WESTFIELD – University of Louisiana-Lafayette freshman Blaine Lucas was the hero of the night with a walk-off RBI single to cap a 9-8 come-from-behind victory for the Westfield Starfires over the Brockton Rox in Futures Collegiate Baseball League action at the Richards Jewelers Diamond at Billy Bullens Field on Wednesday, July 10.
The Starfires, at 22-13-1 for 45 points, hold a three-point edge over the New Britain Bees for first place in the FCBL with 23 regular season games left.
Early on, it was all Brockton; the Rox scored three unearned in the first, capped by a two-run shot by Eli Gries-Smith before Westfield even came to bat, and defensive woes compounded as the Rox built to a 7-1 lead through five, with the lone Starfire run occurring in the second inning thanks to a solo home run off of the bat of Millersville University’s Sam Morris. Five of Brockton’s first seven were unearned.
The comeback effort began in earnest in the sixth. Central Connecticut State University’s Gianno Merlonghi singled to lead off, and back-to-back doubles by Hofstra University’s Luke Masiuk and Kansas State University’s Chandler Murray followed, with Murray’s driving in the two prior hitters. Central Connecticut’s Jackson Haker then walked, and Morris doubled to bring in Murray.
Brockton appeared to grab momentum back with a run in the top of the seventh, and had a runner at third with one out when the Jafar Vohra was called on to pitch. The University of New Haven hurler stopped the threat with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
“Just trying to get the first out of the inning and get one out at a time,” Vohra said.
Westfield then answered for the run in the seventh and then some; Boston College’s Julio Solier hit a one-out single and swiped second, and after Masiuk walked, Murray singled to drive in Solier. Louisian’s Luke Yuhasz then singled two batters later, plating Masiuk and cutting the gap to 8-6.
In the eighth, American International College’s Josh Frometa worked a leadoff walk, and Washington State University’s Trey Cruz followed suit. Solier followed with a single to load the bases, and Merlonghi bounced to second; the Rox were able to get the out there, but could not turn the double play, while Frometa scored. It proved crucial, as Masiuk was able to bring in Cruz on a sacrifice fly to tie the game.
Vohra shut down the Rox in order in the ninth, giving Westfield the chance to make Bullens Magic.
It started with a one-out single on an 0-2 pitch by Van Liott, as the incoming College of the Holy Cross rookie turned on a ball and sharply drove it between short and third. Morris followed with a bouncer in front of second base that the shortstop mishandled, and Liott scampered to third.
Two batters later, it was Lucas’s turn to shine. With the count full, he expected a fastball and pounced on it, driving it out of the reach of the first baseman into right field and scoring Liott to win the game, sending his teammates into a frenzy.
“I was just trying to find a pitch to hit, and I got into a 3-2 count and found one down the middle,” Lucas said of the walk-off hit.
“It’s Bullens Magic, man. Never count us out,” Vohra said.
The two teams finish the two-game set on Thursday, July 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Bullens Field.
