Box Score

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (August 3, 2024) – “Can I say it? IMMORTAL!”

So was the call of Westfield Starfires broadcaster Andrew Sood, summing up the feeling of nearly everyone at Bullens Field after College of Charleston rookie Jayden Novak launched a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth in Game 1 of the FCBL Semifinal, propelling the hometown side to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series over the New Britain Bees with an 8-5 victory.

The Starfires trailed 5-4 going into the ninth thanks to a disastrous fifth inning where five walks, a hit batter, and just two hits combined for four runs for the Bees, turning a 4-0 lead into a 4-4 tie, and then an unearned run followed in the sixth to give the Bees the lead. Westfield managed just two hits the next three frames, both on broken bat singles, and seemed to be defeated.

However, Central Connecticut State University’s Aidan Redahan battled back from a 1-2 count to single to center, and Stonehill College’s Taylor Gaspar followed with a hit through the middle that put runners at the corners. Redahan’s college teammate, Danny Hussey, worked a walk to pack the bases for Novak.

The freshman had struck out twice in the game already, and quickly fell behind 0-2 with two heavy swings that were off-balance, but on his third swing, the magic happened. He timed up a curveball and got all of it, sending it down the left-field line. It stayed inside the foul pole and cleared the 10-foot fence above the 322-foot marker for a walk-off grand slam.

“I’ve maybe hit two grand slams in my whole life, this is crazy, and for it to be a walk off is even better,” Novak said in a postgame interview, adding, “I thought I was going to black out.”

Westfield had a 2-0 lead after one as Gaspar reached on a two-out error. Hussey then singled and with Gaspar hustling, he drew a throw to third that allowed Hussey to reach second. Novak then singled to right, bringing both in.

Gaspar and Hussey then thrilled the crowd in the third, launching back-to-back home runs to lead off for the 4-0 lead.

Gregory Strite of Wheaton College had a strong showing in relief, allowing one unearned run on one hit with one walk in 3.1 innings; the win went to Keene State University sophomore Camden Thomas, who threw a shutout ninth frame to set up Novak’s heroics.

The teams will play Game 2 of the series on Tuesday, August 6 at 6:00 p.m. at New Britain Stadium.