The Y-D Red Sox pulled out a dominant win over the Bourne Braves on Monday night, 8-2, as the fog rolled in and ended the game by the eighth inning. The win was a total team effort by Y-D, with the hitters recording seven extra-base hits in the game, five of them doubles, and the pitchers holding the Braves to just two runs.
Westmont’s Bryan Peck started on the mound for Y-D and kept Bourne from scoring in the first couple of innings. South Carolina’s Will Tippett then ignited Y-D’s offense with the team’s first hit of the game in the second inning. In the field, Tippett also made a diving catch in right-center field to end the second, preventing the Braves from scoring with two men on.
The game remained scoreless on both sides until the third inning — when both teams started to light up offensively. Vanderbilt’s RJ Austin hit his third double of the season down the left line to get the inning going. Oklahoma’s Easton Carmichael followed up with a two-out RBI double to put the team on the board first.
Bourne matched the score in the bottom of the third with second baseman Camden Kozeal getting home on an overthrow to third base. On the mound for the Braves, Cameron Padgett and Nolan Sparks combined for seven strikeouts. However, this did not stop Y-D’s offense from generating more hits and scoring more runs.
Georgia Tech’s Drew Burress hit a line drive down the left line to collect another double for Y-D. Arkansas’ Wehiwa Aloy quickly sent Burress home with a double of his own, his third of the season, allowing Y-D to take the lead midway through the game. In the sixth, UCLA’s Phoenix Call notched his first triple of the season and came home on a wild pitch to give Y-D a two-run lead over Bourne.
However, the Braves started to come back again in the sixth with a single from designated hitter Davis Gillespie and an RBI double from Ben Hartl, the catcher’s second double of the day, to bring Bourne just one run shy of tying the game.
UCLA’s Justin Lee pitched relief for the Sox and picked up his first win of the season on the mound. He threw for four innings and had seven strikeouts, half of them back-to-back to close out innings for Y-D on defense.
The seventh inning was Y-D’s biggest inning of the game yet. The team scored five runs in the inning with four clutch hits and two errors by the Braves. It all started with Burress’ second double of the game and an RBI single from Aloy. Carmichael then was able to reach on a fielding error by Bourne, allowing Aloy to score and sending Carmichael to third base.
South Carolina’s Ethan Petry kept the offensive energy going with an RBI double, his fourth double of the season. Call then notched his second hit of the game, an RBI single to right field, to extend Y-D’s lead further. UNC’s Gavin Gallaher also reached on a fielding error by Bourne.
In the eighth, fog began to roll in fast and settle under the lights at Doran Park. Despite this, Texas’ Aiden Moffett came to the mound and led Y-D to a 1-2-3 inning. The fog thickened even more as the inning progressed and the game was eventually called after a fly ball hit by Carmichael got lost in the fog — prompting a ground-rule double.
After Monday night’s win, the Y-D Red Sox are now officially halfway through the season with an impressive record of 14-6. They continue to sit atop the East Division, outscoring opponents 38-24 in the seventh-ninth innings of games. As the second half of the season looms on the horizon, Y-D will look to continue this dominant energy in Chatham on Wednesday and at home for the next three games after.
Photo by Sophie Solarino
