Another nice day for baseball graced Eldredge Park. This time, it was the Bourne Braves who made the trip all the way up the Cape to play Orleans.

Going into game 21, Assistant Coach Ryan Hanigan took stock of the ball club he’d been coaching for half a season. Though it’s been a tough go offensively, he believes it’s only a matter of time before hard hits start to fall.

“We’ve had a lot of games where we haven’t been blown out. I don’t want these guys to get frustrated,” Hanigan said. “I want them to stay positive and continue to learn. They all have bright futures, so I’m trying to install a consistent routine. We’re still finding barrels and swinging at strikes. In the minor leagues, they used to put a dot next to your name [on the lineup sheet] if you found a barrel and hit a ball hard, whether it was a hit or not.”

While Hanigan knows that each player wants the best for the team, he also understands the pressure they’re under as they attempt to get drafted or noticed by scouts.

“It’s definitely a showcase for each one of these guys as individuals,” Hanigan said. “That’s why they aren’t going to quit. They’re going to keep at it and get seen. We’re out here everyday trying to stack a couple wins, get hot, and have some fun. All we need is some mojo.”

As a former MLB catcher, Hanigan appreciates the two slick defenders who’ve crouched behind the dish for Orleans.

“Strickland’s throwing ‘em out back there. Ryan [MacDougall] gives a good target and receives well,” Hanigan said. “The pitching has been great, and those guys are calling a good game. They’re both great dudes — they’re tough and they work hard.”

Before going out to seize the opportunity that the second half has to offer, Hanigan contemplated how the league has changed since he was an Orleans Cardinal in 2002 — the year he won league MVP and collected All-Star honors, ultimately getting him noticed by the Cincinnati Reds.

“First off, the fields are all awesome. The league has done a great job making a better atmosphere,” Hanigan said. “I remember thinking, ‘Man, there’s a lot of dudes that can hit and dudes that throw hard’, but I wasn’t impressed by the skills of the guys behind the plate. I threw everyone out. I had a real short swing and I was only aggressive in the zone — I didn’t chase. Guys have different mentalities now as hitters. I knew what to expect, and a lot of these guys still have adjustments to make. That’s what I’m trying to help them with.”

Unfortunately, Thursday was another day of disappointment for the Birds as they dropped their fourth game in a row. Casey Euper (Pepperdine) spun an absolute gem — striking out his summer best 10 hitters over five innings of total dominance. With 31 punchouts, Euper leads the entire CCBL. He has the best ERA of any Orleans arm at 1.25. Sadly, the Firebirds scored just one run in a 10 inning matchup, with only three hits and five walks. Birds’ batters were hit by multiple pitches, but couldn’t capitalize on that either.

Euper made his fourth start for Orleans on Thursday. With the departures of multiple key starters, Euper is the Birds’ strongest remaining rotation piece. The lefty kept with his season momentum, striking out one Brave and picking off another for a clean first.

Brandon Shannon got the nod for the Bravos. He was throwing flames out of the gate — sporting a fastball that sat at 98 miles an hour with a slider to go with it. He struggled with control, plunking Dominic Cadiz (UCLA) directly in the back and walking Tyler Myatt (Tennessee). Instead of getting an early lead, two Birds’ struck out to strand two runners immediately.

Euper continued to cruise in the second, working around a runner to strike out the side. He ran his fastball up to 95 miles an hour, paired with his classic looping curve.

Orleans had another bases loaded opportunity in the second. Shannon continued to struggle with command, hitting and walking a man each. Cadiz scraped a run across with a swinging bunt, but Myatt grounded out to strand three more.

Orleans made a slew of defensive changes in the third. Most alarmingly, Cadiz left the game with an apparent injury. Despite the adjustments, Euper continued to own the strike zone, striking out two more Braves for another clean frame.

The Birds went down without a fight in the third. In his fourth inning, Euper featured more changeups to righties. Luke Costello ripped a double, but the lefty battled back, racking up two more K’s to get out of trouble.

Shannon kept headhunting in the fourth, pelting yet another Firebird. Still, they didn’t capitalize on free bases. Euper cruised through the fifth as he reached double digit strikeouts. It was his best outing in a Birds uniform.

Jake Echols (GCU) took over for Euper in the sixth. Both Costello brothers reached, and Andrew scored on a double from Josiah Overbeak. Echols buckled down for two more K’s and got some help from Ryan MacDougall (Dayton) who made a tag play at home to get out of the jam.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning, the Birds got two hits, but Terrell was picked off at first — representing the third baserunning mistake of the day. Echols notched a scoreless seventh with two more strikeouts.

After a quick top of the eighth with another K, Echols had recorded his best appearance for the Firebirds in three total innings. He never lost control, staying composed to keep the score tied.

Firebirds bats continued to flounder. Evan Holewinski (Kent State) entered for the ninth, making his second appearance for Orleans. The righty was dealing, sitting three Braves down in the blink of an eye.

The Birds had runners on second and third in the ninth. Back to back strikeouts left those runners frozen in place. Ben Dean screamed in celebration as he strutted off the mound. A win would have to come in extras.

Holewinski faltered in the 10th. Two hits and a sacrifice fly put the Birds down by two runs. A rally never came in the bottom of the inning.

The Firebirds are down in a hole. With 19 games remaining to secure a playoff spot, can they be saved?