WORCESTER – Max LeFrancois (Assumption) grounded a walk-off single to center field, lifting the Worcester Bravehearts to an 8-7 walk-off win over the Westfield Starfires at Fitton Field Sunday.
The Worcester native’s game-winning knock helped the Bravehearts stave off a late Starfire comeback and snapped the ‘Hearts’ five-game losing streak.
After Westfield manager Paul Bonfiglio was ejected five pitches into the game for arguing a check swing call, Worcester’s Nik Pavia (Franklin Pierce) and Westfield’s Jake Jachym each fired three scoreless innings to start the game.
After Pavia held the Starfires scoreless in the top of the fourth inning, the ‘Hearts struck first when Max D’Alessandro (Towson) legged out an infield single, and Jackson Marshall (Southern New Hampshire) clubbed a two-run home run, his first of the season, to left field.
On Monday, Marshall will represent the Bravehearts in the 2024 Futures League Home Run Derby at Norwich’s Dodd Stadium.
Westfield responded in the 5th, scoring twice to tie the game 2-2, but Worcester re-opened its two-run advantage in the bottom of the 5th, taking a 4-2 lead after Dylan LaPointe (FAU) and D’Alessandro knocked RBI singles.
Again, Westfield responded, tying the game on a Luke Masiuk homer against Pavia in the 6th and a Josh Frometa RBI single against Brandon La Mazza (Southern Connecticut) in the 7th.
Worcester launched its longest rally in the bottom of the 7th, jumping ahead when LaPointe scored on D’Alessandro’s go-ahead double. The Bravehearts tacked on, expanding the lead to 7-4 after Marshall lined a run-scoring single to left and LeFrancois singled home D’Alessandro with an infield hit to shortstop.
In the eighth, Westfield scored twice against ‘Hearts reliever Alex Erickson (Union), drawing within a run on Gianno Merlonghi’s run-scoring groundout and Sam Morris’ RBI double to right. Worcester manager Alex Dion called upon Joe Mulhern (Wheaton) to get the final out of the frame.
The right-hander induced a bases-loaded flout to keep the lead intact. After failing to score in the bottom of the 8th, Worcester entered the top of the ninth inning, holding a 7-6 lead, but Westfield again completed the comeback to tie the game.
After two Bravehearts errors put a Starfires runner on third base with one out, Worcester Academy graduated Cam Papetti of Westfield grounded a game-tying single off third base.
In the bottom of the ninth, Worcester didn’t record an out, loading the bases when D’Alessandro was hit by a pitch, Marshall walked, and Wyatt Hoffman (Wingate) clubbed a line-drive single, setting the stage for LeFrancois to deliver the walk-off knock, which snapped a season-long five-game skid for ‘Hearts.
After a two-day all-star break, Worcester returns home to take on the Brockton Rox on Wednesday. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Fitton Field.
-The Worcester Bravehearts contributed to this article
