Braves’ Offense Silenced in Nightcap of Doubleheader

By Mojo Hill

The Bourne Braves couldn’t carry the momentum from their 7-1 victory into the nightcap of Monday’s doubleheader at Doran Park. They came out on the wrong side of a blowout this time, falling 7-0 and settling for a doubleheader split. Wareham pitcher Yoel Tejeda completely silenced an offense that came out hot in the first game. With a win and a loss on the day, Bourne’s record is now 18-17-1.

“It was a long day. Doubleheaders are long days,” Braves manager Scott Landers said. “I kinda knew once we let up the four-spot, three unearned in the second inning, with that guy on the mound who was pretty good, we weren’t gonna do too much.”

Gabe Driscoll threw a perfect first inning, but disaster struck in the second. A leadoff double got Wareham started, and a two-out single put the Gatemen up 1-0. The inning quickly spiraled as a single, an error by Cam Foster and a three-run homer pounded Bourne into a 4-0 hole.

The Braves’ offense couldn’t get a response going. Foster smacked a two-out double in the second, but the next nine Bourne hitters were retired.

“I thought he was pretty good. He kept us off balance,” Landers said of Tejeda. “He’s got a good fastball. He runs it up near 96. He didn’t walk anybody. I tip my cap to him. I thought we could come with a little more focus and energy, and we didn’t.”

Driscoll settled in during the next two innings, allowing one baserunner in each but keeping the deficit where it was. He was an out away from getting through five innings, but an RBI single extended Wareham’s lead to 5-0 and knocked Driscoll out of the game.

“He threw alright. I thought he got tired later on,” Landers said. “But for the most part, he kept us in it. He gave up the three-run homer. We should have been out of that inning. It’s tough when you’re given extra outs up here. They capitalized on it.”

Max LeBlanc took over and immediately gave up a single. He nearly escaped further trouble by inducing a ground ball, but he dropped the throw while covering first base. Garrett Michel then made a poor throw home, committing Bourne’s second error of the play. Wareham’s lead became 7-0 as the nightcap officially turned into a rout.

Garrett Michel drew a walk in the fifth, and an error kept the inning alive. But Tejeda recorded his fifth strikeout to complete a masterful five-inning performance.

LeBlanc held things down over the final two innings. He struck out three in 2 1/3 total innings of work, allowing just an unearned run. He didn’t issue any walks, and the only hit he allowed was to the first batter he faced.

“I’ve seen him getting better and better each time out,” Landers said. “His velocity has increased. His changeup’s gotten better. I give him a lot of credit because he’s gotten a lot better in the four outings that he’s been out there.”

The Braves had runners on the corners with nobody out in the seventh after Josh Kuroda-Grauer singled and Foster walked. But they still couldn’t get anything on the board, striking out twice in the inning and getting shut out. It secured Wareham’s first road win since Opening Day.

“We just gotta focus and grind through the last eight games,” Landers said. “If we want to win it, then we gotta come with some excitement and some determination, and lock it in and get going.”

Bourne will travel to Harwich on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. game.