WESTFIELD – Less than one week ago, Jayden Novak recorded a walk-off grand slam to lead the No. 2 Westfield Starfires past the No. 3 New Britain Bees in the opening game of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League semifinals.
Now fast forward to Saturday evening, there was another potential return for “Bullens Magic” to happen as pinch hitter Cameron Papetti approached the plate with multiple runners on base and Westfield down to its final out against the No. 1 Norwich Sea Unicorns in the opening game of the FCBL championship best-of-three series.
History didn’t repeat itself, though, as Jimmy Mulvaney ultimately struck out Papetti to help seal the Sea Unicorns an eventual 5-3 win at Bullens Field on Saturday.
“It felt like we had a magical moment cued up,” Starfires manager Paul Bonfiglio said. “But I thought our guys battled there in the end. That was a good pitcher (Mulvaney) that Norwich had on the mound to close things out because he’s especially tough on righties. Aside from being a well-played game by both teams, I thought Norwich was outstanding defensively, giving them an edge.
“I tip my cap to them because they played well.”
Saturday also marked the Starfires’ final home game of the season. Bonfiglio couldn’t express enough gratitude toward the hometown faithful for their support during his first memorable season under control.
“I loved the crowd tonight because I thought they were solid,” he said. “I’ve known this crowd to never disappoint, especially during my years as an assistant coach. I respect everyone here in Westfield because they have a passion for baseball. It was good to see them come out, but I wish we could have just gotten a win for them tonight.”
As fans continued to enter the stands before the opening pitch of the upcoming championship series, they were rewarded with an exciting start as Westfield pitcher Kyle Salvati was a late replacement for original starter Jake Jachym.
And he didn’t disappoint.
The junior used an overpowering fastball to strike out two of the first three batters faced to begin the first inning. The home team, meanwhile, was unable to manufacture any run support for Salvati as they recorded three consecutive groundouts to ensure things remained scoreless.
But the fun continued during the top of the second inning, as Norwich earned a bases-loaded opportunity with two outs. It was essential as No. 9 hitter Nick Sturino approached the plate. The momentum was short-lived, though, as Salvati forced Sturino to chase a high fastball to end the potential threat behind one of his game-high seven strikeouts.
Westfield remained hitless as both teams entered the bottom of the third inning. That soon changed, though, as Aidan Redahan (infield single) and Julio Solier (bunt single) reached base to begin the frame. No. 9 hitter Jackson Haker then connected for a fly out to right field, allowing Redahan to reach third on the sacrifice fly.
Moments after Solier stole second to ensure Westfield multiple runners in scoring positions, leadoff hitter Kyle Garbowski connected for a line drive into the glove of first baseman Teo Spadaccini for the second out. But it wasn’t a complete missed opportunity, as Redahan scored on a wild pitch from Norwich reliever Nick Tomasetto to move the Starfires ahead 1-0 through three innings of action.
The Sea Unicorns’ offense responded with clutch two-out hits.
Through two-plus innings of action, both teams were one hit away from changing the outcome. After surrendering the game’s first run during the previous bottom half, Norwich earned back-to-back outs to begin the top of the fourth inning. But then the road team loaded the bases with a single, walk, and hit-by-pitch.
Despite Bonfiglio’s words of wisdom, Andrew James Soldra countered with a bases-clearing triple down the right-field line to ensure the Sea Unicorns a 3-1 lead entering the bottom four behind his fifth postseason RBI. The leadoff hitter also came into Saturday’s matchup with a .188 average.
It seemed the fun was beginning, though, as Jackson Haker started the bottom of the fifth inning with a single. Three batters later, Danny Hussey was prepared to face the newest Sea Unicorns reliever, David Rodriguez, with two outs in the frame.
As the hometown crowd remained on the edge of their seats, Hussey brought them to their feet as he sent a 3-2 pitch over the right-center field fence to even the score at 3-3 through five innings. The fireworks weren’t over, though, as the West Hartford native was ejected from the game after throwing his bat in celebration at Norwich’s dugout.
“That home run was enormous,” Bonfiglio said. “Norwich is a good team, and I thought we would build some momentum there. So it was great to momentarily stop them and gain momentum for us. Unfortunately, though, it was taken away from us.”
Like previous innings of action, though, the rollercoaster game continued. Moments after Norwich’s Kaiden Dossa recorded a one-out double to left field halfway through the seventh, Tomasetto brought him home with a single to center field.
Sturino then recorded an infield single to make it 5-3 behind the essential insurance run through eight innings of action. Despite an impressive relay throw from right fielder Luke Masiuk to catch Alex Irizarry at home to end the top of the ninth inning, the Starfires could not finish the comeback attempt.
The Sea Unicorns are one win away from claiming their second consecutive league championship. Westfield and Norwich will travel to compete in a potential doubleheader as they prepare for the second game of this best-of-three series on Sunday from Dodd Stadium at 1 p.m.
But if the Starfires emerge victorious in the matinee, a champion will be crowned upon the outcome of Game Three. The matchup is tentatively scheduled for the exact date and location at 6 p.m.
“The first thing is that we have to be locked in on the second game of this series, especially since it will be the first game of the day,” Bonfiglio said. “And we will also need to play our baseball style with confidence. We’ll have to pitch in the zone and make the opposition swing the bats.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond tomorrow.”
