Every team on the Cape has scored more runs than the Bourne Braves so far this season. A big reason why is that the Braves have had three games postponed due to weather, so they’re behind schedule.
But winning by the slimmest of margins also has something to do with it.
And the Braves have been very good at that.
A 5-4 victory over Cotuit Thursday was Bourne’s third win of the season, and each one has been by one run. The Braves beat Chatham 4-3 and Orleans 2-1 before edging the Kettleers. At 3-1, they have the best winning percentage in the league.
The latest win came on the strength of six shutout innings by the bullpen and a rally in the seventh. After falling behind 2-0, the Braves scored four runs in the third – thanks in large part to a three-run double by Grant Witherspoon (Tulane) – before giving two right back. From there, a parade of five relievers kept Cotuit quiet and set the stage for the Braves to break through. They did it in the seventh thanks to a single, a hit-by-pitch, a walk and an RBI infield hit by Lyle Lin (Arizona State).
The bullpen then finished the job, continuing a trend in the one-run victories. Bourne relievers have allowed one run in 16.2 innings the last three games. Daniel Bies (Gonzaga) handled the biggest load Tuesday with three scoreless frames. Ryan Feltner (Ohio State) earned the save.
In the loss, Cotuit’s hot bats didn’t cool off much, as Zack Kone (Duke) went 4-for-4 to raise his average to .526 while Griffin Conine (Duke) went 2-for-4 for his fifth multi-hit game in six tries. The Kettleers fell to 4-2.
Orleans 2, Wareham 0
Three pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout as the Firebirds edged Wareham. Kevin Smith (Georgia) got the win with five innings of two-hit ball. Parker Kelly (Oregon) and Josh Hiatt (North Carolina) went two innings each, with Hiatt picking up the save. Brandon Riley (North Carolina) had three hits and an RBI to lead the Orleans offense, and Jeff Houghtby (San Diego) also knocked home a run. Orleans improved to 2-4. Wareham, which dropped to 2-5, got three hits from Willie MacIver (Washington), who ran his average to .400.
Hyannis 5, Chatham 3
Returning Harbor Hawk Ford Proctor (Rice) was 0-for-13 on the summer when he came up with a big first hit. Proctor’s three-run homer in the sixth broke a 1-1 tie and sent the Harbor Hawks on their way to a 5-3 win over the Anglers. Ryan Olenek (Ole Miss) had delivered the game-tying RBI an inning before and Chris Proctor (Duke) added a bit of insurance with an RBI single in the seventh. The sixth-inning homer made a winner out of starter Ryan Weiss (Wright State), who allowed one run and struck out seven in five innings. Christian Tripp (New Mexico) picked up his third save. Hyannis is 3-2-1. Chatham fell to 4-2. Nick Patten (Delaware) and Josh Shaw (ASA College) drove in one run each for the Anglers.
Falmouth 4, Harwich 2
The Commodores out-scored the Mariners 3-2 in the first inning, shut them out the rest of the way and tacked on one additional run for the 4-2 win. Alec Bohm (Wichita State), Marty Bechina (Michigan State) and Willie Burger (Penn State) all had RBI hits in the big first inning and Bechina added another in the third. Scott Politz (Yale) allowed the two runs to Harwich in the bottom half of the first but escaped a bases-loaded jam and met smooth sailing from there. He went five innings for the win. Brian Gadsby (UCLA) and Ryan Zeferjahn (Kansas) handled the final four innings, with Zeferjahn earning the save. Harwich got two hits and two RBI from Cobie Vance (Alabama). Falmouth is 3-4 while Harwich is 2-4-1.
Brewster 7, Y-D 7
The Whitecaps tied the game with five runs in the sixth inning and neither team scored again in a darkness-induced draw. Cesar Trejo (UNC Greensboro) had the big blow in the game-tying comeback with a three-run double. Mickey Gasper (Bryant) added three RBI for the Whitecaps and A.J. Graffanino (Washington) had three hits. Y-D got three hits and two RBI from Connor Kaiser (Vanderbilt) and a home run by Carlos Cortes (South Carolina). Y-D’s Karl Blum (Rutgers) starred in relief, striking out six of the nine batters he faced. Brewster is 2-2-1 while Y-D is 3-1-1.
What to Watch
Connor Higgins (Arizona State) – the first winner of the league’s Pitcher of the Week award – makes his second start for Brewster as Falmouth comes to town. Higgins went five scoreless innings with six strikeouts in his first start.