Bravehearts

Worcester, MA – The Worcester Bravehearts split Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Westfield Starfires at Fitton Field. Worcester now stands at 22-31 while Westfield moves to 25-28.

Game One

The Bravehearts took the first game of the doubleheader 8-3. 

Westfield got the scoring started in the bottom of the second. A two-out RBI single by Ryan Lavelle (Franklin Pierce) would score Ryan Molinari (Wesleyan) and give the Starfires a 1-0 lead. Westfield added another run in the third when Luca Giallongo (New England College) scored on a single by Daniel Burnett (Hartford). 

The Bravehearts stormed back in the fifth. A two-run single by David Pedanou (Dayton) tied the game, scoring Cam Seymour (Southern Maine) and Jake Marquez (Maine). A groundout by Kosta Drosidis (Anna Maria) allowed Sal Grinstead (Palm Beach State) to come in. Gavin Noriega (Marist) drove in Pedanou and Cam Caraher (Southern New Hampshire) with a two-run double. Seymour capped off the inning with a two-run home run that also scored Noriega. 

The Starfires scored another run in the bottom of the sixth when Lavelle drove in Molinari on a sacrifice fly.

‘Hearts starter Jack Sefrino (Salem State) earned the win, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work on six hits and three walks, striking out one. Westfield’s Alex Rosario (Middlebury) took the loss. In 4.2 innings, Rosario gave up six earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one.

Game Two

Late-game heroics put Westfield on top 4-3 in the second game. 

A first-inning, two-out RBI single by Westfield’s Gunnar Johnson (Woffard) scored Brian Norsen (St. John Fisher) gave Westfield another early lead. The Starfires tacked on another run in the top of the third with an RBI double by Nathan Lincoln (Marist) brought home Brendan Jones (Holy Cross). 

Worcester tied the game in the fourth. An RBI single by Andrew Chronister (Shippensberg) scored Drosidis, which was followed up by an error that allowed Lewis Barnum (Bryant) to score.

The game remained knotted up until the top of the seventh, when a two-run home run by Jones put Westfield back in the lead, also bringing home Jack Wentworth (Seton Hall). The ‘Hearts cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a Mark Darakjy (Northeastern) RBI single that scored Brandon Grover (Salve Regina), but that would be all the scoring Worcester could muster, with Westfield holding on 4-3. 

The win went to Westfield reliever Tim Krol (New England College). He threw two shutout innings, giving up two hits while striking out three. Thomas Kierce (UMass Boston) took the loss for the Bravehearts, giving up two earned runs on one hit and three walks in 1.2 innings, striking out two. Zach Nichols (Wheaton) tossed a scoreless seventh to record the save. 

The Bravehearts return to Fitton Field Thursday morning for a 10:30 a.m. meeting with the New Britain Bees.