BOURNE, Mass. — With a runner on second and no outs in the bottom of the sixth, Bourne Braves infielder Garrett Michel (Virginia Tech) stepped into the batter’s box at Doran Park.

The implications of this specific at-bat could not have been greater. Entering Thursday’s matchup against Hyannis, who boasted the Cape Cod Baseball League’s best record at 4-0, the Braves struggled to generate timely hits, namely with runners in scoring position. Bourne went 16-for-49 in the first four games of the season and 9-for-34 on their three-game skid leading up to Thursday.

Bourne already cashed in with the bases loaded in the fourth courtesy of Michel, hitting a sacrifice fly into foul territory in left field to cut Hyannis’ lead to 2-1. In the fifth, catcher Adonys Guzman (Arizona) walked home from third courtesy of a balk, tying the game at two. But the Braves needed more if they intended to gain momentum and snap their losing streak.

Michel answered that call with one swing.

The rising junior slammed a ground ball double down the right-field line for a two-run double to put the Bravos up, 4-2, and later crossed the dish himself thanks to a wild pitch, increasing his team’s lead to 5-2.

Hyannis (4-0-1) outscored the Braves (1-3-1) 4-1 in the final three innings, and after a stalemate in extra innings, the contest ended in a 6-6 tie.

“I thought we swung it better,” field manager Scott Landers said. “We had some bad breaks tonight, you know, a couple of balls that ricocheted off that didn’t go our way, but we’re starting to get better.”

Braves’ starter Ben Bybee (Arkansas) allowed infielder Jon Jon Gazdar’s (Austin Peay) second home run this season in the top of the first. However, the right-hander instantly settled in, inducing the next nine outs with no issues and allowing no more runs. Bybee located the zone with ease, with 45 of his 67 pitches landing for strikes, and had four strikeouts to his name by the end of his five-inning start.

“(Bybee) pitched great, other than the two-run homer in the first,” Landers said. “Other than that, he was outstanding.”

Hyannis battled back in the eighth, taking advantage of a shaky inning of work from the Bourne bullpen’s otherwise solid performance. After Nick Groves (Niagara) and Parker Brosius (Georgia Tech) logged consecutive one-out singles off of righty Tyler Fay (Alabama), outfielder Kane Kepley (Liberty) and Gazdar recorded a one-run double and two-run single respectively to even the game at five.

The tail-end of Thursday’s game proved a missed opportunity for the Braves. In the bottom of the ninth, Bourne had the winning run on second with designated hitter Nick Roselli (Binghamton) at the dish with two outs. While Roselli put the ball in play, it wasn’t enough, as Gazdar made the play to first for the inning-ending forceout.

“(Hitting with runners in scoring position) wins or loses ball games,” Michel said. “You kind of saw it tonight where we kind of struggled at times and we had key opportunities where you have to get a run in, and we didn’t.”

In the tenth, each team put a run across. Groves knocked a line drive into center field to drive in infielder Eric Snow (South Florida) from second. A fielder’s choice and throwing error from Harbor Hawks shortstop Anthony Silva (TCU) to home allowed catcher Matthew Graveline (Ohio State) to score, sealing the tie.

Michel said it best; nobody likes a tie. But there’s no denying that Thursday’s performance against a quality team like the Harbor Hawks represents a major step in the right direction for the Braves.

“You’ve got to come back tomorrow and play another game, and I think we’re ready for it,” Michel said. “I think we’re ready to get in the win column. It’s just going to be a matter of time before we get rolling, and I think we have a good team where when we get rolling, it’s going to be hard to beat us.”

Pivotal Sequence

Down 2-0 in the fourth inning, the Braves got a rally going when outfielder Chris Stanfield (LSU) singled and Roselli worked a walk. Infielder Marek Houston (Wake Forest) then knocked a single to Silva and beat out the throw, loading the bases.

Following a swinging strikeout by infielder Braden Holcomb (Vanderbilt), Michel took the plate. Facing an early 0-2 count, Michel knocked a sacrifice fly down the left field line that drove in Stanfield, which represented the first of Bourne’s five unanswered runs in three innings.

Hitter of the Game: Davis Gillespie

While Michel delivered two massive moments — his sacrifice fly and two-run double — outfielder Davis Gillespie (Southern Mississippi) also enjoyed a solid night at the dish, going 2-for-4.

After grounding out in each of his first two at-bats, he knocked a single into right field directly following the Braves’ fifth run. Gillespie picked up another single in the bottom of the ninth but wasn’t driven in.

A Look Ahead

Bourne’s tie against Hyannis moves them to 1-3-1 this summer, good for fourth in the Western Division. The Braves will be back in action tomorrow when they travel 15 miles down Route 28 to take on the Falmouth Commodores, the bottom team in the West with a 1-4 mark through five games. On Thursday, the Commodores lost to the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox by a score of 10-8.

It’s been smooth sailing so far this season for the Harbor Hawks, as they are still undefeated through five games — the only team in the CCBL without a loss — and continue their two-game road trip tomorrow against the Cotuit Kettleers. Cotuit is 2-3 so far this summer and is third in the Western Division.

Landers will likely go with left-handed pitcher Zane Adams (Alabama) as his starter against Falmouth. In 2024, Adams posted a 5.37 ERA and 47 strikeouts across 58.2 frames on the bump from this Crimson Tide. He will face righty Jack Seppings (Brown), who also pitched in 58.2 innings this year, owning a 7.36 ERA with 53 strikeouts to just 28 walks.

First pitch in Falmouth is set for 6 PM EST.

Notes

1,803 fans attended Doran Park for Thursday’s game… Stanfield now has hits in all five of his games this season… Houston has logged knocks in all four of his games on the Cape, now with seven on the season… Holcomb has the third-most hits in the league with eight… Bourne is second in the CCBL in total hits with 45, trailing Harwich by one… With two stolen bases on Thursday, infielder Clay Grady (Virginia Tech) leads the league in stolen bases with five. As a team, the Braves are ranked second in stolen bases with 12… Bourne’s pitching staff recorded eight strikeouts against Hyannis position them with the second-most in the CCBL, three behind the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.