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Again? Orleans Scores Five Unanswered, Wins 6-5 in 11th
August 3, 2009
By Tyler Maland
The Firebirds trailed 5-1, had their starter bounced after two innings, their manager ejected, and committed four errors on the night.
But Jarren Matthews (Rutgers)’s RBI double to right-center in the bottom of the eighth put runners on second and third and finally gave a dejected crowd something to cheer about.
Two batters later, Kevin Muno (San Diego) hit the game-tying two-run single to left field, and the teams were knotted at five.
The Firebirds threatened in the bottom of the tenth, but Gary Brown (CS Fullerton) tried to score from second on a fielding error and was thrown out easily at the plate by Hyannis first baseman Andrew Manning (UAB).
Things finally came around for the home team in the bottom of the 11th, and Jeremy Gould (Duke)’s leadoff double started it all. A walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, setting the table for Danny Muno (Fresno St.) with no outs. Muno stung a ground ball down the third base line that was stopped on a dive by Hyannis third-baseman Dustin Harrington (East Carolina). Harrington, though, had to make a play at home to extend the game, and couldn’t. He stepped on third and tried to double up the meaningless runner at first while Gould, the game-winning run, crossed home plate.
Orleans is molding an unmistakable identity as the playoffs approach. The Firebirds’ last six wins have been late-inning comebacks. Hyannis has surrendered a lead and lost to Orleans twice in the last ten days; Orleans also scored six unanswered to win 8-6 at Hyannis July 25th.
With its largest crowd of the season on hand, the Firebirds hoped to get things going from the very start. Instead, there was nothing redeeming about the first half of the game.
After the teams traded runs in the first two innings, the first five Hyannis batters in the top of the third reached base: three on hits, one on an error and one on a walk.
Firebirds field manager Kelly Nicholson was also thrown out for the second straight day in that woeful inning after a Hyannis runner stuck between first and second was caught by second baseman Danny Muno, but called safe. Nicholson, who had been out earlier in the game to protest a call by the same first-base umpire, was tossed after a lengthy argument.
Firebirds starter Cole Cook (Pepperdine) was pulled after those first five batters, and Matt Hiserman (San Francisco) took the mound. Hiserman hit the first batter he faced, but made quick work of the next two, getting a double play and a foul-out to end the inning. Four runs scored, and Hyannis took a 5-1 lead.
Cook lasted two-plus innings and gave up seven hits and five runs, four earned.
The Firebirds got one run back in the bottom of the fourth when Gary Brown hit an RBI single sharply off the Hyannis pitcher, but Orleans scored just that one run and left the bases loaded.
There were several key performers in Monday night’s game. The most important may have been Matt Hiserman. The right-handed reliever watched everything around him go wrong, but did not allow the wheels to fall off. He pitched 5.1 innings of relief and did not even allow a hit, keeping Hyannis off the board and salvaging the opportunity for an Orleans comeback.
Daniel Ottone (Western Carolina) got the final two outs of the eighth for Orleans, and Brett Weibley (Kent St.) pitched the ninth and tenth nearly flawlessly. Weibley gave up one hit and struck out three in those two innings.
The one mistake he did make was a hit down the right field line by Ryan Cuneo (Delaware) to lead off the ninth inning. The ball rolled all the way to the corner and Cuneo thought he had a stand up double to set up the potential go-ahead run. Instead, the right fielder Gould snatched up the ball and gunned it on a line to second base to retire a surprised Cuneo who didn’t even slide.
Brock Stassi (Nevada) pitched the ninth and got the win (1-1). Hyannis got runners to first and second on a walk and an error, but Stassi got a 4-6-3 double-play to end the inning.
Kevin Muno went 2-for-6 with a double, two RBI, and his team-leading 14th stolen base of the year. Muno’s game-tying hit was about as unusual as the now-trademark Orleans comeback. He hit the go-ahead two-run double to cap the comeback in Hyannis on July 25th, and the go-ahead RBI single in a 3-1 comeback win over Harwich the next night.
Younger brother Danny Muno also went 2-for-6 with a stolen base (7), and Brown went 2-for-5 with a walk. The big doubles by Matthews and Gould were their only hits of the game. Riccio Torrez reached base four times for the Firebirds despite not getting a hit; he walked twice, was hit by a pitch, and reached on an error.
Nicholson’s second ejection warrants an automatic one-game suspension, so he will sit out Tuesday’s game.
Orleans clinched a playoff spot Sunday night through losses by Brewster and Chatham. With the win Monday over Hyannis, the Firebirds are now assured second place in the Eastern Division. Y-D and Chatham both won on Monday as well, clinching first and third place respectively.
The Firebirds, now 23-17-2, have a mini 2-game series against their rival Chatham Anglers to close out the regular season. Tuesday night’s game will be at 7:00 p.m. at Eldridge Park in Orleans, and Wednesday’s game a 7:00 p.m. contest in Chatham. As the records stand right now, Orleans would also face Chatham in the first round of the playoffs Friday night.
The Mets, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, move to 15-25-1. Hyannis hosts Bourne Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m.