Brickhouse powers Bourne past Harwich for third straight victory

By: Zach Pekale

On one of the few nights of the season that the wind was blowing in at Doran Park, first baseman Spencer Brickhouse (East Carolina) made the Harwich Mariners pay.

Facing an 0-1 count, Brickhouse carried a pitch from Mariners’ starter Kyle Mora (UCLA) well past the center field wall for a two-run home run. His second long ball of the season lifted Bourne to its third straight win, a 4-3 victory over Harwich.

“I’m just trying to get wood on the ball, that’s just what it comes down to,” Brickhouse said. “In this league you’ve got a lot of power on pitches. You get good wood on it and just let the ball do what it wants to do.”

In addition to Brickhouse’s home run, Chase Murray (Georgia Tech) contributed to the offensive effort on Wednesday. He continued his strong start in the leadoff spot with an RBI single in his third multi-hit game of the season.

Getting the start on Wednesday was Bryan Hoeing (Louisville) after making his first appearance of the year in relief. Hoeing conceded six hits and allowed one earned run, striking out six to earn his second win.

Breaking Free

After a 3-for-22 start to the season, designated hitter Spencer Horwitz (Radford) broke through against the Mariners. The rising junior raised his batting average over 100 points and doubled his season hit total following a 3-for-3 performance that included a walk and a run scored.

“I just kept trying to hit the ball hard because good things happen when you hit the ball hard. Finally just found some holes today,” Horwitz said. “It feels good to finally break through.”

Player of the Game

On Wednesday, Brickhouse’s shot to center field served as the difference in Bourne’s victory over Harwich.

Through nine games, he remains the only member of the Braves to have started every night. In that time, his batting numbers are among the best in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

His .419 average is the third-highest among qualified hitters and has the second-most runs batted in (10) as well as a share of the league lead in hits (13).

“I’m more worried about the Braves getting a win,” Brickhouse said. “That’s really the first thing that comes to mind, trying to make sure that we go out there and put our best foot forward.”

Coming Up: Bourne concludes its home stand against the Wareham Gatemen, the first meeting of the season between the two teams.