ORLEANS, Mass. — All it took was one swing in the top of the ninth for Bourne.
Logan Hughes (Texas Tech) led off with the score tied at 1-1 but put the Braves ahead shortly after, drilling a shot that cleared the fence into the Braves’ bullpen for a home run.
The solo shot ended up being the difference, as Bourne increased its win streak to three with a 2-1 victory over the Orleans Firebirds on Tuesday.
Alex Valentin (undecided) took the mound for the Braves in his second start of the summer. He struggled in his debut against the Brewster Whitecaps, giving up all four runs and picking up the loss in the 4-3 defeat for the Braves.
On Tuesday, he was a different pitcher, dialing up five innings and allowing zero scores. On top of the lights-out performance from Valentin, the defense helped his cause. Despite struggling with errors throughout the season, the Braves flashed the leather Tuesday, as Jon LeGrande (St. John’s) made a diving catch in left field in the first while Braden Holcomb (Vanderbilt) made an over-the-shoulder grab in the fifth.
Weber Neels (Minnesota) started the scoring in the second, starting the frame off with a four-pitch leadoff walk. After a Hughes walk, Gavin Kelly (West Virginia) ripped an RBI single in his first start of the summer for the first of his three hits on the evening to put the Braves in front, 1-0.
In the sixth the Firebirds evened the score, starting with an infield single by Michael Crossland (UC San Diego) that should’ve been a routine groundout, but the throw from Kade Lewis (Wake Forest) was off the bag. Crossland stole second and third, then scored off an RBI groundout by Jonathan Mendez (UC Santa Barbara) to make the score 1-1 off of relief pitcher Landon White (Bryant).
Then came the blast in the ninth, as Hughes crushed his second home run of the summer to give the Braves the 2-1 lead.
The Braves won their second straight with the game-winning run being scored in the ninth, as Logan Beavis (Texas Tech) picked up the win following two scoreless innings pitched.
Bourne Braves Player of the Game
Hughes was the difference in this one, sending the long ball over the fence to take the victory in a game where he reached base all four times, going 3-for-3 with a walk in addition to the home run.
Key moment
After Will Whelan (Minnesota) brought the juice in relief in the win over the Cotuit Kettleers on Sunday, it was Beavis that did the same in his two innings pitched to close Tuesday's game.
A look ahead
The Braves (4-4-1, 9 points) will face a new opponent in the Falmouth Commodores (3-6-0) on Wednesday at Doran Park. Falmouth is coming off of a 5-2 loss to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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