BOURNE, Mass. — Bourne Braves field manager Scott Landers made sure to acknowledge the firepower that the Brewster Whitecaps’ lineup possesses. Understandably so.

The Whitecaps have the third-most hits, third-highest average and most home runs in the Cape Cod Baseball League through 28 games. Those numbers have been even better in July — they lead the league in average and OPS among other stats during that span.

It made the Bourne staff’s performance on Friday night all the more impressive. The Braves (12-14-2) shut out Brewster (12-15) in a 5-0 win, conceding only four hits and eight baserunners while fanning 14.

“When you pitch like that, and the way they’re capable of, usually the pitching comes out on top when they’re making pitches,” Landers said. “We did that tonight, and we’ve got to keep going forward.”

In his second start of the summer, lefty Ethan McElvain (Vanderbilt) silenced Brewster’s high-octane lineup, going 4.2 innings strong and dishing six strikeouts. He was responsible for six baserunners but got out of any jams he found himself in.

McElvain’s most precarious frame came in the third, when he conceded a two-out double to outfielder Nick Dumesnil (Cal Baptist) before plucking shortstop Colby Shelton (Florida). However, he then forced third baseman Daniel Cuvet (Miami) into an inning-ending groundout.

Aside from that, it was mostly smooth sailing for McElvain, who had no trouble getting ahead of counts. He finished with 12 first-pitch strikes on Friday and now has two solid starts under his belt this summer.

“I just tried to be athletic and and have some nice rhythm, and it just worked out,” McElvain said. “I was laying in pitches when I needed to. I still got into too many three-ball counts, but having the defense I did behind me and the bats I did behind me, I was comfortable.”

Tallying only one hit through two frames, Bourne’s lineup found its stride in the third. Second baseman Blake Barthol (Coastal Carolina) was issued a leadoff walk before shortstop Marek Houston (Wake Forest) singled down the right-field line and stole second. Another walk drawn by third baseman Braden Holcomb (Vanderbilt) juiced the bags for Bourne.

Brewster starter Noah Samol (Clemson) then threw a pair of wild pitches that allowed two Braves to cross the dish. It wasn’t a conventional rally — Bourne only recorded one hit in the inning, but got on base and was rewarded for it.

Two innings later, the Braves put up two more runs, this time on their own doing.

Outfielder Ethan Conrad (Wake Forest) got things started with a leadoff single and soon swiped second base. After Holcomb struck out, outfielder Tristan Bissetta (Clemson) singled, also proceeding to steal second. A line drive from catcher John Schroeder (Florida Atlantic) — his first hit of the summer in his first game — drove in both runners, doubling Bourne’s lead.

The Braves tacked on another run in the sixth thanks to a sacrifice fly from Holcomb, which drove in outfielder Chris Stanfield (LSU) from third. Even with the five runs scored, Landers felt there was something left to be desired, with Bourne going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine on base and striking out 14 times.

“We scrapped together some runs, but I didn’t think we swung the bat very well,” Landers said. “They kept us off balance, we’ve got to do a better job putting our approaches together and our at-bats together as we move forward.”

Even so, Bourne’s bullpen pitched well enough to overshadow the struggles at the plate. Righty Will McCausland (Mississippi) and left-hander Zach Crotchfelt (Texas Tech) combined to shut down Brewster in the game’s final 4.1 frames.

Hitter of the Game — Marek Houston

Houston entered Friday on a four-game on-base streak that he extended as quickly as possible against Brewster.

Hitting second for the Braves, he slammed a double into left field but was stranded after Conrad and Holcomb both struck out. Two innings later, Houston got ahold of the first pitch of his at-bat — which was low and outside — for a single. After stealing second, he advanced to third and scored on two wild pitches.

His last knock of the night came during the sixth, as he laid a perfectly placed bunt that moved Stanfield to second. Houston wasn’t brought around to score, but the hit cemented a 3-for-5 night that continued his hot stretch at the plate.

“He’s a great player,” Landers said. “He’s got a great on-base percentage and he’s fast, so it helps us at the top of the lineup, especially tonight when we needed it. We didn’t get a lot of production from the leadoff spot or three or four, so we needed him to get in there and create some havoc.”

Pitcher of the Game — Will McCausland

McCausland has already cemented himself as one of Bourne’s better relievers, especially given his ability to go multiple innings in relief. Friday’s appearance only confirmed that sentiment.

After getting the final out of the fifth, he worked around a one-out single in the sixth and picked up his first strikeout. The seventh and eighth proved even stronger for McCausland, as he put Brewster down in order during both and needed less than 12 pitches to do so each time.

He ended his outing with two baserunners allowed and five punchouts in 3.1 frames, lowering his season ERA to 1.64.

“He was a starter at school,” Landers said. “He’s accepted the role he has out here and can go deep into games for us… He’s got four pitches that he can attack the zone with and get ahead of hitters on a consistent basis. And that’s what makes him effective.”

A Look Ahead

The three-game gap between Bourne and Falmouth remains with both teams picking up wins on Friday night. The Braves will head west on Saturday for their second visit to Spillane Field, where the Wareham Gatemen (17-10-1) await.

Left-hander Joe Ariola (Wake Forest) will start for Bourne in Wareham. He looks to build off a dominant start against Hyannis on July 12 that saw him toss five shutout innings, allow one hit, and strike out seven. This season, Ariola has a 5.14 ERA along with 18 strikeouts in 14 frames.

The Gatemen will likely go with righty Cole Leaman (Lehigh), who has an 8.25 ERA and 14 K’s in 12 innings this summer. He was tagged for three runs in three frames when he started at Bourne on June 22. Leaman’s last outing came on July 13 against Brewster, when he conceded four earned runs on five hits through a three-inning start.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET.

Notes

The families of Zach Crotchfelt (Texas Tech), Justin West (Louisville), and Tristan Bissetta (Clemson) were at Doran Park on Friday… 1,520 fans attended Bourne’s win over Brewster… The Braves boast the third-best ERA (4.34), most strikeouts thrown (272), second-lowest WHIP (1.36) and second-fewest walks (108) issued in the league… The Braves are tied for the second-most hits (152) and third-highest average (.245) against right-handed pitching… Bourne has drawn the second-most walks (137) on the Cape… Infielder Camden Kozeal (Arkansas) owns the most doubles (9) in the CCBL.