BOURNE, Mass. — Just two days ago, the Harbor Hawks took care of business at Doran Park. On Saturday night, it was the Braves’ turn.
The playoff-bound Bourne Braves earned their 18th win of the season on Saturday after defeating Hyannis 6-2. The season series between the two teams is now tied 2-2, with the rubber match coming next Thursday in Hyannis.
For the second straight night, most of the Braves’ offensive production came from one big inning. After trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Bourne figured out the Harbor Hawks’ starting pitcher. The Braves led off the inning with four straight baserunners reaching safely. The last of those players, CF Rustan Rigdon (Vanderbilt), drove in the Bravos’ second run to tie the game at two.
“In my first two at-bats, I was being a little too picky and trying to see the perfect pitch,” said Rigdon, who finished the night 2-for-4 at the plate. “I was able to settle down, which allowed me to be a little more aggressive.”
Still with no outs and the game tied, Bourne kept the momentum rolling. The next two Braves’ batters would reach on walks, and a throwing error by Hyannis’ pitcher on a ground ball back to him allowed Bourne to take a 3-2 lead. Second baseman Justin Osterhouse (Alabama) added a run with a sacrifice fly, and 3B Austin Hawke (Wake Forest) drove a two-RBI single into left field to give Bourne a 6-2 lead.
“I was just trying to catch the heater out front,” said Hawke, who finished the game with two hits, about his approach at the plate. “I’ve been getting beat in some recent games, so I was trying to catch it out front. Tonight I caught a couple barrels.”
The Bravos’ pitching staff complemented the offense well on Saturday night. Right-handed pitcher Noah Scott (Oregon State) started on the bump, logging 4.2 innings without allowing an earned run. After a rough start to the season, Scott has back-to-back outings without giving up an earned run.
“He’s commanding all his pitches,” said Field Manager Scott Landers about his starting pitcher. “He’s throwing much better to left-handers. That was the big thing with him early in the summer, but I tip my cap to him because he pitched great.”
Bourne’s bullpen also had a solid night. Righty Will Harrigan (Columbia) followed Scott with three scoreless innings in which he didn’t allow a hit. To close the game, RHP Justin Dressler threw 1.1 innings with one hit and no earned runs allowed.
None of the Harbor Hawks’ four runs on the night were earned due to the Braves’ worst defensive outing of the season. Bourne had five errors in the game, trailing only Y-D’s six-error July 4 performance for the most errors by a team in a Cape League game this summer.
After the game, Landers stressed the need for the Braves to be better down the stretch.
“Honestly, we didn’t play very well,” said Landers. “Noah Scott pitched good, but we didn’t command great out of the bullpen. Luck was on our side. We played terribly defensively.”
WHAT IT MEANS
With the win, the Braves move one step closer to securing the West Division title. With seven games to go and a seven-point lead over second-place Falmouth, Bourne can clinch the top spot in the West with wins in the next three games.
BOURNEBRAVES.ORG PLAYER OF THE GAME
Austin Hawke is tonight’s Player of the Game. The Braves’ third baseman had his first multi-hit game in Bourne this summer, giving him hits in four of his first eight games as a Brave. Hawke joined the Bravos from the Appalachian League, where he hit .333 over 22 games with the Danville Otterbots.
NEXT UP
The Braves have an early game on Sunday, heading to Brewster to take on the Whitecaps for the fourth and final time this season. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. ET.
