Braves Swept in Doubleheader by Brewster

By: Jacob Janower

In the Bourne Braves (6-4) first doubleheader of the season, the pitching faltered and the offense was mired by missed opportunities as the Brewster Whitecaps (5-4-1) earned the sweep by winning both games.

Game 1: Brewster 6, Bourne 4 (8 innings)

The resilient Braves came back to tie the game in their last at-bats for the second time in nine games, but fell short after a walk-off home run by Marty Costes (Maryland).

With the Braves down by two runs with one out in the top of the seventh, Jared Triolo (Houston) reached on an error, bringing home the tying run and knotting up the contest.

Despite ten total runs in the eight innings played, the first game initially had the makings of much more of a pitcher’s duel.

After starters Daniel Bies (Gonzaga) for Bourne and Joe Molettiere (Monmouth) for Brewster traded off scoreless innings throughout the rare afternoon CCBL contest, the top of the fifth inning finally brought runs from both sides.

Spencer Brickhouse (East Carolina) gave the Braves a temporary lead, singling in Zac Susi (Connecticut) after the catcher Susi had doubled off the wall with two outs.

However, three runs on some unfortunate bounces in the bottom half of the inning allowed the Whitecaps to claim the lead.

Chandler Taylor (Alabama) led off the inning with a line drive off the glove of Brickhouse at first base. Had it not hit his glove, the ball may have fallen into foul territory. The next hitter, Cesar Trejo (UNC Greensboro), hit a ground ball off the foot of Bies that he was unable to get a grip on.

From then on, a run scoring single by Hunter Bishop (Arizona State) and some situational hitting put the Whitecaps ahead by two runs.

The Braves threatened in the top half of the sixth inning, scoring a run on a RBI single from Scott Schreiber (Nebraska), his team leading eighth run driven in. Schreiber eventually got to second base, but the Braves could not cash him and tie the game in the inning.

A walk by Bishop in the bottom half of the inning gave Brewster an added insurance run and eased some of the pressure on closer Chris Machamer (Kentucky), who surrendered the lead without much help from his defense. The Braves rally was set up by a walk to Susi and a double by Brickhouse.

The loss marked an end to the Braves three-game winning streak.

Game 2: Brewster 4, Bourne 3

The Whitecaps were able to get out to a substantial lead by putting up four runs in the first two innings and never looked back on their way to the doubleheader sweep. For the first time all season, the Braves lost consecutive games.

Starting pitcher Ronnie Rossomando (Connecticut) was roughed up for eight hits in his 2 and 2/3 innings of work and gave up some hard hit outs as well. Whitecaps hitters went 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the first two innings off of the right-hander.

Mickey Gasper (Bryant) led the way with two RBI’s in the nightcap and after he had delivered two hits and scored a run in game one. Kyle Datres (North Carolina) also came up big early on for Brewster, collecting a hit in each of his first two at-bats.

Despite the early deficit, the Braves had their fair share of opportunities. A chance with runners on the corners and no outs in the second inning and another in the fifth with two men in scoring position and no outs both went to waste.

The Braves did tack on three runs in the fourth inning off of a wild pitch and a two-run single by catcher Kevin Radziewicz (Fairfield). It was the second hit and first two RBIs of the season for the rising senior.

Bourne finished 2-for-11 total with runners in scoring position. Schreiber, Turner Brown (East Carolina) and Richie Palacios (Towson) led the offense by each reaching base twice.

Reliever Zach Mort (George Mason) played a big role in keeping the Braves in the game, tossing 3 and 2/3 scoreless innings and retiring all ten batters he faced, in what was by far his best outing so far on the Cape.

Coming Up: The Braves will look to salvage one of the three straight games against Brewster on Monday. One thing they will have going for them is a return to their home field of Doran Park, where they have .

You can contact the author via email (jjanower@gmail.com) or follow him on Twitter (@JanowerJacob).