ORLEANS — The Firebirds struggled to get their bats going consistently, posting a 1-3 record in the past week. The team stands at 10-13-3 on the season, tied for third place in the five-team Eastern Division of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
The Firebirds left 24 men on base in that stretch, including eight in a loss to the Falmouth Commodores on July 7.
Donye Evans continued to be one of the team’s best on the bump, tossing four scoreless innings against Chatham. He recorded his 16th strikeout of the season — and registered a personal one-game high of six against the Anglers — over four starts.
Evans’s 0.56 E.R.A., meanwhile, ranks third in the league.
Despite going 0-for-5 in the loss to Falmouth, outfielder Travis Honeyman ranks seventh league-wide with a .306 batting average. He’s just one of seven players hitting over .300 this season.
The Firebirds were scheduled to play a home-and-home with Harwich on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Falmouth 6, Orleans 2
Orleans stranded eight runners in a 6-2 loss to Falmouth on July 7. Drew Summers and Philip Abner combined to pitch seven scoreless innings for the Commodores. The Firebirds’ Ben Shields, meanwhile, struggled in just 3.2 innings on the mound, allowing four earned runs and two home runs. The Orleans bats combined for seven hits. The Commodores led 6-0 before the Firebirds pushed two across in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Orleans 6, Bourne 4
Nate Furman and Kevin Sim each had two R.B.I.s to lift the Firebirds back into the win column at Bourne on July 8. Luke Keashall scored a run with a sacrifice fly before Sim and Isaac Humphry hit back-to-back home runs in the opening frame to give the Firebirds a 3-0 lead. Bourne responded with two in the 4th to get within 3-2, but the Firebirds tacked on three insurance runs in the 8th inning.
Chatham 3, Orleans 2
Orleans fell 3-2 on the road in walk-off fashion to Chatham on July 9. Starting pitcher Donye Evans tossed four scoreless innings — tallying six strikeouts — and left with the Firebirds leading 1-0 before Cole Reynolds came in for relief. Reynolds gave up two runs in three innings, giving Chatham the lead. Travis Honeyman tied the game with an 8th-inning homer, but Cooper Ingle’s single drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th.
Hyannis 8, Orleans 4
Orleans lost back-to-back games, falling 8-4 to Hyannis on July 10. The Harbor Hawks did all their damage with a five-run 6th inning that broke the game open and gave Hyannis a 7-2 lead. Sam Conte pitched a 1-2-3 5th, but gave up a single and then a home run to Dominic Pitelli before being pulled one batter later. Luke Keashall was the lone Firebird to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 with 3 R.B.I.s.
For more information about the Firebirds, visit orleansfirebirds.com.
Upcoming games:
Thursday, July 14 at Cotuit, 5 p.m.
Friday, July 15 vs. Harwich, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 16 vs. Hyannis, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 17 at Wareham, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 19 vs. Falmouth, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 20 at Brewster, 5 p.m.
Firebirds home games are played at historic Eldredge Park.
