WORCESTER – Holyoke native and American International College star Josh Frometa continued to rewrite the record books for the Westfield Starfires, displacing Toronto Blue Jays draft pick Jackson Hornung for the most runs batted in and total bases in franchise history with a two-run home run in the sixth inning of a 7-5 defeat against the Worcester Bravehearts on Tuesday.
The team fell to 15-40-2 in games played on the season, while Worcester improved to 43-15; the Bravehearts need either one more win or a Vermont Lake Monsters loss to clinch the top finish in the regular season.
The Starfires jumped right away to a 1-0 lead in the first as Boston College sophomore John Mass singled to left with one out, advanced to second when Connecticut Husky-to-be Evan Menzel walked, and scored on Northeastern Husky Anthony Ruggiero’s base hit to center field.
That lead held until the fourth, when the Bravehearts loaded the bases with a walk, a single, and another walk. Worcester’s Henry Digiorgio then took four straight pitches for the third walk of the inning, forcing in Casey Wensley to tie the game.
In the sixth, the Starfires made the Bravehearts pay for a miscue as Boston College product Ben Williams reached on an error at shortstop. He promptly stole second with Assumption University’s James McDermott at the plate, and McDermott then drove a single to center to put men at the corners.
As the next batter, Columbia University’s Jimmy Chadwell, worked the count full, McDermott swiped second without a throw, thanks to Williams standing at third. This forced the infield to come in, and Chadwell then swung for the first time in the plate appearance, driving the ball over an empty second-base bag to score both men.
That set the stage for Frometa, and unlike Chadwell, the third-year Starfire did not wait, crushing the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence for his third home run of the season, giving the Starfires a 5-1 lead.
Worcester quickly answered with two of its own in the bottom half of the inning. A leadoff walk was followed by former Starfire Cam Papetti hammering an RBI triple to left field, and he came home on a sacrifice fly one batter later.
Two innings later, the longball returned, but this time for the hosts. Jackson Marshall led off the eighth with a towering shot just to the left of center field on a 1-1 pitch, and Jaylem Sepulveda followed two pitches later with another big fly down the left field line to tie the score.
The Bravehearts were not finished as Papetti walked and was lifted for a pinch runner in the form of Jamison Howland, who advanced twice on passed balls before scoring on a single up the middle by Digiorgio, who in turn also advanced, this time on wild pitches, and scored on a bunt single by Kaleb Woodward.
That 7-5 lead was more than sufficient to end the game. The Starfires went down in order in the ninth, dropping the contest by the same margin.
Frometa’s two-run shot marked his 46th and 47th runs batted in for the franchise and increased his total base count to 117, passing the totals Hornung had set in 2023. It was his 10th career round-tripper with the franchise as well, breaking a tie with Hornung for second-most in the team’s records behind only Frometa’s former AIC teammate, Nick Serce, who hit 13.
In all, he reached safely three times in the game, also working a walk and being hit by a pitch. Those plate appearances extended franchise records he already owned in those categories, with 51 and 25 respectively.
Mass led the Starfires with three hits on the day, while Keene State University’s Owen Follet was solid at the dish with a pair of hits in four trips to bat. Menzel’s walk put him at a league-best 31 for the campaign.
Columbia’s Justin Bowman made his third start of the season, allowing just one run in 3 2/3 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Keene State Owl-to-be Justin Bagdasarian shined in his collegiate-level debut, retiring all six men he faced in two perfect relief innings.
Westfield continues the final road trip of the season Wednesday with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch in Connecticut at New Britain Stadium against the Bees, concluding the trip on Thursday, August 7 at 6 p.m. at Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire against the Silver Knights.
After that, the team returns home for Fan Appreciation Weekend and its final two games of 2025. On Friday, August 8, Boston Bruins Anthem singer Todd Angilly will sing the Star-Spangled Banner before the game. Boston Red Sox 2007 World Series Champion closer Jonathan Papelbon will take the mound at Bullens Field for the first pitch in a 6:30 p.m. start against the Silver Knights in an appearance presented by Sherwin Williams, Advance Manufacturing, and Peerless Precision.
The regular season then concludes on Saturday, August 9 with a 6:30 p.m. start against the Norwich Sea Unicorns. The team is holding its Host Family Appreciation Ceremony as well as its annual team awards, and additionally is partnering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for a Mental Health Awareness Night. A 50/50 raffle at the game will benefit AFSP.
Tickets to all Starfires home games can be purchased at www.westfieldstarfires.com.
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