By: Alec Henden

ORLEANS, Mass. – As the Cape League season reaches its endpoint a common theme emerges across all 10 teams. Fatigue. Everyone has been playing the game nonstop since the early part of 2019 often through numerous bumps and bruises.

Some played more games than other, but they’ve all been working hard without much of a break.

The Orleans Firebirds (19-16-4) entered Sunday’s season finale with the Brewster Whitecaps facing a glaring question of who will start the game. Most of their workhorse starters are slated to pitch in meaningful games as the season comes to an end.

Firebirds’ manager Kelly Nicholson turned to right-hander Dawson McCarville (Grand Canyon) to pitch in a rare early start 5:30 game at Eldredge Park.

To say the decision was surprising would perhaps be too much of an understatement. McCarville entered with an ERA of 5.87 and had made only three starts during the season for Glendale Community College in Phoenix.

Yes, that’s right. It was against junior college hitters that he made his previous starts against. Orleans pitching coach Mathew Troupe informed McCarville earlier this week that he’d be getting the ball, and he answered the call.

“We were trying to figure out this pitching situation with so many games in so little time,” Troupe said. “I went up to him to tell him and he had the biggest smile. We had a good feeling from the get go that he’d be a little more locked in and having a little more fun today.”

McCarville not only went above and beyond what his team needed from him, he went deeper than any other Firebird starter had gone all season. Throwing 5 2/3 innings allowing only two runs in the first inning and settling into a groove.

“After the first inning I knew I needed to get quick outs,” McCarville said. “I didn’t want to get into too much trouble with walks because I threw a lot of pitches in the first inning. I needed to just go after the hitters and let them get themselves out.”

The tall right-hander at one point settled into a groove to retire seven men in a row as he was in a role that he was comfortable to him and that he was previously familiar.

“I’m usually starter where I came from at Glendale Community College,” McCarville said. “I was in a position I was familiar with and I love to start.”

McCarville and Nick Garcia’s (Chapman) strong efforts paved the way for another clutch performance that began with the manager firing up the troops.

Nicholson was ejected in the bottom of the eighth inning after being unhappy with several calls throughout the course of the game. Outfielder Max Troiani (Bentley) walked and then Shay Whitcomb (UC San Diego) brought the house down.

Whitcomb deposited a two-run line drive over the right center field fence that sprung life into the Eldredge Park crowd and securing a much-needed point in the process. It was Whitcomb’s seventh big fly of the summer and he’s been locked in at the plate when his team has needed him most.

“Skip (Nicholson) had just been thrown out two hitters before me and it fired me up a little bit and it gave me a little extra juice,” Whitcomb said. “I’ve been hitting pretty decent but it’s a group effort. I think it’s about time that some other people are going to step it up pretty soon too.”

Late-inning specialist Connor Pellerin (Tulane) threw a scoreless ninth inning as the Birds stole a point away from Brewster in a must-win for the division rival Whitecaps (17-20-2) and secured the season series in the process.

They now turn their attention to a road meeting with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox Monday afternoon at Red Wilson Field. Orleans had struggled against Y-D for the majority of the summer but won 15-3 in the last meeting which secured Nicholson’s win No. 350 as the Birds’ manager.

While Whitcomb’s home run will be remembered as the pinnacle of Sunday night’s tie, it wouldn’t have mattered had McCarville and Garcia not been able to keep their team within striking distance.

Short Hops:

Sunday night’s tie marks the fourth of the season. It’s the most ties since Nicholson took over as the Orleans manager and the most since 1977 when the Birds tied their opponent nine times.

The Firebirds will send right-hander David Stiehl (Northeastern) to the mound for Monday’s game against Y-D. Stiehl threw two scoreless innings against Falmouth on Friday and will be making his first start in the Cape.

Whitcomb’s seventh home run are the most by a non-Division I player since the Cape League started recording stats in 2000.