ORLEANS — The number-three seeded Orleans Firebirds were swept out of the Cape Cod Baseball League playoffs by the number-two Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, ending the Firebirds’ 2022 campaign.
Orleans finished the year with an 18-22-4 record overall en route to a berth in the playoffs, which set up the match with Yarmouth-Dennis.
Infielder Luke Keaschall led the team during the year with 20 RBIs, hitting at a .267 clip to go with five home runs, which placed him in a tie for first on the Firebirds.
Infielder Nate Furman provided a much-needed spark at the top of the order with a .306 batting average, striking out just 13 times over the season. Furman’s 30 hits tied for second on the team — behind only Keaschall — and he had eight RBIs.
Donye Evans emerged as a strong arm early in the season. He racked up 23 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched, starting all six games he made appearances in and giving up just 12 hits and seven earned runs.
Bryce Warrecker picked up four wins in six starts on the mound. In 39.0 innings pitched, he had 35 strikeouts and gave up just 11 runs — nine of which were earned.
The Firebirds will be back in 2023 for another season of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Yarmouth-Dennis 12, Orleans 11
Orleans let a seven-run lead slip away as they dropped Game 1 of the playoff series 12-11 to Yarmouth-Dennis on Aug. 4. Leading 10-3, the Firebirds gave up five runs in the bottom of the fifth, seeing their advantage cut to two. A four-run sixth inning pushed the Red Sox ahead 12-10. Nick McClaughry scored to bring Orleans within one, but the Firebirds then stranded two in scoring position, falling into a 1-0 hole in the best-of-three series.
Yarmouth-Dennis 8, Orleans 4
Orleans fell short in a comeback bid, losing 8-4 to Yarmouth-Dennis in Game 2 of the CCBL Playoffs on Aug. 5. The Firebirds trailed 8-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth inning before Dixon Black’s home run drove in three runs to make it a four-run deficit. But Orleans was unable to force another run over the plate with Issac Humphrey in scoring position.
