Harwich halts Bourne in extras

Tiffany Seal

BOURNE, Mass.—The Braves (11-11-1) dropped another close game Wednesday night in an extra-inning shutout against the league-leading Harwich Mariners (16-7) 1-0.

Braves’ starting pitcher Brady Miller (Western Oregon) struggled to put away the Mariners’ lineup but found the strike zone in the third and cruised for six innings, giving up four hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

It was another pitcher’s duel against the Mariners, as starter Peter Solomon (Notre Dame) shut down Bourne offense for seven innings, giving up just one hit with one walk and six strikeouts, with the middle of the lineup going 2 for 11.

Both pitchers were in unchartered territory with their longest starts yet on the Cape, but showed no signs of fatigue near the ends of their outings.

Justin Yurchak (Binghamton) continued to have a tough night at the plate; going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts to continue an 0 for 14 drought over four games.

David MacKinnon (Hartford) was the only Brave to get a hit off Solomon, with a single to right.

Ronnie Rossomando (UConn) relieved Miller and went one inning, giving up a double that took him out of the game and was relieved by Andrew Wantz (UNC Greensboro.)

Wantz went two innings working out of a jam with runners on the corners to allow no hits with three strikeouts.

In the bottom of the eighth, Elih Marrero (Mississippi State) had the second hit of the game but was caught stealing to end the inning.

As the game went to extras, MacKinnon had his second single of the night to put pinch hitter Greg Deichmann (LSU) who worked a walk, into scoring position.

Jake Mangum (Mississippi State) entered the game and hit a single to load the bases for State teammate Marrero, but not before Harwich brought in Zach Schellenger (Seton Hall) for a righty-lefty matchup.

Marrero grounded into a controversial double play in which he was called out on an overthrown ball to first for running outside the base path, leading the potential walk-off win into the eleventh inning.

Miami’s Andrew Cabezas held down the Mariners in extras until the top of the eleventh when Ernie Clement (UVA) doubled and later scored on a fielder’s choice to give Harwich the go-ahead run.

That was all they needed as Schellenger struck out the side of the bottom of the Braves’ lineup to notch another win.

The Braves will head into their off day Thursday with a visit to Fenway Park for a workout and head out on the road to start the weekend as they face the Falmouth Commodores (13-10) 6, Friday at Arnie Allen Diamond Field.

The probable starters are Lipscomb’s Brady Puckett and Bourne’s AJ Moore (Kennesaw State.)

GBTG