The Bourne Braves rolled into first place in the Cape Cod Baseball League Western Division this week like a freight train under a full head of steam. As of Thursday the Braves had won nine of their last 12 games.

As a team they’re not at the top of the league in hitting or in pitching. Going into yesterday’s action they stand fifth out of 10 at the plate, with a team batting average of .254. On the mound the team is sixth in ERA (3.70). However, the train went off the track Wednesday night in a 10-5 loss to Cotuit. The Kettleers jumped on the Braves with three runs in the first. Tyler Blanford (Oklahoma State) gave up eight runs on eight hits. Only four of the runs Blanford surrendered were earned as Bourne kicked the ball around committing six errors. Jamie Johnson (Oklahoma) and Dusty Coleman (Wichita State) each hit home runs in the losing effort.

It was back to Whitehouse Field in Harwich on Tuesday night for the Braves who came away with a 5-2 win. Nate Reed (Pittsburg) pitched six innings, giving up one run on four hits before turning it over to Bob Revesz (Louisville). Revesz surrendered a run on two hits in three innings of work to earn the save.

The Braves gave Reed a run to work with in the top of the second when Brad Stephenson (Norfolk State) drove in Kyle Roller (East Carolina).

The Mariners came back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, but timely hitting, aggressive base running, and a throwing error by Harwich in the fifth pushed four more Bourne runs across the plate.

Ricky Bowen (Mississippi State) battled through five innings holding back a hot Harwich squad in a 5-4 Bourne win Monday night. The Mariners got to Bowen for three runs on eight hits. Two errors hurt the Bourne cause contributing two unearned runs.
The Braves collected two runs in the top of the first on a wild pitch and a walk and another in the third. The Mariners posted single runs in each of the first three frames to tie the game after three innings.

Nathan Baker (Mississippi) held back Harwich for two and a third innings, surrendering just one hit. David Erickson (Connecticut) came on for an inning and two-thirds, giving up a run before turning it over to Eric Pettis (UC Irvine), who struck out the side in the 10th for this third save of the season.

Bourne took a 4-3 lead in the seventh on back-to-back doubles by Ross Wilson (Alabama) and Coleman. Harwich tied the game in the bottom of the eight sending it into extra innings. Roller put a quick end to the Mariners with a solo home run over the left field fence in the top of the 10th.

Sunday night Bourne put together some timely hitting and aggressive base running in the top of the seventh inning at Guv Fuller Field in Falmouth to push across four runs in what turned out to be a 5-3 win.

The Braves outhit the Commodores 11-7 and used five pitchers to lock up the victory. Falmouth jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held it until the Braves plated four in the seventh. Marc Krauss (Ohio University) topped off the scoring for the Braves in the eighth with a solo home run over the centerfield fence.

Kevin Landry (William & Mary) got the start and went four innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Revesz pitched two innings in relief, allowing just two hits to pick up the win. Eric Pettis (UC Irvine) closed out the ninth, surrendering one run to earn his second save of the summer.

Bowen Named Pitcher of Week

Ricky Bowen had just completed a red-shirted sophomore season at Mississippi State University when he reported to the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League. But the 6-3, 197-pound righthander improved his record to 2-1 and lowered his earned run average to 2.65 as he pitched the Braves to a 13-4 win over Wareham on July 1 to earn Coca-Cola Pitcher of the Week honors for the week ending July 5. Working the first six innings, Bowen allowed just two singles and a pair of walks while striking out seven Gatemen. In three starts encompassing 17 innings, he has scattered 16 hits, fanned 21 and issued just three bases on balls.

Bowen was a 38th-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Reds on June 6 and is hoping a strong showing in the Cape League will convince the Reds to make an acceptable offer before the August 15 deadline for signing drafted players. Otherwise, it’s back to Mississippi State to play for new head coach John Cohen next season.