Bravehearts

‘Hearts Walk Off Against Westfield

Four-run ninth sends Worcester to 10-9 win

Worcester, MA – The Worcester Bravehearts won in walk-off fashion 10-9 Friday night against the Westfield Starfires at Fitton Field.

A walk-off sacrifice fly by Matty Warren (Palm Beach Atlantic) that scored Micah Dean (Kansas State) capped off a four-run ninth inning as Worcester erased a 9-6 deficit in the final frame. 

The win moves the Bravehearts to a 5-2 start while Westfield slips to 5-5.

Worcester got on the board in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly by Marc Willi (Michigan) that scored Tyler Bastunas (Drury). 

After Westfield scored twice in the top of the second, the ‘Hearts responded with two runs of their own to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. 

Andrew Chronister (Shippensburg) drove in Matt Milone (SUNY Maritime) with an RBI. KB Peralta (Marshall) grounded into a fielder’s choice that allowed Warren to cross the plate. 

The Starfires retook the lead with a six-run third inning. Kiernan Caffrey (American Int’l) scored on an error. Josh Frometa then came across on a Jay Bant (Monmouth) double. Bant and Jackson Haker (American Int’l) were then driven in on a two-run single by Corey Zientak (Scranton). Frankie Ferrentino (Merrimack) hit an RBI single to score Zientak, and Ferrentino reached home on an Aaron Cole (Western New England) single. 

In the bottom of the third, Vincent Eramo (Fitchburg State) cut the deficit to 8-4 with a solo home run. 

After Westfield took a 9-4 lead in the fifth, Kobe Stenson (Siena) hit a two-run homer of his own in the seventh, also scoring Antonio Morales (Wake Forest) to make it 9-6. 

Morales led off the bottom of the ninth with an infield single, which was followed by a Bastunas single. Stenson drove both in with a double that cut the score to 9-8. Stenson then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, setting up Warren to win the game. 

‘Hearts reliever Dennis Colleran (Northeastern) got the win, tossing a scoreless ninth inning, striking out one. The loss went to Westfield’s Luke Stephens (St. Joseph’s [ME]), who allowed four earned runs in one-third of an inning on five hits. 

The Bravehearts are on the road Saturday against the Pittsfield Suns. First pitch from Wahconah Park is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.