SOUTH YARMOUTH, Mass. — Folger Boaz's welcome the Cape moment was a tough one.

On June 28, the left-handed pitcher from North Carolina got the nod against Cotuit. He didn't get out of the first inning. Heck, he didn't record an out, finishing his outing with four runs allowed on three hits and a trio of walks.

Boaz flashed at times, but overall it was a season filled with inconsistencies. Those inconsistencies are teaching lessons for him.

"Baseball is a game of failure, so if you can stick with it, learn, especially learn from the guys around you, it's going to work out," Boaz said. "You're not always going to be perfect, but there's always going to be a time for you to get through it and ultimately do what you want to do."

Boaz finished the regular season with a 0-2 record in six appearances, where he recorded a 5.75 ERA in 20 1/3 innings, posting 20 strikeouts.

He was tasked to start in Game 2 of the Championship Series with the Braves up 1-0 against Yarmouth-Dennis, giving Bourne a chance to go home with a trophy to end the year.

Making the rocky outings a thing of the past, Boaz delivered.

"I felt like I was pounding the zone early, getting ahead, being able to put guys away early," Boaz said. "Of course, the offense getting some run support — that always makes it easy, but great team win. I'm very excited and glad I decided to be with this program."

In a beatdown of Y-D that had the Braves winning it all by a score of 19-2, Boaz tossed six innings with same number of strikeouts, giving up two runs with one being earned.

Despite the ups and downs of the summer, Boaz had flashed at times and was getting better regardless of what the numbers showed.

His performance in the Championship Series was a cultivation of what he'd been working towards.

"Folger got better and better all summer," field manager Scott Landers said. "I know sometimes the stats didn't show it, but if you look at his analytics, and you look at what we were working on over the over the two months, it got better and better and better, and finally, everything was put together. I'm extremely proud of what he did."

After pitching in nine games his freshman year at North Carolina in 2024 with a 3-1 record, Boaz suffered a season-ending elbow injury. He returned to action this past season rejuvenated after the bump in the road, pitching in 23 games with a 3.90 ERA.

It was a big opportunity for Boaz to come into with the title on the line for Bourne. Red Wilson Field was packed with chairs flocked around the outskirts of the diamond.

Just like he bounced back after injury, Boaz bounced back in the Championship Series. Despite the lights being bright, it didn't matter. Boaz simply shoved.

"You just stay with your routine, do what always works for you, and do what you're comfortable with," Boaz said. "Nothing really changes, just the expectations in the people. Being able to pitch on that stage is nothing short of amazing, and being able to get to do with these guys is awesome."

Boaz wrapped up his summer with his best performance, there's no question about that. Nothing was given and everything was earned.

While he might not have pitched the entire summer to the standard he was looking for, he pushed that aside and delivered when it mattered most, not just for himself, but for the Braves.

"The biggest thing I'd take away from the summer is just the guys, the experiences, the relationships that you make along the way," Boaz said. "Not every day is easy. It's a grind, for sure. Being able to being able to do it with these guys and a great coaching staff, you learn a lot. So being able to grow just on the field and as a person is the biggest thing."