Bravehearts

Bristol, CT – After falling 6-3 to the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on Saturday night at home, the Worcester Bravehearts turned things around on Sunday, sweeping an afternoon double-header against the Bristol Blues at historic Muzzy Field. With a 5-3 win in Game 1 and a 10-6 win in Game 2, Worcester found its way back to .500, improving to 13-13 on the season. 

           

In Game 1, it was Penn State’s Jared Freilich who led the way for the Bravehearts, getting the start and going five innings while surrendering just two runs on three hits and a walk. He needed just 27 pitches to get through the first three innings, as he faced the minimum nine batters. 

           

The Bravehearts scored all of their five runs in the fourth and fifth innings, as St. Mary’s Eddie Haus knocked in SUNY- Oswego’s Michael Dellicarri, who singled earlier in the inning, with an RBI single in the fourth. Worcester would add four runs in the fifth on an error off the bat of Dellicarri that allowed Cypress’ Mariano Ricciardi to score, Haus knocked in Holy Cross’ Chris Rinaldi on a sac-fly, and St. Petersburg’s Dustin Harris singled in Dellicarri and Mack Cheli (Chapman).

         

 U-Mass Lowell’s Kendall Pomeroy closed out the win with two innings of relief, in which he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh after giving up one run.

           

In Game 2, newcomer Jake Sanderson (UCONN) got the start, going four innings and giving up two runs (zero earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out three. Babson’s Eddie Lehr and Richmond’s Pete Bovenzi would also see action on the mound for the Bravehearts. Lehr pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk. Bovenzi pitched an inning and a third, surrendering one run on a single and four walks while collecting four strikeouts. 

 

After scoring three runs in the first two innings on an RBI single by Haus that knocked in Ricciardi, Rinaldi plated Stetson’s Kirk Sidwell with a sac-fly to right, and Dellicarri singled in West Chester’s Jon Hansen, the Bravehearts entered the fourth with a 3-2 lead. From there the Bravehearts would put the game out of reach as they scored six runs in the fourth on eight consecutive hits. Singles from Rinaldi and Dellicarri were followed by a Mack Cheli double, which was in turn followed by five consecutive singles from Haus, Jack Gonzalez (Stetson), Sidwell, Hansen, and John Thrasher (Hartford). Ricciardi would plate the final run of the inning, Hansen, on a fielder’s choice. Ricciardi would also knock in the Bravehearts’ final run on a double off the wall in right, scoring Thrasher.

 

The Bravehearts are back in action on Tuesday, July 3, against the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in Oak Bluffs. Their next game at Hanover Insurance Park is on July 4 at 1:05 against the Nashua Silver Knights.