As the Starfires picked up their third win of the year against Lowell on Sunday, the team will look to continue its winning ways heading into the first full week of FCBL play. The team’s total record of 3-2 puts the Starfires third in the league table.
At the plate, the Starfires bats have been great. The team’s three home runs and 16 extra-base hits lead the league, while its .432 slugging percentage and .835 OPS are second, and .290 average is good for third in the league.
UMass Amherst’s Will Briggs and Central Connecticut’s Nick Fox have led the Starfires offense, as both batters are nearly identical at the plate. Both Fox and Briggs are 5-for-9 with a league-leading six RBI, three walks, and no strikeouts across their three games played. However, Briggs has a league-leading two home runs, which both came during an explosive 4-for-4 performance against the Silver Knights this past week. Fox is coming off a superb season last year for Central Connecticut, averaging .337 with a 1.006 OPS for the Blue Devils, earning the sophomore All-NEC second team honors.
Other notable Starfires batters are Stonehill senior outfielder Jamison Howland, who is 6-for-12, Hobart sophomore infielder Jack O’Neil, who is 6-for-14 with two doubles and four RBI, and UMass Amherst junior outfielder Vance Bonior, who is 5-for-14 with two triples.
On the other side of the ball, the Starfires’ pitching staff is also solid. The team’s 3.64 ERA, 10.93 K/9, and 1.26 WHIP lead the league. Starfires pitchers have struggled with hitting batters, leading the league with 12. Of the five different starters who have pitched for Westfield so far, Central Connecticut’s Zach Worzel and UMass Boston’s Cam Fisher have not allowed any runs in their starts. Springfield College’s Josh Mayo also put in a strong performance on Opening Day, striking out six batters during his five-inning outing. As for the bullpen, Richmond’s Tripp Woytowicz and AIC’s Zach Ruffing both lead the pen with 3.2 IP, and Ruffing grabbed his first win in relief with 2.2 frames against Lowell on Sunday. Western New England junior and lefty reliever Sullivan Quirk has made two appearances for a combined 1.1 innings, and has only allowed a hit and a walk, while Southern Maine sophomore Thomas Pirog has went hitless in his two appearances out of the bullpen, pitching a combined 2.2 innings with six strikeouts. As for the fielding, the Starfires’ .954 fielding percentage is fourth in the league.
The Starfires will begin the week playing the Worcester Bravehearts at home on Monday. The Bravehearts beat Westfield on Opening Day, but have since gone 1-2. The Braveheart’s pitching staff has combined for a 4.75 ERA (4th in the league) and 4.75 K/9 (6th in the league), so the Starfires will have plenty of chances to put the ball in play. On the offensive side, the Bravehearts are slashing .289/.339/.395. They are the only other team besides Westfield with double-digit extra base hits on the season (11) but the Worcester squad also strikes out at a high clip, as their 33 strikeouts are bested only by Lowell’s 35 strikeouts. Westfield’s strikeout-heavy pitching staff will look to once again target this aspect of the Bravehearts, as the Starfires pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts in their previous matchup.
The Starfires will continue their home stand with games on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Norwich Sea Unicorns. In their previous two matchups this year, the Starfires are 1-1. The Starfires’ win came during a mercy-rule-shortened seven-inning battering of the Sea Unicorns on May 29, which ended 17-0. The Norwich squad got its revenge the following night, 10-3. While Westfield lost by seven runs, they still put up eight hits compared to Norwich’s nine. What made the difference in the game was walks, as Westfield walked 10 Sea Unicorns, giving Norwich the necessary traffic to score double-digit runs.
The Sea Unicorns bats have been dead to start the year, as the team is combining for a .200 AVG, but they walk at a high rate, leading the league with 27 walks. Norwich also steals frequently, with infielder Mike Fiatrone leading the FCBL with five stolen bases in three games, while teammates George Nolan and TJ Baer have three stolen bases in three games. Norwich is tied with Lowell for most stolen bases in the league, with 13.
Finally, Westfield will be traveling north to play two away games against the Vermont Lake Monsters on Friday and Saturday. The Lake Monsters are currently 4-1 and in first place in the FCBL. The Lake Monsters’ .319 AVG is second in the league, and .432 OBP is the best in the league. The Vermont squad barely strikes out, having only 16 strikeouts on the year, which is the least in the league. The Lake Monsters’ pitching staff has combined for a 4.40 ERA, which is second only to Westfield. Of the six Lake Monsters who have played all five games, four are batting over .330. The Starfires will look to topple the Lake Monsters, as Westfield is only one game back from first in the young season.
