Box Score

BURLINGTON, Vermont (August 1, 2024) – In the 2024 season’s final regular season road game, the Westfield Starfires did nearly everything right in a 12-2 blowout of the Vermont Lake Monsters, setting a new franchise wins record with the team’s 32nd victory and guaranteeing home-field advantage in the first round of the FCBL Playoffs for the first time ever as well.

At 32-20-1 for 65 points, the Starfires cannot finish worse than second place, ensuring that a potential winner-take-all Game 3 in the FCBL Semifinal would be played at Bullens Field.

Westfield’s scoring started in the third inning thanks to a leadoff walk by Boston College’s Julio Solier; the Springfield native stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Central Connecticut State University’s Gianno Merlonghi singled to right to drive him home. Kansas State University’s Chandler Murray then doubled, setting the table for a groundout to bring Merlonghi home.

Small ball became the theme of the night for Westfield thereafter; Hofstra University’s Luke Masiuk walked and stole second to lead off the fourth, and like Solier he swiped second before advancing on a groundout and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jackson Haker of Central Connecticut State University.

Three straight hits for the Lake Monsters loaded the bags in the bottom of the fourth, and though they did push one across, a sharp throw by Jayden Novak of the College of Charleston cut a runner down at second, limiting the damage.

In the fifth, it was more of the same; a Merlonghi leadoff single and then steal was followed by Murray walking and Novak being hit by a pitch; Stonehill College’s Taylor Gaspar then walked to push Merlonghi home.

Two frames later, the Starfires loaded the bases again with a Murray walk and a single by Washington State University’s Trey Cruz followed by Gaspar taking ball four. Masiuk then bounced a ball past the Vermont second baseman and American International College’s Josh Frometa flew out deep to right, with both bringing another run home.

The team had collected hits in the first seven frames, but the big ones came in the final two innings. Merlonghi and Cruz both doubled in the eighth, with the latter driving in the former, and in the ninth, with the bags packed full of Starfires thanks to walks by Franklin Pierce University’s Colin Hoffman and then Frometa around a Masiuk double, Haker lifted off, hammering a grand slam to left center. The team then put the cherry on top as Merlonghi was hit by a pitch and scored on a Cruz RBI single.

Vermont did score once in the ninth, but the run merely left the Starfires with a 10-run victory.

On the mound, Jordan Talbot of Norwich University was strong in four innings of one run work, allowing just five hits. Cam Fisher of Salem State University earned the win with three shutout innings, while Westfield State University’s Joe Fisher finished the game off.

The Starfires open the final weekend of play on Friday, August 2 at 6:30 p.m. against the Futures League Road Warriors. The game is the team’s Celtics Night; two-time NBA Champion and 1981 NBA Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell and 2008 NBA Champion and current Celtics TV analyst Brian Scalabrine will join the Starfires at 4:30 p.m. for a special meet-and-greet session prior to the game.

Maxwell and Scalabrine will also introduce the starting lineups for the contest and throw out a ceremonial first pitch. During the game, the Starfires will wear special Celtics-inspired basketball jerseys, which will be auctioned off during the game.

Tickets are available for the pregame meet-and-greet, which also includes entrance to the game, by clicking this link.