CHATHAM, Mass. — It was a familiar set of batters for Zane Petty (Texas Tech) in his second start on the Cape.
The first time he took the mound to pitch for Bourne was on Sunday against the Chatham Anglers, where he went 4.2 innings, striking out six batters and allowing a pair of runs.
He returned to the starting role on Saturday against the Anglers and found similar success, setting the tone with an efficient 5.2 innings where he again posted six strikeouts, but this time allowing one run. In a season that has had Bourne fall behind early in all of its losses, Petty controlled the game from the jump, and thanks to his pitching and early run support, the Braves returned to the win column with a 6-1 victory.
“It was a good night,” field manager Scott Landers said. “We got a really good pitching performance out of Petty at the start.
The scoring started for Bourne in the third, as Ryker Waite (Vanderbilt) ripped a double to left field. The Braves would have two runners on for Braden Holcomb (Vanderbilt) following a single from Jon LeGrande (St. John’s) that hit off the glove of Chatham’s pitcher, JT Quinn (Georgia).
Holcomb scored Waite with an infield single that got the job done with its slow speed off the bat. LeGrande crossed home plate shortly after on an RBI single by Kade Lewis (Wake Forest). The Braves would leave the inning with a 2-0 lead.
“We didn't put ourselves behind the eight ball quickly,” Landers said. “I thought overall we had good at-bats. We played really good defense and we threw strikes and we pitched well.”
The next inning, Bourne tacked on two more, as after a trio of singles by Logan Hughes (Texas Tech), Noah Franco (TCU), and Jimmy Keenan (Wake Forest) presented a bases-loaded opportunity for Bryce Molinaro (Penn State). Molinaro worked Quinn into a 3-2 count after fouling off consecutive pitches, and ended up taking a free pass to first on the RBI walk. Following a sacrifice fly by Waite, Bourne claimed a 4-0 lead after the frame.
The Anglers added a run in the fourth, as a shot to the outfield by Gavin Gallaher (North Carolina) fell in the left center field gap past the diving effort by LeGrande. A wild pitch from Petty got him to third, where he scored off a sacrifice fly by Jake Hanley (Indiana).
The Braves added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, as Weber Neels (Minnesota) drove one to the wall in left field to score LeGrande. Lewis scored shortly after on a fielding error to increase the lead to 6-1.
Max Bayles (Santa Clara) and Jonathan Stevens (undecided) would throw the final 3.2 innings, not letting anybody touch home plate, as the Braves got back in the win column for the first time since Sunday.
“The pitchers came out and did a ton of damage for us,” Landers said. “Petty had three pitches going for strikes. We got in trouble in the sixth — Bayles came in and shut the door for them, and then Stevens at the end.”
Bourne Braves Player of the Game
Zane Petty found success for the second time this year against Chatham, tossing 5.2 innings, with six strikeouts and one run.
Through two games on the Cape, he’s appeared in 10.2 innings with 12 strikeouts and has given up just three runs (two earned).
Key moment
A scoreless first three innings for Zane Petty, paired with a 4-0 lead after the top of the fourth, was a key sequence considering how the season has played out for Bourne so far.
In the trio of losses, the Braves fell behind early, so getting ahead on the scoreboard was a big point of emphasis that was fixed in this game.
A look ahead
The Braves (2-4-1, 5 points) return to Doran Park to face the Cotuit Kettleers (1-6-0, 2 points). The Kettleers are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
Keep up to date with the Braves
Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with all things Bourne Braves during the summer!
Follow Lyle on X, @lalenstein. Feature photo by Shannen Hardy. Follow her on Instagram, @shannenhardy_media.
