Starting pitching hasn’t been the problem for the Cape Cod Braves this summer. The team has a solid rotation with Zach Dayton (Pace), Mike Wiseman (Keene State), Jim Karr (Bryant), Jeff Wojnar (Babson) and James Deverna (U-Mass Dartmouth). In nearly every start the Cape Cod five have given their team a chance to win, but in nearly every case the Braves have either failed to hit, had players forced to play out of position resulting in costly errors, or the bullpen has collapsed.

With their season record at 3-18 there will be no postseason for the Braves leaving the team with two games remaining, both on the road.
But while the summer has been one of frustration for the Braves, there have been some solid individual performances. The Babson trio of Wojnar, Kevin McCarthy, and Bryan Evans has played well. Evans has done a nice job at shortstop and McCarthy has proven himself to be a reliable backstop, blocking balls in the dirt and showing a strong arm to second base. The versatile Wojnar has played a variety of positions for the Braves and all three have swung the wood bat well.

Bobby Kemple (Salve Regina) has displayed a good glove around second base and has also done well at the plate. Scott McNee (WPI) did a nice job at third base this summer and hit the ball well, and Wiseman, another versatile player, performed well in the outfield and behind the plate when not on the mound.

Sunday the Braves dropped both ends of a twinbill to the South Shore Warriors. In the opener South Shore got to the Braves’ bullpen in a 17-4 victory and in the second game claimed a 7-5 win with three runs in the seventh.

South Shore scored an unearned run in the first, but the Braves plated three runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead. But that didn’t last long as Wojnar, who got the start, ran into some problems in the third, allowing four Warrior runs. Wiseman, who scored two of Cape Cod’s four runs, crossed the plate for the second time in the fourth when he walked, stole second and scored on a throwing error.

Wojnar left after five innings with the Braves trailing 6-4, but the bullpen couldn’t hold back the Warriors as 16 South Shore batters stepped to the plate in the sixth, scoring 11 times. Wojnar, who got the loss, went five frames allowing six runs, four of them earned, on five hits. He struck out five and walked six. Gabe Stallions (MMA) and Kemple finished the first game with two hits apiece.

Cape Cod took an early 1-0 lead in the second game when McNee doubled and scored on a base hit by Evans in the second inning. Jason Smith got the start and ran into difficulty in the third when four consecutive Warrior hits resulted in three runs. The Braves then came back in the bottom of the frame with Kemple, Jonathan Namowicz (WPI) and McCarthy all scoring putting Cape Cod back on top 4-3.

Each team added a run in the fourth. Stallions, who reached on a walk, slid under the catcher’s tag to steal home in a double steal that confused the Warriors. Kemple stole second on the play.

Entering the seventh with a 5-4 lead, the Braves allowed the Warriors to get their first two batters on base. They then scored on a triple into right field. A sacrifice fly brought home the seventh South Shore run. Cape Cod threatened in the bottom of the seventh, getting Kemple to third, where he was stranded.

The Braves mustered just four hits in support of Smith with two by Kemple. Evans and McNee each had hits both in the second inning with Evans working a 3-2 count into a base hit that allowed McNee to score.

Defensively, Deverna snagged a line drive at second base for the second out of the fourth saving a run and Stallions made a nice diving catch in right field on a wind-blown fly ball to end the sixth.

The Braves lost a one-run 3-2 decision to Canton Friday night with Deverna going the distance for Cape Cod. Trailing 2-0 Namowicz scored in the fifth and Mike Hebenstreit (St. Joseph’s) crossed the plate in the sixth. Namowicz finished the night 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

A day earlier Cape Cod suffered another one-run defeat, this time a 2-1 decision to Easton. Scott McNee scored in the fourth to put Cape Cod on top but Easton plated two in the top of the seventh for the win. Wiseman, who struck out six, allowed just three hits, but was tagged with the loss when the winning run crossed the plate on an error.

The Braves play a double header Sunday at Braintree before wrapping up the 2006 season Tuesday at Hanover.