Where the Stars of Tomorrow Shine Tonight!

Article By: Daniel Curren

#1 Y-D Red Sox vs #2 Orleans Firebirds

Game 1: Orleans at Y-D 4:00 - Monday, Aug. 7th

Game 2: Y-D at Orleans 6:30 - Tuesday, Aug. 8th

Game 3 (If Nec): Orleans at Y-D 4:00 - Wednesday, Aug. 9th

Season Series: 3-3

The top two seeds in the East will be squaring off with a trip to the championship round on the line. This series will be a rematch of last year’s first round matchup, where Y-D came out on top.

Orleans swept the Harwich Mariners in the first round on the back of great pitching and timely hitting. The Firebirds only allowed 3 runs in the 2 games. The stars on the mound included Greysen Carter (Vanderbilt), Irvan Romero (San Diego) and Sean Matson (Harvard). Carter and Romero pitched 6 innings in games 1 and 2 respectively. Carter allowed 1 run with 8 strikeouts, and Romero allowed 2 runs with 6 strikeouts. Matson’s scoreless 9th inning in game 2 locked down the save and sent Orleans to the next round. At the plate, Jack Penney (Notre Dame) played the hero in game 1 and throughout the series. His 9th inning walk-off single completed a late comeback for Orleans, and he hit 3-7 in the series with 2 RBI and 3 walks.

The Red Sox overcame a 18-7 loss in game one against the Brewster Whitecaps to take the series. Facing elimination in game 2, Dennis native Finnegan Wall (UC Irvine) tossed 6 no-hit innings with 5 strikeouts. This propelled Y-D to a 3-1 win to force a game three. In game three, Theo Hardy (San Jose State) broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 8th inning with a solo home run that put Y-D on top for good. Throughout the series, Ryan Jackson (Southern California) and Casey Cook (UNC) stood out offensively. Jackson went 2-8 with 2 RBI and 5 walks, giving him a .538 OBP in the series, and Cook went 3-10 with a home run.