Harbor Hawks Back to their Winning Ways in 10-2 Rout Over Falmouth
By: Matt Coates
The Hyannis Harbor Hawks started tonight’s game hungry to get back in the win column after their tie in Harwich.
They left McKeon Park with their bellies full. With a 10-2 victory over the Falmouth Commodores, the red-hot Hawks (18-12-2) are 8-1-1 over their last 10 games.
“[It’s] probably the most complete team win we’ve had all year,” head coach Eric Beattie said.
It’s hard to argue with that logic. Hyannis had a dozen hits and 10 runs to show for it. They were solid defensively as well, turning a pair of double plays and making no errors.
Harbor Hawks starter Hayden Frank took care of business early, downing the top of Falmouth's (14-15-2) lineup in 12 pitches.
In the bottom of the first inning, Cam Smith did what Cam Smith does. With Zach Ehrhard on first base, Smith sent a ball over the wall in center field. That shot gave Hyannis an early 2-0 lead in the matchup.
Smith was named to the Cape Cod Baseball League Home Run Hitting Contest earlier today and proved he deserved it with his fifth bomb of the season tonight.
After a scoreless bottom of the second, Nick Mitchell became the tenth Harbor Hawk to hit a home run this season. He ripped a shot that chased the Commodores' right fielder to and up the wall, only to watch the ball fall beyond his reach. Mitchell saw his pitch and took advantage, sending his solo shot out of the ballpark with a 94 mile-per-hour exit velocity.
That homer gave Hyannis a 3-0 lead entering the fourth inning, where Frank continued his successful outing. Frank kept Falmouth off the board over the first three innings, only needing 42 pitches to get through those innings.
Frank allowed one run in the fourth before getting out of a jam and taking the mound again in the fifth. Frank was relieved by Dennis Colleran with no outs in the fifth inning after two Commodores dropped perfect bunts down the third baseline.
Frank matched his longest outing of the season tonight, which was in a contest against Harwich on June 28th. Frank was just as sharp in this outing, lasting 4.0+ innings with no walks and six strikeouts in the process.
Coach Beattie noted that an adjustment in Frank’s changeup grip helped him be as successful as he was tonight.
“He made a little grip change that made the spin look just like his fastball,” Beattie said. “… if he can keep this with him long term, he’s got a lot more of these outings in him.”
Frank has been a bit of an unsung hero for the Harbor Hawks this season. He is fifth in the league among qualified pitchers with a 2.70 ERA.
Falmouth relieved their starter with a bullpen arm in the fifth inning, and Hyannis took advantage. Will Taylor and Trey Lipsey each hit singles to lead off the inning. Both were moved into scoring position by a Nick Mitchell sacrifice bunt, and Ehrhard finished the job. With the count full, Ehrhard slashed a double to the gap in left centerfield, driving in Taylor and Lipsey.
With that double, hitters one, two, and three in the lineup all had an RBI in this affair.
“That’s what you expect out of the top of your lineup,” Beattie said. “A few games ago most of our offensive production came from the bottom of our lineup, so it’s good to have a complete offense.”
After allowing a run in the top of the sixth inning, Hyannis began working on a two-out rally. Taylor worked a walk before a Lipsey single advanced him to third. After Lipsey stole second, things broke down for the Commodores' defense. Two errors helped the Harbor Hawks score three runs in the inning, giving them a 9-2 lead.
Hyannis trotted out Eli Trop in the top of the seventh, making him the third Harbor Hawk pitcher of the night. He made quick work of the Falmouth eight, nine, and leadoff hitters. He struck out the first two and was helped by a spectacular catcher near the wall in center field by Taylor.
For the first time since July 5th, newly dubbed All-Star Ethan Lanthier stepped to the mound. After walking two battlers Lanthier had to battle but escaped the inning unscathed. That scoreless inning kept Hyannis ahead by seven runs heading into the bottom of the eighth. In the bottom of that inning, an Ehrhard ground out scored Lipsey, giving the Hawks an extra insurance run.
Tyler LeBlanc came in to work the bottom of the ninth for Hyannis, helping seal the victory for a Hyannis team that is scorching heading into Saturday’s All-Star game.
After playing games every day for the past 12 days, the Harbor Hawks have a greatly deserved off day. They’ll reconvene on Wednesday the 19th for a matchup on the road, facing the top team in the East Division, the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.
Matt Coates can be reached at coatesm@misericordia.edu or followed on Twitter @MattCoates14
