Braves Best Commodores in Back-and-Forth Affair

Falmouth looked solid early against Bourne on Thursday evening, carrying a 3-0 lead into the fourth, but the Braves found their bats as the game wore on and outlasted the Commodores, 8-5.

Falmouth got off to a quick start, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Center fielder Kyle VonTungeln and right fielder Billy Ferriter reached on back-to-back singles to begin the game, and catcher Jack Marder and left fielder Jeremy Baltz did the same on back-to-back errors. The first, by starting pitcher Josh Conway, loaded the bases; the second, by third baseman Colin Moran, allowed both VonTungeln and Ferriter to score. The Commodores added another run on a pair of groundouts to third, the first moving Marder to third, the next bringing him home.

Falmouth starter Andrew Heaney was strong through the first three innings, holding the Braves hitless until the bottom of the fourth, when they broke through to tie it up with three runs of their own. Heaney got himself into trouble by hitting back-to-back Braves, center fielder Travis Jankowski and designated hitter Patrick Cantwell, to begin the inning. Second Baseman Tommy Coyle kept the pressure on, loading the bases with an infield single. Shortstop Kyle Farmer cashed in on the opportunity immediately, bringing Jankowski and Cantwell in, and sending Coyle to third with another single. Coyle would score two batters later, on another infield single, this one by right fielder Jason Coats.

The Commodores reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Baltz, but held it for only a few minutes. In Bourne's half of the fifth, the speedy Jankowski roped a one-out triple to right, and Cantwell brought him in with a perfectly safety squeeze.

Bourne jumped ahead in the sixth when, with two outs, Falmouth third baseman Max White's throw in the dirt allowed left fielder Blake Crohan to reach safely, and first baseman D.J. Hicks to score from second. Bourne's ace reliever Slade Smith held the Commodores hitless through the sixth and seventh, lowering his ERA to 1.19 on the season in the process.

The Braves put the game away with three runs in the eight, two of them earned, against Falmouth reliever Taylor Sandefur. Coats reached first on an error by Falmouth shortstop Eric Garcia with one down, and Hicks followed with a double, putting men on second and third. Catcher Zach Wright brought home Coats with another squeeze, and reached safely himself. He quickly put his speed to further use, stealing second, and scored, along with Hicks, on Crohan's single.

Bourne relievers Mason Metakis and R.J. Alvarez handled the eight and ninth respectively, Alvarez surrendering a meaningless run to establish the final score, 8-5 in favor of Bourne.

The Commodores return home to take on Cotuit on Friday night, when they'll look to keep the Kettleers from dragging them down into a tie for last place in the Western Division.