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Braves build on strong first inning, beat Wareham 6-1

After Wareham put a run on board in the first inning, the Braves seemed to be in another hole. Riding a three-game losing streak, Bourne needed any offensive production it could get. 

That came immediately. 

With a runner on, Cade Beloso knocked a double into the outfield, putting two runners in scoring position. The next batter, Jackson Greer, sent a ball over the fence on a ground-rule double, scoring two runs. 

That go-ahead hit marked his third as a member of the Braves, his third team of the Cape. His addition only boosts the depth at catcher. 

“He’s a veteran,” manager Harvey Shapiro said. “I knew about him from Clint Freeman, who played for us. I was a little bit hesitant to take a draft-eligible kid, but he’s got a pop, and we haven’t had that.”

Following that double, Zavier Warren hit the third double of the inning, extending the lead to 3-1. 

“It felt great for the boys,” Beloso said. “We were in a losing streak, and it felt good to just get things going early.”

From the second to sixth inning, the stagnancy returned. During that span, Bourne collected just two hits and didn’t cross the plate. 

But the seventh inning was a return to form. Greer, Warren and Jimmy Glowenke all drove in one run a piece, increasing the Braves’ advantage to five runs. 

“Definitely feels great to just keep batting in runs and your pitchers go out there and show out like they do,” Beloso said. “It was a great team effort.”

The Braves finished the game with six runs, the second-highest total of the season. Even so, Shapiro said it could’ve been higher than six.

“We got six runs, but I thought we squared a lot of balls up today and could’ve had more,” Shapiro said. “They weren’t always hits, but I thought we swung the bat better.”

Other than the run given up in the first frame, the performance on the bump was just as prolific. 

Bourne’s starter, Mac Lardner, allowed just one earned run on six hits, while striking out three. Lardner is now 1-1 with a 1.20 ERA. 

Entering the game, Wareham’s batting average was the highest in the Cape League. This makes Lardner’s efficient night even more impressive.

“He threw well, and they’ve got a good-hitting ball club,” Shapiro said. “He got his pitches over, and we played good defense.”

Relievers Colby Dunlop and Tyler Brosius also did their jobs. The duo allowed only one hit and zero runs in three innings. 

Following the 6-1 win, Bourne is now 6-9-0 and third place in the West Division. Heading into a two-game road stand against Cotuit and Wareham, this victory could be the catalyst for more wins. 

“I think our team is capable of a lot of things,” Beloso said. “It’s a good sign for the Braves going forward. We have a lot of talented ball players from all over.”