Box Score
WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (July 14, 2023) – In a back-and-forth battle, Luke Yuhasz landed two of the biggest hits and Nick Serce delivered the knockout blow with his franchise-record 10th home run of the season as the Westfield Starfires defeated the Brockton Rox 8-5 in front of 1104 fans on Military Appreciation Night at the Richards Jewelers Diamond at Billy Bullens Field.
Westfield is now 21-22 on the campaign.
The Rox loaded up the bases in the first with nobody out, but only managed a single run on a sacrifice fly by Ryan MacDougall. A leadoff single and two wild pitches in the second allowed them to double the lead when Cam Dayton laced a base hit to center to push in Jack Obert.
In the third, the Starfires pulled back within one on the strength of their duo from American International College. Josh Frometa singled, and advanced on back-to-back wild pitches. He easily scored when Kiernan Caffrey bounced the ball over the right field fence on a hop for a ground rule double.
Two frames later, Frometa led off again, this time working a walk. Caffrey then singled, putting the pair on for Yuhasz. He took a cut at a 1-0 pitch and found the ball with the sweet spot of his bat, hitting a screaming liner over the left-center fence and flipping the lead to Westfield, 4-2.
Now Brockton needed a counterpunch, and the Rox found one in an odd fashion. Ozzie Fleischer reached on catcher’s interference, and came around to score after Brockton loaded the bases and Luke Bauer walked. Again, the one was all Brockton pushed across, and the Starfires held onto the lead.
In the eighth, however, the Rox rallied. With two outs, Ryan Gerety and Daniel MacDougal singled, and Justin Bosland was hit by an 0-2 pitch. Bauer and Ryan MacDougall both notched base hits, putting Brockton up 6-5.
With just six outs left, the Starfires went to work. Frometa led off once again, and worked his way on via being hit by a pitch. Jake Risedorf was sent to pinch hit, and he earned a walk, as did Caffrey, loading the bases for Yuhasz. He came up big again, lining a 2-2 pitch to left to score Frometa and Risedorf.
After a double steal ended with Caffrey put out at home, Serce locked in. On a 2-1 pitch, he hit a no-doubt shot to right field, putting Westfield ahead 8-5 with his league-best 10th of the season, breaking the tie he had with the recently-drafted Jackson Hornung for the most in franchise history.
Ryan Robb stepped onto the mound in the ninth, and earned the save with ease, striking out a pair in a perfect inning of work, including catching Dayton looking to end the game.
Kevin Zarnoch Jr. ended with no decision, but his five innings of work with two earned runs on six hits and six strikeouts garnered him FCBL pitcher of the night; Joe Fischer worked two scoreless frames, and Joe Espinola allowed two runs but struck out a pair and ultimately garnered the win.
Westfield’s next three are slated to be on the road, with a doubleheader Saturday, July 15 at Pittsfield and a single game Sunday, July 16 at Worcester; the team returns home Tuesday, July 18 against the Nashua Silver Knights at 6:30 p.m.
LIVE
Stay Connected