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McCully Helps Bourne Score a Walkoff Victory

07/24/2008 11:03 AM

Article By:

24 July 2008

McCully Doesn’t Disappoint Visitors
From His College as He Helps Bourne
Score a Walkoff Victory over Wareham

BOURNE, Mass. – When Wareham’s Brandon Workman (Texas) and Bourne’s Nick McCully (Coastal Carolina) squared off in an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel recently at Doran Park, McCully got the better of Workman and he did so in front of some visiting fans from his South Carolina college.

     “Got to rep the Coastal, man,” said Cotuit native Alex Souza of the CCU Athletic Department. He and his friends all wore attire supporting the Chanticleers and McCully. Souza is a longtime fan of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

     “It was a great idea for a vacation,” said Bryan Paar, another member of the CCU group at the July 16 game. “It’s a great summer spot, with nice weather and we get to see Nick pitch.”

     A few years back, it would have been difficult to imagine Coastal Carolina having such a baseball following. “The year before I got there was a rebuilding year,” said McCully of his school’s program. Coastal had seen success before, but went into a brief downswing in 2006. Since 2001, however, CCU has won five Big-South Conference Tournaments and three regular-season titles.

     “There’s a lot of pride in our program,” said Barry Lippmann, the third member of the party from Myrtle Beach. S/C. “We have really been able to establish a tradition of winning in recent years and not the program has really taken off.”

     McCully, who went 10-3 for the Chanticleers this past spring, appeared pleased at having the support of his college friends at the game. “It was good to see people wearing those Coastal shirts,’ he said. “You don’t see too many of those up in this area.”

     The CCU star pitched seven-plus innings and struck out eight Gatemen, leaving Bourne in position for a win. The solid start helped improve McCully’s already strong numbers for the season. Workman, also having a stellar year, no-hit the Braves through five innings but then appeared to tirel. 

     The Braves dropped down consecutive bunt singles in the sixth following a lead-off walk. The sixth and seventh innings would each produce two runs for the home Braves. When McCully was lifted in the eighth with a 4-1 lead, he appeared to be coasting toward a win, but the Gatemen scored three runs in the eighth to tie the game and deny McCully the victory.

     Factored out of the decision, McCully remained upbeat, cheering his teammates on for the remainder of the game. The Braves kept Wareham off the board in the top of the ninth, then rallied in the home half of the inning to walk off with a dramatic victory.

     After a lead-off triple by Stephen Batts (East Carolina), Wareham brought its infield in and issued two intentional walks to load the bases for Marc Krauss (Ohio), arguably the best hitter in the entire league. Krauss roped a single through the drawn-in infield, scoring Batts and ending the game.

     “We won, didn’t we?” said McCully, disappointed by the no-decision but pleased that his team had picked up a “W.” The Braves victory sent the McCully fans from Coastal home happy as well. “His team came through, and that’s all he ever cares about,” said Souza.
 

Jim Chandley, CCBL Intern ([email protected])

 

John Garner, Jr.
Director of Public Relations & Broadcasting
(508) 790-0394
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Joe Sherman
Web Editor
(508) 775-4364)
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Interns: Chris Blake, James Chandley, Ashley Crosby, Phil Garceau, Stefanie Marini, Laura Rasmussen