Bravehearts

Worcester, MA - The Navigators came into Hanover Insurance Park for two seven-inning games against the Bravehearts. 

 The Bravehearts started off game one red hot. Back-to-back hits by Mariano Ricciardi and John Thrasher put runners at the corners with no outs. A sac-fly by Jakob Sessa scored the first Worcester run. Singles by Mack Cheli and Tyler Becker loaded the bases with one out. Another sac fly, this time by Ben McNeil brought in another run. Paul Coumoulos ripped a two-run double to increase the lead to four. 

Another run was added in the third. Becker led off the inning with a single and advanced to third after a McNeil single, and a Coumoulos ground out. Riley Livingston hit a sac-fly to bring in Becker. 

North Shore added their first run in the fourth inning. Dominic Freeburger walked and advanced to second on a ground out. After a steal of third base, he scored on a sac-fly from Kade Kretzchmar. 

More Insurance runs were added in the sixth for Worcester, after a Livingston single, Ricciardi walk and Thrasher single. Sessa came up with the bases loaded and walked to make the score 6-1.

Worcester starter Shawn Babineau got the win in game one going six innings allowing only one run on one hit while striking out five.

In game two it was Worcester who once again got on the board early. Mariano Ricciardi doubled and pinch-hitter Nick Martin drove him in with an RBI single in the third inning. 

The Navigators answered in the next inning. After Logan Bravo reached second on multiple errors, Andrew Olszak singled him in to tie the game. Later in the inning, Worcester took the lead again. Becker singled and stole second, then scored on a Joseph Pesce single. 

Four runs were scored by North Shore in the fifth inning. Reliever Cole Chudoba walked Sean Lawlor and Bravo back-to-back, followed by an error by Ben McNeil allowing Kade Kretzchmar to reach. Andrew Olszak doubled home Lawlor and Bravo to give the Navigators the lead. Colin Macko’s two-run single put two more runs on the board scoring Kretzchmar and Olszak. 

Worcester got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run by Ben McNeil, but North Shore continued their scoring in the top of the sixth. Freeburger walked with one out and Lawlor singled. An error by McNeil at third base allowed Freeburger to score. Kretzchmar scored to bring home Lawlor to make the score 7-3. 

North Shore grabbed two more in the seventh inning. Watson led off with a walk followed by a Colin Wettereau double gave the Navs their eighth run of the night. Lawlor singled him home to make the score 9-3. The game would stay that way as North Shore took game two.  

Worcester will return home tomorrow night to take on the Westfield Starfires on Ghostbusters night in which Worcester will be wearing alternate Ghostbuster jerseys. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm.