After two scheduled off-days in a row, the Worcester Bravehearts began the holiday week Wednesday with a doubleheader against the Future League’s Road Warriors. They settled for a split as WooBall won the opener 7-2 but dropped the nightcap 5-4.
In game one it was scoreless going into the bottom of the fourth when Worcester exploded for five runs. With two out in the inning Henry DiGiorgio singled in a run and another scored on the play on an infield error. Two batters later a Dylan LaPointe walk forced in a run, and then Matt Milone‘s single drove in two more.
The fifth saw both teams scoring two runs each, with the Bravehearts adding runs on an Owen Pincince RBI single and getting their seventh run via a balk. Ben Griffith got the start for WooBall, striking out six in three innings, and was named the FCBL’s “Pitcher of the Night”. Angel Baez earned the win in relief.
In the second game, Wooball came out of the gate quickly with two in the bottom of the first on Jackson Marshall‘s two-run double. After a Road Warriors’ run in the top of the second Carter Hanson made it 3-1 scoring on a wild pitch in the hole half of the frame. In the fourth a Matt Milone RBI single made it 4-1, but it got ugly from there as the Road Warriors would four times in the next three innings to win.
Highlights/Interviews
The Bravehearts spent Independence Day in Brockton taking on the Rox and once again the late innings were an issue for WooBall in a 4-3 loss. In the game Brady Stuart‘s scoreless streak ended in the sixth frame at 26.2 innings, setting a new franchise record. Worcester opened the scoring in the fifth inning on a Henry DiGiorgio RBI single. Down 2-1 in the eighth, the Bravehearts retook the lead on a Matt Milone RBI single and wild pitch. But the bullpen struggled late, allowing runs in the eighth and ninth for the loss.
It was back to Brockton for Friday’s rematch between the two clubs, and this time it was a different story as the Bravehearts had a little bit of a bumpy start but finished solidly WooBall defeated the Rox 7-4. In the top of the first, a Matt Milone double would score two, but by the end of the frame, WooBall trailed 4-2.
Worcester grabbed a run in the top of the fourth on a Henry DiGiorgio RBI single and retook the lead in the fifth with two runs scored on infield errors. In the sixth Cody Smith earned a painful RBI being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and then Timmy Wagner walked to score WooBall’s seventh run.
After a shaky first inning, starter John Connolly earned the win with a six-inning stint, and Joe Mulhern earned a three-inning save.
Nashua was the host Saturday night as the Bravehearts headed north to New Hampshire, and in a game that saw 27 hits, it was Worcester who came out on top 15-10. Carson Walsh, the only pitcher in the game to not allow a run, earned the win.
WooBall got three in the first on a Wyatt Hoffman two-run single and a run scored on a fielder’s choice. The Silver Knights got two in the second but the Bravehearts got three more in the third on a Matt Milone RBI single and then two runs of a fielder’s choice. Nashua added one in the bottom of the frame to make it 6-3.
In the fifth Worcester grabbed two more runs on a Joey Rubin RBI single and an infield error, and three in the sixth on two infield errors and a Kevin Matos RBI single. The teams exchanged runs in the seventh with WooBall’s coming on an Owen Pincince RBI single. In the top of the eighth, the Bravehearts would score three more times off Nashua miscues. Then the Silver Knights would make it interesting with three runs in the home half and three in the ninth, but 15-10 was as close as they’d get.
Sunday saw the Bravehearts visiting New Britain and five WooBall pitchers held Bees’ batters to just five hits in a 5-2 Worcester win. After New Britain took the lead in the bottom of the second WooBall tied it in the third on an Owen Pincince RBI single.
In the fifth a Shea Grady sacrifice fly made it 2-1 WooBall, and in the ninth Worcester scored three times, the first two on a Cody Smith two-run single and the third on a Max LeFrancois sac fly. The Bees would get one in the bottom of the ninth for the 5-2 final. Jake LeFrancois earned the win in relief.
210Sports’ Bravehearts of the week
Pitcher: Joe Mulhern is this week’s winner, allowing just four hits and two runs in 6.1 innings while striking out eight.
Batter: Owen Pincince gets the nod this week, going 10-24 in five games with a double and three RBI.
This week’s opponents
Monday off
Tuesday vs Brockton, 6:30pm
Wednesday at New Britain, 6:30pm
Thursday at Norwich, 6:30pm
Friday vs Westfield, 6:30pm
Saturday vs Westfield; DH, 5:30pm
Sunday off
Tickets to Bravehearts home games can be purchased online or by calling (508) 438-3773.
Around the FCBL
Tuesday
Nashua 4, @ Westfield 3, HRD; completion of suspended game
@ Westfield 10, Nashua 4; 7 innings
@ New Britain 4, Vermont 2; game 1, 7 innings
@ New Britain 5, Vermont 4; game 2, 7 innings
Norwich 9, @ Brockton 8
Wednesday
@ Norwich 3, Nashua 1
Westfield 16, @ Brockton 12
Vermont 6, @ New Britain 4
Thursday
Westfield 6, @ Nashua 0
New Britain 2, @ Vermont 1
Friday
@ Vermont 9, New Britain 4
@ Norwich 4, Westfield 1
Saturday
Road Warriors 3, @ Brockton 2
Westfield 16, @ Vermont 13
Norwich @ New Britain; ppd, rain
Sunday
Road Warrior 6, @ Brockton 4
Nashua 13, @ Norwich 8
Westfield 6, Vermont 2
For frequent updates on the Worcester Bravehearts follow @210Darryl and @210Sports on Twitter.
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