Bourne’s Rally Falls Short Against the Red Sox

By: Jacob Janower

A two-run first inning and back-to-back homers in the eighth were enough to lift the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the Bourne Braves in the third consecutive game between the two teams.

The Braves’ pitching staff held strong after allowing four hits in the first inning and despite a ninth inning rally, the offense generated wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.

Nick Quintana (Arizona) and Connor Kaiser (Vanderbilt) delivered the big blows with home runs apiece.

Coleman’s Tough Starting Debut

Dylan Coleman (Missouri State) had made one relief appearance during the summer but was given his first start of the season on Friday. Coleman, who made 16 starts with MSU, was victimized by the deep Red Sox lineup, who tagged him for six hits but just two runs, both of which were scored in the first inning.

Y-D grabbed their first run off of a double by Kyle Isbel (UNLV) and tacked on another when Alex McKenna (UC Irvine) singled home Isbel.

The highlight of Coleman’s outing were his five strikeouts in 2 and 2/3 innings pitched.

P.J. Poulin (Connecticut) came on in relief of Coleman and was able to limit the damage with three scoreless innings.

Offense Struggles to Cash In Chances

The Braves had a runner on in all but two innings but only had the one run to show for it through the first eight innings and Lyle Lin’s (Arizona State) single was the only hit with runners in scoring position.

The offense generated enough hits (8) to keep pace with Y-D, but all but two were for singles and baserunning mistakes and a first inning double play squashed opportunities.

Turner Brown’s (East Carolina) ninth inning home run, the Braves fourth of the season, brought them to within a run of the lead.

“I got into a good hitters count,” Brown said. “3-1, the guy was throwing hard. I just wanted to stay short and elevate something, and got a good pitch to do it with.”

In just his second game since being activated, shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald (Louisville) collected two hits and also reached base on a walk, giving the Braves a solid bat at the bottom of the lineup.

Stat That Mattered

Fitzgerald and Brown accounted for five of the Braves eight hits, as most of the top and middle of the order was unable to generate enough offense.

Player of the Game

Brown had a strong all-around game. He delivered three hits, including his home run, and made a pair of stellar defensive plays, including a diving stop to start a double play with the bases loaded. The second baseman also notched his first stolen base of the season.

“If that ball gets through we don’t turn a double play,” Brown said about his diving play. “We have got no momentum. At least we have some momentum that we brought back. We are only down one at that point, instead of maybe two or three.”

Coming Up: The Braves will begin a stretch of five straight games against either the Wareham Gatemen or Falmouth Commodores. Saturday will mark their first trip of the season to Spillane Field to play the Gatemen.

“We just have to stay consistent every day,” Brown said. “Make sure we are staying consistent, play hard, and wins and losses, they happen. You just want to come out and take the same approach every day, whether you win the day before or lose the day before.”