Box Score

WESTFIELD, Massachusetts (June 11, 2024) – After four road games in three days, the Westfield Starfires returned to the Richards Jewelers Diamond at Billy Bullens Field and handily defeated the Brockton Rox 10-4 in a Futures Collegiate Baseball League matchup on Tuesday, June 11.

The Starfires now sit at 7-5 on the season.

Westfield jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first as Boston College rookie Colin Larson was hit by a pitch. He advanced to second on a groundout and scored when Central Connecticut State University’s Gianno Merlonghi smacked a single to right.

In the third, it was the Rox taking advantage of a leadoff hit batsman to tie the game as Chris Walsh was plunked. Jordan Thomas then walked, and a steal attempt by Walsh went sour for the Starfires as the throw to third went awry. Thomas himself eventually scored on a sacrifice fly, putting Brockton up 2-1.

The Starfires answered. Millersville University’s Sam Morris and Central Connecticut’s Aidan Redahan both reached, with the former walking and the latter singling, putting Merlonghi back to the dish. He delivered, blasting the ball off the wall just to the right of center for a two-run triple and flipping the advantage back to the Starfires.

The run trade happened again in the sixth; Connor Campbell reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced multiple bases on errors to come home, but in the bottom half, Washington State University’s Trey Cruz led off by crushing the second pitch of the frame over the right field wall to restore the lead.

The seventh kept the offense going. Braxton Templin hit a one-out single to right for the Rox and Brendan Sencaj was hit by a pitch to put two on. Ben Rose then hit a liner to left, with Templin scoring, but Merlonghi came through with a fantastic throw home to cut Sencaj down and keep the game tied 4-4. He then gave Westfield back the lead by walking, stealing second, and scoring on a double by Jayden Novak of the College of Charleston. Novak himself came in later that inning when pinch hitter Anthony Zollo of Iona College hit a sacrifice fly.

Four more came home for the Starfires in the eighth to put the game away. Larson singled, as did fellow Boston College rising freshman Ben Williams. Redahan doubled to bring in Larson, and Merlonghi reached on an infield hit to load the bags. Novak hit a sacrifice fly, and Cruz roped a two-run single to center for the 10-4 lead and eventual final score.

The win belonged to Ty Longoria for Westfield. The incoming rookie for Saint John’s University tossed the final 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits but fanning seven. Alex Grant, a rising freshman at Vanderbilt University, was more steady in his second start, going 4.0 innings and allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts; the middle 1.2 innings were pitched by Brendan Grady of Trinity College; he surrendered an unearned run on two hits among the nine he faced.

The Starfires have a quick turnaround, as they host the Worcester Bravehearts on Wednesday, June 12 at 10:30 a.m.

Tickets for all home Starfires games are available at westfieldstarfires.com.