WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester Bravehearts kept the hot-hitting Lake Monsters in check on Friday night with a 10-2 victory over Vermont in the first of a three-game weekend series at Fitton Field.
Jake LeFrancois allowed just one unearned run on three hits over the first five innings to earn the victory for the Bravehearts, who scored three times in the third and another in the fourth for a 4-0 lead. After the Lake Monsters scored the unearned run in fifth, Worcester scored two more times in the sixth.
Shaun McMillan (St. John’s) led off the eighth with his fourth home run in just his ninth game with the Lake Monsters and is the only Vermont player to homer this season. Worcester added four runs, just one earned, in the eighth to increase its advantage to 10-2.
MONSTER PERFORMANCE
* McMillan 1-for-4 with solo HR
*Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) 2-for-4, 2B
* Cooper Berry (Pomona Pitzer) 2-for-4
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
* Vermont, which had scored 34 runs and 55 hits in previous 4 games, were held to just 2 runs and 6 hits Friday
* Lake Monsters top 3 hitters, who were among FCBL top 6 in average, Sam Cavossa (Saint Michael’s, Bryan Richman (Pasadena CC) and McMillan were combined 1-for-13
* Starter Romel Roca (AIC) allowed 4 runs (3 ER) on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts over 3.2 innings for loss
* Bryce DiPiero (Central Connecticut) 1 strikeout in a 1-2-3 7th inning in his Lake Monsters debut
* With the loss, Vermont (10-5) drops to 2nd-place in the FCBL just behind Worcester (10-4)
Next Game: Saturday at Worcester, 6:30pm
Next Home Game: Tuesday vs. New Britain, 6:35pm