BOURNE, Mass. — Just when you count them out, the Braves bounce back.

On the 250th birthday of the United States of America, the Bourne Braves were walk-off winners at Doran Park. After a Friday night loss to the Gatemen, the Bravos got their revenge in 4-3 fashion on Saturday night.

The comeback victory was the Braves’ third walk-off of the season. This time, CF Rustan Rigdon (Vanderbilt) was the hero.

Going into the bottom of the ninth, Bourne found themselves down a run. Hoping for another late-game comeback, the Braves’ chances looked bleak when the first two batters of the inning recorded outs. Down to their final chance, C Brice Estep (South Carolina) drew a walk and 2B Lee Ellis (Ohio State) singled through the left side to begin the Bravos’ rally. After SS Blake Schaaf (Wake Forest) walked to load the bases, Bourne tied the game on a wild pitch. Now with runners on second and third, Rigdon shot a line drive into center field to end the Braves’ three-game losing streak.

“I was just trying to see something up,” said Rigdon after the game. “He threw the pitch I was looking for, and I hit it.”

Before the big Bourne comeback, Wareham got out to an early advantage. In the first at-bat of the game, RJ Hamilton (Duke) launched a two-strike pitch into the Braves’ bullpen past the left field wall. The Gatemen added to their lead in the third. Wareham worked the bases loaded with two outs, and Kade Elam (Louisville) took advantage of his opportunity. With ducks on the pond, Wareham’s third baseman floated a single into shallow left field for a 2-RBI base hit. By the end of the third, the Gatemen held a 3-0 lead.

After being held scoreless through the first five, the Costello brothers put Bourne on the scoreboard in the sixth. DH Andrew Costello (South Carolina) led off the two-out rally with a base hit into left. His brother, RF Luke Costello (South Carolina), followed with his league-leading ninth double of the season. The ball travelled to the fence in right center, allowing Andrew just enough time to score from first.

“I’m doing my best to simplify things,” said Andrew Costello, who finished the game with a team-high two hits. “Just trying not to do too much. Get a barrel on the ball and run hard.”

Bourne went to work once again in the seventh. The Braves opened the inning with runners on second and third, courtesy of a 1B Garrett Michel (Arizona State) double. Brice Estep hit a ground ball to third in an attempt to bring the Braves’ second run, but the runner was cut down at the plate. The Bravos would get a run later in the inning on an RBI groundout by Blake Schaaf, but still trailed 3-2 after the seventh.

Helping the Braves complete the victory was their bullpen. RHP Austin Musso (Arizona State) and RHP Adam Buczkowski (Cincinnati) combined to throw five scoreless innings. Most impressively, they didn’t allow a single Gatemen batter to reach base.

“The pitchers and defense kept us in it,” said Field Manager Scott Landers. “Musso and Buczkowski came in and didn’t allow a hit. We needed that. It was a grind.”

This marked the Braves’ third walk-off victory of the year. The first came on June 24 against Cotuit when Blake Schaaf hit a game-winning RBI single in the tenth inning. The second came two days later, when John Stuetzer hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth to secure the win.

“We step up when the lights are turned on,” said Landers. “They step up and do what they have to do when the pressure’s on.”

“We’re a super gritty team,” said Andrew Costello. “We’re never out of the game. We’re going to fight until the last out. I’m proud of how we fought today.”

WHAT IT MEANS

Thanks to Rigdon’s walk-off hit, the Braves remain tied for first in the West division. If not for the late comeback, the Braves would’ve fallen to third place after both Hyannis and Falmouth picked up wins. Bourne will have a chance to take an outright lead in the division tomorrow, travelling to Falmouth to take on the Commodores.

BOURNEBRAVES.ORG PLAYER OF THE GAME

Lee Ellis is tonight’s Player of the Game. In his last game in a Braves uniform before leaving to prepare for the MLB Draft, Ellis scored the game-winning run on Rigdon's ninth inning single. He finished the game going 1-for-2 with a walk and hit-by-pitch.

NEXT UP

The Braves will close out the holiday weekend at Falmouth, taking on the Commodores for the second time this season. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET.