Bourne brings home just one, ends up being all that's needed to defeat Gatemen

Bourne brings home just one, ends up being all that’s needed to defeat Gatemen

By: Nick Galle 

Entering play with the third-best ERA on the active roster, Michael Sansone was working in a starting capacity for the first time this season on Saturday night. Bourne’s offense would only supply him with one run through those five frames, but one run was all the Fairfield Stag needed to record his third win of the season.

Sansone went five scoreless innings, allowed just three hits, one walk and fanned three Gatemen. He brought his ERA down to 1.00, as the left-hander has allowed just two earned runs through 18 innings of work.

“With a team like this, you know they’re going to end up scoring,” Sansone said. “You just stay calm, do your job and you have that confidence that at some point they’re going to put up some runs and they did, and one was enough tonight.”

Bourne scored its lone run in the top of the fifth thanks to back-to-back doubles from Max Anderson and Dalton Rushing. Rushing is now tied with Cayden Wallace for the second-most RBIs on the team.

“Everybody kind of saw that their whole infield was playing on the right side, so this is one of the only teams that shifts me like that,” Rushing said. “I kind of knew when he got behind with both fastballs that he was going to try and flick a breaking ball in there to beat me, so I just let my hands work (to) flick it to left field.”

Josh Ekness, Dylan Bowers, Xavier Lovett and Eric Adler combined for four scoreless innings to close the door on Wareham. The quartet of relievers combined to give up just one hit and three walks, while striking out five.

“It’s been awesome. They (the bullpen) took me in right away and everyone in there is really cool (and) really relaxed,” Bowers said. “It’s just a really great group of guys that can lock in when their name is called and they have fun. It’s just a great group, I love being around them.”

The Bravos will be back home tomorrow at 6 p.m. for a date with Cotuit. Last time the Kettleers were at Doran Park, they handed Bourne its first loss of the season.

Cover photo via: Joe Sullivan