Orleans made their second trip to Whitehouse field to take on the Mariners for a second straight game. Not a cloud was in the sky above the wooded grounds. Though previous gamedays may have featured excellent weather, Thursday’s conditions were fit for a postcard.

After Harwich’s embarrassing loss at the hands of the Birds last night, they had lost four straight. Over that stretch, they’d scored just three runs, collected an average of four and a half hits a game, and were shut out three times. They’d gone a painful 2-23 with runners in scoring position. The Birds were catching them at the right time, looking to hand Harwich their first five-game losing streak of the season.

Orleans geared up for their first batting practice in three days. After each hitter got their reps in, Tyler Myatt (Tennessee) explained some under the hood elements of his big game yesterday evening. Myatt may lead the entire CCBL with 48 strikeouts, but has been an offensive force to be reckoned with in 2026.

“I’m not a huge analytics guy, but I like looking at percentage rates,” Myatt said. “When I’m playing well, I don’t chase as much. I’ve got to work on my swing decisions.”

As the season nears an end, many Firebirds are focused on putting the finishing touches on a season's worth of progress. Casey Cumiskey (SNHU) is another player who’s strung together a promising stretch of games over the last week or so.

“At the plate, I’m just trying to dim things down a little bit,” Cumiskey said. “I’m not using as big of a leg kick, which has helped me to be on time more. I’m seeing the ball deeper, and trying to put the ball in play.”

Coming from a Division II school, Cumiskey has been making strides in adjusting to Cape Cod pitching staffs that can be relentless from starter to backend bullpen arms. Assistant Coach Ryan Hanigan has steadily lent a helping hand.

“There’s good arms starting, good arms relieving, and good arms trying to close,” he said. “A lot of them throw pretty hard. [Hanigan] has been helping me with trying to stay loose and relaxed but explosive at the same time.”

Sometimes in baseball, lessons learned on the field can be applied after the lights turn off and the buses roll out. For Cumiskey, he’s come to accept that patience is a virtue.

“Things aren’t going to work out right away,” he said. “Not every mistake is going to be fixed for the next game. You need to have a plan and stick with it. Results aren’t going to be immediate — not just in baseball, but in life. It’s really easy to get upset with yourself and mope around, but that’s not going to help you at all.”

Following his wise words, Cumiskey put together another two hit performance. The Firebirds triumphed over the Mariners for the second straight night. On the back of a gutsy performance by Brayden Toro (Stetson), who pitched into the sixth and kept the Birds in the game, the offense combined for six runs on eight hits. A mix of small-ball and hard liners powered Orleans past Harwich. Rowan Kelly (UCSB) and Dominic Cadiz (UCLA) continued to be the Firebirds version of prime Shaq and Kobe, combining for five hits (one double each), three walks, and three RBIs at the top of the order. The Birds drowned the Mariners, as AJ Beltré (USD) slammed the door for the team’s first save of the summer.

After debriefing the team and awarding a game ball and helmet, Manager Kelly Nicholson remained on the field with his wife Donna, picking up a few bits of trash and gathering the remaining pieces of Birds’ gear before heading out.

“This is who the guys have been all season,” Nicholson said of the comeback win. “That’s the best I’ve seen Toro throw the ball all summer. If you had told me we were going to be 10-21 and still have a shot for the playoffs, I would have told you you’re crazy. Crazier things have happened.”

Jackson Peavy (Georgia) got the ball for the Mariners as the game kicked off at Whitehouse Field. So far, he’d pitched to a 2.16 ERA in 16 and two thirds innings. He struggled to find the zone early, issuing free passes to Kelly and Cadiz. Despite two early runners, the Birds would get nothing.

Brayden Toro (Stetson) made his third appearance against Harwich — yet to have a solid appearance against the Mariners lineup. He got through the first quickly, spinning a few nice curves for one K and two soft outs.

Peavy continued to lack feel for his arsenal in the second. He walked three more batters, hit one, and surrendered two runs. Garrett Larsen (Yale) continued to put the ball in play, grounding into a twin killing for the first run. Cadiz’s 36th hit of the year was good for his 17th RBI — representing the Birds’ second run.

Toro’s fastball-curveball combo played well in the home half of the inning. He collected a second strikeout and continued to work quickly as the light began to dim.

Peavy’s unorthodox outing continued in the third. He plunked another two Birds, but struck out three. Orleans had left seven runners on through just three innings. Toro worked around a double from Chone James, striking out another for a clean frame.

Things didn’t go Toro’s way in the fourth. Three singles with an intentional walk mixed in allowed the Mariners to finally break their 27-inning scoreless streak. If Ryan MacDougall (Dayton) had cleanly received the ball on a play at the plate, it would have been 2-1 Birds instead of a tie game.

Birds’ hitters K’d three times in the fifth. Mariners reliever TJ Ziermann had gone six up, six down in two innings. The field lights flashed on as Toro returned. Micah Kiracofe jumped Toro out of the nine hole, sending a solo shot to left field. His first homer of the season gave the Mariners the lead. The righty did punch out two more Mariners, getting out of the inning as MacDougall caught Ty Smolinski stealing second.

Toro time extended into the sixth. An immediate single from Cade Curland ended his night. He’d made a handful of mistakes, but was sharp overall in one of his longest starts — giving the Birds a chance to win.

Harrison Thayer (UTRGV) was the first Bird out of the pen. He struck out one Mariner but Sean O’Leary singled and drove in another run. Toro’s final earned run total was pushed to four.

The Birds’ heartbeat jolted to life in the seventh. Kelly and Cadiz finally got to Ziermann. The trusty leadoff man singled and stole second, and Cadiz beat the shift for his second RBI of the night. After walks from AJ Beltré and Myatt, Adam Magpoc (SDSU) evened the score with a ground ball. Tyler Harmony (Northeastern) executed some perfect small-ball, laying down a textbook bunt to score Beltré. The Birds’ first hits since the second inning had put them up 5-4.

Thayer got one out in the seventh before being replaced by D.C. Brown (Brown), who retired the next two Mariners.

Kelly and Cadiz hit back-to-back doubles to open the eighth. Orleans had crafted a two-run cushion. Six more outs would seal a key road victory. Brown struck out Smolinski before Beltré took the ball — pulling a Shohei Ohtani and entering the game to pitch after starting as the designated hitter. He sat in the low 90s, striking out one Mariner and getting another to pop out. He strutted off the rubber as the Birds’ dugout cheered.

Beltré stayed in for the ninth. Harmony made an unfortunate blunder, dropping an easy infield pop-up which resulted in two bases. Two fly ball outs moved the runner over and then in to score. Beltré wouldn’t be denied, fanning Kiracofe to squash the Mariners’ hopes.

Now riding a two-game winning streak, the Birds will play the Whitecaps in Brewster on Friday, still hoping to chase down Chatham for a playoff spot. At two and a half games back, it’s never too late to make a final push.