Local sports (Sponsor: Worcester Bravehearts)

Bravehearts storm back, top New Britain on walk-off

  • Posted by Local sports (Sponsor: Worcester Bravehearts) May 31 - Filed in Business - #Worcester Bravehearts  #Futures League  #Fitton Field  - 247 views

    FAU’s LaPointe delivers game-winning hit to snap 4-game losing streak


    Worcester Bravehearts

    WORCESTER – Dylan LaPointe’s walk-off RBI single capped a 7-run comeback that lifted the Worcester Bravehearts to a skid-snapping 7-6 win over the New Britain Bees Thursday night at Fitton Field.

    The game-winning hit came in the Bravehearts debut for LaPointe, a Florida native who attends Florida Atlantic University.

    New Britain jumped on Worcester starter Ray McMaught (Quinnipiac) for 3 runs in the third inning, and the Bees extended their lead to 6-0 by the top of the seventh. Meanwhile, pitchers Matthew Salmon (Lander) and Will O’Connor (Franklin & Marshall) held the Bravehearts’s offense scoreless.

    In the bottom of the seventh, Worcester rallied, drawing closer when Nathan Samii (Middlebury) knocked an RBI single, Michael Brown (Hofstra) scored on a wild pitch and Matt Milone (SUNY Maritime) drilled a 2-run home run to left field.

    After Michael O’Brien (Tufts) tossed a scoreless top of the eighth, the Bravehearts narrowed the Bees’ lead to 1 run when Kevin Matos (Wheaton) tripled on a fly ball to left field and Tyler McCord (Amherst) drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

    In the ninth, Worcester’s Owen Pincince (New Haven) pitched a 1-2-3 inning in his first pitching appearance of the season, and the Bravehearts entered the bottom of the ninth trailing 6-5.

    Leading off the bottom half, Bravehearts center fielder Cody Smith (Assumption) cracked a leadoff double off the right field wall, then moved to third when Joey Rubin (Alabama) reached on an error. Milone grounded a game-tying RBI single to left field before LaPointe stepped to the plate, 0-4 with 3 strikeouts in his Bravehearts debut.

    On the first pitch from New Britain right-hander Tanner Wall, LaPointe lofted a deep fly ball that landed on the left field warning track, scoring pinch runner CJ Egrie (Holy Cross) with the game-winning run.

    Pincince (1-0) earned the win for the Bravehearts, while Wall (0-1) took the loss. The Bravhearts continue a four-game home stand Friday against the Nashua Silver Knights. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

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