Box Score

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (July 26, 2024) – Down 8-1 through two and a half innings, a six-run sixth frame, punctuated by a league-leading seventh home run from Washington State University’s Trey Cruz, propelled the Westfield Starfires to a 9-8 win over the Futures League Road Warriors at the Richards Jewelers Diamond at Billy Bullens Field on Friday, July 26.

Westfield is now 28-19-1, good for 57 points; the victory clinches the franchise’s first-ever season with at least a .500 points percentage. It also maintains the team in second-place in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League standings, three points back of the Norwich Sea Unicorns.

The Road Warriors pounced early with three straight singles for a 1-0 lead as Liam Foley, Rowan Masse, and Carter Bentley all collected hits; a wild pitch during Jake Fitzgibbons’ plate appearance scored Masse before the Road Warrior first baseman walked. Adam Regan was then hit by a pitch, and Tommy Goonan walked to push Bentley home.

Down 3-0 before they even could pick up a bat, the Starfires tried to push a run across, as Central Connecticut State University’s Gianno Merlonghi beat out an infield hit and gained second on an errant throw. He stole third, but was stranded there.

The game went from bad to worse in the second, with two more runs scoring on three hits and a walk; Regan drove in Masse after Foley scored on a wild pitch.

Westfield did break the shutout in the inning; Central Connecticut’s Aidan Redahan singled up the middle, and then reached second when a grounder by Boston College’s Julio Solier was mishandled. The duo both advanced on a wild pitch, and then Clark University’s Ryan Caulfield hit a fly to right that allowed Redahan to tag and score.

The Road Warriors continued to pile on; Masse smacked an RBI single before Bentley drilled a two-run triple off the center field wall, giving the visiting side an 8-1 edge. Although Westfield countered with a run in the third, thanks to a double by Quinnipiac University’s Kyle Garbowski followed by a Cruz sacrifice fly, the deficit seemed nearly insurmountable.

Chris Suter was called upon in the fourth to pitch, and the Union College product stabilized the game for the Starfires, sitting the Road Warriors down in order in that frame and the fifth, and only allowing a single runner in the sixth as well.

It was in the sixth that the latest installment of Bullens Magic took place.

American International College’s Josh Frometa led off by working a four-pitch walk and Redahan was hit by the next pitch, putting two on. Caulfield hit a sinking liner to center to pack the bases. University of Louisiana-Lafayette rookie Blaine Lucas hit a deep fly to center, allowing Frometa to score, although it also was the second out.

Garbowski fouled off five straight pitches before smacking a liner to right and driving in Redahan; Merlonghi singled to left two tosses later to score Caulfield and bring Cruz to the plate as the tying run.

The Pearl River, New York native was ready for the moment, bashing a 1-0 pitch off the Bullens Field scoreboard in left and tying the game 8-8.

Both teams were retired in order in the seventh, and in the eighth, the Road Warriors threatened as Brett Baker walked; Foley hit a sacrifice bunt to push him into scoring position. Masse took aim at the first pitch he saw and caught the ball with the barrel of the bat, but the line shot landed in the glove of a diving Frometa, stealing away a sure RBI double and allowing Westfield to escape the threat.

The Road Warriors had no such luck. Caulfield worked a leadoff walk and stole second. With the hit-and-run on, Garbowski bounced the ball to second. It just eluded both middle infielders, allowing Caulfield to come home to give the Starfires a 9-8 lead.

Suddenly on the right side of a save situation, Camden Thomas came into the game on the mound. The Keene State University lefty drew a groundout before striking out the final two batters to put away the game and the win.

Salem State University sophomore Cam Fisher, who made his Westfield debut in the game, earned the win by pitching a scoreless eighth frame prior to Garbowski’s go-ahead single in the home half.

Central Connecticut State’s Jackson Haker, who came in as a defensive replacement for his former AIC teammate Frometa in the ninth, made his 75th appearance in a Starfires uniform, including postseason play; that moves him into a tie for third-most all-time in franchise history with Devin Kellogg, who was part of the first two Westfield teams in 2019-20. He trails only Dan Burnett’s 90 from 2022-23 and Danny Crossen’s 81 games in 2019-20.

The Starfires hit the road to New Britain, Connecticut for a pair against the Bees on Saturday, July 27 before heading to Forest Park the following day for the Starfires Summer Classic, presented by MGM Springfield. First pitch on Saturday is set for 4:30 p.m., while Sunday is slated for 4:00 p.m., with Starfires players hosting a free youth baseball clinic at the field beginning at 2:00 p.m.