Braves pull out late-inning victory

Tiffany Seal

COTUIT, Mass.–The Braves (17-18-2) traveled to Lowell Park Tuesday to face the last-place Cotuit Kettleers (12-24-1) and came away with a late-inning rally to keep pace in the West playoff race, winning 3-2.

With Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) on the mound, the Kettleer lineup jumped on the board early, scoring a run in the first off an RBI double from A.J. Balta (Oregon) to score Quinn Brody (Stanford) who led off the inning with a double.

The Kettleers continued to drive Dibrell’s pitch count up as he struggled to put away the final out of several innings.

Dibrell lasted 4 2-3 giving up one earned run off four hits but surrendered five walks.

It wasn’t until the top of the eight that Bourne had run production, accumulating their total three runs of the night beginning with a leadoff single by Danny Reyes (Florida.) Willy Yahn (UConn) followed suit with a single and both were moved into scoring position by Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) who singled to load the bases.

Connor Wong (Houston) proceeded to advance to first on an error by the shortstop as Reyes scored the first run of the game for the Braves.

After a pitching substitution, trading Eddie Muhl (George Washington) for Taylor Lehman (Penn State,) Bourne counted to bring runners around by way of a walk from John Jones (South Carolina) and a go-ahead sac fly from David MacKinnon (Hartford) to take the lead, 3-2.

Braves’ pitching put the Kettleer offense to bed for the last two innings, with Sean Leland (Louisville) and Brendon Little (UNC Chapel Hill) both working an inning of scoreless baseball with just one hit off Leland.

The Braves return home Wednesday to host the Brewster Whitecaps (14-21-2,) 6 at Doran Park.

Probable starting pitchers are Hunter Martin (Tennessee) and Bourne’s Doug Norman (LSU.)