Birds find redemption against Brewster with 8-3 win

CAM_07.13_Brewster-035
Anthony Potestio, pictured, ended the matchup with three hits and two runs. (Photo credit: Campbell Mulligan)

When the Birds last played Brewster in front of a packed Eldredge Park on July 1st, it was a rather disappointing showing, as Orleans fell 8–2 to the Whitecaps.

However, the script flipped on Sunday night when the Birds earned their third-straight win with a comfortable 8–3 victory over Brewster.

Despite starting off the season on a home-game losing spell, Orleans redeemed itself by piecing together a win before Monday’s off-day.

“It feels good we have some momentum, and we are making a playoff push right now,” Anthony Potestio (UC San Diego) said. “Hitters are doing well, pitchers are doing well, so we are clicking on all cylinders.”

But Brewster wasn’t outperformed the whole game by the Birds, though. In fact, the Whitecaps’ leadoff pitcher got on the board right away.

With Isaiah Magdaleno (Hawaii) starting on the mound for Orleans, he launched the ball toward Adam Magpoc (Boston College), who nailed the ball past the heads of the outfielders and over the fence of Eldredge Park.

Down 1–0 after the first pitch, it seemed all too eerie to the last time that both squads met.

But Magdaleno did not let Magpoc’s early homer faze him too much as he capped off the inning almost immediately, sending the next three consecutive Whitecap batters back to the dugout.

Despite a rather slow first three innings for the Birds, Orleans’ defense took center stage, as Magdaleno held the Whitecaps to just two hits and delivered five strikeouts.

CAM_07.13_Brewster-015
In his 4 IP, Isaiah Magdaleno notched five strikeouts and allowed one run. (Photo credit: Campbell Mulligan)

And the Birds eventually punched back in the fourth inning.

Potestio led the charge for Orleans off a line drive double to right field. Elijah Ickes (Hawaii) then followed suit, nailing a ground ball back to right field, scoring Potestio on the play.

Suddenly, the score was knotted, as it became clear that it was going to be a punch-for-punch battle between both squads.

Neither team was able to advance in front of the other in the next two consecutive innings, as both pitching staffs denied any successful offensive opportunities.

Ultimately, Brewster got the best of Orleans for some time. Inching past the Birds, Magpoc came up big again as his single brought the Whitecaps’ lead back to one run.

Fortunately, for the Birds, that wouldn’t last too long.

In the bottom of the sixth, everything unraveled for Brewster as Orleans tallied four runs to cap off the inning.

Leading off for the Birds, Potestio came out explosive. After a Potestio double, Luke Nixon (NC State) delivered a single that brought Potestio home and equalized the score 2–2.

Ickes joined him, delivering a single of his own on the next play.

And Orleans was well on its way to a scoring frenzy.

With bases loaded, that all happened—thanks to Robbie Lavey (George Washington). Off a ground-ball single, Lavey gave Orleans’ a two-run edge over Brewster.

SAM_-9749
Orleans delivered five runs in the sixth inning. (Photo credit: Sam Montanez)

Seemingly, the Birds were just getting started.

Ryan Kucherak (Northwestern) came in with the same rhythm, notching a double of his own. Completed with a Whitecaps’ throwing error, the Birds now had a 6–2 lead.

The seventh inning was only a continuation of the Birds’ offensive success, as both Kucherak (Northwestern) and Cashel Dugger (UCLA) RBI’s earned Orleans its final two runs of the matchup.

Even though Brewster tacked on another run, it wasn’t enough, as the Birds took the matchup 8–3.

“I feel like it’s a good win especially going into the off-day on Monday, just good vibes,” Ickes said.

When asked what clicked for his team, manager Kelly Nicholson had a list of successes for his squad.

"We pitched well and took some good at bats, we ran the bases well, and I think we played clean defense,” Nicholson said. “I don’t think we made an error. If you do those four things in a Cape League game, and you do it a little better than they do it, you get to come out on top.”

That’s exactly what occurred for Orleans.

One recognizable face in Sunday’s matchup was leadoff hitter Anthony Potestio, who had two runs and three hits against the Whitecaps.

And Nicholson had nothing but praise for Potestio.

“He is just good, man,” Nicholson said. “There’s nobody we would rather have as a leadoff hitter than AP. We really love him in that spot and he is tough, competitive, he has a good heartbeat for the game, and he’s playing a wonderful right field.”