Monday was a rare play-day for the Worcester Bravehearts as they headed west down the Mass Pike to take on the Westfield Starfires in another matinee start, and the Bravehearts showed up wide awake as they scored seven runs early and then cruised to a 9-1 final.
Dante Ruby got things started in the second inning with a two-run homer. In the third, Ruby’s bases-loaded walk scored another run. Max Dushney followed with an RBI single, and then everyone moved up a base on a wild pitch. Jack Gamache reached on an error to score another run, and then Dushney scored the fifth run of the frame on an error to the pitcher on a very poor pick-off attempt.
In the eighth frame, with the bases loaded, WooBall would get a run on an infield out, and Ryan Keating capped the scoring for Worcester with an RBI single.
Starting pitcher Jake Shaughnessy went four strong innings, striking out five while allowing just two hits. Ian Carter picked up the win in relief. Luke Waldeck and Aiden Cardoza both tacked on a scoreless frame each.
It was back to Fitton Field for WooBall to take on the expansion Lowell Spinners Tuesday in another matinee game, and the 2,480 screaming school kids saw the Bravehearts start out slowly but come on strong as Worcester scored the game’s final 11 runs in an 11-4 thrashing of their new FCBL rivals.
Down 4-0 after four and a half frames, Worcester’s comeback started in the home half of the fifth on an RBI single by Andrew Schmit, who promptly stole second base. Will Kraemer then drove him home with a hard infield single. After a walk, a Tate Bannish single made the score 4-3. In the sixth, back-to-back hit batsmen and a sacrifice bunt put Benny Hess at third, where he scored on a wild pitch.
In the seventh, WooBall would score a run on a double from Hess, and after a base on balls loaded the bases, Alan Carpenter cleared them with a double right over the third base bag. In the eighth, Worcester grabbed a run on an infield out with the bases loaded, and Hess’ second extra-base hit of the game, this time a triple, plated the final two runs of the contest.
Lane Leclair earned the win with two innings of scoreless relief. Connor Herlihy and Andrew Hardin sandwiched Leclair’s appearance with scoreless frames of their own.
It was another school day game on Wednesday as WooBall once again hosted Lowell at Fitton Field, and despite scoring eight runs in front of a sellout crowd, the Bravehearts found themselves on the wrong end of a lopsided 15-8 final.
Down 1-0 after a half-frame, WooBall came back with two in the home half when Alan Carpenter singled to right, and the fielder misplayed it into a second run. Dylan Prince launched a two-run homer to left to make it 4-1 after two. The Spinners got a run back in the third, with Worcester answering in the fourth when Ryan Keating scored on a fielder’s choice.
It was an ugly fifth inning as Lowell sent 15 batters to the plate, with nine scoring. Worcester got two back in the bottom of the fifth on some Bad News Bears defense, and it was 11-7 after five. WooBall’s last run of the game came on Tate Bannish‘s solo shot to left in the eighth.
The Bravehearts were back on the road Thursday with another morning game, this time at New Britain Stadium to take on the Bees, and Worcester couldn’t hold on to a late two-run lead but got four in the top of the tenth for an 8-4 victory.
Down two in the sixth inning, a Benny Hess triple scored two, and Hess then scored on Tate Bannish‘s RBI single to right. Julian Mercado would later knock Bannish in for the 4-1 lead.
It was tied 4-4 entering the tenth, where a Bannish sacrifice fly would give WooBall the lead. Two batters later, another Mercado RBI single made it a two-run lead. An Andrew Schmit double scored another run, and Mercado would score on a wild pitch for the eventual 8-4 final.
Aiden Cardoza got the win, pitching the final three frames of the game. Erik Swenson started the game, throwing two scoreless frames and striking out three. Jake Schoenberg added a scoreless inning.
On Friday, it was off to Holman Stadium in Nashua for Worcester as they faced the Silver Knights. Unfortunately, the Bravehearts dug themselves an early hole, and six late runs weren’t enough to climb out of it in a 7-6 loss.
Down by seven in the eighth frame, WooBall’s first run came on a bases-loaded infield out. Ryan Keating‘s two-run single to left made it three runs in the inning. In the ninth, an Alan Carpenter single scored a run, and Andre Arthur followed with a double to score a second. An infield out scored their sixth run, with Arthur taking third with just one out. But neither of the next two batters could bring him home as the game ended in the loss column.
For the third time during the week, the Bravehearts took on the Spinners, only this time it was at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, and WooBall pounded out 16 hits on their way to a 13-6 victory to finish the week 2-1 against the expansion team.
Dante Ruby‘s RBI double and Tate Bannish‘s run-scoring single gave Worcester a quick 2-0 lead right out of the gate. Lowell got those runs back in the home half of the first, but Worcester would take the lead for good in the next frame on an Andrew Schmit RBI single. Schmit would take second on an infield hit, steal third, and then score on a throwing error.
In the fifth, the Bravehearts would get three runs on an infield out, a wild pitch, and another Schmit RBI hit. They then got three more in the sixth on a Bannish RBI double and a two-run single by Julian Mercado. RBI singles from Max Dushney and Schmit got WooBall two runs in the eighth, and Benny Hess‘ double to left plated Worcester’s thirteenth run in the ninth.
Starter Davis Kahn earned the win with a five-inning outing, striking out five. Luke Waldeck tacked on two frames of scoreless relief, striking out four.
Sunday, the Bravehearts hosted Norwich and came out of the gates quickly, but the Sea Unicorns twice put up three runs in a frame to take the afternoon contest 6-4.
Will Kraemer knocked Gill Dolan in twice over the first three innings with a sacrifice fly in the opening frame and with an RBI double in the third, with Kraemer scoring on an infield out to make it 3-0 after three. Norwich would get three in the fourth and three in the sixth to take the lead. WooBall’s fourth run came in the bottom of the ninth on an Alan Carpenter double, but that was as close as they could get.
210Sports’ Bravehearts of the week
Pitcher: Lane Leclair gets the nod this week, going four innings over two appearances and allowing just a single hit. He recorded one of WooBall’s four wins on the week.
Batter: Alan Carpenter is this week’s winner, going 8-15 with two doubles and six RBI in four games. He also scored three runs and walked twice.
This week’s opponents
Monday: off day
Tuesday: at Vermont Lake Monsters, 6:35 PM
Wednesday: at Vermont Lake Monsters, 6:35 PM
Thursday: at New Britain Bees, 6:35 PM
Friday: vs Nashua Silver Knights, 6:30 PM
Saturday: vs Nashua Silver Knights, 6:30 PM
Sunday: vs Lowell Spinners, 4:00 PM
Tickets to Bravehearts home games can be purchased online or by calling (508) 438-3773.
Around the FCBL
Monday
New Britain 10, @ Vermont 6
@ Nashua 10, Lowell 4; suspended B7, lights issue
Tuesday
Norwich 9, @ Westfield 2
Vermont 17, @ Nashua 11
Wednesday
New Britain 2, @ Nashua 1
Norwich 18, @ Westfield 5; 8 innings, mercy
Thursday
@ Lowell 5, Norwich 4
@ Vermont 9, Nashua 6
Friday
Westfield 7, @ Vermont 3
New Britain 6, @ Norwich 3
Saturday
Nashua 19, @ Norwich 0; 6 innings, mercy
@ Vermont 11, Westfield 10
Sunday
New Britain 3, @ Nashua 1
@ Lowell 3, Vermont 1
For frequent updates on the Worcester Bravehearts follow @210Darryl and @210Sports on Twitter.
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