The Orleans Firebirds went 10-1 out of the gates in the 2012 Cape Cod Baseball League season and displayed a flair for the dramatic throughout that hot start. Five of the wins were by a single run.
Since those first 11 games, the Firebirds have gone 9-13. While they’re still firmly in the mix, there’s no question that things just haven’t quite clicked as well as they did in the beginning.
But for one night at least, the Firebirds looked like their old selves.
After losing a 4-3 lead in the eighth against second-place Y-D, the Firebirds walked off with a 5-4 win in the 11th inning. The victory moved them into a tie for second with the Red Sox.
Angelo LaBruna (Duke), who’s been on fire lately, was the hero in the 11th. With J.T. Riddle (Kentucky) on second, LaBruna hit a single and Riddle raced around with the winning run.
It was the third hit of the night for LaBruna, who also drove in two. Pi’ikea Kitamura (Hawaii) added two hits and two RBI, while Derek Toadvine (Kent State) had two hits and scored two runs.
Kyle Crockett (Virginia) got the win for Orleans thanks to a dominant performance in extra innings. He came on with two outs in the eighth and shut down the high-powered Y-D offense, allowing two hits and striking out two the rest of the way.
Elsewhere
What to Watch
Sean Manaea is scheduled to be back on the mound for Hyannis on the heels of his 15-strikeout performance last week. Manaea and the Harbor Hawks host Brewster at 7 p.m.
Austin Wilson hurt and Grant Gordan went home are no longer on the all satr roster.