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Braves Cap Off Late Inning Comeback against Rival Cotuit
Aug 2, 2010
Author: Joseph Thompson

In their final home game before the playoffs the Bourne Braves didn't disappoint their fans. The Braves were able to rebound from 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to win 5-4 Monday night at Doran Park by defeating the division rival Cotuit Kettleers.

The Braves struck first in the bottom of the second. First baseman Travis Shaw (Kent State) led off the inning with a hard shot that bounced off the right field fence for a triple. Third baseman Tommy LaStella (Coastal Carolina) was able to knock Shaw home from third with a double down the right field line giving the Braves an early 1-0 lead. The lead would be given up in the top of the fourth when Braves starter Mike Morin had a nightmare of an inning.

Morin (North Carolina) started the inning well getting Cotuit centerfielder Chad Wright to strikeout, but it would all go downhill for Morin from there. He plunked the next batter and then gave up a two-run shot to designated hitter John Hinson (Clemson). Then, Morin proceeded to give up a single to Kettleers second baseman Joey Hainsfurther (Baylor). After a passed ball by Braves catcher Tyson Blaser (Iowa), Hainsfurther reached second and was in scoring position.

This brought up Cotuit right fielder Brooks Pinckard (Baylor) who lined one into right for a double which advanced Hainsfurther to third. When third baseman Levi Hyams (Georgia) flied out to deep right, Hainsfurther tagged from third to score while Pinckard advanced to second. After Cotuit catcher James McCann (Arkansas) looped one into left for a single the Kettleers were up 4-1 and all hoped seemed lost for the Braves.

Except all hope was not lost. As poor an outing as Mike Morin had, the Braves bullpen was able to keep the team in this game. Reliever R.C. Orlan (North Carolina) struck out three in the course of three innings and held the Kettleers scoreless during that span.

The Braves would go on to score again in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-2 and then again in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead down to just one run. The way the inning started it's surprising the Braves didn't score more runs.

The Braves were able to chase Cotuit starter AJ Achter out of the game in the seventh when he gave up three consecutive singles to Zack MacPhee (Arizona State), Tommy LaStella, and Creede Simpson (Auburn).

With reliever Ryan Duke(Oklahoma) on the mound Cotuit seemed primed to shutdown the Braves, but that was not the case. MacPhee scored from third after shortstop Nick Ahmed (UConn) nearly grounded into the 4-6-3 double play which could have ended the inning but instead produced one more run cutting the lead down to one.

And then there was the ninth inning. The kind of inning a manager hopes to get from his players and on this night did.

Cotuit fans seemed to believe that they were just going to cruise to a 4-3 victory and they had every reason to. When reliever Ryan Duke had entered the game, he was as dominant as he could be striking out five and allowing just one run. But he didn't count on the resiliency of the Braves batters in the ninth.

Braves shortstop Nick Ahmed drew a walk after catcher Josh Elander (TCU), who was brought in for defensive purposes, became Duke's fifth strikeout victim. Leftfielder Travis Jankowski (Stony Brook) grounded one into center for a single which got Ahmed from first to third. Jankowski was able to reach second after a passed ball by Cotuit catcher James McCann (Arkansas). With only one man out that set up designated hitter Mike Nemeth who ripped one into left to score Ahmed from third and tie things up at four.

The tides were now changing and Braves fans throughout Doran Park could not be silenced. With the sounds of eager Braves fans chanting and doing the Tomahawk chop, Braves first baseman Travis Shaw (Kent State) was able to fly one to shallow left field to Cotuit shortstop Deven Marrero (Arizona State) and Jankowski tagged from third to score the winning run which capped off the late game heroics.

With the victory tonight the Braves are now 22-20 on the season and are riding high into the playoffs with momentum on their side. If they continue to play this well during the playoffs, their second consecutive championship in two years can't be far behind.

The Braves next game will be at Hyannis where they will face off against the Harbor Hawks. The first pitch is scheduled for 7PM.