90 feet stood between Bourne and a tied ballgame. Bourne’s Matt Bolton knew what was coming. The fans sitting in the bleachers knew what was coming. It was best against the best with the game on the line, and the Whitecaps found a way to win it once again.

Joshua Whritenour started the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead, courtesy of Brewster’s (5-3) sixth-inning offensive explosion. After inducing a foul ball with his first pitch of the inning, the Florida righty hit batters three times across the next five pitches.

The Braves (3-3-2) dugout roared after every pitch, hoping they could walk it off in front of their home fans. The top of the lineup stepped to the plate. The game had never looked so lopsided.

With his back against the wall, Whritenour clawed for his first out of the inning, a seven-pitch strikeout; crucial for the potential save. His second out came on a sacrifice fly to deep center field, advancing the runner from second to third and splitting the baserunners. With a pattern of poor command and plenty of pressure mounting, Whritenour ditched his game plan, worries and strife, settling for experience and good old baseball luck to finish the job.

Bolton stepped to the plate, 2-for-4 on the day. Bourne could not have asked for a better moment. Whritenour, on his last legs, wound up and delivered. The crack of the bat echoed throughout the stadium as the crowd held its breath. The batted ball flew into the night toward right field, carrying toward the fence.

“The heart sinks a little bit, but right there I was just trying to pound the zone,” Whritenour said. “I think everybody in the stadium knew what was coming right there, so basically it was my stuff against [Bolton’s].”

The Tampa Bay native’s best won out, allowing Whritenour to secure the save and take a full, deep breath. Through the trials and tribulations, the Whitecaps have consistently found the ability to win tight games, an attribute more Cape Cod Baseball League teams could cultivate over a full season. Brewster is creating it in a quarter of the time.

An early-inning play at Doran Park was a perfect example. Five straight innings of back-and-forth zeros left the game wide open. In classic Brewster fashion, a big inning was due, and all it took was a spark.

Terrence Kiel II, Saturday’s player of the game, locked it right back on Sunday with a single to start the sixth. A stolen base put him in scoring position, and he did just that when Jacob Lee singled to right field. Two singles loaded the bases, and Dane Harvey brought home the game’s second run on a deep sacrifice fly. A passed ball completed the three-run inning and carried Brewster to the ninth.

Harvey’s second sacrifice fly of the day lifted the ’Caps to their final line.

“It seems like we score runs in bunches,” manager Jamie Shevchik said. “You’re not going to be able to carry that out throughout an entire season, but in the same token, these guys, when they first hit out there, we’re locked in.”

The Whitecaps can win close games, but Shevchik is tired of waiting until the end to secure the victory. With an off day coming up, plans are in place to adjust the team’s offensive direction.

“I think we’ve got to start focusing a little bit more on situational offense,” Shevchik said. “Cutting down on the swings and misses, putting a runner on third base, and just fighting to get the guy in, some way.”

One player with the potential to fulfill Shevchik’s requests is Florida State’s Brody DeLamielleure. The righty collected his first hit of the season in Bourne, doubling his season total by the end of the game and clearly bolstering a lineup lacking strength top to bottom.

The Florida native knows he can compete in the dunes after doing so last season in his short tenure with Brewster. His mindset has set him up for success on the summer’s biggest stage.

While DeLamielleure does not even know all his teammates’ names, he said this is clearly one of the most fun and exciting teams on the Cape. With a 5-3 record, the season is only getting started.

The Whitecaps are prepared and battle-tested for the remainder of the season, ready to beat anyone they play, by blowout or with a close shave.

The Whitecaps play Cotuit at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Lowell Park. Watch the Whitecaps broadcast on Cape League TV, or follow the game on Instagram (@brewsterwhitecaps) or X (@BrewsterCaps).

Matt Ford-Wellman can be reached at mfordwellman.media@gmail.com or on X @MattFW_4.