Bravehearts

Nashua, NH –Nashua’s Patrick Harrington and Worcester’s Cole Chudoba traded scoreless innings through the first five frames, but Nashua’s bats eventually backed the pitching as the Silver Knights beat the Bravehearts 5-4 Friday night.

The Assumption College teammates were lights out early on and combined to strike out nine batters, and both pitchers allowed four hits and walked two. Harrington was replaced after five innings, but with two 1-2-3 innings under his belt, Chudoba went back out for the sixth. However, that is when the Nashua (18-19) offense started to come around.

Noah Lucier was hit by a pitch and advanced to second to a wild pitch. With one out, Kyle Sandstrom singled to set runners up on the corners, and Phoenix Hernandez brought Lucier home on a squeeze bunt up the first base line. That marked the end of the day for Chudoba but not the end of the scoring for Nashua.

Travis Owens replaced on the mound and immediately walked Jared Dupere to load the bases. A fielder’s choice scored a run as Worcester could not turn a double play. Another walk loaded the bases and another brought in a run. All three runs were charged to Chudoba.

Hernandez brought another runner home on a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Jack Arend’s RBI-single in the eighth gave Nashua insurance they would end up needing.

Worcester (18-18) certainly made things interesting in ninth inning. A Ben Rice two-run home run and a Chris Rinaldi two-run triple pulled Worcester to within just one run. With Rinaldi at third, Paul Coumoulos hit a deep fly ball to right, but Sandstrom tracked it down shy of the fence to make the play.

Nashua beat Worcester Thursday night as well by a score of 7-3. Since being no-hit by the Bravehearts on May 30, the Silver Knights are 3-1 against the ‘Hearts.

Worcester wraps up the first half of the season tomorrow with a doubleheader at Brockton. The Bravehearts will be off Sunday through Wednesday to account for the All-Star break.