Down 7–0 by the time the third inning rolled around, the first two innings couldn’t have started off more disastrous for the Firebirds against Bourne. However, by the time the seventh inning concluded, Orleans couldn’t have ended the matchup better.

With the Braves tallying seven runs in one inning alone, things weren’t looking too good for the Birds.

Everything unraveled when two consecutive Brave singles started Bourne out explosively in the bottom of the second.

Little did Orleans know how much damage would actually happen.

A Logan Hughes (Texas Tech) single led the offensive charge for Bourne, putting up the first run of the night for either squad, as Camden Kozeal (Arkansas) ran home.

Ryker Waite (Vanderbilt) only made matters worse for the Birds when he logged a line drive single to right field, earning the Braves another two runs.

The scoring frenzy was just getting started, though. Jon LeGrande (St John’s) was the next at bat. And it took him no time to get something going against Isaiah Magdaleno (Hawaii) on the mound for Orleans.

Nailing a single on a ground ball to Elijah Ickes, Ickes was unable to come up with the stop, as LeGrande’s hit gave Bourne a 4–0 edge over the Birds.

Cal Sefcik (Cincinnati) followed suit, notching a fly ball single to left field, far beyond the reach of Robbie Lavey (George Washington). Sefcik’s heroics allowed Waite to join the other players who made it back to home plate.

Already down 5–0, things weren’t looking too good in Bourne on Monday night.

Replacing Magdaleno on the mound, Edward Hart (Duke) came in for some damage control. However, after a Kade Lewis (Wake Forest) single and a Kozeal RBI, the Braves tacked on another two runs as they took the helm.

The third time was not the charm for Orleans in the top of the third inning. After a Kai Wagner (Northern Colorado) popped up to third baseman Braden Holcomb (Vanderbilt), the Birds only mustered up a Javar Williams (Wake Forest) walk.

Nothing came from it, though, as both Anthony Potestio (UC San Diego) and Alejandro Garza (Cal Poly) struck out.

All signs indicated that Orleans was not fully out of the matchup yet.

The Birds partially answered after capping off the top of the fourth.

Ickes wasted no time, doubling on a fly ball to left field. After a Lavey ground out, all eyes were on Ryan Kucherak (Northwestern). Thanks to a Kuckerak line-drive single, the Birds finally made a dent in the scoreboard, as Ickes ran home.

“I was just trying to keep it simple at the plate, stick to my approach to help the team in that situation and get things rolling,” Kucherak said. “It was fun being able to come back there.”

Manager Kelly Nicholson also discussed Kucherak’s performance and what he means to the Birds.

“He’s a really good player and he can really hit,” Nicholson said about Kucherak. “He had 18 homers at Northwestern this year and started at LSU. He is just a very good player and with playing regularly now, he is only going to continue to get better and better.”

Nicholson’s comments rang true when Kuckerak ended the night with 2 RBIs, one hit and two runs.

But Kuckerak didn’t act alone. Wagner came in clutch for Orleans, tallying its second run of the night reaching on a fielder’s choice after a throwing error by Waite.

Williams almost immediately delivered another two runs when his ground ball single to center field brought Dawson Bryce (Charlotte) and Wagner together to home plate. A Garza single capped off the inning with Orleans’ fifth run, as the Birds inched back within two of the Braves.

Taking over for Hart in the bottom of the fourth, Colby Guy (UNC Ashville) stood dominant on the mound, tallying zero runs off two hits with one strikeout in his 2 IP.

It wasn’t until the top of the sixth when the score was knotted for the first time that night. With two outs on the board, a passed ball by Mark Quatrini (Cornell) gave Wagner the opportunity to run home, as the Birds were now down by only one run.

Just as Garza always does, he delivered when it mattered. Concluding the inning with an RBI, Garza scored Potestio on the play, as it was now anybody’s game.

By the top of the seventh, the Birds had seemingly stretched their five to four runs. Starting with Kuckerak reaching on a fielder’s choice, Bryce followed with a single of his own.

While Bryce stole second, Kucherack managed to steal home, as the Birds now sat at a 10–7 lead.

That dominance only intensified after a Braves’ wild pitch and a Potestio single earned the Birds their last two runs of the game.

Even though the Braves narrowed Orleans’ lead to three runs in the bottom of the eighth, they were unable to chip away anymore, as the Birds took the matchup 12–7.

“We’re coming off two comeback wins, which is kind of good for us,” Kucherak said. “That is something that is part of our team and not being able to quit and being able to come back.”