July 25, 2011
By Jon Cooper
Sting Daily
As a heat wave grips the nation, Georgia Tech baseball has heated up as well during the week gone by in its summer leagues.
Here’s a look at how the Jackets are faring through games of July 24th.
Alaska Baseball League
Conner Kendrick: The freshman lefty had another strong week in the ABL. In two appearances, Kendrick went 1-0, pitching six innings, allowing one run (earned) and four hits. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. He got the win on Wednesday, throwing three shutout innings in Anchorage’s 3-2, 10-inning win over the Alaska Fire. On Friday night, he got no decision, allowing only one run while recording 12 punchouts in a 5-1 loss to the Matsu Miners.
Cal Ripken Baseball League
Bradley Markey: The sophomore played in three games, making one start. Last Monday, against the Rockville Express, Markey threw a summer-high eight shutout innings, allowing only four hits, striking out four, while walking only two. He raised his record to 5-2 and has seven quality starts in eight starts. Since allowing three runs in six innings in his first start, he has allowed a total of seven in 43 2/3 innings (a 1.44 ERA). Youses is 24-16, in second place, eight games out of first, behind Bethesda.
Cape Cod League
Luke Bard: The sophomore righty had another quality start against the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, going six innings allowing three runs (only one earned), but took the loss, falling to 2-2, as Brewster fell, 3-1. Bard allowed a summer-high seven hits, but extended his streak of allowing two-or-fewer runs to three starts. Over his last three games he’s pitching to a 1.42 ERA (three earned runs in 19 innings). He lowered his ERA to 2.80 and has pitched into the sixth inning in his last five starts and five of six overall.. Brewster is in 18-15-4, and leads the East Division.
Jake Davies: Davies raised his average 53 points by hitting .364 (8-for-22), second on the team. He also led Harwich with a .409 slugging percentage and with a .462 on-base percentage. He scored two runs, drove in two runs and had a hit in five of the seven games, carrying a three-game hitting streak into this week. Davies is now hitting .238 for the summer and is up to 20 hits on the season (tied for sixth on the team).
Daniel Palka: The freshman slugger also had a banner week for Wareham, hitting a team-high .444 (8-for-18) putting up three multi-hit games and at least one hit in all five games the Gatemen played. also led the team in slugging (.500, tied with Brandon Thomas) and on-base percentage (.450). Palka also had three RBIs doubling his summer total, driving in a run in three straight games. Wareham didn’t fare as well, going 2-3 and is now 18-19, in third place in the West. Palka is now hitting a team-high .304.
Brandon Thomas: The sophomore outfielder had hits in three straight games to start the week, extending his hitting streak to four games, before going 0-5 in the last two games, including his second pinch-hit appearance of the summer on Sunday. Thomas scored three runs in the three-game streak and had a double and a triple in Friday’s 4-2 loss at Falmouth. His .500 slugging percentage for the week tied with Palka.
Buck Farmer: The sophomore righty recorded his second win of the summer in three decisions (second-best on the team) by going a summer-best seven innings, allowing two runs (both earned) and six hits. He struck out three but also walked three, the most he’s walked in a game for Chatham, and hit a batter. Farmer threw 90 pitches 55 for strikes. He’s now 2-0 in his last two starts, having allowed two earned runs in each (five total runs) in his last two starts, covering 13 innings. The Anglers are still trapped at the bottom of the East, with a 13-23-1 record.
DeAndre Smelter: Smelter saw plenty of teammates Brandon Thomas and Daniel Palka this week, as he pitched on Monday then Friday against Wareham, going 2 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs (both earned) and three hits in Falmouth’s 7-5 loss on Monday, then threw 2/3s scoreless, allowing two hits in the rematch, won by the Commordores, 4-2. He recorded four strikeouts in the two outings. Against fellow Yellow Jackets, Smelter hit Brandon Thomas with an 0-1 pitch but also got him to fly out. Against Palka, he allowed an RBI double (scoring Thomas) and a single. For the year, Smelter’s ERA is a svelte 2.31 (3 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings) Falmouth is 17-19, fourth in the Western Division.
Mott Hyde: The shortstop was 1-for-8 in an abbreviated three-game week. His eighth-iining single off Brewster’s Joe Biagini last Monday in a 2-0 win, extended his summer-high hit streak to three games and gave him a hit in four of five games..
Kyle Wren: The freshman centerfielder had a solid week, hitting .261 (5-for-21, with three runs scored, a double, an RBI and two stolen bases. Wren hit in four of the six games, including in three straight games when he hit .400 (4-for-10). as the Cotuit Kettleers went 2-0-1. He also was 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts and is now 16 for 21 on the summer and still leads the league in steals. Unfortunately, the Kettleers are 13-21, last in the West.
Coastal Plains League
Jonathan Roberts: The freshman right-hander suffered his fourth loss in six decisions on Saturday, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) and eight hits, in Peninsula’s 8-6 loss to Outer Banks. Roberts struck out two, walked two, threw a wild pitch and committed a balk. Peninsula, is 4-6 thus far in the second half, third in the North Division.
Devin Stanton: Fellow freshman and Peninsula Pilot teammate, lefty Devin Stanton, had a quiet week, going 1 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (only one earned) and one hit. He struck out three and walked two.
Florida Collegiate Summer League
Zane Evans: The freshman catcher had another hot week at the plate, going 4-for-9 (.444), with a .667 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base pecentage. He had two doubles and two RBIs and has brought his average up to .300 on the year.The Lightning are 24-10, holding 1 1/2 game lead in the FCSL.
Alex Cruz: The freshman infielder was absolutely torrid last week, hitting .588 (10-for-17), with a .765 slugging average and .611 on-base percentage. Cruz had three multi-hit games, including a three-hit game at DeLand on Wednesday, then a four-hit game at Orlando on Saturday, when he went 4-for-5 with a triple and three runs scored in a 14-11 shootout loss. In 20 games, he is hitting .333 and has reached via hit in 15 of the 20 games. The Diamond Dawgs are 20-9, right behind Leesburg.
Great Lakes Summer League
Dusty Isaacs: The freshman righty had a no-decision in his lone outing of the week, going four innings, allowing four earned runs and three hits, in Hamilton’s 10-5 win. A seven-run eighth inning got Isaacs off the hook and extended his unbeaten streak to four starts. Isaacs is 4-1 but saw his ERA rise to 2.89.
New England Collegiate Baseball League
Paul Kronenfeld: The freshman outfielder/1B got backin the swing, hitting .353 (6-for-17), including a homer, with a two RBIs and three runs scored. His .529 slugging percentage led the team, while his .500 on-base percentage tied for the team lead. Kronenfeld has now hit in six of his last seven games and is batting .300 (6-for-20) in that stretch. Sanford is 17-17, in third place a game behind NorthShore.
Chase Butler: The sophomore third baseman was 6-for-25 (.241), but reached base in all seven games Danbury played this week and scored six runs. He’s scored at least one run in four straight games and has a hit in three of the last four. The Westerners are 22-13 in the Western Division, in third, a half-game out of second and a game out of first.
Sunbelt Baseball League
Evan Martin: The junior outfielder/infielder had another hot week for the Atlanta Crackers, hitting .455 (5-for-11), with two doubles and two triples, two runs scored and three RBIs. Martin had a monster 4-for-6 game against the Home Plate Chukars, a 9-4 win. He scored a run and had a double, two triples and three RBIs in the game. had a .500 slugging percentage and a .368 OBP and is now hitting .370 for the Crackers,They lead the Central Division with a 9-11 record.
Valley Baseball League
Sam Dove: The sophomore outfielder hit .529 (9-for-17), and was an RBI machine, driving in six runs, including a game-tying run in the 10th inning Sunday night. On Friday he drove in a run with a squeeze bunt. Dove had three multi-hit games during the week and raised his average 26 points to .366. Harrisonburg, which has won seven of 10, is 30-11, the best record in the league and has an 8-game lead on New Market in the Central Division.
–RamblinWreck.com–
