BOSTON — The Cape Cod Baseball League showcases some of the best college players in the country each summer, and the best of the best were on display Friday night at Fenway Park.
The Eastern Division All-Stars rode a fifth-inning home run by James Ramsey and a dominant pitching performance to a 4-1 win over the West All-Stars in the annual Cape League All-Star Game.
As is often the case in All-Star games, pitching was the story of the night, especially on the East side.
After starter Taylor Rogers of Harwich allowed a run in the first inning — when Bourne's Travis Janowski scored from first on an error — East pitchers combined to throw eight consecutive scoreless innings, allowing just three total hits.
"It was great being the starting pitcher and being able to throw here at Fenway," said Rogers, who plays college ball at Kentucky, "…and it was awesome because all the guys behind me were able to come in and shut the door. It's just a great accomplishment and a great opportunity and I'm very honored."
Rogers was followed by eight of the East's top hurlers, as both teams employed a different pitcher in each inning.
Orleans Firebirds closer Trevor Gott came on in the ninth and retired the side in order to earn the save. Gott is 11-for-11 in save opportunities this year with Orleans.
The game did not have the look of a pitcher's duel early on, however. Yarmouth-Dennis teammates Steven Piscotty and Mason Katz scored for the East in the second inning on a wild play that involved two overthrows and resulted in an inside-the-park home run for Katz — albeit an error-induced one.
The East added to their lead in the third, with Brewster's Ryan Jones legging out an infield single then scoring on a Jason Monda RBI single.
Ramsey added the dagger with his homer in the fifth, a rare display of power in a game that was otherwise tame offensively. For the Yarmouth-Dennis center fielder, the chance to hit a home run at Fenway was a moment he will not soon forget.
"You feel like you're off the ground, for sure," said Ramsey, who was named MVP of the East team. "The best part wasn't really running the bases, it was getting back to the dugout and getting high fives from people you’ve only known for a few hours. … I'm really blessed to play beside so many good players in this league."
Even for those who came out on the losing side on the scoreboard, the opportunity to play at Fenway Park was a special experience.
"Nobody in 20 years is going to remember who won this game," said Wareham pitcher Konner Wade, who was named MVP of the West squad for his scoreless eighth inning. "Everyone is just going to remember the feelings they had while playing and the experience of playing on this stage."
