Off Day Rundown: Vrieling closes door on Wareham, Zwack becomes first starter to record win, Wimmer’s RBI single prevents first loss of season

By: Nick Galle 

Since their last off day on June 24, the Braves have gone 3-0-1 and still remain atop the West Division at 6-0-1. It was an impressive start for Bourne, as Harvey Shapiro’s club rifled off six straight wins to begin the season before the team’s game against Chatham ended in a 3-3 tie.

In case you missed any of the action since this past Friday, here is everything you need to know about the Bravos over their last four games:

• Bourne activated Hunter Omlid on June 24 and Cayden Wallace on June 26. Omlid got the start against Harwich and went three innings, allowed three hits, one run and struck out six. Wallace has played in three games thus far and is 2-for-8 (.250) with one home run and three RBIs.

• Michael Sansone made his first appearance of the summer out of the bullpen against the Mariners and was credited with the win. He went four scoreless innings and allowed just two hits while striking out three.

• Trystan Vrieling came out of the bullpen for the second time this season against Wareham on Saturday after tossing one inning in Brewster on June 21. In the bottom of the ninth, the Gatemen had runners on first and second with no outs, but the right-hander from Gonzaga went on to strike out three of the next four batters to hold Bourne’s narrow 6-5 lead.

• Joe Lampe and Christian Knapczyk have formed a lethal 1-2 punch at the top of lineup. The duo is 10-for-33 (.303) with five RBIs, eight runs scored, three doubles and two walks over the past four games.

• Bourne has outscored opponents 22-11 through its last four meetings. The Bravos still hold the best run differential in the league (+27) this season by far. Cotuit has the second highest run differential (+8), followed by Orleans (+4).

• Xavier Lovett made his Braves debut Sunday night in Cotuit. The 5-foot-11 right-handed pitcher from Mississippi State retired the Kettleers in order in the bottom of the eighth, striking out one. Reggie Crawford relieved him in the bottom of the ninth, and scouts and fans were on the edge of their seats when the two-way UConn import hit 101 mph on the radar gun. Crawford allowed nobody to reach in the inning and struck out two.

• Monday night’s game against Chatham was Crawford’s last game before leaving for the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. In his six games played with the Braves, Crawford hit .296 with one home run, two RBIs, two doubles and four runs scored. He also threw two no-hit innings, sending four batters packing by way of the strikeout.

• Sunday’s meeting in Cotuit was the first game in which a Bourne starting pitcher recorded a win. Nick Zwack went five innings, allowed two hits, one unearned run and struck out three to pick up his second victory of the season.

• Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Braylen Wimmer’s pinch-hit RBI single tied things up against the Anglers to prevent the Bravos from dropping their first game of the year. It was his eighth RBI of the season, which is tied for third-most in the entire league.

• Two years ago, Kyler Fedko played 25 games for the Braves and hit .171, but the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year has significantly improved at the plate so far this summer. He is 8-for-26 (.308) with four of those hits coming over the last three games. Two of his four RBIs this season have also come during that span.

• Max Anderson was officially activated earlier this morning. The Big Ten Freshman of the year hit .332 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs this past season at Nebraska.

Cover photo via: Joe Sullivan