Oxford and DeMartini star for Cape League finals-bound Brewster Whitecaps
The Brewster Whitecaps claimed their second consecutive East Division title Monday, winning Game Two, 9-7, to sweep the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod Baseball League Playoffs.
Both offenses were locked in early and often as the two teams combined for 16 runs on 31 hits and four total home runs.
However in a game with that much offense, it was Wake Forest's Brennen Oxford that stood out for shutting the Red Sox down to seal the sweep.
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"Ox has been really good all summer," Brewster pitching coach Jason Rathbun said. "We started early in the year finding good situations to put him in to give him some confidence."
That confidence translated as Oxford has been one of the best relievers in the league this season. In 13 appearances for the Whitecaps, Oxford pitched 20 1/3 innings, posted a 0.44 ERA, and struck out nearly double the amount of batters (23) that he allowed to get a hit off of him (12).
The solo home run he gave up to New Mexico State's Gunner Antillon was only the second earned run he had given up all season.
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Outside of the one mistake, Oxford only allowed two other hits, and struck out six over three innings of relief. Monday Night marked just the second time Oxford eclipsed two innings all season.
"We didn't want him to go three, but he kind of convinced us to go back out there for a third," Brewster head coach Jamie Shevchik said. "There wasn't any (other) arm on a pitching staff that I would've wanted to have the ball in that situation, win or lose."
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Still undefeated in the playoffs, the win seals the Whitecaps second straight trip to the Cape Cod Baseball League Championship series. They arrive there as the hottest team in the league, and undefeated in the postseason.
The offense, which struggled to consistently put up runs during the regular season, has found its footing, averaging more than seven runs per game in the postseason. At the heart of that production has been Virginia Tech's Carson DeMartini.
DeMartini was a one-man wrecking crew for the Brewster Whitecaps in the East Division Championship series.
In Game One, DeMartini tagged Y-D pitchers for two home runs and four RBIs en route to a 6-3 Brewster victory.
In Game Two, DeMartini picked up right where he left off. The sophomore hit two solo home runs, giving him four homers and six RBI across the two games.
"I'm just excited I could put some runs on the board, that's what it's all about." DeMartini said.
Overall, he leads the Whitecaps in hits (eight), home runs (four), and RBIs (eight) this postseason.
Behind him, and pitchers like Oxford, Brewster will be looking to repeat as Cape League Champs in 2022. The Whitecaps will play the Bourne Braves in the 2022 Cape League Championship Series. Game One of the championship is slated for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Bourne.
Contact André Simms at asimms@capecodonline.com. Follow him on Twitter: @that1guyandre.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Brewster Whitecaps clinch spot in Cape Cod Baseball League finals
