HYANNIS, Mass. — After Kade Lewis (Wake Forest) struck out to end the first game of the playoff series against Hyannis, he and catcher Brody Briggs (Arizona State) had a few choice words for each other.
In turn all hell broke lose, causing both benches and bullpens to clear in a brawl at Doran Park after a Bourne loss, resulting in a suspension for Lewis, Briggs and Braden Holcomb (Vanderbilt) for Game 2.
With the aforementioned trio sitting in folding chairs outside of the dugouts dressed in sweats, they watched a game that featured highs and lows for both squads. In the end, it was a ninth inning that gave the Braves their first lead off the series en route to a 5-4 win, forcing a Game 3 at Doran Park on Thursday.
"They showed some grit," field manager Scott Landers said. "We got down early, and we chipped away, and we had that three-run inning. Could have been more, we got to their bullpen, and then that happened. I couldn't be happier."
Hyannis got the scoring started in the first, loading the bases after a pair of singles from Jayce Dobie (Nevada) and Ryan McKay (Michigan State) as well as a walk from Gabe Camacho (UC San Diego).
After a two-run double the game before, Deiten Lachance continued his hot streak against the Braves, scoring Dobie on an RBI single to take the 1-0 lead.
The Harbor Hawks kept it going in the second, loading the bases again with Devin Mitchell (NC State), Jake Schaffer (North Dakota State) and Owen Prince (Virginia Military Institute) filling the bags.
An RBI sacrifice fly hit by Dobie scored Mitchell. Then Folger Boaz (North Carolina) tried to pick off Prince at first, getting him in a pickle, but Jason Torres (Alabama) at first threw home to get Schaffer.
He was unsuccessful, resulting in Hyannis leaving the frame with a 3-0 lead.
The Harbor Hawks tacked on another in the fourth, as a Prince double had him touch home plate shortly after on an RBI single from Dobie.
Then the Braves finally got on the board in the fifth with a big inning. The bases became fully juiced after Jon LeGrande (St. John’s) and Ryker Waite (Vanderbilt) singled, which was followed by a Gavin Kelly (West Virginia) walk.
Ryan Cooney (Oregon) grounded into a force out that got LeGrande out at home, but an errant throw from Lechance to first to get Cooney scored Waite.
An RBI sacrifice fly from Cal Sefcik (Cincinnati) scored Kelly, then an RBI single from Luke Costello (Wake Forest) cashed in Cooney, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
"You gotta play every inning one inning at a time, and chip away at it," Landers said.
Bourne had runners in scoring position in both the seventh and the eighth but couldn’t cash in.
There was life from the Braves in the ninth, as Cooney led off with a single, which was followed by another one-base knock from Sefcik. Cooney then advanced to third on a sacrifice fly hit by Sebastian Mexico (Louisiana Tech).
Yet Bourne's season wouldn't end just yet, as Mark Quatrani (Notre Dame) drilled a ball into left field off of Connor Kelley (UTSA) with two outs on a 1-2 count to give the Braves a 5-4 lead.
Nate Whysong (Wake Forest) came in for Boaz in the fourth and finished the job, making quick work of the Harbor Hawks in the ninth, giving the Braves a chance to finish the job on Thursday after the 5-4 win.
"You're not going to get it all at once," Landers said. "Just get runs here, runs there and keep the momentum on your side.
Bourne Braves Player of the Game
Whysong came in for Boaz in relief and was lights out, tossing a scoreless 5 ⅓ innings with eight strikeouts, allowing three hits and zero walks.
Key moment
A two-run double from Quatrani gave the Braves the lead in the ninth, pushing them over the top in a thriller at McKeon Park.
A look ahead
The Braves will face Hyannis at Doran Park on Thursday for Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs in a win-or-go-home situation for the second straight game.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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