Rain, rain, go away.
The Wareham Gatemen found themselves ahead of the Bourne Braves 5-4 in the top of the sixth inning at Doran Park on Thursday. However, Mother Nature had different plans. A severe thunderstorm swept across Cape Cod, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and power outages to the surrounding areas.
The game had to be called, but the sixth inning had not been completed. Due to the Cape Cod Baseball League’s rules on the matter, Wareham’s two runs were wiped off the board, and the final score reverted to the score of the previous completed inning, the fifth, which was a 4-3 score in favor of Bourne.
The result became a Bourne victory despite the Gatemen taking the lead, something that was out of their control. The sudden loss fired up the team, and they are lucky enough to get another shot at Bourne, this time at Spillane Field.
The Gatemen have not done well at home so far this season, going 2-5 at the newly renovated Spillane Field; however, with how Thursday’s game ended, the Gatemen care less about the numbers and more about seeking revenge against their division rivals.
Starting Pitchers
Tonight, the Gatemen give the starting privileges to right-hander Tate McGuire (Arkansas). The Razorback makes a second-year return to the Gatemen after playing for the team last year.
In 2024, McGuire made eight starts with the Gatemen, pitched 29.2 innings, allowed 27 hits, 14 earned runs, 13 walks, struck out 36 batters, and held an ERA of 4.32. He was considered the Gatemen’s ace in 2024 and stepped in to replace the recently released Chase Richter (Arkansas State), who had delivered three solid performances in the role.
McGuire has made a short appearance this season against the Orleans Firebirds on Sunday, where he pitched one inning, retiring three consecutive batters, two of them by strikeout. Look for him to set the tone early on the mound tonight.
The Braves will counter with their southpaw Folger Boaz (North Carolina). Boaz started one game for the Braves this season, and it ended sooner than expected. He started against the Kettleers on June 28, where he allowed 3 hits and 4 runs, all before recording an out, en route to a 6-4 loss.
Tonight, he looks to go for much longer than his first performance, so look for him to make a statement on the mound. If he struggles early on, however, the Gatemen may have the opportunity to gather a large lead early.
Players to Watch
Both Brayden Randle (Ole Miss) and Vance Sheahan (Miami) had a great night for the Gatemen in their rain-shortened game against the Braves on Thursday. Randle went 2 for 3 on the night, also having a hit and an RBI in the sixth that did not count.
Sheahan went 0 for 2 but had an RBI and scored a run. He also would have had another RBI in the sixth if the inning counted. Look for both of their bats in the lineup tonight.
For the Braves, their star player was easily Kuhio Aloy (Arkansas). Aloy went 2 for 2, one hit being a solo home run, drove in 2 runs, and scored 2 runs. Look for him to continue that performance for Bourne.
First pitch for tonight’s game was moved from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. due to Spillane Field losing power overnight in the thunderstorm. The team is currently working to restore power and expects things to operate normally by 4:00 p.m.. You can attend tonight’s game for free, or you can tune in to the Gatemen’s broadcast with Cory Miller, Josh Richardson, and Rayna Maggelet on the call by clicking HERE.
