2025 Cape League Finale: Shorey, Waite, and Holcomb help lead Bourne to 2025 CCBL Championship

The Bourne Braves are the 2025 Cape Cod Baseball League Champions. Last night, Bourne demolished the Yarmouth Dennis Red Sox in a 19-2 victory and swept the best-of-three CCBL Championship Series two games to none. The Braves’ recent stretch of dominance gives the organization its third championship in the last five years (2022, 2023, and now 2025).

Game 1 Recap 

Matthew Shorey got the start for Bourne in Game 1 on Monday night at Doran Park in Bourne. Shorey came off nearly one week of rest, with his last postseason start coming on August 5th against Hyannis, where he gave up 6 hits in 5 IP with 2 earned runs, 2 strikeouts, and 2 walks in a 3-1 loss. 

On Monday night, Shorey showed some serious grit against one of the best offensive teams on the Cape in Y-D. Although he didn’t have his best stuff, Shorey battled and held Y-D to two runs on 8 hits over 5 innings of work and escaped multiple jams along the way. Shorey’s control was on full display with 2 strikeouts, 0 walks, and three 53 strikes on 79 pitches. The young lefty’s steady start proved just enough to earn Bourne a 5-3 win Monday night. Shorey was credited with the win. He finished the postseason with a 1-1 record and 3.60 ERA with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks. 

While Y-D jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Dean Carpenter (Southern California) double in the Top of the 2nd, Bourne tied the game on a wild pitch in the Bottom of the 2nd and never looked back. Bourne took the lead in the Bottom of the 4th on a Jon LeGrande (St. John’s) double. Kade Lewis (Wake Forest) then hit a two-run single to make it 4-1. Gavin Kelly (West Virginia) then stole home to score the Braves’ final run of the evening and make it 5-1. Y-D would get two more runs on RBI singles from Georgia Tech’s Will Baker and Creighton’s Connor Capece in the Top of the 5th and 6th innings, but Wake Forest’s Nate Whysong struck out 5 batters over 4 innings of relief to preserve Shorey’s win and earn the save for the Braves. 

Braden Holcomb had himself a nice night at the plate in Game 1, going 3-4. Holcomb also displayed his defensive versatility and turned a double play at third base. Ryker Waite had a quiet Game 1 and went 0-3 with 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Waite, however, was the reason Bourne got to Game 1. In the Western Division Finals, Waite had a clutch single and hustled home to score the tying run in the Bottom of the Ninth against Cotuit just seconds before his teammate was thrown out at third base. If Waite failed to run hard, Bourne goes home.

Game 2 Recap

With Bourne up 1-0 in the series, Game 2 went to Red Wilson Field, which is known for its extremely short outfield dimensions (352 feet to center field, 338 feet to right field, and 346 feet to left field). These dimensions heavily favor whichever team is batting, and the Braves took full advantage. 

Braden Holcomb knocked in Ryker Waite as the first run of the game with an RBI single to center field in the Top of the 1st. Y-D answered with a pair of runs in the Bottom of the first on an RBI groundout from Long Beach State’s Armando Briseno and an RBI single from Ryan Niedzwiedz (Southern-Illinois Edwardsville) to put the Red Sox up 2-1. This would be Y-D’s only lead of the night. 

In the Top of the 2nd, the Braves tied the game on an RBI groundout from Ryan Cooney (Oregon) and took the lead on an RBI groundout from Gavin Kelly (West Virginia). Kelly knocked in two more runs with a double in the Top of the 4th to make it 5-2. That same inning, Y-D walked in a runner with the bases loaded to put the Braves up 6-2. 

The Top of the 5th, 6th, and 8th innings proved to be monster innings for Bourne as the Braves poured on more runs. In the Top of the 5th, Mark Quatrani (Cornell) and Kelly hit solo home runs, Wake Forest’s Kade Lewis hit an RBI single, and Cincinnati’s Cal Sekcik hit an RBI groundout to make it 11-2. To kick off the 6th, Kelly hit an RBI double, Ryker Waite hit a two-run double to center, and Jason Torres (Alabama) hit an RBI to put the score at 15-2. In the 8th, Sefcik hit a two-run double, Luke Costello (Wake Forest) hit an RBI single, and Aidan Paradine (Northwest Florida State JC) hit an RBI single for the Braves’ final runs. 

In the offensive explosion, Holcomb finished the night 5-6 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Waite finished the game 2-5 with 4 runs scored, a double, and 2 RBI. Overall, Holcomb finished the postseason with an outstanding 1.009 OPS, and Waite with an .804 OPS. The duo saved some of their best at-bats of the summer for the series-clinching win. 

Big picture, what does this mean?

Overall, playing well in summer ball is just one piece of the offseason for the Vandy Boys. Players still have to perform during Fall Ball. In recent years, the Vandy Boys Cape League success has not translated down the stretch into postseason success for the Vandy Boys. Of the Bourne trio, Holcomb is the only guaranteed player to start at the moment, but Waite could be starting by the end of 2026, especially if one of the projected starters struggles at the plate. Because of his versatility, Shorey could also see action in long relief or mid-week games.

That said, Bourne’s championship run does give players like Holcomb, Waite, and Shorey some high-leverage reps in playoff atmospheres. What they make of it is up to them. As noted in my Cape League season preview, Vanderbilt’s 2014 and 2019 National Championships both involved key contributions from Cape League veterans in the clinching games. If the VandyBoys can get back to Omaha in 2026, it will likely include the contributions of Holcomb, Waite, and Shorey. Until then, we will have to Waite (pun intended) and see. 

That’s an official wrap on TDR’s 2025 Cape League coverage. Thank you to everyone who read along and engaged with us on the TDR message board!