Colby Thomas calls game, Braves improve to 4-0 against Commodores on season

By: Nick Galle 

On a night where rain delayed first pitch for over an hour and a half, sprinklers came on in the outfield in the bottom of the eighth and the Braves and Commodores combined for 17 runs and 30 hits, nobody could have ever been prepared for what was to come in the bottom of the ninth.

With two outs, Colby Thomas launched his third home run of the season into the night sky in front of his grandparents, who were in attendance at Doran Park. It was the second walk-off win in five days on Bourne’s home turf.

“It was tied, and no extra innings, so I kind of got to do my best to get a ball out of the park,” Thomas said. “He threw me a first-pitch breaking ball and (it) wasn’t a pitch I could drive so I took it, and he came back with a fastball and I put a good swing on it and it went a long ways.”

Thomas’ blast wasn’t the only loud hit of the night, as Zach Agnos launched a two-run moonshot in the bottom of the third inning that landed beyond the batting cage that sits past Bourne’s bullpen out in left field.

“I just saw it up. I know he has a good breaking ball,” Agnos said. “I saw him at school when we played App State and he had a good breaking ball then, so I just was like, ‘He’s not coming with another fastball, I’m going to sit on breaking ball, trust my hands to get to it,’ and just saw it up, swung and caught a barrel.”

Eight of nine Braves in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit. Anderson went 3-for-5 with one RBI, a double and one run scored, Agnos went 2-for-3 with the home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk and Rushing went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, two doubles and a run scored.

Jake Bennett logged yet another solid outing, as the 6-foot-6 southpaw went four innings, gave up five hits, one run, walked one and struck out seven in his fourth start this summer.

“The first couple batters I got behind in counts, gave up a couple hits, but after that I really started trying to work ahead,” Bennett said. “My changeup and slider were on tonight and I was getting some good swings and misses.”

Just minutes after Thomas sent the Commodores home, the sprinklers came on once again.

“If he doesn’t hit the first pitch of that at-bat, the sprinklers come on and we’re not playing,” assistant coach Kevin Graber said. “If Cayden Wallace doesn’t strike out and gets on base, draws a walk (or) extends that at-bat, the sprinklers come on. So, good fortune in a number of different ways there.”

The Bravos will be back in Harwich tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. for the third meeting of the season with the Mariners. Bourne is 1-0-1 against Harwich and last time both teams met, a Colton Bender home run in the bottom of the seventh tied things at one to prevent the Braves from losing their first game of the summer at the time.

Cover photo via: Joe Sullivan