Photo credit: Sophia Soropoulos

As they crept up on the final playoff spot in the East Division, the Firebirds came to Veterans Field on Sunday night with one goal in mind: getting their first win of the summer over the Anglers.

The game started promising for Orleans, as Hudson Shupe (Gonzaga) pulled a line drive into left, adding to his team-best batting average. Shupe was quickly moved to third after Ben Zeigler (Hawaii) mirrored his line drive to left, and a Jack Gurevitch (San Diego) walk loaded the bases with no outs.

Just needing to put a ball in play to bring Shupe home from third, Evan Griffis (Stetson) did his job, putting a chopper down in the infield, giving the Birds an early 1-0 lead.

Despite having the bases loaded with no outs, the Birds only came away with a lone run, beginning a trend that persisted throughout the game: stranding runners in scoring position.

Giving it his all to protect his team's one-run lead, Miles Gosztola (Gonzaga) held Chatham scoreless through two, but after the second-time starter handed out three free passes to load the bases, which led to a game-tying RBI, Kelly Nicholson went to his bullpen.

Callan Fang, who was meant to start in Saturday's postponed matchup against the Harbor Hawks, checked in for a crucial at-bat with Aiva Arquette (Washington) and struck him out to strand two Anglers in scoring position.

Thanks to Fang keeping the damage minimal, the Birds were quick to respond. A new face behind the plate for Orleans, Robbie Ayers (Loyola Marymount) walked to reach his first base, and Chatham's first error of the night put Lorenzo Meola on first. Mike Mancini's (Vanderbilt) line drive into far right would clean up the bases and bring home both Ayers and Meola to give the Birds a 3-1 lead.

Ayers would soon register the Birds' seventh hit in only the fifth inning, which moved two more runners into scoring position. The Firebirds' offense couldn't do its job, and once again failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Ayers' line drive to left marked the Firebirds' last hit of the game.

With the Birds' offense shutting down after the bottom of the fifth, the Anglers slowly chipped away at the 3-1 deficit and completed the comeback effort in extra innings with a walk-off sac bunt courtesy of Arquette.

The defeat was the Birds' first look at extra-inning action of the summer, and they look to bounce back from the tough loss when the league-leading Wareham Gatemen pay Eldredge Park a visit on Tuesday night.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.