Game 25 Preview: Chatham at Falmouth
by Zak Wolf
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Following a scheduled off day, Chatham is back in action Tuesday against Falmouth. The Anglers are playing their best baseball of the season, going 7-3 in their last 10 games — the best mark in the CCBL during that stretch.
Chatham has won its last three contests — all of which have come against East Division foes. Its most recent triumph came against Orleans in walk-off fashion. The Anglers trailed 3-1 early, but fought back to force extras. Aiva Arquette laid down a bunt in the bottom of the 10th, but Orleans pitcher Itsuki Takamoto chucked it into right field, giving Chatham the win.
The Anglers will look to make it four straight against the Commodores, who sit at the bottom of the West Division and have lost three of their last four games.
Here’s everything to know ahead of Chatham’s (13-11, East) matchup at Falmouth (8-16, West):
Probable Starters
Chatham will send Jacob Weaver (Austin Peay) to the mound for his fifth start of the season — the most of any A’s pitcher. Weaver is coming off his best outing this summer. The righty pitched five innings against Y-D on July 10, allowing just one hit and two earned runs without walking a batter. The only hit Weaver allowed was a home run to Kevin Gallaher in the top of the fifth inning.
So far, Weaver has accumulated a 5.79 ERA with Chatham while allowing a .250 batting average to opposing hitters. His 14 innings are the third most of any Chatham pitcher, trailing only Tyler Kozera (UCF) and Hayden Murphy (Auburn).
Falmouth will send Sean Brennan to the mound Tuesday. The righty has only pitched in one game so far this season where he threw 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits and one run. Brennan spent the spring with Keystone College, a Division-III school, where he pitched 63 innings across 11 starts. Brennan struck out 94 batters and finished with a 3.27 ERA.
Chatham Players To Watch
With the recent departure of Austin Overn (USC), Chatham has a void at its leadoff spot. Ashton Larson (LSU) has the potential to take over for Overn at the top of the Anglers lineup. Larson has been very productive for the Anglers with 18 hits in 15 games. His .310 batting average is the best mark out of any Chatham player with at least 50 at-bats. Larson had his best game of the season on July 12 against Brewster. He went 4-for-5 and hit a two-RBI double to put Chatham ahead for good in the sixth inning.
Ty Johnson (Baylor) is one of Chatham’s new additions in lieu of the recent departures. Johnson shined in his first season with Baylor this spring after two seasons of junior college with McLennan Community College. The outfielder batted .313 and drove in 20 runs across 49 games. Johnson also led Baylor with three triples.
Falmouth Players To Watch
Luke Gafney stands out as one of Falmouth’s most dangerous hitters. Gafney’s 85 at-bats are the most of any Commodore, but he’s recorded 26 hits, which also leads the team. The left fielder is one of just three Falmouth players with double-digit RBIs (15) while his .376 slugging percentage is second among qualified hitters.
While Gafney has been Falmouth’s most productive hitter, Jaxon Willits has been the Commodores’ most efficient one. Willits leads Falmouth with a .328 batting average and .837 OPS while getting on base at a .446 rate, the third-best mark in the Cape League. He’s the only Falmouth player with double-digit walks (15), despite striking out 16 times.
Number To Know: 4
Through 24 games, Chatham has allowed four grand slams. The last time Chatham faced off against Falmouth, Gavin Turley blasted a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning. Just three days later, Sam White blasted a grand slam for Wareham en route to defeating the Anglers 8-2. On July 12, Brewster’s Ryder Helfrick unloaded the third grand slam in a week against Chatham.
Anglers pitchers have given up 26 home runs this year, which is the fifth-most in the Cape League. But the Anglers let up six across two games against Brewster and Hariwch from July 11-12, despite winning both contests.
Last Time They Played
Chatham and Falmouth faced off on July 6 at Fuller Field. The Commodores came out with a 4-3 win due to the aforementioned grand slam from Turley. Starters Liam Paddack (Gonzaga) and Gage Wood combined for 9.1 scoreless innings and 17 strikeouts and allowed just six hits.
The Anglers broke the deadlock with singles from John Bay (Austin Peay) and Arquette, creating a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning. Turley’s homer put the Commodores ahead for good in the bottom of the frame. Chatham put its first two runners on in the ninth, but three straight outs helped Falmouth come out with the win.