Box Score

NEW BRITAIN, Connecticut (August 6, 2024) – On its own, Westfield native Jake Jachym’s historic outing was incredible. On the stage where he delivered the performance, it became iconic.

The Keene State University junior’s eight shutout innings propelled the Westfield Starfires past the New Britain Bees, 4-0, and into the Futures Collegiate Baseball League Championship Series for the first time in franchise history as the Starfires completed a two-game sweep of the FCBL Semifinal on Tuesday, August 6.

After the Starfires left the bases loaded in the first, Jachym countered a leadoff single by inducing a 4-6-3 double play; he then sat the side down in order in the second and third as well, facing the minimum through three.

In the fourth, Westfield’s offense broke through. Hofstra University’s Luke Masiuk fouled off four straight pitches in a 10-pitch at-bat, winning the battle with a single to center. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. It proved costly, as Central Connecticut State University’s Aidan Redahan singled to knock Masiuk home.

Bryant University’s Cameron Papetti worked a walk before Redahan’s collegiate teammate Jackson Haker singled to pack the bags. Two batters later, Quinnipiac University’s Kyle Garbowski got the barrel of the bat to the ball and knocked a two-run single to center.

New Britain led off its half of the fourth with a walk and a single, but Jachym calmly dispatched Gabriel Tirado with a strikeout and then induced a lineout by Kyle Carlson right to Boston College’s Julio Solier; the second baseman caught the ball and tagged the middle base for a rally-snuffing double play.

Norwich hardly threatened again against the lefty; Tirado did double in the seventh, but Jachym drew two pop outs and a groundout to silence the threat, and was given more insurance in the eighth when Redahan doubled to lead off and scored on a Haker single.

He finished his outing with a final 1-2-3 frame, striking out Justin Hackett looking with an inside curveball on his 95th pitch of the afternoon.

In the ninth, Jachym’s college teammate Camden Thomas was called on to shut the door, and though he conceded a walk, he allowed no more, drawing a grounder to Redahan for the final out of the game and the series.

Jachym, who allowed four hits and one walk against six strikeouts in a career-best eight-inning display, earned his sixth win of the season and eighth of his Westfield career, both franchise records.

The Starfires now await the winner of the other FCBL Semifinal series between the Norwich Sea Unicorns and the Vermont Lake Monsters. If Vermont wins the second game of its series and completes the sweep, Game 1 of the FCBL Championship will be on Wednesday, August 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Bullens Field.

Should the Lake Monsters fall and a third game at Norwich be necessary, Game 1 of the FCBL Championship would then be Thursday, August 8, at Dodd Stadium if the Sea Unicorns prevail and at Bullens Field should the Lake Monsters claim the series.