Posted in: Sports 
By Dan Crowley
Jul 6, 2007 - 1:06:21 PMDigg this story!

    The Braves came out swinging in the first inning Wednesday celebrating the Fourth of July by making their own fireworks with an 8-3 victory over Wareham. For Bourne fifth-year coach Harvey Shapiro the win was his career 200th. Shapiro coached for five seasons in Falmouth before joining the Braves.

    “The kids are playing good baseball,” Shapiro said. “That’s makes it fun.”

    Bourne opened with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, two of them coming on a home run to right-centerfield off the bat of Mitch Moreland (Mississippi State). T.J Hose (East Carolina) got the start for the Braves and came out throwing strikes retiring the side in order in the first two innings.

    In the bottom of the third Bourne added another run as Brian Pruitt (Stetson) hit a sacrifice fly driving in Josh Workman (Wichita State). In the fourth they picked up another when Bill Perry (Hartford) singled home Ben Guez (William & Mary).

    The hits and runs just kept coming for Bourne. In the fifth they plated two more as Pruitt and Addison Maruszak (South Florida) crossed the plate.

    Perry stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, having already hit three singles and launched a high and deep shot down the left field line. The solo shot was his first Cape League home run coming at the expense of Wareham’s Matt Langwell (Rice).

    Hose left after six innings having allowed no runs and just two hits. He struck out six and walked one. Jeff Richard (Central Michigan) pitched the seventh and eighth giving up three runs on six hits. Jordan Flasher (George Mason) then retired the side in order in the ninth.

    Jeremy Bleich (Stanford) started and took the loss for the Gatemen, who with the loss fall to 5-12. Hose improved his record for the season to 3-0 with the win.

    Bourne finished the day with 13 hits led by Perry who finished 4-for-5. Workman was 3-for-5, Maruszak ended 2-for-3 and Guez was 2-for-4

    There was no winner nor loser as the Cotuit Kettleers came from behind to tie the Braves at 6-6 in eight innings Tuesday.

    The Kettleers broke the ice in the bottom of the second when Caleb Joseph (Lipscomb) put one over the left field fence. The Braves roared back in the third with four runs on four hits and a Cotuit error.

    Mitch Harris (Naval Academy) had the start for Bourne allowing the Kettleers to slip in a second run in the third. Cotuit closed the scoring gap to 4-3 after four, but again the Braves responded at the plate with two more runs in the top of the fifth.

    Adam Zornes (Rice) and Moreland led off the fifth with a pair of base hits and came around to score giving Bourne a 6-3 advantage. The bullpen, however, was unable to hold off the Kettleers allowing three more runs in the sixth.

    Zornes, Perry and Kyle Smith (Cal Poly) each had multiple hits for the Braves.

    D.J. Mitchell (Clemson) did a nice job for the Braves in a losing effort on Sunday. In a battle of the two top teams in the league, Bourne went head-to-head with Eastern Division leader Yarmouth-Dennis.

    Workman led off with a base hit in the bottom of the first and worked his way around the bases scoring on a single by Zornes. In the second Maruszak led off with a double down the left field line and scored on a base hit up the middle by Smith.

    Y-D came back with a run in the fifth and then exploded for three in the top of the seventh. Matt Karl (Connecticut) came on in relief of Mitchell but couldn’t hold off the Red Sox as they added two more runs in the eighth.

    Bourne picked up a run in the seventh when Jesse Haney (UNC-Wilmington) drove in Maruszak and two in the eighth as Guez and Josh Satin (Cal-Berkley) scored. A line drive double play fell into the hands of the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth sealing the Y-D win and ending a Bourne threat.

    The Braves keep winning in spite of several injuries. Dave Dinatale (Miami) suffered a serious season ending injury breaking his nose, cheek and some facial bones last week. Kevin Hoef (Iowa) and T.J. Steele (Arizona) both have been sidelined with ankle injuries. Pruitt had a laceration over his eye and Mickey Storey (Florida Atlantic) has an elbow injury that will probably end his summer season. A testament to the team’s depth and resilience is the fact that they continue to win.

    Arriving this week and adding some serious punch to the lineup are Zornes and Moreland. 

    Leading the Western Division with a record of 11-4-2, the second best in the league behind Yarmouth-Dennis (12-4-1), the Braves take the ride down Route 28 today for a 7 PM game at Guv Fuller Field in Falmouth.