Last Tuesday saw the Futures Collegiate Baseball League hold their annual All-Star game, with several Worcester Bravehearts making the East squad. Jack Choate, Tyler Mudd, LJ Keevan, and Alex Amalfi all had scoreless stints in the game and each recorded at least one strikeout. Outfielder Nick Martin put his name in the FCBL record book by stealing three bases in the contest, including home, all in the eighth inning.
After another off day Wednesday it was back to action for the Bravehearts as they took on the New Britain Bees at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field in a doubleheader on Camp Day that saw the first pitch of the opening game being thrown at 10:36am. Despite the beautiful weather, the day ended ugly for Wooball as they were swept for the day, losing the opener 6-4 and then getting trounced 9-1 in the second game.
Already down a run in the bottom of the first of the opening game, Worcester scored three times in the home half by getting two runs on passed balls and a third on a Sebastian Salado RBI single. But the Bees would keep pushing runs across the plate while WooBall could only muster a fourth-inning run on a Randy Flores sacrifice fly as Worcester went down in defeat. Game two was just ugly, with the Bravehearts managing just a fifth-frame run on an infield out.
Friday it was off to Holman Stadium in Nashua for a match-up with the Silver Knights and Worcester withstood a late charge by Nashua and eked out a 5-4 win. WooBall got out of the gates quickly with a Sebastian Salado RBI single in the top of the first but Nashua used the longball to grab a couple runs in the home half. WooBall knotted the score 2-2 in the third on a Gavin Noriega double, and then grabbed three more in the fifth on a Salado two-run double and Andrew Selima sacrifice fly. The Silver Knights made it interesting with two runs in eighth, but Dennis Colleran slammed the door in the ninth, picking up his second save of the season. Alex Amalfi struck out seven in six innings, not allowing an earned run.
Centennial Field on the campus of the University of Vermont was the venue for the first of two Bravehearts games this weekend against the Lake Monsters, and Wooball didn’t start off on the right foot dropping Saturday night’s contest 5-3. Down two entering the fourth Kenny Mallory Jr. cut the Vermont lead in half with an RBI-double. Worcester made a game of it after the Lake Monsters scored three in the sixth with a seventh-inning Gavin Noriega RBI-single and a Randy Flores bases-loaded walk in the eighth, but that was as close as they’d get.
Sunday’s rematch with Vermont was all about pitching as Bryce Afthim, Luke Delongchamp, and Dennis Colleran combined to pitch ten innings, allowing just five hits and one run. Unfortunately for Worcester Vermont’s pitching was just as good holding WooBall’s scoring to just a Sebastian Salado RBI single in a 1-1 contest decided by a home run derby. Only one dinger was hit in the contest, and it was by the Lake Monsters, which puts the game in the loss column for the Bravehearts.
210Sports’ Bravehearts of the week
Pitcher: Alex Amalfi gets the nod this week, earning a win and striking out seven in six innings pitched. the two runs he allowed were both unearned.
Batter: Randy Flores wins for the second week in a row, going 10-20 with a double in five games. He also scored four runs.
This week’s opponents
Monday off
Tuesday vs Nashua, 6:30pm
Wednesday @ Westfield, 6:30pm
Thursday @Nashua, 6pm
Friday vs Norwich, 4pm (DH)
Saturday vs Nashua, 6:30
Sunday vs Brockton, 2pm (DH)
Tickets to Bravehearts home games can be purchased online or by calling (508) 438-3773.
Around the FCBL
Tuesday
East 10, West 2; FCBL All-Star game
Wednesday
@Vermont 9, Westfield 4
Thursday
Nashua 16, @Brockton 3 (7 innings, mercy)
Westfield 8, @Norwich 4
@Vermont 8, Pittsfield 4
Friday
@Vermont 6, Pittsfield 5 (10 innings)
@Norwich 9, New Britain 2
Brockton 9, @Westfield 7
Saturday
Norwich @ Pittsfield (DH) ppd, rain
New Britain 6, @Westfield 0
Brockton 12, @Nashua 4
Sunday
Brockton @ new Britain, ppd, rain
@Norwhich 6, Westfield 3
@Nashua 6, Pittsfield 4 (game 1, 7 innings)
Pittsfield 7, @Nashua 5 (game 2, 7 innings)
For frequent updates on the Worcester Bravehearts follow @210Darryl on twitter.
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