WESTFIELD, MA — After an hour delay before first pitch, the Vermont Lake Monsters and Westfield Starfires went extra innings with both teams scoring a run in the 10th inning to send the game to a Home Run Derby tied 2-2. Shaun McMillan then hit two home runs to give the Lake Monsters a 2-1 win in the Home Run Derby on Thursday night at Bullens Field.
Vermont took a 1-0 lead in the sixth on a Cooper Berry (Pomona Pitzer) solo homer to right for his second home run of the season. Westfield tied the game in the seventh on a two-out strikeout, wild pitch and had a chance to take the lead in the eighth on a two-out single to left, but Sam Cavossa (Saint Michael’s) gunned down the go ahead run at the plate to end the inning.
Lake Monsters took a 2-1 lead in 10th when placed runner Tyler Harmony (Northeastern) moved to third on a Berry one-out groundout to second and scored on a passed ball. The Starfires tied the game in bottom of inning on a sacrifice bunt and groundout to second that scored their placed runner.
In the Home Run Derby, McMillan (St. John’s) hit the third and eighth of 12 swings for his two home runs, while Westfield’s Anthony Ruggiero was only able to hit one home run on his seventh swing. The Lake Monsters (20-12) earn the victory with the HR Derby triumph, while Westfield (8-21-2) gets credit for a tie game in the standings.
MONSTER PERFORMANCES
* John Delgado (Stevenson) 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 SO
* Berry 1-for-3, 2 BB, R, HR, RBI
* Nick Frontino (Mississippi State) 2-for-4, BB, 2B
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
* Delgado lowered his league-leading ERA to 0.93, while increasing league-leading innings to 29 and strikeouts to 37
* John Higgins (Penn State) allowed 1 run on 2 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts in his Lake Monsters debut (pitched 6th and 7th)
* Berry home run was his 2nd of the season, only Vermont player besides McMillan with multi-homers
* Just the 4th Home Run Derby in the Lake Monsters 5 FCBL seasons and the 1st since June 23, 2022 at Brockton (won 4-0 on 4 Colby Brouillette homers)
* Vermont is now 3-1 all-time in HR derby, winning only one so far at Centennial in 2021 and 1-1 in 2022
Next Game: Friday vs. Westfield, 1:05pm
Promotion: Airman CHAMP! Bobblehead for first 1,000 fans
Broadcast: WYCI-TV, FCBLnetwork.com