Stellar starting pitching not enough at Harwich

Tiffany Seal

HARWICH, Mass.—It was a pitching duel Tuesday night as the Braves (11-10-1) dropped their third consecutive game to the Harwich Mariners (15-7,) 4-2.

Starters BJ Myers (WVU) and Bourne’s JT Perez (Cincinnati) battled back and forth for six innings of one-hit baseball.

Perez held the Mariners to just one hit until the seventh, when Pavin Smith (UVA) hit a leadoff single and Joseph Dunand doubled home Smith to make it a 2-1 game.

Braves’ offense continued to struggle with only two runs off four hits.

Both teams were in a standoff until the seventh, when Connor Wong (Houston) hit a double that was followed by a David MacKinnon walk (Hartford.) With Wong in scoring position, Willy Yahn (UConn) hit a double to score both Wong and MacKinnon for the first and only two runs of the game for the Braves.

The Mariners answered back in bottom of the seventh, finally getting two hits off Perez.

Perez finished the night giving up two earned runs off three hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

Chad Luensmann (Nebraska) relieved Perez in the seventh and gave up the lead by loading the bases off a hit by pitch and two walks to walk the tying run in.

Harwich used the momentum to come back in the eighth and push the lead to 4-2 off a single and an inside the park home run by Dunand.

The middle of the lineup continued to struggle for Bourne, going a combined 2 for 6 with Wong manufacturing both hits.

Luensmann finished the night going two innings, giving up two earned runs off two hits, two walks and three strikeouts.

Bourne looks to snap their three game losing streak 6, Wednesday as they take on Harwich for a rematch at home.

Harwich has yet to announce their starting pitcher as Brady Miller (Western Oregon) will take the mound for the Braves and look to maintain his 1.80 ERA over 15 innings.

GBTG