Cougars in the ‘Cape Update: Ray throws smoke and Wallace improves

SarCoog: Recently, former Cougar pitchers like Donnie Joseph and Wes Musick have made their professional debuts. But let’s not forget that there are guys on the current roster who will be back next year that are seeing summer action.

On the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Blake Kelso is still the every day starter at 2nd base and is batting .304 (3rd on team) with 6 RBI and team-highs in walks (9) and stolen bases (8). This past week Kelso had 2 hits against Orleans (6/26) and Falmouth (6/28 game 2), while driving in 2 runs with a triple against Brewster (6/27). Jared Ray leads all Y-D starting pitchers with his 1.20 ERA in 3 appearances (3 starts) and 15.0 innings pitched (2nd on team). Most recently Ray threw 6.0 innings against Orleans (6/26) in which he gave up no earned runs (1 unearned) and struck out 5. On the season Ray has struck out 14, only walked 5 and has thrown no wild pitches (a big issue for Cougar pitchers in ‘08). Michael Goodnight made his 2nd appearance last Wednesday, coming in during the 1st inning and giving Y-D 5.1 innings of 1-run ball, in which he surrendered only 2 hits but walked 4. So far Goodnight has thrown 11.1 innings total, while walking 8 and striking out 9 in that time.

Kelso squares away for the Y-D Red Sox (courtesy of Aaron Burns)

After a brutal start playing for the Bourne Braves, Chris Wallace has put his 1 for 10 slump in the rear view mirror. In the past week Wallace has gone a combined 9 for 16 and pulled his average up to .231 for the year. He also hit his first home run of the season: a 2-run bomb against Harwich (6/28), to help put Bourne on top in a 6-3 win.  One of the other highlights from the past week was a game-tying RBI single against Cotuit (6/29) in what would end up being a 2-1 Bourne win. Hopefully ‘Wally’ has put the slump of the previous couple weeks behind him for good.