BOURNE, Mass. — Many players have come and gone as the Bourne Braves try to build a roster to prepare for the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) playoffs. Some arrived for the first few weeks of the summer, while others have just joined the Braves in the past few days.

The most important players, though, are the ones that produce for the entire season. Bourne was reminded of that on Monday, as the Bravos defeated the Orleans Firebirds 7-2 to extend their lead in the West Division.

The victory was led by three staples of the Braves’ roster throughout this summer: SS Blake Schaaf (Wake Forest), CF Rustan Rigdon (Vanderbilt), and LF Andrew Costello (South Carolina). The trio at the top of Bourne’s batting order contributed seven hits and five RBI to the winning effort.

Blake Schaaf led the team at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored. For each of his first two hits, Schaaf bunted his way on base.

“I’m feeling good, trying to be aggressive,” said Schaaf. “I mean, I bunted in my first at-bat because they were shifting me and then they didn’t change it in my second at-bat, so I laid down another one.”

With Schaaf reaching base in all four plate appearances, Rustan Rigdon and Andrew Costello went to bat with at least one runner on base all night. They took advantage, with Rigdon tallying three RBI and Costello right behind him with two.

“I was seeing fastballs up and looking for that pitch so that I could get something over the infield for a hit and bring in the runs,” said Rigdon.

“I was just trying to get the job done,” said Costello. “I was lucky enough to have guys that were in scoring position, so I capitalized.”

Production from those three at the top of the lineup is nothing new for the Braves. Costello (.362) and Schaaf (.337) have the top two batting averages in the CCBL among qualified hitters. The pair also holds two of the top three spots in OPS, with Costello ranking first (.982) and Schaaf sitting at third (.889). After a slow start in June, Rigdon has broken out recently. The Braves’ outfielder is hitting .319 in July and recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the month in Monday’s win.

“They’ve been huge,” said Field Manager Scott Landers about the top three hitters in the Braves’ order. “They’re the table-setters. They’ve been a staple for us this season and they got it done tonight.”

Through the first 28 games of the season, the trio has spent a lot of time around each other. In doing so, they’ve become good friends.

“It’s been so fun,” said Schaaf about playing with Rigdon and Costello. “Those are my best friends on the team and we hang out all the time. It’s fun to be at the top of the order with them, always talking to each other when we’re on deck or about to go up.”

“We’re all seeing the ball well and having fun. That’s what it all boils down to at the end of the day,” said Costello. “We’re out here just trying to get better and have fun, and it’s paying off.”

Rigdon agreed with the statements of the other two.

“It’s been great,” echoed Rigdon. “They bring energy to the day and they’re a bunch of goofballs, so they’re fun to be around.”

Another bright spot of Bourne’s offense Monday night was hitting with runners in scoring position. The Bravos hit 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position, their second-highest total this season.

“We’re swinging the bats better,” said Landers. “Having more focus and better at-bats through the lineup.”

Aside from the standout performance from the Braves’ offense, pitching was also a highlight of the victory. Bourne’s RHP Tyler Baird (Vanderbilt), who started on the mound, threw 3.2 innings for his longest start of the summer. The righty allowed one unearned run on four hits and three walks. Baird also had eight strikeouts, the most by a Braves’ pitcher this season.

Following Baird was the outstanding Braves’ bullpen. RHP Austin Musso (Arizona State) threw 1.1 scoreless innings in relief of the Braves’ starter, allowing no walks and only one hit. A new Bravo, RHP Justin Dressler (Bryant), followed with a dominant outing in his debut, striking out five over two hitless innings. Righty Jackson Kircher (Arkansas) and RHP Gavin Miller (George Washington) threw the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to close out the win.

WHAT IT MEANS

Both Bourne and Hyannis picked up wins on Monday night, meaning the Braves maintain a five-point lead in the West Division. The two division rivals will have plenty of opportunities to fight for momentum, with the foes having three matchups scheduled over the next five days.

BOURNEBRAVES.ORG PLAYER OF THE GAME

Blake Schaaf is tonight’s Player of the Game. The Braves’ shortstop had three hits in Monday’s win, raising his batting average to .337 on the season. Schaaf has had a memorable month of July, posting a .389 batting average and .957 OPS over 14 games.

NEXT UP

The Braves will head to Hyannis on Tuesday, matching up with the Harbor Hawks for the third time this season. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET.