The Orleans Firebirds 2013 Schedule as of today is now available here!

For the complete 2013 CCBL Schedule, click here!

This weekends Hall of Fame induction includes one of Orleans’ own, Laurin “Pete” Peterson.  To read about Mr. Peterson and all of this years inductees, please click this link

As we bid farewell to the 2012 season, Sam Levitt and Kevin Fitzgerald sat down one final time to recap and discuss the Firebirds’ season. The broadcasters discuss the ups and downs of the regular season, pivotal moments, key story lines, and memories of the season as a whole.

 You can look back at highlights and interviews from any game of this past season throughout the year by clicking on the Firebirds Extra links that we have posted all season long. Thanks for listening all season long. We have really appreciated it. 

Orleans fell to Y-D in Game 2 of the Eastern Division Finals  on Tuesday night at Eldredge Park, 9-0. With the loss, the 2012 season comes to a close for Kelly Nicholson and the Firebirds, as the Red Sox swept the best of three series. 

For one final time in 2012, here are the highlights and interviews from the broadcast team, including a series of post-game conversations with Kelly Nicholson, Conrad Gregor, and Angelo La Bruna that were part of an extended Firebirds Extra Post-Game Show, which we’ve posted in its entirety as well.

 Highlights

The last highlight reel of 2012 with Kevin Fitzgerald and Sam Levitt: Round 2, Game 2 Highlights

Interviews

Kelly Nicholson joined Sam and Kevin after the game: Conversation with Kelly

Then, Conrad Gregor jumped on the post-game show: Final Post-Game with Conrad

Finally, Angelo La Bruna wrapped up his Cape League season: Final Post-Game with Angelo

Click on “play” below to listen to the entire Firebirds Extra Post-Game Show  which followed the final game of 2012.

Final Post-Game Show by OrleansFirebirds

Prior to the game, Sam spoke with Kelly Nicholson while Kevin caught up with Jake Hernandez. Both videos are below. 

By Zach Leach

After losing 10-3 in the series opener, Orleans needed a fresh start in Game Two, but instead witnessed a repeat performance. Y-D pitching dominated and Y-D bats excelled, while Orleans pitching faltered and Orleans bats struggled. The Firebirds looked more like the team that went 0-5 in their final five games of the regular season, than the team that played so strong and shocked the league with a first round upset of the defending champion Harwich Mariners. The Red Sox continue to look like a team that is destined to win it all, as they remain undefeated in the post season, having scored 33 total runs in their four straight wins.

  Being at home at Eldredge Park for the second game of the East Division Championship proved to be of little solace for Orleans, as Tuesday night’s game got off to a similar rough start as Game One did. Brandon McNitt got the start for the Firebirds, making his playoff debut on the mound. McNitt posted a 5.21 ERA in eight regular season appearances, but was called upon for an elimination game start due to an injury-depleted Orleans roster. His troubles began in the second inning when SS Danny Diekroger knocked in the first run of the game with a hard hit single, giving Y-D a lead they would never surrender. 3B Alex Blandino stepped up to bat next, and blasted a two-run homerun to left center, putting the Red Sox up 3-0. They’d tack on a fourth run in the inning as C Wayne Taylor reached second base on an error by Orleans LF Kevin Brown, then scored on an overthrow error by C Max Rossiter as he attempted to steal third base.

Two robbed homeruns by Brown, an impressive outfield double play assist by CF Cody Kulp, and a diving stop by SS Angelo La Bruna kept the Y-D bats at bay for a while, but they were back at it in the sixth inning. Mercifully, McNitt was pulled from the game following a leadoff walk. He allowed five runs on four hits and two walks in his five innings of work. He was relieved by All-Star reliever Pat Christensen, who had not allowed more than one earned run in any outing this season. However, he went on to have his worst outing of the campaign when it mattered most. Following a single by DH Robert Pehl, RF Zak Blair hit a ground-rule double with men on the corners, and 1B Sam Travis came around to score. CF Justin Shafer would then plate both Pehl and Blair with a liner that split the outfield. After the sixth inning, the Red Sox held a 7-0 lead.

