28 July, 2004

Aughey Powers East Stars to 13-0 Win

     Cancel those wind tower plans for Nantucket Sound. Just hook those batteries to the East All-Star team. They've got power enough to light Cape Cod. 

     The Cape League East Stars charged up and bombarded the West with five home runs, four in the first two innings as they built a 7-0 lead on their way to a 13-0 rout at Eldredge Park in Orleans Saturday night. 

     Austin Easley of Bourne won the pre-game home run hitting contest but unfortunately for the West, he wasn't a member of their squad. The West team managed only three hits against nine pitchers for the East. 

     On the other hand, Ryan Patterson of Brewster and Jordan Brown of Orleans hit solo homers; Jon Aughey of Harwich and Mike Campbell of Brewster belted two run shots; and East MVP Frank Curreri of Y-D clubbed a three-run homer. 

     "It feels awesome, it was a dream come true," said Curreri, a Weymouth native. "Getting to the Cape, then getting here. This is just an added honor. It's a great feeling. About 90 percent of the people (over) there are all family. I've got quite a few people here tonight. It was a change-up, up and away. I faced him earlier and he threw me all change-ups away so I was kind of guessing." 

     The Red Sox catcher guessed right. 

     "I was surprised (at the homers), but this park is tiny and if you get it in the air to left it can go out, but I was surprised, they were some good shots," added Brewster Star Will Rhymes. 

     Runs also came in for the East on Tyler Greene's (Orleans) sacrifice fly, a wild pitch, and two errors. Not a great day for the West but the East hitters and pitchers both had fun. 

     "It absolutely was a ton of fun," said Chris Getz of Chatham, who singled and scored in three at bats. "It was a good time and a good experience to play with a bunch of great players." 

     "I had an absolutely terrific time," said Rhymes. "I wish we had this big a crowd at every game. I don't know what the best part was, being out there with all these guys. They're nice guys and great players." 

     The fans enjoyed themselves as well, despite a moderate rain that fell for an inning and cool cloudy conditions. Eldredge Park overflowed and the ball game was entertaining if not close. 

     "I like playing on a field with a lot of people," noted Jordan Brown. "It gets me going." 

     Matt Antonelli of Falmouth and Peabody made a couple of terrific plays at third while right fielder Mike Campbell and Brown at first earned gold gloves for the East. 

     Jon Aughey singled and was hit by a pitch, in addition to his homer, and the Mariner scored three runs. 

     "It was fun. It was a great honor being out here. It was just a great day," Aughey said. "It was a great day, a long day." 

     Frank Curreri's first inning three-run shot to left, scoring Greene who'd walked and Aughey, was the big blow that gave the East all the offense they needed. 

     Jordan Brown added another homer to left off West starter Mike Madsen. 

     "It felt good," Brown noted. "You always want to succeed at this level so hitting that ball felt real good. There are a lot of good hitters in this league, as well as good pitchers, and the pitchers were leaving their pitches up. The harder you throw the more it gets up in the zone." 

     The East scored three more in the second off hard throwing Mark McCormick of Wareham as Patterson homered to left, Chris Getz of Chatham singled and Aughey followed with a clout to left. 

     "I was looking fastball. He was throwing pretty hard," Aughey said. "I knew he'd start me off with a fastball with the first pitch. I've been working hard. Everything paid off finally. All the pitchers up here are good day in day out. I just try to see the ball, hit the ball." 

     Campbell's two-run shot came in the seventh. He had two hits on the day as did Patterson. Will Rhymes of Brewster also singled while catcher John Slone reached on an error and scored. 

     All nine East pitchers tossed shutout frames but Andrew Miller of Chatham had the best performance, whiffing the side on 15 pitches. Ryan Falcon of Brewster also struck out the side but he gave up a double to Bryon Harris of Cotuit. 

     Dallas Buck of Falmouth, who shut out the East in the third innings with one strikeout, was named the West MVP, although his performance was virtually identical to that of Mark Sauls of Hyannis, Jensen Lewis of Falmouth and Mike Wlodarczyk of Hyannis.