With back-to-back losses in their most recent ballgames, the Bourne Braves find themselves looking up at three teams in the standings with work to do to catch up. The local club suffered an 8-3 loss on Wednesday afternoon to the Cotuit Kettleers, dropping the Braves down to 3-6 overall as they reside in fourth place in the Cape League’s west division.

Bourne trails first-place Hyannis (6-2, 12 points) by six points in the standings. Both Cotuit (6-2, 12 points) and Falmouth (5-3-1, 11 points) also are ahead of Bourne in the west race at the present time.

Cotuit took it to the Braves at Doran Park on Wednesday, scoring five times in the first inning to take a big early lead and never looked back. The Kettleers strung together four hits and took advantage of a big Braves’ error to take a 5-0 lead after one. A solo homer by Robbie Shields in the second inning gave the Kettleers a commanding 6-0 lead and they never looked back.

Bourne would get one run in the fifth and two in the eighth. In the fifth Tyler Cannon singled with two outs, took second on a passed ball, and then scored on an error. In the eighth Justin Bour doubled in two runs to account for the final score.
On Sunday the Braves suffered a tough loss to Hyannis, losing by a 4-3 score despite a valiant comeback bid.

Hyannis scored all four of its runs early in the game, posting three in the top of the first and then another in the top of the second to take a 4-0 lead. Bourne, though, fought back and put two across in the second to cut the lead in half, 4-2. The rally began with a one-out walk to Richard Jones, who went to second on a two-out single off the bat of Justin Bour, the Braves’ first baseman. Shortstop Austin Knight drove in Jones from third with an infield single, and then leadoff man Jordan Henry walked with the sacks full to make it a 4-2 ballgame.

The Braves had their chances in the middle innings as they twice left two runners on base. In the seventh they would push one across, but left the potential tying and go-ahead runs aboard as the home team left the bases full. In the seventh the rally started when Ross Wilson was hit by a pitch and then Kyle Roller, the designated hitter, slammed a double to center, scoring Wilson all the way from first.

A fielding error by Hyannis shortstop Austin Adams kept the rally going, putting men on first and second for Bourne. Jones then stepped in and sacrificed the runners into scoring position, putting runners on second and third with just one away.

But the rally ended there as the Mets came up big. With the contact play on, Tyler Cannon hit a roller back to the hill that was fielded by Will Weidig of Hyannis. The pitcher threw to the plate and got the out to keep the tying run from scoring. Reliever Ashur Tolliver would then get a strikeout to end the threat. Bourne would get a one-out base runner in the ninth, when Batts singled up the middle, but nothing materialized after that.

A day earlier, on Saturday, the Braves beat up on Orleans on the road, winning a 6-1 ballgame. Three Bourne pitchers combined to allow just one run on five hits in the game. Starter Nick McCully worked the first five frames for Bourne, giving up one run, in the second. He struck out six and walked just two while scattering three hits. Bryce Stowell worked two hitless middle innings of relief and Eric Pettis finished off the final two frames, giving up two hits and no runs. Each reliever struck out three and walked one.

Bourne took a 1-0 lead in the second inning one an RBI single by Batts, who drove in Brandon Bantz. Orleans tied it up with a run in the fourth, but then the Braves came up with a three-run fifth to get some breathing room and held on from there.

In the fifth the Braves came up with three runs, on four hits, and could have had even more as they left the bases loaded. Knight, Henry and Cannon began the inning with back-to-back-to-back singles to give the Braves the lead, 2-1. After an intentional walk to Wilson, Roller drove in two runs with a single to left to make it 4-1. The rally stalled after that, though, on a strikeout, fielder’s choice and anothe strikeout.

Bourne scored an unearned run in the sixth, thanks to an Orleans error. In the ninth they pushed one more across on an RBI single by Batts.