Bravehearts

Brockton, MA—   The Worcester Bravehearts were swept in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Brockton Rox at Campanelli Stadium by scores of 2-1 and 4-1. 

In the first game, the Bravehearts rallied late to tie things up. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh, Randy Flores (Franklin Pierce) pinch-ran for Shrewsbury native Christian Siciliano (Southern Maine), who had doubled. Flores would score on an error, tying the game 1-1. 

The Rox would prevail in extras. In the bottom of the eighth, Connor Bertsch (Dartmouth) led off with a walk. Jacob Studley (Wheaton) pinch-ran for Bertsch, moving to second on an Aidan Harrington (Boston College) single. A Tommy Lapham (Babson) walk loaded the bases, and a wild pitch brought Studley home to win the game.  

The win went to the Rox’s Avery Mabe (Virginia), who pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball, giving up one hit and striking out two. Andrew Ruggiero (Maine) took the loss for Worcester, giving up an earned run on three hits and two walks across 1.1 innings, striking out one. 

Brockton took an early lead in game two, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by an Erick Ramirez (UMass Dartmouth) two-run double. It would be all the scoring they would need. The Bravehearts’ sole run came in the top of the sixth, when Michael Perales (Amherst) scored on a passed ball.

The game two winner was Brockton’s Dillon Ryan (UMass Boston). He pitched five shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out nine. Bravehearts pitcher Aaron Dona (St. Thomas Aquinas) took the loss, giving up four runs, two earned, on two hits and three walks while striking out two. The save went to Juaron Watts-Brown (Long Beach State), who threw a scoreless seventh inning. 

The Bravehearts return to Fitton Field Wednesday to face the Vermont Lake Monsters for a 6:35 first pitch.