Ryan Fischer Makes Final Bourne Start in Loss to Falmouth
By Mojo Hill
The Bourne Braves career of one of the team’s most consistent and likable players ended on Sunday. Ryan Fischer made his final Bourne start in the penultimate home game of the regular season, and turned in a solid performance before faltering in the sixth inning. The Braves fell 9-2 to Falmouth, dropping their record to 20-20-1 with three games left before the playoffs.
“We’re already in the playoffs,” Bourne manager Scott Landers said. “We want to try some things, and try to keep guys healthy for the run.”
Unfortunately for the Braves, Fischer won’t be a part of that run. But the impact he’s had on his teammates and on the field was obvious, with no more evidence needed than the swarms of hugs and goodbyes he received on his way out.
“I love this place. It’s like a second home to me,” Fischer said. “The last two summers have been the best summers ever. Sadly, I’m leaving, but I’ll be back next summer to visit. It’ll be good. I’ll be back.”
Fischer’s outing began with a scoreless frame. He got around a Travis Bazzana walk, which he’ll certainly take given how hot Bazzana has been recently.
But the Commodores loaded the bases with nobody out in the second and got two runs out of it. One came in on a groundout, and another scored on a passed ball to put Falmouth up 2-0.
The Braves tied it up in the second. Cam Foster drove in Bryce Eblin, putting Bourne on the board. Eblin’s single extended his hitting streak to 12. Foster was subsequently picked off, and Garrett Michel followed with a 394-foot homer to right field. His shot, which registered at 104 mph off the bat, evened things up but could have given the Braves the lead if not for the pickoff. Jonathan Vastine reached on an error to keep the inning going, but he was caught stealing for another out on the bases.
Fischer settled in to retire eight in a row. He collected five strikeouts through five innings, holding steady with Falmouth’s Ryan McCarroll.
Bazzana broke that streak a hit in the sixth inning, becoming the first Falmouth batter to reach since Bazzana himself back in the third. His Oregon State teammate Gavin Turley put a hurt on Bourne, slamming a three-run homer to left field to boost Falmouth ahead 5-2. Fischer came out with two outs and two on, unable to complete his sixth inning of work.
“I didn’t quite have the command or the control that I usually have of everything,” Fischer said. “I was just kind of working for it a little bit. Location was kind of an issue tonight. It’s just something that I’ve gotta improve on going forward. But yeah, I left that one slider for [Turley] with runners on, and he took advantage of it.”
It brought an end to Fischer’s Braves career after two summers with the club. He posted a 3.70 ERA in 58 1/3 innings of work between last year and this. He received a nice ovation from his teammates and the fans as he returned to the dugout.
“I love the kid to death,” Landers said. “He wanted to work every day for the last two summers. Obviously I hate to see him go, and hopefully he’s got a bright future next year at UNC. I wish him the best of luck, and obviously I’m always here for him.”
Fischer got to work with the same coaching staff under Landers’s leadership in each of the last two summers, and now he’ll be taking his talents from NJIT to North Carolina.
“Those guys — Coach Landers, Salty, Coach Curtin, Top, Olsson — those are some of the best coaches I’ve had, and working with them has been an absolute honor,” Fischer said. “I’ve learned more from them than I’ve learned ever. They’ve really taught me a lot, and I’m gonna keep working and remember what they told me moving forward.”
After Fischer came out, Trystan Levesque recorded the final out of the sixth, limiting the damage to three runs. He wound up going 1 1/3 scoreless in relief.
Jack Sullivan gave up a run in each of the eighth and ninth, climbing Falmouth’s lead up to 9-2. The Braves just couldn’t get the bats going in the middle or late innings, and the game slipped away from them.
“We’ll be alright. We’ll be fine,” Landers said. “We just gotta come to work every day ’till the end.”
Fischer was still all smiles, with a bittersweet feeling surrounding the dugout. He hugged nearly every individual Braves player. Even a bunch of the young kids told Fischer that they were going to miss him. He had an impact not just on the people on the field, but many of the ones off it as well.
“Everyone’s my favorite. Every single guy has made it a great summer,” Fischer said. “Last summer too. But obviously winning the championship last year was my favorite. But this year, just meeting a bunch of guys, it doesn’t get better than that.”
The Braves will travel all the way to Worcester on Monday for a 6:45 p.m. game against Wareham. Bourne is five points behind third-place Falmouth in the standings with three games left.
“It’s not over ’till it’s over,” Fischer said. “We’re in the playoffs, so I’ll be rooting for them from home. They can do it. I have full faith in them. I know the coaches do, and everyone in the dugout does too.”
