HYANNIS – Junior right-hander Ryan Bruning tossed six solid innings over the visiting New Bedford Whalers in Barnstable High’s home opener Monday afternoon, but the visitors staged a three-run comeback in the seventh to take the victory.
Barnstable High junior Ryan Bruning took the hard-luck loss Monday in his first career varsity start.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
Barnstable falls to 0-2 on the season and New Bedford climbs to 2-0.
Bruning kept the Whalers off-balance throughout the affair and the host Red Raiders enjoyed a 3-1 lead heading into the top of the seventh but Bruning allowed back-to-back basehits before an infield error on an Andrew Rapoza one-hopper down the third base line brought two runs home and the game was tied at 3-3.
Junior righty Griffin Burke then came in relief of Bruning from rightfield.
New Bedford’s Luis Lopez – who homered in the Whaler’s first victory on Saturday – came up with his second huge hit in as many varsity games when he followed with a single to put two men on and then Burke got the next batter to fly out for the first out. Whalers’ junior Andrew Gonzalez then singled to drive in Rapoza for the 4-3 lead and what would prove to be the game-winner. The run was attributed to Bruning who picked up the hard-luck loss.
“I was very pleased,” New Bedford head coach John Seed said. “Our at-bats hadn’t been good and all of a sudden the last inning we had some good at-bats by kids and we had the right part of the order coming up, but we had kind of fallen asleep and slid through the 4th, 5th and 6th innings and I think Catano did a nice job in relief for us.”
Burke walked the ensuing batter but settled to get another infield fly and fanned the last batter he faced.
The Red Raiders got a leadoff basehit in the bottom of the seventh from third baseman C.J. McCabe and was pinch-run for by Isaiah Chevalier but Chevalier was doubled up on a Holzman one-hopper to short for a quick two outs. Lukas Atsalis, who went in for Chris Weber in left field in the sixth inning, singled but it was too little too late as the Whalers got out of it unscathed for the win.
“We haven’t made plays in key spots,” Barnstable head coach Ryan Kinski said. “Bruning was cruising… but he gets a tough loss.”
Catano, who came on in the fifth in relief of Whalers’ starting pitcher Jac Carreiro got the win.
Barnstable High’s Eric Holzman connects for a basehit in Monday’s 4-3 loss to New Bedford.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
New Bedford scored in the first inning on basehits from leadoff man Chandler Debrosse and Carreiro, with Debrosse coming home on Carreiro’s baseknock.
Barnstable tied it up at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning when Burke hammered a deep triple then came home on a third base error on a grounder hit by Jack Kennedy. The Red Raiders picked up two more in the bottom of the third inning for a 3-1 lead when Kennedy reached on a fielder’s choice and then Joel Carlson and Eric Holzman both had hits and McCabe reached on an error.
Bruning (0-1) allowed six hits and was credited with all four New Bedford runs. He struck out five and walked none but hit three batters.
Holzman went 2-4 and Barnstable 8th grader Ryan Proto picked up two hits (2-4, SB) in his first career varsity game.
Barnstable has two straight league games this week with Dartmouth on Wednesday at home and Bridgewater-Raynham on Thursday on the road.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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