Yarmouth-Dennis used a three-run second inning to take a lead that it would never relinquish in a 4-2 win over the Orleans Firebirds in an East Division clash on Thursday.
Thursday’s game was already the second time Y-D and Orleans have met this summer, with Y-D using four pitchers to combine for a 4-0 shutout victory in the first matchup on Sunday. Although there was more traffic on the basepaths on Thursday, the Y-D pitching staff once again held the Firebirds’ bats in check by working out of jams throughout the night.
After both starters worked a scoreless first, a pair of Georgia Tech teammates got things started for Y-D in the second inning. Alex Hernandez led off the inning by roping a base hit into left field, then Will Baker launched an inside fastball over the right field wall for the first Y-D homer of the season to make it 2-0.
The bottom of Y-D’s order didn’t stop there against Orleans’ starter Sebastian Gonzalez (Hawaii), who threw 4.2 scoreless innings with just two baserunners allowed in his first appearance of the year on Opening Day. Following a single from Dean Carpentier (USC), Yomar Carreras (Rutgers) drove one into the left-center field gap for a double to score Carpentier all the way from first.
“There’s been a lot of early work with [Y-D Manager Scott Pickler], a lot of phone calls with my dad,” Carreras said. “Just communication throughout with the coaches, and I’m seeing it pretty well right now.”
The 6-9 hitters in the Y-D lineup were the catalysts for the team, stringing together four consecutive hits during the rally in the second inning. Overall, the four batters (Hernandez, Baker, Carpentier and Carreras) combined for seven of Y-D’s nine hits, along with all three RBIs.
“It’s real big for us to show the top that we’re here for them when they get on base,” Carreras said. “So, just having 1-9 is going to be a good thing throughout the season.”
Cody New (California Baptist) cruised through his first 2.2 innings on the mound for Y-D with only two baserunners allowed, but he faced some struggles getting the final out of the third. He loaded the bases with two walks and a hit-by-pitch before walking in a run on a 3-2 fastball to Robbie Lavey (George Washington). Brayden Dowd (USC) helped prevent further damage by running in to snag a line drive in center field to end the inning.
Carson Marsh (Cincinnati) and Ricky Ojeda (UC Irvine) both similarly had issues finding the zone coming out of the bullpen in the fourth inning for Y-D, as they loaded the bases with three walks. Ojeda was able to escape with the two-run lead after Elijah Ickes (Hawaii) tried to break for the plate on a pitch in the dirt, but Garrett Wright (Tennessee) kept it in front of him and tagged Ickes out at home to end the inning.
Gonzalez settled down for Orleans, retiring 10 consecutive batters after the rally in the second. Cody Miller (East Tennessee State) snapped that streak by driving a double to the opposite field with two outs in the fifth, knocking Gonzalez out of the game.
Y-D added on an insurance run in the sixth when Lavey made an error trying to catch Hernandez stealing second, which allowed Cider Canon (Davidson) to score from third. The Firebirds responded in the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot to left from Ickes to cut it to 4-2.
The back end of Y-D’s bullpen held things in check from there, with Dominic Desch (Nevada) and Zach Harris (Georgia) tossing three hitless innings. Harris came in and recorded Y-D’s only 1-2-3 inning of the night in the ninth, capping off the victory by getting Michael O’Shaughnessy (Davidson) to foul tip one into the mitt of Nolan Traeger (TCU).
The win puts Y-D at 2-2-1 on the young season, with both triumphs coming over Orleans. Y-D has also moved ahead of the Firebirds and into a tie for third place with Chatham in the East Division standings.
“Our goal is always to win,” Carreras said. “Every person tries contributing in their own way, so as long as we’re winning, we’re doing well.”
Y-D will look to keep the momentum rolling when it returns home to Red Wilson Field to take on Chatham at 5 p.m. on Friday.
