It may have taken two days for the Worcester Bravehearts to win their FCBL playoff opener against the Vermont Lake Monsters, but that was fine with them, as Monday’s rain and lightning suspension allowed for WooBall to catch their breath and helped them put away Vermont 11-6 when the game resumed on Tuesday night.
The Bravehearts scored four in the top of the first, scoring on an infield out and an infield error, and grabbing two more runs on Talen Rosborough‘s single. Worcester made it 5-0 in the second with another run on an infield out. James Anastasopoulos then launched a three-run homer in the third to make it 8-0, and the rout was on.
Until it wasn’t.
Vermont would grab six in the fourth, and it was 8-6 in the bottom of the fifth when play was suspended.
Tuesday it was the Aiden Cardoza show, as the lefty went the final 4.2 innings allowing just two hits while striking out four. He picked up the win and was named the Future’s League “Pitcher of the Night”.
In the eighth, Worcester got some breathing room with another run on an infield error, and later in the frame Alan Carpenter‘s single scored two more for the 11-6 final.
Wednesday, it was off to Fitton Field for game two, and despite an early lead, the Bravehearts couldn’t hold on and lost 9-6.
Down 1-0 on the first, WooBall took the lead in the home half on RBI doubles from Brayden Lewis and Chris Mondesir, and grabbed a third run on a double-play ball. Vermont and Worcester exchanged runs in the second, with the Bravehearts coming on Ryan Keating‘s homer.
Alan Carpenter‘s RBI single made it 5-2 in the third, but most of the offense from that point belonged to the Lake Monsters. An infield error tied the score 6-6 for WooBall in the eighth, but Vermont grabbed three in the ninth to win.
It was back to Centennial Field in Burlington, VT, for game three Thursday, where Worcester took a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth against Vermont but could not seal the deal with the final three outs and, for the first time in franchise history, had blown saves in consecutive games in a 5-4 elimination game loss.
WooBall’s first run came in the third on a double play ball. In the sixth, they grabbed a second run on an infield out. In the seventh, Brayden Lewis doubled in two to make it 4-0. The rest is better left unsaid.
210Sports’ Bravehearts of the week
Pitcher: Aiden Cardoza is the post-season week winner, shutting down Vermont for 4.2 innings for the win.
Batter: Brayden Lewis is the playoff winner this year, going 6-12 with three doubles and three RBI. He also walked twice and scored four runs.
This week’s opponents
See you in 2027!
Tickets to Bravehearts home games can be purchased online or by calling (508) 438-3773.
Around the FCBL
Monday
@ New Britain 3, Norwich 1
Tuesday
@ Norwich 11, New Britain 5
Wednesday
@ New Britain 4, Norwich 2; Norwich eliminated
Friday
New Britain 11, @ Vermont 0; NB leads 1-0
Saturday
Vermont 1, @ New Britain 0; series tied 1-1
Sunday
New Britain 11, Vermont 0; NB wins championship
For frequent updates on the Worcester Bravehearts, follow @210Darryl and @210Sports on Twitter.
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