Welcome to the Bourne Braves Official Website

Falmouth Passes West Test
Aug 9, 2008
Author: Nate Sandals, The Cape Cod Times

FALMOUTH - Before last night's play-in game against Bourne, Falmouth manager Jeff Trundy listed three keys to the game: Pitching, defense and timely hitting.

The Commodores got just enough of each to knock off the Braves 3-2, earning the Cape Cod Baseball League's fourth and final playoff berth in game 45 of the 44-game season. Falmouth will face Cotuit in the first game of a best-of-three series this afternoon at Lowell Park.

The bottom of the Falmouth order proved the difference, a surprising result considering the seven, eight and nine hitters were 0-for-6 with five strikeouts the first two times through the batting order.

"We've struggled at the bottom of the order," Trundy said. "But to those guys' credit, they've kept trying to get better each and every day."
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh and facing Bourne's best bullpen arm in Kevin Landry (William & Mary), Falmouth fought back. Kevin Nolan (Winthrop) led off with a single. After a walk to Ryan Jones (Wichita State), Brian Fletcher (Auburn) sacrificed the runners to second and third.

With just one out and a slim lead, Bourne manager Harvey Shapiro kept his infield back, which allowed Nolan to tie the score on a fielder's choice groundout by Michael Thomas (Southern).

The next batter, Brandon Macias (South Mountain CC), blooped a two-strike single into left field to score Jones. Macias batted just .039 this season, but he picked an ideal time for his biggest hit.

"I just wanted to put the ball in play and score the run," Macias said. "It's a great feeling, especially after struggling a little bit. But it's always good to help the team. That's all that counts really."

Before the seventh inning, it appeared Bourne pitching would be the story of the game.

Nate Baker (Ole Miss) took the ball for Bourne and didn't look like a guy with a 5.18 ERA this season. He looked primed to pick up his second win of the season, going six innings without allowing an earned run. Falmouth got just three hits off Baker and struck out six times.

Bourne used clutch hitting to take its 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. Jordan Henry (Ole Miss) was on third base with two outs and scored on a double to center by Brandon Bantz (Dallas Baptist). Falmouth center fielder A.J. Pollock (Notre Dame), the Cape League MVP, appeared to have a good shot to make a catch on, but took a bad line and the ball sailed over his head.

The Braves took the lead during the next at bat when Kyle Roller (East Carolina) scored on a wild pitch.

Before the fourth, Falmouth starter Nate Karns (Ole Miss) had been nothing short of dominant. After giving up a single to the first batter, Karns had retired eight straight batters, six on strikeouts.

Karns lasted just 4.2 innings, but Shaeffer Hall (Kansas) came in and was untouchable finishing it out. After allowing the first batter he faced to reach on a fielder's choice, Hall retired the next 13 batters he faced, six on strikeouts. Hall didn't allow a single hit.

"I felt in control," Hall said. "Everything was working. I was able to mix pitches up just to keep the hitters off balance."

Just minutes after the win Hall and Co. were quickly looking ahead to the matchup with Cotuit, a team that Falmouth played tough this season, but ended up on the short end four of six games.

Both teams were 23-20-1 entering last night's game.

"Once the playoffs start that's it - new records, new everything," Hall said. "We just get to play ball and I think everybody's going to be pumped up for it."

Chris Gloor (Quinnipiac) gets the start today for the Commodores.

Article from The Cape Cod Times
www.capecodonline.com