HARWICH — Harwich Field Manager Steve Englert knows the Cape League season can’t be won in the first week. But he knows it can be lost. That’s why he’s asked his group of makeshift Mariners to play at least .500 ball before the final roster is filled out. 

And so far, Englert’s half-interim crew has come through, as the Mariners (4-5) are just four points out of first place in the East Division after the opening week-and-a-half of play. 

Still, keeping pace hasn’t been easy. 

“We’re missing quite a few guys right now, so we’re just trying to stay above water before those guys show up,” said Englert, referencing four players – three from UNC and another from Clemson – who are making their way east after playing in last week’s College World Series. 

Complicating matters is the fact five Mariners are trying out for Team USA next week. Such uncertainty forced Harwich to field seven temporary players, which has only made things predictably unpredictable.

“We’re kind of night and day right now, it’s been a roller coaster season so far,” said Englert of Harwich, which has won close games, lost close games, won blow outs, and been blown out. “We don’t hit one game, then we get 17 hits the next game. You just don’t know which team is going to show up.”

Elaborated Englert, “We have a number of temp players, guys who are playing out of position, and it’s a different line up every night because you’re constantly working new guys in to figure out who’s going to stay and what their roles will be. We’re just trying to stay within striking distance, and not fall out of the playoff race before those guys show up.” 

Keeping Harwich in the thick of things is their dynamic bullpen, bolstered by late-inning relievers Asjes Arshwin, Joel Brookens, Josh Ellis and closer Kevin McDonald, who’s tied for first in the league with two saves.

The trio of Arshwin, Brookens and McDonald made their biggest splash in last week’s 5-4, extra-inning victory over Y-D, combining for seven frames of hitless relief to help Harwich rally from a 4-0 deficit.

Brandon Guyer singled in a pair of runs in the eighth, Chris Swauger and Warren Schaeffer scored on wild pitches to force extra inning in the ninth, and Eric Fryer scored on a fielding error in the 11th to cap the furious comeback.

“That was a good character win for us,” Englert said. “It showed us that if you keep grinding it out, good things can happen.”

It’s really no surprise Englert targeted the aforementioned aces after painfully watching the Mariners suffer a 13-game, mid-season losing slump last summer, in which Harwich relinquished eight late inning leads.

“I’ve never seen anything quite like it before,” said Englert of the skid that spelled his team’s demise. “I recruited a little differently and went after a few closers, so that we won’t have the problem of not getting the job done late in the game.”

Making sure they hold onto late leads may not be an issue, as Harwich is loaded with more than a few offensive stars. 

Schaeffer, the team’s errorless third baseman, has given the Mariners the biggest boost with a bat, hitting .296 thus far. Fellow infielders Josh Donaldson (.294) Adam Amar (.280) have also made their presence known. And UNC stars Chad Flack (who hit .213 with 16 RBIs for the Mariners last summer) and Josh Horton – who Englert said will hit in the four and five hole – will further strengthen the lineup once they arrive. 

Guyer (.214), Johnny Giavotella (.214), Brandon Menchaca (.222), Devin Thomas (.222) Antone DeJesus (.231), and Sergio Miranda (.233) have all hit above the Mendoza line – no easy task given how year-after-year Cape Leaguers struggle early and often to hit with wood bats. 

Harwich, which has defeated Y-D twice (5-4 as previously mentioned and 5-2), has also taken down Orleans (2-0) and Bourne (11-0). They’ve also suffered narrow losses to Chatham (5-2), Y-D (3-1) and Cotuit (3-0). Wareham has given Harwich the most problems, handing the Mariners a 10-1 loss opening day and 10-3 the following week.

Their erratic beginning aside, Englert sees his team improving down the line. “Guys are starting to make better approaches, and they’re going to the plate with a plan,” said the fourth-year skipper. “Once we get our full team here and settle in, I think we’ll be OK. 

by Eric Adler