Brewster may have a 2-11 record on the diamond, but to its credit, it has been competitive, with seven of its losses by three runs or less, including a 4-3 setback at Carmel on May 6.
“Unfortunately, we don't always bring all three phases at the same time,” Brewster coach Ed Mulvihill said. “We pitch well but our defense falters. We play great defense but that game we don't hit. We have certainly given away too many games with our defense this season.”
While the season certainly hasn’t gone the way the Bears had planned it, they did get the experience of winning a game in a professional stadium, Renegades Stadium, in Dutchess County. The stadium is home to the Tampa Bay Rays Single A affiliate, the Hudson Valley Renegades.
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There, the Bears played two games, including their first win of the season, a 5-3 triumph against Yorktown in the Beacon tournament on April 18.
“Obviously, it's a great venue and the players enjoy playing there,” Mulvihill said. “Sometimes getting that first win is the toughest, so it was nice to finally put together a complete game and grab the win.”
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Brewster’s other win came in a 13-3 rout at Poughkeepsie on April 27.
“Sometimes hitting is contagious and that's kind of how it felt that day,” Mulvihill said. “We just came out aggressive at the plate and one hit led to another led to another.”
On the mound for Brewster, Chris Byrnes has a solid 3.47 earned run average, though his record is only 1-5 thanks to a slew of tough luck. Byrnes has led the team with an average of five wins a season the last two years.
“His last two outings he has held the other team to two runs in each game but our offense has not supported him,” Mulvihill said. “We had one hit in one game and none in the other."
Offensively, Byrnes leads the team with a .500 batting average. Steve Lepere has also done a nice job with the stick, batting at a .333 clip.
“Steve always had a nice swing but this year he became more serious with his work ethic,” Mulvihill said. “When he got an opportunity he made the most out of it.”
