- Home
- Firebirds News
- Game Day Central
- Roster
- Statistics
- Coaching Staff
- Sounds of the Game
- Clinics
- Volunteer
- Alumni
- Contact
Reyes Gem Spoiled by Bourne's Three Run Ninth
August 8, 2009
By Tyler Maland
Reyes got the first batter of the ninth to strike out looking, but appeared to lose his edge as the top of the Braves lineup came up with one out. Scott Woodward (Coastal Carolina) singled up the middle to be Bourne’s first base-runner in 20 plate appearances.
Reyes, who hadn’t worked out of the stretch for more than two hours and hadn’t walked a batter all night, then walked Pierre LePage (Connecticut) on four pitches. Reyes left the game with those men on first and second, having put forth one of the most impressive performances of the Cape League season.
Right-hander Brett Weibley (Kent St.) came out of the Orleans bullpen with the task of retiring one of the best 3-4-5 hitting combinations in the league without letting those two base-runners score.
First up was Kyle Roller (East Carolina), who finished as the league leader in home runs (10) and RBI’s (33) and second in hitting (.342). Roller hit a line drive to the left side that snuck under the glove of Orleans shortstop Devin Lohman (Long Beach St.) for a base hit. Kevin Muno (San Diego) came up throwing in left field and provided a strike on the bounce to home plate, but Firebirds catcher Hampton Tignor (Florida) could not hang on and the runner slid in safely to make it 2-1. Roller moved up to second base, and Bourne had the winning run in scoring position.
Next up came Robert Segedin (Tulane), who is also among the league leaders in hitting at .304. Segedin didn’t have do to any work to get the tying run across the plate, though, as a wild pitch scored the runner on third and moved Roller up to third. Weibley intentionally walked Segedin after falling behind in the count so that a double play was still possible.
But the next hitter, Stefen Romero (Oregon St.), did just what he needed to and ended the game with a sacrifice fly, putting a ball deep enough to right field that Orleans’s Jeremy Gould (Duke) had no chance to get the runner.
Two of the three ninth inning runs were credited to Reyes, and game-winner belonged to Weibley, who blew the save and got the loss.
Before the disastrous ninth inning, there was nothing but excitement from the Orleans side of the field, as the Firebirds got a lead in the third inning and watched their starter become nearly untouchable.
Reyes gave up singles to right field in the first and second innings, but got out of both easily. The first Bourne batter of the third inning reached base on an error, but from that point on Reyes put on a show that will not soon be forgotten despite the unfortunate ending. He got the next three batters in order, and then put the Braves down 1-2-3 in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.
The 6’2” right-hander works quickly, waiting on the mound for his opponents to stand ready before delivering strike after strike. He did not waste pitches Saturday night, and he held three of the top 10 batters in the league to one hit combined.
While some pitchers start to tire in the sixth or seventh inning, Reyes got better. It took just seven pitches for him to get through the sixth, and he threw just one pitch for a ball in the sixth and seventh innings combined.
He threw 86 pitches through eight innings, but may have started to get tired in the ninth. He got behind in the count to leadoff pinch hitter Nick Schwaner (New Orleans), but came back to strike him out looking. Reyes, though, was unable to keep attacking like he had done all night. The subsequent single and walk marked the end of his night, and the first-and-second jam with Bourne’s power hitters coming up was too much for Weibley to escape unharmed.
Orleans took its 1-0 lead in the third inning. Bourne starter Bryan Morgado (Tennessee) was matching Reyes step for step, but back-to-back two out hits put the run home in a hurry. Gary Brown (CS Fullerton) got on base on an infield single and moved up to second on a throwing error, and Kevin Muno promptly knocked Brown in with a double over the left fielder’s head.
Morgado pitched well, but got into several jams and deep counts and was unable to keep his pitch count down. He left after 5.2 innings, giving up four hits and one run.
Orleans scored its second run in the top of the eighth off Braves reliever Logan Billbrough (William and Mary). It was also scored with two outs, on an RBI single by Gould, who was the only Firebird with two hits. The RBI scored Riccio Torrez (Arizona St.), who had reached base and moved up on an error.
Trevor Knight (James Madison) pitched the ninth for Bourne, and found himself the winning pitcher after the three-run inning.
The Firebirds have been on the winning side of seven comeback wins in the last few weeks. Their resilience will now be put to the test, as they must respond to their first loss in five games in order to stay alive in the playoffs. Sunday’s game at Orleans is set to start at 4:00 p.m., and Jimmy Reyes (Elon) is scheduled to make the start for the home team.