Box Score

BROCKTON, Massachusetts (June 13, 2023) – The Westfield Starfires woke up early, and so did their bats, as the team bashed its way to an 11-1 run-rule victory over the Brockton Rox in Futures Collegiate Baseball League action on Tuesday, June 13.

Westfield is now 10-9 on the season.

The Starfires wasted no time hanging a crooked number on the scoreboard, as Corey Zientek worked a leadoff walk and stole second, coming in to score when Jay Bant singled to center field. Two batters later, Nick Serce singled; two batters after that, Ryan Molinari smacked an RBI base hit. Dan Burnett followed, and the Westfield State University infielder made it 4-0 with a two-run hit.

Brockton picked up a run in the bottom half, loading the bases with one out, but Mike Furgalack shut the threat down from there, and cruised the rest of the way, ultimately fanning six over 4.2 innings.

Meanwhile, the Westfield offense continued to pile on. Kobe Mentzer singled to lead off the second, and Zientek came through with a long shot to left to add two more to the Starfires total. In the third, Serce was hit by a pitch, and then Molinari and Burnett hit back-to-back doubles, the latter adding another two runs to the tally for an 8-1 lead.

Another pair came home in the fifth, as J.D. Jones and Molinari walked back-to-back; an error allowed Jones to score, and Molinari swiped home on a double steal for a 10-1 advantage.

The final run came with one swing of the bat in the sixth, as Serce blasted a solo home run to right for an 11-1 lead. Westfield native Jake Jachym and Florence native Nate Kelleher-Mochak, the latter out of Springfield College, combined for 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to close out the run-rule seven-frame victory.

The Starfires head north to Holman Stadium on Wednesday, June 14 to take on the Nashua Silver Knights at 6:00 p.m.