It goes without saying that home-field advantage often gives the home team the upper hand.

However, that may not be the case for the Birds so far at Eldredge Park.

In its seven games in front of packed crowds on the Hill, Orleans has only won two of those matchups, with its most recent loss coming Sunday night against Wareham.

While the Birds have taken four of their last six games on the road, that same momentum has not been able to transfer at Eldredge Park.

That rang true on Sunday night, as the Gatemen took the matchup 6–4, gaining redemption after losing to the Birds last Wednesday 7–5.

“They just put together a bunch of really good at bats, and next thing we know, we have four runs and turned a 5–0 game into a 5–4 game,” manager Kelly Nicholson said after the Birds’ win against Wareham last Wednesday. “We got right back in it.”

Unlike last Wednesday’s matchup, on Sunday, while the Birds may have inched toward a comeback, they were never able to come through with it.

Wareham’s defense came out with a big stop in the bottom of the first that would ultimately set the tone for the majority of the game.

After Anthony Potestio (UC San Diego) singled on a line drive to center field, his college teammate and fellow Bird, Michael Crossland (UC San Diego) then fired a single of his own.

Unfortunately for the Birds, that glimpse of offensive rhythm would soon be shut down—quickly.

With Sebastian Pisacreta (Pittsburgh) next at bat, Pisacreta grounded into a double play, where shortstop Kyuss Gargett (Kentucky) led the charge.

After Gargett sent the ball flying to second baseman Brayden Randle (Mississippi), Randle then returned it to Caden McDonald (Florida) on first base, resulting in a Crossland out at second and a Pisacreta out at first to end the inning.

In the top of the second though, it seemed like the Birds were finding their footing. With Itsuki Takemoto (Hawaii) on the mound, he held the Gatemen to a 1–2–3 inning, showing his dominance early.

Cooper Consiglio (NC State) must have been taking notes, though, as also held the Birds to a 1–2–3 inning to end the second.

Things started to change for the Birds in the third inning, both offensively and defensively.

In the top of the third, the Birds notched a double play, silencing any chances of the Gatemen tallying their first run.

And in the bottom of the third, Orleans would be the first of either squad to put up a run on the board. Following a Ryan Kucherak (Northwestern) walk to start the inning, a wild pitch by Consiglio then advanced Kucherak to second with no outs for the Birds.

Soon enough, Potestio was then hit by a pitch. Michael O’Shaughnessy (Georgia) then joined him after being hit by another Consiglio pitch.

With bases loaded, all eyes were on Crossland. Just like that, a Crossland RBI brought Kucherak home and gave Orleans a 1–0 edge.

It wouldn’t take too long for the Gatemen to respond. In the top of the fourth after two consecutive walks, Luke Pettitte (Dallas Baptist) replaced Takemoto on the mound.

However, right after that a Hayden Yost (Florida) single to right field would tack on two runs for Wareham, scoring both Levi Clark (Tennessee) and Ty Dalley (Clemson).

In the top of the fifth, the Gatemen would only extend their lead, with two consecutive home runs.

The first Gatemen home run came off a Gargett ball that sailed over the fence of Eldredge Park, beyond any possibility of saving, while the second was a Clark line drive to right field.

With a 4–1 Wareham lead, the Birds would need to get something going if they wanted a shot at a comeback.

That seemed possible for some time. Cutting its deficit in half, Orleans were only down by two runs after a Abbrie Covarrubias (Southern California) RBI in the bottom of the fifth.

The energy at Eldredge Park only increased with excitement and hope in the bottom of the seventh inning, when everything was clicking for the Birds.

With two consecutive walks for the Birds, both Potestio and O’Shaughnessy were on bases.

Yet again, Covarrubias was the difference maker in the matchup, igniting the Birds’ offense. Winding up and making contact with the ball, Covarrubias singled on a line drive to left field, scoring both Potestio and O’Shaughnessy on the play.

Down by just one run, it seemed like the Birds were going to achieve their comeback.

Until, they didn’t.

That all changed in the top of the eighth when a Dalley single combined with defensive mistakes ended Orleans’ chance at snatching the lead. After a Cole Tryba (UC Santa Barbara) wild pitch and a Pisacreta passed ball, the Gatemen brought their lead back to two runs.

While the Birds tried to put their own offensive pressure on the Gatemen, none of it was enough, as Orleans lost its third-straight game at home.