The Firebirds hit the road again on Monday. They didn’t have to go over one of Cape Cod’s famous bridges this time, but they came as close as possible.
Orleans took on Bourne for the second time this year, looking for a different result than the 2-8 loss they succumbed to in their first meeting at Eldredge.
Doran Park neighbors the Upper Cape Technical High School. Positioned high on a hill, the Bourne Bridge is visible over the Cape Cod Canal from just around the corner. Doran’s baseball field is connected right to a large football field. Further behind the goal posts is some sort of large construction project. Presently, the large piles of dirt are a slight eyesore for spectators and players alike.
Despite last night’s surge of life, the Firebirds fell flat. The pitching staff deserves credit for limiting the damage. The Braves recorded 13 hits, but only scored three runs. The Birds’ offensive woes continue. Tonight, there was a total lack of traffic on the bases. The Birds only scored one run off five hits and three walks.
Diving into the stats, Orleans is hitting .111 with a .273 on-base percentage collectively in late and close situations — good for the worst marks in the CCBL. For the same late and close split, they have a league worst one RBI. It’s safe to say that when Orleans loses a patented early lead, they don’t often earn it back.
Chase Frey (Grand Canyon) took his turn in the rotation for Orleans, looking to parlay last week’s success against Wareham into another quality start. He struck out two Braves in the first. Luke Costello singled to left. His brother Andrew had walked in front of him, but was cut down trying to go first to third on a laser throw from Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) in left.
Doran does not feature traditional bleachers, but a slew of fans still filled out the open space behind each baseline wall with chairs from home. A cloudless sky welcomed the setting sun.
Elijah Ickes (Hawaii) was replaced by Casey Cumiskey (SNHU) at shortstop after an apparent injury. Ever the strong defender, Cale Stricklin (Charlotte) caught Cal Sefcik trying to steal second to end the second.
AJ Beltré (USD) sliced a double down the right field line in the third. The white-hot Rowan Kelly (UCSB) came through for the Birds again, torching a single to right to score Beltré. An enthusiastic Birds fan hollered “RBI!” as AJ crossed home. Orleans was out to another early 1-0 lead. AJ’s family, including his Hall of Fame father Adrián, was in attendance to witness him score the Birds’ only run.
Two Braves reached quickly in the bottom of the inning. Stricklin conferenced with Frey on the short mound. John Stutzer exploded his bat, but reached first to load the bases. Frey bared down to strike out Bourne’s second best hitter Matt Bolton. Beltré turned a clutch double play from second to first to complete the magic escape.
Bourne hitters jumped Frey in the fourth. Luke Costello led off the inning with a double. Cal Sefcik struck again, this time golfing a two-run homer over the left field fence.
Birds’ bats were still scuffling. Frey recorded a clean fifth. He secured another strikeout, and Beltré hooked up with Cumiskey for another double play to end the inning. In total, Frey recorded four strikeouts over his five innings, spreading out seven hits for only two runs.
Frey’s new Grand Canyon teammate Jake Echols took the sixth. The Braves threatened with a bases loaded rally, but Echols escaped as the Birds contributed some clean defense.
The crack of Myatt’s bat got the crowd’s attention in the seventh. He mashed a double over the center field wall on a hop — his hardest knock of a three hit day. A Cumiskey grounder moved Myatt to third. A wild pitch from Edwin Alicea would have scored Myatt in many other parks, but the brick wall behind home served the Braves catcher a perfect return bounce. Orleans failed to score yet again.
Echols got two outs in the seventh, striking out one and getting some help from Stricklin who caught another runner stealing second. Brady Fox (UMBC) took his place, stranding two more Braves runners.
Orleans abandoned two runners in the eighth. Fox was unable to keep the deficit at one, as a triple and single chased in the Braves’ third run.
Myatt nearly left the yard in the ninth with a deep drive to center. Unfortunately, nothing else would follow. The Birds dropped their 10th game of the season. Though there’s plenty of season left, it’s getting late early for the Birds’ playoff hopes in a stacked East division.
Orleans returns to Eldredge on Tuesday to face Wareham for the second time. With Wareham’s record at 3-11, it feels like a must-win game before the calendar flips to July.
