Bravehearts

Mancini Dazzles in Win Over Brockton

 

Worcester, MA – Joseph Mancini threw seven innings of one-run baseball, and the Bravehearts scored runs in five different innings, as Worcester (24-14) glided past Brockton, 9-1, on Thursday night at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field in the team’s first game after the All Star break.

 

Mancini was dominant from the start. The righty allowed a leadoff single to begin the game, but settled down to strike out two men in the fist inning. Mancini struck out another two men in the fourth inning, and he finished with seven strikeouts overall. Mancini allowed only four hits and walked none.

 

After averaging more than nine runs per game in the week leading up to the All Star break, Worcester’s offense picked up right where it left off. The Bravehearts scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Mariano Ricciardi led off with a walk and scored on a Chris Rinaldi double. Dustin Harris followed with an RBI-single. Back-to-back singles from Mack Cheli and Edward Haus eventually led to a Kirk Sidwell RBI-single.

 

The Bravehearts scored a run in the fifth inning on an RBI-single from Joseph Pesce and another run in the sixth inning courtesy of sacrifice fly from Cheli to score Rinaldi.

 

The Bravehearts offense exploded again for three runs in the seventh inning. Pesce singled and later scored after an error and a wild pitch. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Mack Cheli drove in two runs with a single.

 

Worcester tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth inning thanks to a solo home run to left field off the bat of Pesce for his first homer of the season. Pesce finished 3-5 with two RBI.

 

The only run for Brockton (20-21) came off of Mancini in the seventh inning. Jack Kelly started the inning with a triple and later scored on a Richie Sobalvarro sacrifice fly.

 

Brockton starter Brendan Mignone only lasted two-plus innings and took the loss. All three runs in the third inning were charged to Mignone, and he was taken out without recording an out in that inning. George Golstein, Ben Shields, and Steve Noti pitched the remaining innings for the Rox, while Rob Cerulle and Peter Bovenzi each pitched a clean inning out of the Worcester bullpen.

 

In addition to Pesce’s big game, Mack Cheli finished 2-3 with three RBI. Harris and Brett Coffel also had a multi-hit game.

 

Worcester has won 13 of their last 14 games and is riding a seven-game winning streak. The Bravehearts look to keep it rolling with a doubleheader tomorrow against Nashua. The first of the two seven inning games begins at 4:30 from Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.