Metal spikes crunched gravel as the Firebirds took to Stony Brook Field for the second time this summer. Another cloudless sky and hot sun beat down on the metal bleachers. Whitecaps fans trickled in as baselines were painted, infield dirt was raked and watered, and both teams went through their pre-game motions.

Hot on the heels of the Chatham Anglers, the Firebirds have played themselves into a playoff race. With another chance at a three-game winning streak, the Birds would have to go through a dangerous Brewster team at home. Second only to Y-D in the East Division standings, the ‘Caps offense is second in OPS, only .003 points behind the Red Sox. Their pitching staff is also third in the league in ERA, WHIP, and batting average against. The Birds would need to play another solid night of all-around baseball.

Orleans was faced with some unfortunate news before first pitch. Rowan Kelly (UCSB) had suffered an unlucky ankle injury taking the field in the eighth inning of last night’s contest. He’d be replaced in the leadoff spot by Tyler Harmony (Northeastern), whose slick bunt in the seventh against Harwich last night scored one of three Birds’ runs in the inning.

Between batting practice rounds, usual Birds’ bullpen catcher Charlie Lapp detailed his journey to Orleans. Lapp hails from Trabuco Canyon, CA, just a short distance away from Manager Kelly Nicholson’s normal residence in Playa del Rey on the shores of the Pacific.

Though he attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York, Lapp said that Nicholson’s Southern California connections got him noticed, leading to him joining Orleans. He saw game action as a defensive replacement late in the game against Bourne on Monday.

“It was great to get in the game the other day,” Lapp said. “I’ve got my senior season left to play as best as I can. I’d love to keep playing baseball after that, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Despite two days of excitement and winning baseball, the Birds ran into a buzzsaw at Stony Brook. The Whitecaps defeated Orleans handily, compiling six runs on 12 hits. Orleans pitching couldn’t contain Jacob Lee and the rest of the ‘Caps offense. Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) went deep for the sixth time, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the game late. Now three and a half games behind Chatham, Orleans will have to dig deep for the remaining eight games of the year.

A propeller plane buzzed past overhead as the anthem was performed. James DeCremer toed the slab for Brewster. He ran his fastball up to 95 miles an hour, mixing in breaking balls and changeups when ahead. Two Birds went down hacking.

Ben Rabatin (Kent State) made another start for the Birds with Brendan Buecker (Monmouth) receiving. The sturdy righty continued to up his velo, reaching the mid-90s. Two ‘Caps reached, but Rabatin answered back — freezing the next two Brewster hitters.

Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) and Casey Cumiskey (SNHU) both singled in the second, but the Birds’ couldn’t cash in. Dane Harvey ripped a leadoff double over the head of Adam Magpoc (SDSU) off Rabatin. A nice bunt and a wild pitch allowed him to score.

Dominic Cadiz (UCLA) got his first hit in the third and AJ Beltré (USD) was plunked, but the Birds left them both on.

Rabatin got rocked in the third. The notorious power bat Jacob Lee stepped into the box for the ‘Caps. The righty served up a hanging breaking ball, which Lee promptly demolished. The poor baseball exited the bat at 105 miles an hour and went sailing over the scoreboard in left — landing in the tree line 426 feet later. Lee admired the ball, walked his bat down the line, and flipped it before slowly trotting the bases.

After another hit and a second double from Dane Harvey, a second run came around. A wide throw to second from Cumiskey sent Harvey to third, who then scored on Rabatin’s second wild pitch. It was 4-0 ‘Caps after an ugly inning.

DeCremer exited in the fourth as Brewster went to the ‘pen. The Birds got something brewing. Cumiskey and Magpoc reached, and moved to second and third on a double steal. Buecker got the Birds their first run with a cue shot to second.

New Firebird Corbin Giesen trudged to the hill in the bottom of the inning. Giesen played two seasons at College of San Mateo. This year, he transferred to Loyola Marymount, where Nicholson acted as pitching coach for three years.

Giesen’s first inning was filled with drama. He allowed a run on two more ‘Caps hits. He walked Jacob Lee on a pitch-clock violation due to allegedly not addressing the batter — a call that Kelly Nicholson was not pleased with. After a spat with home plate umpire Al Libardoni, Nicholson was served with his first ejection of 2026. He continued to bark as he was forced to clear his things from the dugout, and the game did not resume until he had left the premises.

One of Stony Brook’s quirks is its trigger-happy soundboard operator. After nearly every pitch, a new grating noise blared over the loudspeaker. The operator took Nicholson’s ejection as a perfect opportunity to play circus music and various other tracks during the full length of the argument. A loyal Firebirds fan acted as the team's personal soundboard — showcasing his vocal projection and unending enthusiasm.

Orleans stranded three more runners in the fifth, bringing their daily total to eight. Brewster arms had nailed three Birds’ hitters already.

Grant Garman (Hawaii) got the ball next. He worked around a leadoff hit, fanning two Whitecaps. The lefty returned for the sixth. Assistant Coach Ryan Hanigan, who had taken over managing duties for Nicholson, issued an intentional walk to Jacob Lee. Garman got the lefty Blaine Brown to fly out, escaping a potentially dangerous scenario.

Constant noise continued to be piped in from the press box as the Birds went quietly in the seventh. They hadn’t recorded a hit in three innings. Garman breezed through the seventh thanks to a double play.

Myatt returned the home run favor in the eighth, wrapping the foul pole in left for by far his shortest blast of the year. His sixth long ball tied Jacob Lee and Ty Smolinski for the CCBL lead. Jordan Regulski nailed a fourth Firebird with a pitch, but the Birds left two more stranded.

Garman allowed his only run in the eighth off two ‘Caps singles and a steal. Garman’s four-inning appearance was easily his best yet. Orleans needed a miracle four run comeback with three outs left.

Another new Firebird was up in a big spot. Rowan Masse (UMass Lowell) led off the ninth. He couldn’t make magic happen. Still, two Firebirds hits and one walk loaded the bases. Magpoc pushed the Birds’ third run in with a walk. With the bases loaded, Sean McMillan (St. John’s) struck out to end the game.

Orleans will take on the Anglers at Eldredge on Saturday. Their second to last matchup with Chatham is as must-win as it gets.