'Euphoric.' Derek Bender leads Bourne Braves to second straight Cape League crown

If the best two words in sports are "game seven," then the Cape Cod Baseball League equivalent has to be game three.

The 2023 season came down to its final day, as the Bourne Braves and the Orleans Firebirds squared off with everything on the line. In the end, the Bourne Braves emerged 5-2 winners, and claimed their second consecutive Cape Cod Baseball League title.

Winner-take-all games in sports have always provided a platform for iconic performances to help teams win. Prior to Sunday night's game three victory, Bourne manager Scott Landers said the team had an idea of who could rise to the occasion.

"I'm not going to say who, but the guys said (Derek) Bender needs to step up, and he's going to step up," Landers said.

Whoever it was, they couldn't have been more right.

The Coastal Carolina product delivered repeatedly when his team needed him. His RBI single in the fourth inning got the Braves on the board, reducing the early deficit to 2-1. Two innings later, he came through again. His RBI double plated Bryce Eblin (Alabama) and gave the Braves their first lead of the night.

And in the eighth, he added the exclamation point. On an 0-2 pitch, Bender turned around a fastball and sent it rocketing off the scoreboard in left for a solo home run. The blast made it 5-2 and put the Braves out of reach on the night.

'Euphoric' after the game

"Euphoric," is how Bender described the way he was feeling after the game. "I'll cherish this moment, this summer, the people I got to meet, the memories I made along the way. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, it's awesome."

On the night, Bender finished 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, and to top it all off, he did it with his parents, Dennis and Diane Bender, in attendance.

His father Dennis, was understandably emotional after seeing his son summit the summer league mountaintop, and reflected on just how far he's come.

"Surreal, emotional," his father said, voice breaking. "He dreamed about this, being a part of (the) Cape Cod (Baseball League), and fulfilled it."

There's more to Derek Bender than the baseball player. He's someone who approaches each day with a different level and appreciation than most, because he's seen the other side.

A loss of a high school classmate

As part of the name, image and likeness deal he received at Coastal Carolina, Bender will be starting a foundation for suicide prevention, something that hit close to home when he lost a high school classmate, Ahmad Praileau, to suicide in 2021.

"It was something that shook a lot of us up in the community," Bender said. "It's really inspired me to live life the way he did .... My goal is to put a smile on everybody's face that I can really get in touch with, and spread my message, spread Ahmad's message, and spread awareness for a cause that's really near and dear to my heart."

That selflessness is what makes his father so proud, and it's happening because of his baseball abilities. Getting to watch his son achieve Cape League immortality has just been the icing on the cake.

Although it was Bender's turn to be the hero Sunday night, the 2023 Braves team is the champion because it's just that — a team. Their belief in each other is unwavering, and they've come together to form inseparable bonds this summer, and it only benefitted them on the field.

"We put it all together at the right time," shortstop Jonathan Vastine said. "We go through skids together, and we still stay up .... We stayed with each other, and that's the most important part. We built a brotherhood, and we created friendships that will last a lifetime."

Vastine's double play partner, Josh Kuroda-Grauer, from Rutgers, was awarded the 2023 Playoff MVP award following a 2023 postseason where he had a hit in all eight games, and hit .444 with a pair of home runs, 13 RBIs and nine runs scored.

Both Vastine and Kuroda-Grauer were effusive in their praise of each other, showcasing the type of bond this team has. Vastine said Kuroda-Grauer was overwhelmingly deserving of the MVP award, while Kuroda-Grauer said Vastine is the best shortstop he's ever shared the infield with.

Togetherness drives success

It's that togetherness that has driven the success. Those who watched this year's Braves team saw it on full display every night.

"Just to do it with this group of guys, just the amount of fun we've all had up here, to do it as a team, is so special," Kuroda-Grauer said.

The Braves are the first repeat Cape League champions, since the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox had a three-peat from 2014-2016. It marks a personal three-peat for Landers, who was a member of the title winning 2021 Brewster Whitecaps staff, prior to winning two straight as manager of the Braves.

"I'm extremely, extremely excited, it never gets old but, for this group," Landers said. "I'm just really, really proud of what they've accomplished and how they've grown as baseball players."

It all means that the curtain has closed on the 2023 Cape Cod Baseball League season. The League's centennial season ends with the Braves alone at the top. They are Cape League champions again.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Bourne Braves win the Cape Cod Baseball League title