Schreiber, Braves Walk Off Against the Mariners

By: Jacob Janower

Ninth inning heroics from Scott Schreiber (Nebraska) and Logan McRae (College of Charleston) made up for missed chances in the first eight innings as the Bourne Braves (4-2) won 3-2 over the Harwich Mariners (3-5-1) on Thursday night.

“I was trying to keep things simple,” Schreiber said about his plan at the plate. “Obviously I had that early in the count and kind of shift in the field. Hopefully see the ball deep and hopefully catch it on the barrel.”

Schreiber delivered the walk-off single into right field after McRae had tied the game just prior.

“I was honestly just trying to put the ball in play,” McRae said. “The infield was back so I was just trying to put something and play and try to get that tying run in and hopefully the guy behind me would pick me up and get the last one in and he did that.”

Lyle Lin (Arizona State) paved the way for the hits with an opposite field double.

The late inning heroics made up for a plethora of missed chances on offense by the Braves in the first eight innings and backed a strong effort by starting pitcher Eli Kraus (Kent State) and the bullpen.

Kraus went five effective innings, giving up just one earned run and pounding the strike zone throughout his outing, as he did not have a three-ball count on any hitter he faced.

Relievers Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) and Nick Johnson (Rhode Island) followed Kraus to pitch the final four innings. The duo faced the minimum as each worked a scoreless two innings apiece, keeping the Braves within striking distance.

“Our pitching has been unreal,” McRae said. “Bullpen, starters, everything. You can’t say enough about them, they have been great.”

Chances With RISP In the First Eight Innings Fall by the Wayside 

As has been a bit of a recurring theme throughout the early portion of the season, the Braves failed to cash in on almost all of their chances with runners in scoring position through the first eight frames, as they were just 2-for-11 with 13 total runners left on base before the ninth inning.

In five separate innings, Bourne left a runner stranded on second and/or third base. The best chances prior to the walk-off came in the seventh inning, when McRae flied out to the warning track with two runners on, and in the eighth inning, but Harwich was able to turn a double play with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Double the Fun

The Braves snapped their 13 inning scoreless streak with back-to-back doubles in the third inning off the bats of the top two hitters in the lineup, Richie Palacios (Towson) and Grant Williams (Kennesaw State).

Bourne had entered the game with just six doubles in its first five contests, so the two extra base hits in the inning were a welcomed sign.

Palacios had a strong night hitting leadoff, recording his first multi-hit game in his fourth start of the season.

Murray Breaks Home Run Drought

It took until the sixth game of the season for a home run to be hit at Doran Park, but Harwich left fielder Kyler Murray (Oklahoma) broke the drought with a towering blast off of Kraus into left field.

Murray, previously of Texas A&M, is better known for his prowess as a quarterback for the Aggies and Sooners on the football field. He was able to take advantage of a fastball down the middle in the fifth inning.

Not only was the home run Murray’s first of the Cape League, it was also his first hit in seven at-bats this summer.

 

Brave of the Game

While Schreiber got the walk-off, it was McRae who finished with the most solid all-around game, grabbing three hits, none bigger than the one in the ninth inning.

For McRae, the big night was a positive sign, as he had just one hit in 13 at-bats entering the game.

“It felt really good,” McRae said. “I had been struggling a little bit. To get three knocks tonight is really, really big for me.”

Coming Up: The Braves will embark on a trip to Hyannis for the first game of a home and home against the Harbor Hawks. Brian Eichhorn, who threw 2 and 2/3 scoreless innings and got the win in his CCBL debut, will take the mound.

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

Pre-game, in-game, and post-game highlights: