Momentum doesn’t seem to mean much when you’re facing the Orleans Firebirds pitching staff.
Chatham was feeling good after its game two win in the division semifinals and Ryan Rolison (Ole Miss) stopped the Anglers cold with six one-hit innings. Brewster was riding high after its dramatic upset of three-time defending champ Y-D, but the Whitecaps were shut down, too. Brett Daniels (North Carolina) struck out eight and allowed one run on three hits in six innings as Orleans took a 1-0 series lead in the East Division finals.
Daniels has pitched mostly as a reliever this summer – 10 appearances out of the bullpen and three starts – but he was up to the task against the streaking Whitecaps. He allowed a third inning home run to Hunter Bishop (Arizona State), but it was a solo shot and it would be Brewster’s only extra-base hit of the day. Daniels allowed two other hits – both singles – and didn’t walk a batter.
Cody Deason (Arizona) was even more dominant out of the bullpen, striking out five of the eight batters he faced over two scoreless innings. Josh Hiatt (North Carolina) pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save of the postseason.
Orleans staked its pitchers to an early lead with a run in the first inning and two in the second. Jimmy Herron (Duke) had three hits and scored two runs. Niko Decolati (Loyola Marymount), Stephen Scott (Vanderbilt) and Jeff Houghtby (San Diego) each drove in a run.
Orleans is one win away from its first title series since 2013.
Bourne 3, Wareham 2
Early this summer, Bourne was making a living off winning close games. Why would the West Division finals be any different? Seeking their first championship appearance since 2009, the Braves scored three runs in the fourth inning and held off Wareham for another one-run win. Jared Triolo (Houston) led the big inning with a two-run double and Tyler Fitzgerald (Louisville) had an RBI infield single. From there, four pitchers protected the lead. Starter Daniel Bies (Gonzaga) allowed one run in 4.2 innings and P.J. Poulin (UConn) surrendered an unearned run in two innings of work. Kyle Marman (Florida Atlantic) then worked two scoreless innings. With the tying run on third in the ninth, Jared Skolnicki (Kent State) came on and induced a pop-out to end the game.
What to Watch
Orleans visits Brewster at 4 p.m. and Bourne travels to Wareham for a 7 p.m. first pitch.