Gatemen News Archives
08/07/08 - Bourne Lives Another Day - Gatemen '08 Season Ends
The Bourne Braves win the regular season finale over division rival Wareham 2-1 and will now play the Falmouth Commodores in Falmouth at Arnie Allen Diamond tomorrow in a "play-in" game to determine the opponent for the Cotuit Kettleers in the best of 3, Western Division Playoffs.
Wareham gave Bourne everything they could handle in a well played, pitcher's duel at Spillane Field in the regular season finale for these Cape League rivals. Jimmy Saris (Georgetown), a top relief pitcher all season for the Gatemen, got the start in the second of the two games Wareham played on this final day. Saris pitched 6 innings, allowed 2 runs, only 5 hits and despite walking 5, kept the Gatemen in this game.
Bourne picked up an early run in the first inning. Kyle Roller (East Carolina) doubled home a run before a ground out resulted in a force play at home where Marc Krauss (Ohio) was thrown out; limiting the Braves to 1 run. Bourne's second run would come in the second inning when Saris allowed a walk with the bases loaded; giving the Braves a 2-0 lead. Again, Wareham limited Bourne to the single run thanks to a force out at home of Krauss for the 2nd out of the inning.
The Gatemen got a run back in the bottom of the the fourth. Blake Dean (LSU) tripled to left-center field to lead off the inning. After an Aaron Baker (Oklahoma) walk, Dean scored on a double play to make the score 2-1; proving to be the final score.
Bourne would threaten in the top of the 9th to add to their lead. Pierre LePage (UConn) doubled down the right field line sending Jordan Henry (Mississippi) racing around the bases. A perfectly executed relay from Brett Eibner (Arkansas) to Baker and finally to catcher Buddy Munroe (Florida) got Henry at the plate and preserved the 2-1 lead. The Gatemen, however, went down in order in the 9th thanks to Eric Pettis' (UC-Irvine) 8th save of the season; getting Steve Liddle (Vanderbilt) to pop out to the shortstop for the final out of the 2008 Gatemen season.
Matt Way (Washington State) pitched the final 3 innings for Wareham and did not allow a run while striking out 3 and allowing 2 hits. Way was a versatile workhouse for the Gatemen this season; making 12 appearances, 5 of them starts, pitching 47 innings.
The Braves victory puts them in a one game "play-in" at Falmouth tonight at 7:00pm. The winner moves onto the CCBL, best of 3, Western Division Playoffs vs. the Cotuit Kettleers on Saturday at Lowell Park.
The Wareham Gatemen season ends with the team compiling 35 points and a 5th place finish in the Western Division with a 17-26-1 record.
