Braves clinch postseason berth

Tiffany Seal

ORLEANS, Mass.–The Braves (18-19-2) officially boosted themselves 5 1/2 ahead of cellar-dwelling Cotuit Kettleers (13-25-1) with five games to go in the regular season after beating the Orleans Firebirds (17-21-1) 2-1 Friday night.

It was a pitcher’s duel as Bourne’s AJ Moore (Kennesaw State) went 5 1-3 scoreless innings, giving up five hits with one walk and two strikeouts to receive the win.

Orlean’s Brooks Wilson (Stetson) had a slightly different experience against the Bourne offense that jumped out ahead early to score a run in the second.

With two outs, Willy Yahn (UConn) hit a single to advance Brennan Breaux (LSU,) who had previously drawn a walk, into scoring position. With runners at first and second, Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) hit an RBI single to score Breaux and lead Orleans, 1-0.

Wilson’s night ended after the second inning, giving up one earned run off four hits with three walks and a strikeout.

Vanderbilt’s Chandler Day came in for long-relief and posted four, scoreless, two-hit innings-walking none and striking out three.

It wasn’t until the day was done for Day that Braves’ hitting was able to manufacture an insurance run that came by way of Yahn-who set the table again for a Braves’ offensive surge by hitting a single. Mangum was hit by a pitch and both runners advanced to third and second off a wild pitch during Justin Yurchak’s (Binghamton) at-bat. Yurchak proceeded to load the bases by drawing his second walk of the night.

Houston’s Connor Wong drove in the go-ahead run with a liner to right, while Mangum tried to stretch Wong’s hit into a two RBI single but was called out at the plate for the second out.

The Braves bullpen delivered, with a thinning staff, Brendon Little (UNC Chapel Hill) relieved Moore and held down the small lead over 3 2-3 innings, giving up one run off two hits with two strikeouts in what was a bounce-back outing from his last several appearances.

Orleans’ lone and unearned run came in the eighth, when Jeremey Eierman (Missouri State) booted a ball hit by Adam Haseley (UVA.) Haseley advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored off a single from Payton Squire (UNLV) to make it a 2-1 game.

That was the extent of the Firebirds’ run production, as Little sat down the middle of the lineup in order to earn his second save and propel Bourne to a berth in the CCBL playoffs.

The Braves enter the homestretch in third place in the West and will look to maintain their standing against the Cotuit Kettleers, 6 p.m. Saturday at Doran Park.

Probable starting pitchers are Matthew Ruppenthal (Vanderbilt) and Bourne’s Chris Holba (Eastern Carolina.)