Box Score

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (June 6, 2023) – Home for the first time in seven games, the Westfield Starfires made the most of their return to the Richards Jewelers Diamond at Billy Bullens Field, as the trio of Mike Furgalack, Troy Donahue, and Luke Stephens combined to one-hit the New Britain Bees in a 7-0 win on Tuesday, June 6.

Westfield improves to 7-6 on the season in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

After a quick first inning, the Starfires posted the game’s first run with one swing of the bat. Southwick native and Westfield State University first baseman Dan Burnett cracked his second home run of the season, crushing a 3-1 pitch over the left-field fence to give Westfield a 1-0 lead.

One frame later, another local college star came through. Jack Kent and Corey Zientek walked, bookending a single by Kiernan Caffrey, loading the bases for American International College’s Jackson Haker. He narrowly missed a grand slam on a line drive that was just foul down the left-field line, but scorched the following pitch into the right-center field gap for a bases-clearing double and a 4-0 advantage.

The last scoring for the game came on another big hit, this time in the fifth. After Zientek and Haker worked back-to-back walks to lead off, Alfred State University’s Nick Serce blasted an 0-1 pitch to center field, easily clearing the fence for a three-run shot, his first for Westfield, putting the game out of reach.

Then again, the game was out of reach from the Burnett home run thanks to the Starfires’ arms. Mike Furgalack, from Eastern Connecticut State University, was Westfield’s starter, and he twirled five strong innings, allowing just a single in the fifth. Behind him, Wilbraham native and Western New England University reliever Troy Donahue fanned a pair in three no-hit innings, and a 1-2-3 ninth from Luke Stephens of Saint Joseph’s College closed out the one-hit shutout win.

The combined one-hitter is the fewest hits allowed for the Starfires in a nine-inning game in franchise history, and the first time the team has allowed one hit or fewer in a game since Shayne Audet one-hit the Nashua Silver Knights in a 3-0 seven-inning win on July 19, 2022. The only time the Starfires allowed fewer hits was on August 13, 2021 when Roland Thivierge no-hit the Norwich Sea Unicorns in a 10-0 game that ended after seven via the FCBL’s run rule.

The Starfires will return to action on Wednesday, June 7 at 10:30 a.m. when the Pittsfield Suns make the trip east on I-90 to the Whip City.