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LeFrancois lifts Bravehearts to walk-off win over Starfires

  • Posted by Local sports July 22, 2024 - Filed in Sports - #Worcester Bravehearts  #Futures League  #Fitton Field  - 1,413 views

    WORCESTER — Max LeFrancois (Assumption), grounded a walk-off single to centerfield, lifting the Worcester Bravehearts to an 8-7 walk-off win over the Westfield Starfires at Fitton Field Sunday. The Worcester native’s game-winning knock helped the Bravehearts stave off a late Starfire comeback, and snapped the ’Hearts’ 5-game losing streak.

    After Westfield manager Paul Bonfiglio was ejected 5 pitches into the game for arguing a check swing call, Worcester’s Nik Pavia (Franklin Pierce) and Westfield’s Jake Jachym each fired 3 scoreless innings to start the game. After Pavia held the Starfires scoreless in the top of the fourth inning, the ’Hearts struck first when Max D’Alessandro (Towson) legged out an infield single and Jackson Marshall (Southern New Hampshire) clubbed a 2-run home run, his first of the season, to left field. Marshall will represent the Bravehearts in the 2024 Futures League Home Run Derby at Norwich’s Dodd Stadium Monday.

    Westfield responded in the fifth, scoring twice to tie the game at 2, but Worcester re-opened its 2-run advantage in the bottom of the fifth, taking a 4-2 lead after Dylan LaPointe (FAU) and D’Alessandro knocked RBI singles. Again, Westfield responded tying the game on a Luke Masiuk homer against Pavia in the 6th and a Josh Frometa RBI single against Brandon La Mazza (Southern Connecticut) in the seventh.

    In the bottom of the seventh, Worcester launched its longest rally of the game, jumping ahead when LaPointe scored on D’Alessandro’s go-ahead double. The Bravehearts tacked on, expanding the lead to 7-4 after Marshall lined a run-scoring single to left and LeFrancois singled home D’Alessandro with an infield hit to shortstop.

    In the eighth, Westfield scored twice against ’Hearts reliever Alex Erickson (Union), drawing within a run on Gianno Merlonghi’s run-scoring groundout and Sam Morris’ RBI double to right. Worcester manager Alex Dion called upon Joe Mulhern (Wheaton) to get the final out of the eighth.

    The right-hander induced a bases-loaded flout to keep the lead in tact. After failing to score in the bottom of the eighth, Worcester entered the top of the ninth holding a 7-6 lead, but Westfield again completed the comeback to tie the game. After 2 Bravehearts errors put a Starfires runner on third base with 1 out, Worcester Academy graduated Cam Papetti of Westfield grounded a game-tying single off third base.

    In the bottom of the ninth, Worcester didn’t record an out, loading the bases when D’Alessandro was hit by a pitch, Marshall walked, and Wyatt Hoffman (Wingate) clubbed a line-drive single, setting the stage for LeFrancois to deliver the walk-off knock, which snapped a season-long 5-game skid for ’Hearts.

    After a 2-day all-star break, Worcester returns home to take on the Brockton Rox on Wednesday, July 24th. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Fitton Field.

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