The Hyannis Harbor Hawks did just enough to fend off the Bourne Braves on Wednesday night at Doran Park, winning 8-7.
The Harbor Hawks put up eight runs and eight hits in the first three innings, seemingly leaving the Braves in the dust. However, the win was almost snatched out from under them, as the Braves shut down the Harbor Hawks' offense from there, and rallied in the seventh and eighth innings to put up seven runs and five hits.
“We didn’t necessarily put it in cruise control,” Hyannis manager Mitch Karraker said. “Some good in there, some bad, some adjustments we still need to make. But, overall really good.”
The Harbor Hawks' offense was aggressive from the get-go, with nearly every batter in the lineup recording a run in the first three innings.
In the first inning with two runners on base, second baseman Matt Ineich ripped an RBI single to left field, sending center fielder Liam Barrett home. Then a groundout by designated hitter Trey Hawsey sent left fielder Jax Gimenez home.
Eventually, several walks and a hit-by-pitch left the bases loaded, and right fielder Henry Zenor drove third baseman Charlie Bates and first baseman Caden Miller home with an RBI single to left field, putting the Harbor Hawks up 4-0 in just the first frame.
The Harbor Hawks scoring continued with a run by Ineich, and another by Barrett in the second inning. Finally, a solo shot by Zenor and an additional run by shortstop Taylor Kirk, courtesy of an RBI single by Ineich, left the score 8-0 in the third inning. The scoring would cease from then on.
“Our offense took some really good at-bats, we just couldn’t get anything going after those first three [innings],” Karraker said. “They threw some good arms at us. We could have done a little bit better of trying to tack on a little bit later.”
Harbor Hawks' pitcher Brady St. Pierre held things down for the defense in the first four innings, recording four strikeouts on the night and keeping the Braves scoreless. Van Froling would then come in to replace St. Pierre, and continued to keep the Braves at bay in the fifth and sixth innings. However, the game took a dramatic turn in the seventh inning.
Bourne manager Scott Lander said he told his team “Keep your head up and chip away” after the Harbor Hawks electric start, and chip away they would.
Froling and the Harbor Hawks' defense found themselves stuck in a bases loaded jam with no outs, and a walk issued to second baseman Blake Shaaf forced the Braves' first run of the game. The runs kept coming after a sacrifice fly by shortstop Rustan Rigdon and a wild pitch by Froling sent two more runners home.
Clay Masonis came in to pitch midway through the inning, but still could not free the Harbor Hawks from the jam. Two more walks forced two more runners home, leaving the score 8-5 at the end of the seventh.
The comeback rally did not stop from there. With Shaaf in scoring position, a wild pitch by Masonis allowed the runner to score, and with Rigdon in scoring position, a balk drove him home as well. The Braves were now one score away from tying the game.
With the Harbor Hawks' offense not able to extend the lead any further, the team looked to pitcher Raymond Olivas to close things out and secure a victory.
Olivas would not disappoint, and a 1-2-3 ninth inning would silence the comeback hopes for the Braves.
Karraker said the results of the game will serve as a learning experience for Froling and Masonis.
“Understand what the moment is, understand what your emotions are, try to be under control as much as you possibly can,” Karraker said. “Sometimes failure isn’t fun, but it’s feedback for you. Hopefully they can take it, make some adjustments, and the next time they’re in a big moment like that, they can execute a little bit better.”
The Harbor Hawks will try to keep their winning streak alive as they travel to Red Wilson Field to take on the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox on Friday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
