Worcester entered Monday night’s game hosting Westfield needing a win to capture the FCBL’s final playoff spot, and despite needing an extra couple of hours to get the field ready, the Bravehearts weren’t tired at all from the late start and defeated the Starfires 8-6 to clinch a postseason berth.
WooBall took the lead for good in the bottom of the first on a run off an infield out. They grabbed four runs in the second on two run singled by Chris Mondesir and Jake Yang. A Ryan Keating RBI single in the fourth made it 6-3 Worcester, and a Brayden Cali bases-loaded walk in the fifth made it 7-3 Bravehearts. WooBall’s final run came in the seventh on another Keating RBI single.
Caleb Allen earned the win with a six-inning start. He didn’t allow an earned run, struck out eight, and was the Futures League “Pitcher of the Night”. Lane Leclair picked up his second save of the season by striking out all three batters he faced on ten pitches.
Tuesday was an off day, and on Wednesday the Bravehearts headed north to Lowell to take on the Spinners at LeLacheur Park and scored three in the top of the first, and held that lead all game in a 6-4 victory.
Brayden Lewis and Jeylem Sepulveda went back-to-back over the left field wall for the quick lead. Lowell got two back in the home half, but in the top of the third, a Christian Cepin RBI double scored a run, and then he himself scored on Daniel Colon‘s RBI single. Colon would add another RBI single in the fifth to cap WooBall’s scoring.
Zach Duke picked up his second win of the season with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Lane Leclair grabbed his third save of the year with a scoreless ninth frame.
Thursday, the Bravehearts were off to Centennial Field in Burlington for the first of a pair against Vermont, and WooBall and the Lake Monsters dodged raindrops as long as they could until the game was called in the bottom of the sixth, with Vermont winning 4-2.
Down 4-0 entering the fifth, Chris Mondesir cut that lead in half with a two-run single, but Mother Nature is harder to beat than the Lake Monsters, and that was as close as Worcester could get.
It was almost the same exact story Friday, as once again rain put an end to the Bravehearts and Lake Monsters game in the sixth inning, with WooBall on the wrong end of a 5-3 final. Down 4-0 in the fifth, Worcester got two runs back on a Chris Mondesir RBI single and a Brayden Lewis sacrifice fly. Worcester’s third run came in the sixth on an infield error.
Saturday night was the close of the FCBL regular season as Lowell visited Fitton Field, and Worcester was able to clinch a .500 record for the season with a 7-1 victory.
WooBall opened the scoring in the first with a run on an infield out, and added two more in the frame on RBI singles from Jeylem Sepulveda and James Anastasopoulos.
The Bravehearts also scored three in the second, with Brayden Lewis getting an RBI for a sacrifice fly, Sepulveda picking up a painful RBI by being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Ryan Keating added an RBI single. In the third, Lewis stole third and scored on an error to make it 7-0. The Spinners would ruin the shutout bid with an unearned run in the ninth.
Keegan Antelman picked up his second win of the season and sixth of his Bravehearts career with the five-inning start, striking out five, and was named the Futures League “Pitcher of the Night”.
210Sports’ Bravehearts of the week
Pitcher: Caleb Allen is the better of two going choices this week, winning his six-inning start without allowing an earned run while striking out eight.
Batter: Chris Mondesir is this week’s winner, going 6-14 with a double and a triple, knocking in five runs while stealing three bases.
This week’s opponents
Monday: at Vermont, 6:35pm; game 1, best of 3
Tuesday: vs Vermont, 6:30pm; game 2, best of 3
Wednesday: at Vermont, 6:35pm; game 1, best of 3 (If Necessary)
Thursday: TDB
Friday: TBD
Saturday: TBD
Tickets to Bravehearts home games can be purchased online or by calling (508) 438-3773.
Around the FCBL
Monday
Lowell 7, @ Vermont 6; HRD
Norwich @ Nashua; canceled
Tuesday
New Britain 5, @ Norwich 2
@ Vermont 8, Lowell 2
Wednesday
@ Norwich 1, Westfield 0; game 1, 8 innings
@ Norwich 7, Westfield 3; game 2, 7 innings
@ New Britain 11, Nashua 1; 7 innings, mercy
Thursday
@ Nashua 5, Westfield 4
New Britain 15, Norwich 5; 7 innings, mercy
Friday
Norwich 9, @ Nashua 2
New Britain 19, Lowell 9; 8 innings, mercy
Saturday
@ Vermont 14, Nashua 5
Norwich @ Westfield; canceled, rain
For frequent updates on the Worcester Bravehearts, follow @210Darryl and @210Sports on Twitter.
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