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Game 36 Preview: Chatham vs. Hyannis
Some like to say that the third time’s a charm. For Chatham and Hyannis, both sides hope that’s the case. The Anglers and Harbor Hawks have had their final regular-season contest of the summer postponed two separate times due to either fog or rain. But they’re finally set to battle Wednesday night at Veterans Field.
With five games left in the regular-season slate, the A’s have clinched their first postseason appearance since 2019. Chatham won its first game of interim manager Eric Beattie’s tenure Tuesday 13-2 over Brewster, and can lock into the East Division’s No. 2 seed with two more wins. Facing the Harbor Hawks, who hold the third-best record in the CCBL, should prove to be a beneficial litmus test for the Anglers heading into the home stretch.
Here’s what to know before Chatham (17-18, East) takes on Hyannis (21-13-1, West) for the fourth time this year:
Quinn Holt (Keystone) will make his second start of the summer for the A’s. His first start also came against Hyannis on July 19, where he allowed six runs. But only two of them were earned. The 6-foot-6 right-hander flashed his potential this spring at Keystone College, accumulating a 2.87 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.
Hyannis is set to throw left-hander Grant Stevens on the mound Wednesday. The Oklahoma product will be making his third appearance and third start of the summer. He hasn’t gone for much distance in his starts with just six innings pitched, but he’s been stout nonetheless. Stevens boasts a 3.00 ERA, has racked up nine strikeouts and holds a 1.17 WHIP.
With first baseman Eddie Hacopian (Maryland) being released due to injury Tuesday, Robin Villeneuve (Texas Tech) will surely be slotted in as Chatham’s everyday first baseman. In 11 games thus far in 2024, he’s been solid. Villeneuve is batting .229, slugging .429 and has an OPS of just .786. He belted a two-run homer in his first game at Veterans Field on July 17 in a win over Bourne. He’d been relatively quiet since, but he went 2-for-3 with an RBI double Tuesday against Brewster.
One of the Anglers’ more consistent players in 2024 has been Ashton Larson (LSU). The right fielder earned an East Division All-Star Game starting nod in his first summer on the Cape. In 26 appearances with Chatham, Larson has tallied 13 RBIs, a .296 batting average and a .712 OPS. He’s missing a power element, being held without a homer this summer, but he makes up for it with 29 hits — ranking second among the A’s active roster.
Hyannis center fielder Kane Kepley is among the most dynamic players in the CCBL. His 15 stolen bases rank fourth in the league, his .433 on-base percentage sits sixth across the Cape and his 36 walks are by far the most among all active players — 10 more than the next-closest player. Kepley has also belted two homers and driven in 17 runs, which is the second-best total on the Harbor Hawks.
Second baseman Eric Snow is the class of the Harbor Hawks’ lineup, however. His .870 OPS leads the team. Snow is batting .345 with 30 hits, two homers and 17 RBIs — all of which are top three marks among Hyannis’ active roster. Snow went just a modest 1-for-4 last time out against the Anglers, yet he’s always primed to be a dangerous task.
The Anglers are 1-2 versus the Harbor Hawks this summer. But the losses were damning. In each of Chatham’s two defeats to Hyannis, it failed to score a run.
Zero runs compared to the Harbor Hawks’ 17 across two road contests in mid-June and mid-July paired for the A’s only two shutout losses thus far in 2024. Chatham’s only win over Hyannis was on June 26 at Veterans Field, in which the A’s won 5-2 after the game was called due to fog after five innings. Though, you can’t win without runs. And the Anglers will need at least a few Sunday evening.
Chatham’s latest loss to Hyannis came on July 19 at McKeon Park, where the Anglers fell 6-0 to the Harbor Hawks. A pristine outing from starting pitcher Aaron Savary set Hyannis’ offense up with a chance to materialize a commanding lead, and it did just that.
The Harbor Hawks exploded for four fourth-inning runs and to take a six-run advantage heading into the fifth. Cameron Johnson (Oklahoma) and Andrew Williams (Oklahoma) fired scoreless bullpen appearances, though it wasn’t enough to offset an A’s offense that registered just three hits.
