Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2

NEW BRITAIN, Connecticut (July 12, 2023) – The Westfield Starfires and New Britain Bees played to a true split of a two-game set on Wednesday, July 12, with each team winning a seven-inning, 3-2 result at New Britain Stadium.

Westfield is now 19-22 on the season with the split.

The Bees opened the scoring in the first game with a walk, double, and sacrifice fly in the second inning; Payten Wawruck’s fly to left pushed home Christian Scanlon to make it 1-0.

In the third, Westfield flipped the score, as Corey Zientek singled and stole two bases before Luke Yuhasz walked. Jackson Haker and Josh Frometa then came up with back-to-back RBI singles to left, giving the Starfires a 2-1 lead.

It did not last. Tyler Pettorini singled with two outs in the home half of the inning, and Jimmy Keenan followed with a home run, returning the Bees to a lead they did not relinquish.

Desperately needing a win, the Starfires started the second game with a bang, as Kiernan Caffrey rocketed a 3-2 pitch over the right field fence for a home run, his first as a Starfire, to lead off the contest.

In the fourth, Michael Breen led off with a single, and drew a bad throw as he tried to steal second, allowing him to take third. Caffrey hit a fly ball to center, and Breen tagged up to score. Another run came an inning later as Nick Serce doubled to right and came in on a Ben Robichaux single.

That run proved critical. The Bees broke the shutout in the bottom half with two singles and an RBI groundout, and got within one on a single, two wild pitches, and another RBI groundout. The hosts had the tying run at second and the winning run at first with one out, but Bryce DiPiero picked off Tanner Santos trying to swipe third, and drew a flyout by Gavin Greger to end the game.

Mike Furgalack threw six innings in the first game; he pitched well in the loss, striking out six and walking three with four hits. In the second matchup, Chris Suter went five frames, allowing a run on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts, and Jake Risedorf allowed a run on a hit and two walks before DiPiero came in to earn the save.

The two teams will close out the three-game set in Westfield on Thursday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Richards Jewelers Diamond at Billy Bullens Field.