FALMOUTH, Mass. — On Saturday, all the attention of Cape Cod Baseball League fans was on Guv Fuller Field in Falmouth, where the 2024 Milton CAT All-Star Game was held. The West All-Stars dramatically ended a back-and-forth contest with a walk-off single, propelling them to a 9-8 victory over the East All-Stars.
Multiple Bourne Braves players had hands in the West’s win, as outfielder Chris Stanfield and outfielder Ethan Conrad each recorded knocks while shortstop Marek Houston found his way on base via a walk. Conrad, who finished the game 1-for-2 with an RBI, two runs and a stolen base, was named the West Division All-Star Game MVP.
Here’s how all six Braves’ representatives performed in the midsummer classic.
OF Ethan Conrad (Wake Forest): 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, SB
Earning MVP honors for the All-Star Game, Conrad got the West Division on the board during the bottom of the second. After third baseman Murf Gray (Fresno State) doubled to lead off the inning, Conrad drove him in with a double that he slapped into left field before reaching third on the throw.
After a productive groundout from catcher Karson Bowen (TCU), Conrad scored. He took first base on a fielding error in the fourth frame, and a single moved him to second. Conrad then stole third base on a double steal and scored via a passed ball to tally his second run of the evening.
OF Chris Stanfield (LSU): 1-for-3, R, K
Stanfield put together a respectable performance on Saturday and was the only other Brave to pick up a hit throughout the night. Despite following a flyout and strikeout, his knock came at an important time: with the West All-Stars trailing the East, 8-4, during the bottom of the eighth.
Stepping into the batter’s box down to his team’s last out of the inning, Stanfield attacked a first-pitch fastball that he pieced into left for a single that put runners on first and second. With the bases loaded two at-bats later, he and two others were given time to score thanks to a fielding error by outfielder J.D. Rogers (Vanderbilt), shortening the East’s lead to just one, 8-7.
SS Marek Houston (Wake Forest): 0-for-2, BB, K
He didn’t record a knock in the game, but Houston still found a way to be productive at the plate by working a five-pitch walk against East Division starter Jake Clemente (Florida) in the first inning — fitting for the owner of the highest on-base percentage in the league (.475) among qualified hitters. Houston was stranded on first, though, as he was the only West hitter to reach base during the frame.
LHP Justin West (Louisville): 1.0 IP, R, BB, 2 K
West entered the game to start the eighth inning with his squad down 7-4, and despite being charged with an unearned run, he ultimately put up a respectable inning-long appearance.
After issuing a walk and throwing a wild pitch, he struck out outfielder Cam Maldonado (Northeastern) in six pitches. A passed ball moved infielder Hudson Shupe (Gonzaga) to third, and West then induced a groundout but conceded a single to score Shupe. However, he ended the inning by fanning Rogers.
DH Braden Holcomb (Vanderbilt): 0-for-2, K
A starter for the West All-Stars, Holcomb grounded out to end the bottom of the second inning. He later struck out in the bottom of the fourth before being replaced as the designated hitter by Yohann Dessureault (Wareham).
LHP Joe Ariola (Wake Forest): 1.0 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, K
With his team up 2-1 in the third, Ariola walked outfielder Ethan Petry (South Carolina) to kick off the inning. The New York native issued another walk with one out, but coaxed outfielder Nick Dumesnil (Cal Baptist) into a groundout.
He then conceded the game-tying RBI single to outfielder Ashton Larson (LSU) before striking out first baseman Brody Donay (Florida) swinging with a 94 mph fastball to get out of the frame.
RHP Chase Meyer (West Virginia): Did not appear
Meyer was a late addition to the West squad and did not appear in Saturday's contest. He replaced Bourne righty Will McCausland (Mississippi), who was recently released. To this point, Meyer (1-1) has appeared in six games for the Braves, two of which were starts. In 15.1 innings, he's pitched to a 1.76 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 1.30 WHIP.
