Bravehearts

New Britain, CT – The first-place Worcester Bravehearts eked out a 4-3 win over the Bees at New Britain Stadium Saturday night.
 
The win is the second straight for Worcester, and their ninth over their last 10. 
 
With the game tied 3-3 heading into the ninth, the Bravehearts began the game-winning rally. After Joseph Pesce (NYIT) led off with a single, Nick Martin (Westfield State) reached on a fielder’s choice. Martin stole second, then scored on a Danny Torres (St. Leo) RBI single, giving Worcester a 4-3 lead they would not surrender.
 
Bravehearts starting pitcher Angelo Baez (St. Thomas Aquinas) struck out six batters in five innings of two-run ball. In doing so, Baez surpassed teammate Jakob Barker’s club strikeout record, with a total of 107 punchouts across Baez’s Bravehearts career. 
 
New Britain took an early lead in the bottom of the first. A leadoff walk by Danniel Rivera was followed up by an error, allowing Rivera to reach third and Mike Caruso to reach first. An RBI single by Griffin Arnone scored Rivera, making the score 1-0. 
 
The Bravehearts took the lead in the top of the fifth. Trevor Johnson (Dartmouth) drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a hit-and-run single by Martin. Torres legged out a fielder’s choice, allowing Johnson to score. After Torres stole second, he scored when Ben Rice (Dartmouth) singled him home. A single by EJ Exposito (NYIT) along with an error scored Rice, giving the Bravehearts a 3-1 lead.
 
New Britain cut the lead to one in the fifth when Rivera doubled home Matthew Bertochi, and tied things up in the bottom of the eighth on a Ryan Bagdasarian RBI single that scored Arnone before Worcester took the lead in the ninth. 
 
Carson Hauben (Rollins) earned the win for Worcester, pitching 0.2 scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner. Macguire O’Sullivan took the loss for New Britain, giving up an earned run on two hits while striking out one. The save went to Jakob Barker (Valdosta). He pitched a scoreless ninth inning while striking out two. Those two strikeouts give him a career total of 107, making him and Baez co-leaders for all-time Bravehearts strikeouts. 
 
The Bravehearts return to Doyle Field Sunday to play the Brockton Rox. First pitch is set for 4:00.