NASHUA – Another quick turnaround and another home-away doubleheader closed out a strong weekend for the Westfield Starfires, who split a set with the Nashua Silver Knights, 11-16 and 4-2, on Sunday.
Westfield is now 14-8 on the season, leading the Futures Collegiate Baseball League by a game ahead of the Norwich Sea Unicorns.
Once again, the Starfires played the first game as the home team, as the game was a make-up of a contest scheduled to be played at Bullens Field. Westfield jumped to a 3-0 lead on RBI singles by Jayden Novak of the College of Charleston and Washington State University’s Trey Cruz and a sacrifice fly by Vanderbilt University’s Julio Solier.
However, the Silver Knights exploded in the third inning, sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring nine times. That effectively put the game out of reach despite a high-scoring ending that saw the Silver Knights tack on four in the sixth and three in the seventh, compared to the Starfires, who had five and three on the board in those frames.
In the second contest, Westfield again struck first, with College of the Holy Cross rookie Van Liott singling home Iona College’s Anthony Zollo in the third, but the Silver Knights scored two quick runs in their half of the frame to take the lead and threatened for more when Bryant University’s Cameron Papetti made the play of the game.
On an 0-2 pitch with runners at the corners, the ball bounced in the batter’s box and to the backstop. It ricocheted back toward Papetti, who grabbed it and dove toward the dish. He could just get in front of Nater Wachter, who had dashed for home, and the two collided; Wachter was called out at home, although Papetti was pulled from the game due to a small cut.
The run-saving play proved critical. Zollo tied the game the next inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Boston College’s Cesar Gonzalez, who had replaced Papetti.
In the next frame, the Starfires retook the lead. Central Connecticut State University’s Gianno Merlonghi led off with a single, and Cruz followed with a high chopper to second that Nashua’s defense did not record an out on.
Gonzalez walked to load the bases for Millersville University’s Sam Morris, who walked to push Merlonghi home, and Zollo also walked to push Cruz in.
Westfield’s pitching handled business from there. Declan Wywoda, a George Washington University rookie, was called upon in the bottom of the fifth with two outs and mowed down the rest of the Silver Knights, throwing 2.1 innings of one-hit ball to pick up his first save.
That backed up a strong start from Jake Jachym. The Westfield native and Keene State University junior went 4.2 frames, allowing two runs on five hits.
The teams will match up again at Holman Stadium on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Westfield returns to Bullens Field on Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. battle with the Futures League Road Warriors.
