Bravehearts

Worcester - In a tightly-contested game, it was the Worcester Bravehearts pulling out the 6-5 victory over the Brockton Rox Friday night at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field. 

The Bravehearts got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning. Mariano Ricciardi drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a Jacob Sessa single. Mack Cheli, making his 2019 Bravehearts debut, doubled to score Ricciardi. An error would bring both Sessa and Cheli home, giving Worcester a 3-0 lead by the end of the inning.

The game was a strong one for Cheli. Coming off of a Division III championship at Chapman, Cheli got his Bravehearts season started with a two-double performance and an RBI.

Brockton made an offensive push of their own with two down in the top of the second. BJ Murray singled, scoring when Marc Goulart hit a triple into the gap in right field. Goulart scored when Abraham Sequera singled him home, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Bravehearts.

Worcester scored again in the bottom of the fourth when John Thrasher singled. After stealing second, he advanced to third on a passed ball. Thrasher scored on a Ricciardi double, and Ricciardi was singled home by Ben McNeill.

The Rox again cut the lead to one in the top of the fifth. Brockton loaded the bases on a Spenser Smith walk, a David Horgath single, and another walk to Anthony Calarco. Smith and Horgath both scored on a two-RBI single by JP Knight. 

The game would be tied by Brockton the next inning, when a fielder’s choice scored Murray to make it 5-5.

Worcester retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Idelson Tavaras doubled, took third base, and scored on an error. 

Angelo Baez was brought in at the start of the eighth inning to close out the game for Worcester. He would do just that, throwing two scoreless innings to preserve a 6-5 victory for the Bravehearts. 

Christopher Macca got the win for the Bravehearts, while Scott Creedon took the loss for the Rox. 

The win moves the Bravehearts to 5-5 overall this season. The Bravehearts’ next game will be this Saturday against the Pittsfield Suns, and their next home game will be Monday, June 17 against the Westfield Starfires.