Game 31 Preview: Chatham at Falmouth
CHATHAM, Mass. — The A’s only got through three innings last night amid stormy conditions at Cotuit’s Lowell Park, but Chatham still has a game to play Wednesday.
The Anglers take the trek to Falmouth’s Guv Fuller Field, looking to get back in the win column after returning from the All-Star break with a 7-5 home loss against Hyannis. Record-wise, these teams are practically identical, with Chatham owning a .423 winning percentage and Falmouth sporting a .429 mark.
If the weather permits, one team will get an opportunity to change that at Guv Fuller Field.Here’s everything to know before Chatham (11-15-3, East) takes on Falmouth (12-16-2, West) Wednesday.
The last time Terry Hayes Jr. (Ole Miss) took the mound, he helped the Anglers snap their five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over Bourne on July 16. Now, he’ll be back in action hoping to return Chatham to its winning ways once again. Hayes has only made one start for the A’s this summer, but he’s been stretched out over the course of his three appearances. He’s tossed 9.1 innings, and has a 4.82 earned run average in that span.
Wyatt Dion (UCF) is a bit of a wild card for Falmouth. The lefty hasn’t made an appearance for the Commodores this summer, but he’s being trusted with the ball against Chatham Wednesday. The 18-year-old appeared in just two games for the Knights this past spring, and he didn’t allow a hit across his 3.1 scoreless innings. But he also walked five and struck out one.
Ben Slanker (Louisville) hasn’t had the best summer thus far. The Commodores’ outfielder has a .235 batting average and a .634 OPS across 85 at bats this season, but he enters this contest with a leg up over one of the A’s top sluggers. Slanker faced Chatham’s Junior Lauaki (Georgia) in the first round of the CCBL Home Run Hitting Contest Saturday, and he displayed his power by defeating Lauaki 7-6 after a double-tiebreaker.
He doesn’t have enough at bats to qualify for a batting title yet, but if he did, Brayden Jefferis (Michigan) would be Falmouth’s best hitter by a wide margin. Despite playing in just 16 games so far, Jefferis leads the Commodores with 23 hits this summer. His .354 batting average would lead qualified Falmouth hitters, and so would his .865 OPS.
Rob Rispoli (UConn) hasn’t been in the Anglers’ lineup for the past few days, but he’s expected to make his return to the Cape Wednesday. His return is a welcome sight for Chatham, which has lacked offensive firepower at various points throughout the year. Rispoli currently sports a top-5 OPS with his .853 mark, and he leads the CCBL with his .484 on-base percentage.
It technically doesn’t count just yet, but Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) reintroduced himself to Chatham fans in a big way Tuesday, blasting his second homer of the season to put the Anglers up 1-0 over Cotuit in the top of the third. The game was suspended due to inclement weather shortly afterward, but the homer may have been a sign of things to come for the Chatham first baseman, who has appeared in a team-leading 27 games this summer.
Four Commodores have seen enough at bats to qualify for the CCBL batting title this summer, and none of them currently sport an OPS over .700. The closest one is Fabio Peralta (Miami), the Falmouth center fielder who boasts a mediocre .647 mark this summer.
Chatham, on the other hand, has had five hitters accrue enough at bats to qualify for the batting title, and three of them have OPS figures above .700. Two of those hitters — Bino Watters (LSU) and the aforementioned Rispoli — are still currently with the team.
On June 24, the Anglers strode into Guv Fuller Field having avoided a loss in their last five games. That streak ended at the hands of the Commodores, who handed Chatham a 4-3 defeat. Jack Ohman (Yale) began the game with a strong start, tossing four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, but Chatham’s bullpen gave up four runs late to lose the game.
“We need a big hit with guys in scoring position,” Cook said after the loss. ”(Falmouth) got it. That's the difference in the game.”
The Anglers take the trek to Falmouth’s Guv Fuller Field, looking to get back in the win column after returning from the All-Star break with a 7-5 home loss against Hyannis. Record-wise, these teams are practically identical, with Chatham owning a .423 winning percentage and Falmouth sporting a .429 mark.
If the weather permits, one team will get an opportunity to change that at Guv Fuller Field.Here’s everything to know before Chatham (11-15-3, East) takes on Falmouth (12-16-2, West) Wednesday.
Probable Starters
The last time Terry Hayes Jr. (Ole Miss) took the mound, he helped the Anglers snap their five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over Bourne on July 16. Now, he’ll be back in action hoping to return Chatham to its winning ways once again. Hayes has only made one start for the A’s this summer, but he’s been stretched out over the course of his three appearances. He’s tossed 9.1 innings, and has a 4.82 earned run average in that span.
Wyatt Dion (UCF) is a bit of a wild card for Falmouth. The lefty hasn’t made an appearance for the Commodores this summer, but he’s being trusted with the ball against Chatham Wednesday. The 18-year-old appeared in just two games for the Knights this past spring, and he didn’t allow a hit across his 3.1 scoreless innings. But he also walked five and struck out one.
Falmouth Players To Watch
Ben Slanker (Louisville) hasn’t had the best summer thus far. The Commodores’ outfielder has a .235 batting average and a .634 OPS across 85 at bats this season, but he enters this contest with a leg up over one of the A’s top sluggers. Slanker faced Chatham’s Junior Lauaki (Georgia) in the first round of the CCBL Home Run Hitting Contest Saturday, and he displayed his power by defeating Lauaki 7-6 after a double-tiebreaker.
He doesn’t have enough at bats to qualify for a batting title yet, but if he did, Brayden Jefferis (Michigan) would be Falmouth’s best hitter by a wide margin. Despite playing in just 16 games so far, Jefferis leads the Commodores with 23 hits this summer. His .354 batting average would lead qualified Falmouth hitters, and so would his .865 OPS.
Chatham Players To Watch
Rob Rispoli (UConn) hasn’t been in the Anglers’ lineup for the past few days, but he’s expected to make his return to the Cape Wednesday. His return is a welcome sight for Chatham, which has lacked offensive firepower at various points throughout the year. Rispoli currently sports a top-5 OPS with his .853 mark, and he leads the CCBL with his .484 on-base percentage.
It technically doesn’t count just yet, but Harlin Hovater (Mississippi State) reintroduced himself to Chatham fans in a big way Tuesday, blasting his second homer of the season to put the Anglers up 1-0 over Cotuit in the top of the third. The game was suspended due to inclement weather shortly afterward, but the homer may have been a sign of things to come for the Chatham first baseman, who has appeared in a team-leading 27 games this summer.
Number To Know: 0
Four Commodores have seen enough at bats to qualify for the CCBL batting title this summer, and none of them currently sport an OPS over .700. The closest one is Fabio Peralta (Miami), the Falmouth center fielder who boasts a mediocre .647 mark this summer.
Chatham, on the other hand, has had five hitters accrue enough at bats to qualify for the batting title, and three of them have OPS figures above .700. Two of those hitters — Bino Watters (LSU) and the aforementioned Rispoli — are still currently with the team.
Last Time They Played
On June 24, the Anglers strode into Guv Fuller Field having avoided a loss in their last five games. That streak ended at the hands of the Commodores, who handed Chatham a 4-3 defeat. Jack Ohman (Yale) began the game with a strong start, tossing four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, but Chatham’s bullpen gave up four runs late to lose the game.
“We need a big hit with guys in scoring position,” Cook said after the loss. ”(Falmouth) got it. That's the difference in the game.”
