By Maxwell Paul McLaughlin
The Bourne Braves took down the Whitecaps in game one of the CCBL Championship series by a score of 3-0.
It is the Whitecaps’ first loss in the playoffs after their eight straight playoff wins dating back to last season. It was a game controlled by Bourne from start to finish, and a game where the Whitecaps couldn’t get anything going on offense.
In the first inning of the championship series, the Bourne Braves would strike first and take a 1-0 lead into the second inning.
After a slight blunder in the first inning, the Whitecaps starting pitcher Troy Butler (Herkimer) didn’t allow any more runs in innings two, three, and four to keep the Whitecaps within striking distance.
The only problem was Bourne starting pitcher Matt Duffy (Canisius) was setting all of the Brewster batters down and not allowing runs himself.
In the fifth inning with a Bourne runner on third and only one out, Troy Butler (Herkimer) struck out back-to-back batters to keep the game at 1-0.
The Whitecaps would get a runner to third base with two outs in the top of the seventh, but they would come up empty once again.
Bourne would grow their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh off a Matt Shaw (Maryland) RBI triple; Shaw then scored on a sacrifice fly.
The Whitecaps would get men on in the bottom of the ninth, but Bourne was able to get out of trouble and take a 1-0 series lead.
Troy Butler (Herkimer) was the player of the game for the Whitecaps in only his second appearance with the team. Butler went five innings and only allowed one run in that span to keep the Whitecaps in the game.
The Whitecaps will now be at home Thursday afternoon, and it will be a must-win game to push the series to a do-or-die third game.