Matos paces Bravehearts against Road Warriors

  • Wheaton outfielder knocks 3 hits in second straight win

    WORCESTER — A 3-hit effort from Lawrence native Kevin Matos (Wheaton) led the Worcester Bravehearts’ offense in a 7-3 win over the Futures League Road Warriors at Fitton Field Saturday.

    The win marked the second in a row for Worcester (6-6), which pulls into a tie for fourth place in the eight-team Futures League.

    The visiting Warriors struck first when Worcester starter Nik Pavia (Franklin Pierce) walked in a first-inning run. But the Bravehearts tied the game in the second when Dylan LaPointe (FAU) cranked a leadoff triple off the right field wall then scored on a Timmy Wagner (Wheaton) sacrifice fly.

    In the third inning, the Warriors jumped back on top, 2-1, before Charlton’s Joey Rubin (Alabama) scored on an error to tie the game. The ’Hearts took the lead in the fifth when Cody Smith (Assumption) drove home CJ Egrie (Holy Cross) with a ground ball and LaPointe drove him in with a single.

    The Road Warriors drew within a run after Rowan Masse’s RBI sixth-inning single, but Worcester launched a 3-run rally in the seventh highlighted by bases-loaded walks to Egrie and Milone and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch of Rubin.

    After Pavia (4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO) left the game, Shrewsbury’s Ben Griffith (Binghamton), Dedham’s Michael O’Brien (Tufts) and Nick Coniglio (Northeastern) combined to allow 1 run in 4 innings of relief. Bolton’s James Borsari (Merrimack) shut the door with a scoreless ninth inning.

    Griffith (1-0) earned the win for the Bravehearts, while Road Warriors right-hander Finn Doherty (1-1) took the loss.

    The Bravehearts continue their 5-game home stand Sunday when they take on the Nashua Silver Knights (3-8) in a doubleheader. A pair of 7-inning contests is set for 2 and 4 p.m.

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