With five games left in the regular-season slate, the A’s have clinched their first postseason appearance since 2019. Chatham won its first game of interim manager Eric Beattie’s tenure Tuesday 13-2 over Brewster, and can lock into the East Division’s No. 2 seed with two more wins. Facing the Harbor Hawks, who hold the third-best record in the CCBL, should prove to be a beneficial litmus test for the Anglers heading into the home stretch.
Here’s what to know before Chatham (17-18, East) takes on Hyannis (21-13-1, West) for the fourth time this year:
Probable Starters
Quinn Holt (Keystone) will make his second start of the summer for the A’s. His first start also came against Hyannis on July 19, where he allowed six runs. But only two of them were earned. The 6-foot-6 right-hander flashed his potential this spring at Keystone College, accumulating a 2.87 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.
Hyannis is set to throw left-hander Grant Stevens on the mound Wednesday. The Oklahoma product will be making his third appearance and third start of the summer. He hasn’t gone for much distance in his starts with just six innings pitched, but he’s been stout nonetheless. Stevens boasts a 3.00 ERA, has racked up nine strikeouts and holds a 1.17 WHIP.
Chatham Players To Watch
With first baseman Eddie Hacopian (Maryland) being released due to injury Tuesday, Robin Villeneuve (Texas Tech) will surely be slotted in as Chatham’s everyday first baseman. In 11 games thus far in 2024, he’s been solid. Villeneuve is batting .229, slugging .429 and has an OPS of just .786. He belted a two-run homer in his first game at Veterans Field on July 17 in a win over Bourne. He’d been relatively quiet since, but he went 2-for-3 with an RBI double Tuesday against Brewster.
One of the Anglers’ more consistent players in 2024 has been Ashton Larson (LSU). The right fielder earned an East Division All-Star Game starting nod in his first summer on the Cape. In 26 appearances with Chatham, Larson has tallied 13 RBIs, a .296 batting average and a .712 OPS. He’s missing a power element, being held without a homer this summer, but he makes up for it with 29 hits — ranking second among the A’s active roster.
Hyannis Players To Watch
Hyannis center fielder Kane Kepley is among the most dynamic players in the CCBL. His 15 stolen bases rank fourth in the league, his .433 on-base percentage sits sixth across the Cape and his 36 walks are by far the most among all active players — 10 more than the next-closest player. Kepley has also belted two homers and driven in 17 runs, which is the second-best total on the Harbor Hawks.
Second baseman Eric Snow is the class of the Harbor Hawks’ lineup, however. His .870 OPS leads the team. Snow is batting .345 with 30 hits, two homers and 17 RBIs — all of which are top three marks among Hyannis’ active roster. Snow went just a modest 1-for-4 last time out against the Anglers, yet he’s always primed to be a dangerous task.
Number To Know: 0
The Anglers are 1-2 versus the Harbor Hawks this summer. But the losses were damning. In each of Chatham’s two defeats to Hyannis, it failed to score a run.
Zero runs compared to the Harbor Hawks’ 17 across two road contests in mid-June and mid-July paired for the A’s only two shutout losses thus far in 2024. Chatham’s only win over Hyannis was on June 26 at Veterans Field, in which the A’s won 5-2 after the game was called due to fog after five innings. Though, you can’t win without runs. And the Anglers will need at least a few Sunday evening.
Last Time They Played
Chatham’s latest loss to Hyannis came on July 19 at McKeon Park, where the Anglers fell 6-0 to the Harbor Hawks. A pristine outing from starting pitcher Aaron Savary set Hyannis’ offense up with a chance to materialize a commanding lead, and it did just that.
The Harbor Hawks exploded for four fourth-inning runs and to take a six-run advantage heading into the fifth. Cameron Johnson (Oklahoma) and Andrew Williams (Oklahoma) fired scoreless bullpen appearances, though it wasn’t enough to offset an A’s offense that registered just three hits.
