Above photo credit: Raj Das, ED Photography

It's been a long 40-game journey for the Firebirds, and in their 40th and final game of the regular season, they punched their ticket to the Cape Cod Baseball League Playoffs.

As manager Kelly Nicholson has admitted, the beginning of this season was tough, with his Firebirds posting their worst start to a summer in recent memory, and sitting at 5-15 at the season's halfway point. However, Nicholson's extensive baseball experience has taught him it's not about how you start, but how you finish, and he couldn't have asked his guys for a better close-out to the summer.

"We were 10-10 in the second half, and if you've been up here a long time like some of us have, you realize if you can hover around that .500 mark it'll be a pretty good summer," said Nicholson

"I'm extremely proud of these guys. They were patient, they had grit, they had resilience, they showed a lot of character, desire, and love for each other. It's all you can ask for, and they're fired up after this one."

A player who reflects all of Nicholson's postgame praise is day one Firebird, and team MVP, Hudson Shupe (Gonzaga), who has battled all summer long to find his ever-so-important role on the Birds.

"Baseball's tough, you got to stay mentally strong," said Shupe.

"But I've stuck through it with a lot of perseverance. At the start of the summer, I wasn't playing every day but continued to work on my craft and stay with my process. To go out there and perform with the results I was looking for is really special to me."

Shupe got things going for an Orleans offense that was at their best in the playoff-clinching win, and expects Birds bats to be just as hot in their upcoming wild-card game against a team they have become very familiar with over the course of the summer - the Y-D Red Sox.

"I think we play our best against them," said Shupe.

"We know they're at the top of the standings and we got to give them a good game to have a shot, so I think everyone, from the bats to the arms, comes in pretty prepared."

One thing's for sure, Kelly Nicholson, a manager who preaches preparation over everything, will be sure his team is ready for the winner-takes-all matchup.

"They're going to enjoy their off day, get some rest, eat properly, and then get ready to get a good report going on Y-D. We've played those guys five times so we know them pretty well," said Nicholson.

"Whenever you watch us play we're going to be prepared, respect the game, and play hard through nine innings."

After encountering obstacle after obstacle, the Firebirds have continuously overcome each one in their way, because as Hudson Shupe puts it, 'there are only two ways to respond: you can either roll over or fight back.'

Officially putting the regular season behind them, the Birds will travel up the Cape to Red Wilson field after an off day Monday, with a chance to rewrite the narrative.

For Kelly Nicholson and the Firebirds, the path is now as clear as it's been all summer.

It's the first to five.