HYANNIS, Mass. — The Bourne Braves dropped their third straight game, and had no one to blame but themselves.
In its 5-3 loss to Hyannis in the first of two games on Friday, Bourne struggled bringing runners home to score. The Braves went 1-for-8 at the plate with runners in scoring position, leaving a total of nine runners stranded.
“We had bad at-bats with runners in scoring position,” said Field Manager Scott Landers in a postgame interview. “We just didn’t focus and tried to do too much. We have to be better.”
The hardships started for Bourne in the second. Catcher Burke-Lee Maebus (Mississippi State) picked up the Bravos’ first hit: A one-out laser into left field for a double. After RF Matt Bolton drew a four-pitch walk, the Braves struck out looking twice to end the frame.
Again in the third, it appeared that the Bravos would find the scoreboard. After opening the frame with back-to-back batters reaching, CF Rustan Rigdon (Vanderbilt) moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. With runners on second and third with one out, Bourne struck out twice to end the frame once again.
“We were getting ourselves out, trying to do too much,” said Rigdon after the loss. “We put too much pressure on ourselves to get the runner in instead of letting our bodies take over and simplifying things.”
Though they looked for a bounce back inning in the fourth, things didn’t get better for Bourne. Matt Bolton drew his second walk of the game, and 3B Austin Hawke (Wake Forest) singled and stole second. The Braves had runners on second and third with one out once again, but it went just as well as the first time. Two flyouts later, the Bravos ended the inning without a run.
In the fifth, 1B Luke Costello (South Carolina) saved the Braves from going hitless with runners in scoring position with an RBI-base hit. The Braves would score again in the fifth with a bases-loaded walk and added another run late on a SS Ryker Waite (Vanderbilt) home run, but ended the game with a two-run loss.
The Braves will have to leave their struggles behind in Hyannis and make a quick turnaround. With the defeat, Bourne now has just a one-point lead over the Harbor Hawks in the West division standings. Though they still control their own destiny, a Braves loss will give Hyannis a chance to take the division lead.
Immediately following their matchup with Hyannis, Bourne’s players boarded their bus and travelled to Wareham, where they will play their second game of the day.
“We have to come back and play baseball like we’re capable of,” said Landers. “That game wasn’t really an indication of what we’re really all about.”
Landers is hoping his team will build off the loss and improve in their second game of the day. When asked about whether the first game would help the Braves be ready for game two, the Braves’ skipper had a blunt response.
“It better”
