Bourne defeats Chatham for first time this season, has now beaten every team on Cape

By: Nick Galle 

When the Braves were at Veterans Field back on July 11, they suffered a hard-fought 5-2 loss, but Michael Sansone threw five stellar innings in relief. Aside from one solo home run, the crafty left-hander had the Anglers baffled at the dish. On Saturday night, Chatham was still looking for answers.

In his first start since being named an All-Star, the Fairfield Stag went five scoreless innings, gave up just three hits and struck out six to earn his fourth win of the summer. Sansone has now thrown 14 consecutive scoreless innings, and has knocked his ERA down to 0.78.

“They get a feel for you, but you also get a feel for their team, so you see what works (and) what doesn’t work,” Sansone said. “It’s actually a little easier coming out because you know a little more in that first inning. So, I actually think throwing the second time’s a little more helpful.”

The offense only manufactured two runs, but those two runs would be just enough, as Bourne beat the Anglers 2-1.

Zach Agnos got the bats going with a towering solo blast over the left field wall in the top of the second, and Braylen Wimmer had an infield single that allowed Max Anderson to come around to score following an errant throw in the third.

“I didn’t start off how I wanted, but playing every day you kind of find yourself,” Agnos said. “I wouldn’t say I wasn’t happy, I was just different (and) didn’t know what to do because if you had a bad game then you had to wait a day in between. I can just wake up tomorrow and be like, ‘Hey I got another day.'”

Despite the loss, Chatham was impressive on the hill. Three Anglers combined to strike out 15 Braves, with seven of nine hitters in Bourne’s starting lineup recording at least one strikeout. Max Anderson went 2-for-4 with with a run scored, Wimmer went 2-for-4 with two singles and Agnos went 1-for-4 with the home run.

John Garcia got his first start of the season behind the plate after being activated on Wednesday and making his debut later that night against Falmouth. He went 0-for-3 with a walk, but served as a solid battery mate to Sansone, Bryson Cafaro and Cole Chudoba, who gave up two hits, one run, walked one and fanned five in 3 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.

“I just made adjustments (to) keep guys off balance. I was throwing a lot of first pitch strikes and they were just kind of swinging at them, a lot of fastballs so I had to mix it up a little bit. Hitters, they make adjustments, and pitchers, we make adjustments too,” Chudoba said. “He (Garcia) was calling really good pitches, good pitch selection, he sticks it and he’s going to be a great addition for us, especially in this playoff run.”

The Bravos are back at home tomorrow night at 6 p.m. for their second matchup in five days with the Mariners. Bourne beat Harwich 10-4 on Tuesday night thanks to a six-run top of the ninth that stemmed from Tanner Schobel’s two-RBI single.

Cover photo via: Joe Sullivan