The Bourne Braves couldn’t get their offense going until the eighth inning, which proved to be too late as they fell to the Brewster Whitecaps 4-3 on Sunday night.
The first half of the game was highlighted by a starting pitcher duel. Braves starter LHP Brendon Bennett (Clemson) struggled with command in his first start of the year, but bounced back in tonight’s game. The southpaw made it through 4.2 innings, allowing just two hits without surrendering a walk.
“He pounded the zone with all his pitches,” said Field Manager Scott Landers about his starter’s improvements. “I thought his fastball command was better today than it was last week. He competed his butt off and kept his pitch count down.”
“I just went with the game plan and trusted my coaches and teammates behind me,” said Bennett after the game. “My defense had my back behind me, and Brice (Estep) caught well back there.”
Most nights, a performance like Bennett’s would put the Braves in a great position to win. Unfortunately, Brewster’s early game pitchers matched the Braves’ starter. Payton Manca (Florida State) started on the mound for the Whitecaps, going 3.2 innings while allowing two hits and striking out six.
“He pitches off the fastball. We knew it, and we just had too many swings and misses on the heater,” said Landers about the Whitecaps starter. “He pitched a great game.”
After Manca exited the game in the fourth, Schuyler Sandford (Florida) came in for relief. The winning pitcher of tonight’s game worked 3.2 scoreless, one-hit innings with three walks to keep the Braves off the board.
Messy defense in the sixth inning haunted the Braves as the Whitecaps finally scored. A leadoff walk and stolen base from Brewster’s Terrence Kiel II (Texas A&M) gave the Whitecaps a runner in scoring position to start the inning. After a strikeout, Jacob Lee (VCU) hit in the game’s first run with a soft line drive into right field.
In the next at-bat, a bunt to the left side caused a miscommunication between third baseman Trent Caraway (LSU) and Braves relief pitcher Brandon Shannon (Louisville), with the latter making a late throw to first. The next ball, a lightly hit grounder to shortstop, was botched by Lee Ellis (Ohio State) and allowed the Whitecaps to load the bases. Brewster would score their next two runs on a base-loaded walk and a passed ball, giving them a 3-0 lead.
Down to the Whitecaps for the first time in the game, Bourne looked for an answer. With two outs in the sixth, CF Matt Bolton (Binghamton) drew a walk and 1B Luke Costello (Wake Forest) hit a ground-rule double to left center that put runners on second and third. RF Derrick Pitts (Cincinnati) loaded the bases by drawing a walk, but Trent Caraway followed by lining a sharp ground ball to shortstop that got Brewster out of the frame clean.
After both teams went down quick in the seventh inning, Brewster added to their lead in the eighth. A double and walk started the frame for the Whitecaps, with a sacrifice bunt moving the runners to second and third. The next Brewster batter sent a long fly ball to center field, which Bolton caught just in front of the fence. The Whitecaps’ runner on third tagged to score and make it a 4-0 game.
From there, the Bravos would attempt a comeback. Bourne scored two runs in the eighth as part of a two-out rally. Bolton led off the comeback attempt with a base hit to right field, and would be brought home just minutes later on Luke Costello’s second double of the night. The Braves added a second run after Derrick Pitts sent a fly ball to the outfield that was overrun by the Brewster right fielder, making it back-to-back RBI doubles for Bourne.
“It was a lot of fastballs all day, just because they have outlier heaters. I was sitting on a fastball, selling out for it, and I got it,” said Luke Costello about his eighth inning double. “It was down the middle, so I just put a good swing on it and Matt Bolton did the rest. He had a great at-bat before me.”
In the bottom of the ninth, the Braves hunted for a walk-off. They would receive some initial help after new Whitecaps pitcher Joshua Whritenour (Florida) started the inning by hitting three straight Bravos batters. Whritenour recovered with a strikeout, but surrendered a sacrifice fly for the second out. With the Braves down just one run and down to their final out, Matt Bolton hit a long fly ball into the night at Doran Park that fell into a Brewster glove, just short of the warning track.
WHAT IT MEANS
With their second consecutive loss, the Braves fall out of first place in the Cape Cod West Division, and stand at 3-3-2 on the year. Bourne will look to get back in the win column on Tuesday at Chatham.
BOURNEBRAVES.ORG PLAYER OF THE GAME
Brendon Bennett is tonight’s Player of the Game. In 4.2 innings, Bennett held the Whitecaps scoreless and only surrendered two hits. He now has the second-best ERA among qualified Braves pitchers this season, trailing only Jaden Alba (0.00 ERA).
NEXT UP
The Braves have their second off day of the season on Monday, but will return to action on Tuesday at Chatham. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. ET at Veterans Field.