Christensen looked good in a quick seventh inning, but Blandino lasered his second two run homer of the day off of him in the eighth to end his outing. He allowed four runs on four hits and a walk in 2.2 innings pitched.

Meanwhile, Orleans offense was nowhere to be found throughout the ball game. Much like in Game One, Y-D got a shutdown outing from an unexpected source. Drew Bowen had made only one start for the Red Sox this season, and only five total appearances since being brought in in mid-July. Yet, when he got the chance at a post season start, he capitalized on it. Bowen threw six shutout innings, allowing four hits and three walks. Three singles and a double were his only blemishes, while striking out eight Firebirds batters and allowing only one runner past second base. He left before the seventh with a confident 7-0 lead, and allowed relievers Brian Gilbert and Preston Hatcher to take over. They combined for three innings of hitless pitching, to finish off the 9-0 blowout.

Despite tying their season series, the Y-D Red Sox clearly showed they were the better team in the two game sweep. The Orleans Firebirds had already accomplished a lot just by advancing to the Division Championship, after hovering around .500 through the latter half of the season and entering the playoffs on a losing streak. Injuries played a large part in their difficulties, but regardless there appeared to be no stopping the Red Sox. They have now eliminated Orleans for three years running, but have failed to win it all, falling short in the League Championship last season to the Cotuit Kettleers. They get set to take on the winner of the Wareham Gatemen-Bourne Braves series, looking for their first title since they went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. The Firebirds will pack their bags and head home, but while they may hang their heads now, they will look back and be proud of their achievements this summer.

The Firebirds look to stave off elimination Tuesday night at Eldredge Park, as they face the Y-D Red Sox in Game Two of the East Division Championship Series. Orleans got trounced in Game One at Y-D, losing 10-3. They need a turnaround in all aspects of the game if they want their 2012 season to extend past Tuesday’s matchup. Stony Brook’s Brandon McNitt (1-3, 5.21 ERA, 19 K in regular season) will try to be the Firebirds’ savior, and the bats and gloves have to help him out in this one. The Red Sox simply need a repeat performance from Game One, and they’ll look to Andrew Bowen (0-0, 3.21 ERA, 9 K) of Oral Roberts to lead them. Orleans should be proud to have made it this far, but should not settle having put in this much effort already. They need a strong outing to force a Game Three and swing the momentum back in their favor.

The Firebirds fell to the Y-D Red Sox 10-3 on Monday afternoon, losing Game 1 of the second round series. Orleans will look to tie up the series tonight at Eldredge Park with first pitch at 7 p.m.

Highlights

Here are the highlights with Sam Levitt and Kevin Fitzgerald: Round 2, Game 1 Highlights

Interviews

Sam spoke with Firebirds reliever Pat Christensen (La Salle) after the game: Post Game 1 Pat Christensen

Prior to the game, Kevin spoke with manager Kelly Nicholson, while Sam caught up with infielder Angelo La Bruna (Duke). Both videos are below.

By Zach Leach

It was an ugly afternoon at Red Wilson Field for Orleans on Monday, as they failed to show up for Game One of the East Division Championship against Y-D. The killer pitching, consistent fielding, and clutch hitting that were all prevalent in the first round of the playoffs, were unseen in this one, as the Firebirds fell 10-3. With both teams having easily swept their first opponents and with their season series finishing in a 3-3 tie, one would’ve thought that this game would’ve been more even. However, the Red Sox came to play in Game One and after handing the Birds such a crushing blow, they hold all the momentum going into Game Two.

Jimmy Reed was on the mound for Orleans on Monday, but struggled throughout, never finding his rhythm. If anything, Reed was consistent this season for the Firebirds, finishing first on the team in innings pitched and strikeouts and with a solid 3.32 ERA. He just didn’t have it in his playoff debut, allowing seven runs on nine hits in his 5.2 innings. He allowed a hit in each of his first three innings, singles to 1B Sam Travis and SS Danny Diekroger in the first and second innings, and then an RBI single to 2B Carlos Asuaje in the third for the first run of the game. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, and then the first of many errors by Orleans 2B Derek Toadvine allowed Asuaje to score, putting Y-D up 2-0. Reed was fortunate to get a double play to stop the bleeding in the third, and then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth.

The only blemish in the fifth was another Toadvine error, but then in the sixth Reed imploded. It started with giving up a leadoff single to 3B Alex Blandino and a double to Decroga. With two men in scoring position, CF Justin Shafer would step up and smoke a two-run double to make it 4-0. Shafer would steal third, then score as C Max Rossiter overthrew the attempt. With the bases now empty, it appeared as if the danger had passed, but it was far from over. LF Morgan Mickan would single, and Asuaje would drive him in with a deep double. That was the end of the day for Reed, but not the end of the Firebird’s misery. Facing his first batter, Chase Johnson allowed yet another double, this time to Travis, and Asuaje would score. Travis himself would score on Toadvine’s third error of the game, which also allowed DH Robert Pehl to get on base. After a single and stolen base by RF Zak Blair, he and Pehl would come around to score on the second single of the inning for Blandino, culminating the massive eight-run inning.

Almost no baseball team could overcome a ten run deficit, but especially not the inconsistent Orleans bats. Red Sox starter Alex Gonzalez was untouchable, allowing only two hits in his 6.2 innings of work. This coming despite the fact that Gonzalez was thought to be one of the weaker arms in the Y-D playoff rotation due to his 5.28 regular season ERA.  The Firebirds managed to get some base runners on, but could never capitalize. Even when Gonzalez left in the seventh, they still couldn’t find any offense until the latter half of the top of the ninth. CF Cody Kulp hit a two-run homerun, and RF Kevin Brown followed with a solo shot of his own. It was far too little and far too late for Orleans though.

The theme of the Firebird’s playoff success thus far had been their pitching, but now that they are facing a more consistent and hard-working offense, they need to counter by stepping up at the plate themselves. They hope to send Matt Boyd to the mound for an encore performance of Game One versus Harwich, but even then they need to find their bats and also clean up their fielding. If they cannot do that, it will be a third year in a row that the Red Sox send the boys from Orleans packing.  

After surprising the Harwich Mariners with a quick first round upset, it’s on to the next postseason challenge for the Orleans Firebirds. The East Division crown and a spot in the League Championship Series is on the line as Orleans begins its series with the rival Y-D Red Sox. The Sox have been responsible for knocking the Birds out of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Orleans wants to snap that streak and avenge the teams before them with yet another upset win. The series opener takes place Monday afternoon at Red Wilson Field, where the Firebird’s Jimmy Reed (2-1, 3.32 ERA, 43 K in regular season) of Maryland will take on the Red Sox’ Alex Gonzalez (3-2, 5.28 ERA, 25 K in regular season) of Oral Roberts. Reed had made two starts against Y-D this season, getting a decision in neither but allowing seven runs in seven innings. He led the team in regular season games started, and will now look to lead them to a strong start in the series.

The Firebirds swept a best of three series from Harwich last night as they beat the Mariners 6-1 at Eldredge Park to win Game 2. Orleans will face Yarmouth-Dennis in the second round of the CCBL playoffs. Game 1 is at Y-D on Monday afternoon with first pitch at 4 p.m.

Highlights

Here are the highlights of the Game 2 win with Kevin Fitzgerald and Sam Levitt: Playoffs – Game 2 Highlights

Interviews

After the game, Suzi Mellano spoke with LHP Phil Pfeifer (Vanderbilt), who pitched 6 scoreless innings out of the bullpen: Post-Game Pfeifer

During the 8th inning, Cape Cod Baseball League commissioner Paul Galop joined Sam and Kevin: Paul Galop Interview

Prior to the game, Sam spoke with manager Kelly Nicholson. Video below.