After Monday’s tie with Cotuit where the Braves only recorded two hits, Field Manager Scott Landers stressed the importance of not leaving runners stranded and hitting with runners in scoring position. The Bourne Braves answered their manager’s call tonight.

The Bravos travelled to Hyannis and laid 11 hits and 13 runs on the Harbor Hawks, picking up their second win of the year in convincing fashion. After building up a 13-3 lead, the Braves forced a run rule that ended the game after seven innings.

The Bourne offense kicked off their big night in the third inning. A leadoff walk drawn by SS Lee Ellis (Ohio State) and a double from DH Andrew Costello (Wake Forest) put runners on second and third with only one out. Hyannis struck out the next Braves’ hitter and got C Mark Quatrani down in a 1-2 count. Just when it looked like Bourne would squander another opportunity with runners on base, Quatrani worked the count full. On the next pitch he saw, Quatrani walloped a shot over the wall in left center for his second home run of the season and a 3-0 lead for the Braves.

“That was a big hit at the time,” said Landers about the home run. “We struggled yesterday with runners in scoring position. We didn’t get them in again the inning before that, so that was big.”

The early innings included plenty of opportunities for Hyannis. The Harbor Hawks had runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings but much like the Braves last night, they couldn’t bring a run home. Finally, they found the scoreboard in the fourth. RBI doubles from Jason Fultz Jr. (Clemson) and Tanner Chun (Tulane) in the inning helped Hyannis answer with three runs of their own, tying the game at three apiece.

The tie would not last long, however, as the Braves’ offense exploded in the fifth inning. Bourne batted around, with all but one batter in the Bravos’ lineup either reaching base or recording an RBI in the frame. By the time Hyannis had escaped the inning, the Braves had built a 10-3 lead.

“We had a lot of energy in the dugout. That dugout feeds off the hitters,” said Lee Ellis, who recorded his first CCBL hit and RBI during the fifth inning rally. “We had the mindset of the next person up. Once we got rolling, we capitalized on what was given to us.”

“We got on base and put pressure on them,” said Landers about the fifth inning. “We had really good at bats, got some hits, got some walks, and produced with runners in scoring position.”

Bourne would add a few insurance runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away for good. CF Rustan Rigdon (Vanderbilt) and PH Matt Bolton (Binghamton) each had an RBI double in seventh as part of the three-run inning.

Just as the Bourne offense got hot, the Hyannis offense cooled off. The Braves’ pitching staff retired nine of the final 11 Harbor Hawks’ batters, including the last seven to put Bourne in position to secure the run rule victory.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Braves score their season high in runs and move to above .500 on the summer. Bourne has an off day tomorrow, but will look to carry their momentum and keep the bats hot in their matchup against Orleans on Thursday.

KEY PLAY

Mark Quatrani’s third inning home run came with runners on second and third for Bourne’s first hit with runners in scoring position since their second game of the season. The Notre Dame catcher’s second home run on the Cape this summer not only put Bourne on the scoreboard and gave them an early lead, but also got the ball rolling for the Braves’ breakout performance at the plate.

BOURNEBRAVES.ORG PLAYER OF THE GAME

Tonight’s Player of the Game is Lee Ellis. Despite having a clean day in the field while filling in for Ryker Waite (Vanderbilt) at shortstop, the Ohio State product’s plate presence proved to be his most important tool in tonight’s game. Ellis reached base in all four plate appearances on the night, including his first two hits of the season. He finished the game with three runs scored, two stolen bases, and an RBI.

NEXT UP

After an off day on Wednesday, the Braves will be back on the road Thursday to take on the Orleans Firebirds. First pitch at Eldredge Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m ET.