WORCESTER, MA — For the second straight day on Sunday, the Worcester Bravehearts scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie game 5-5, then scored in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 6-5 Futures League victory over the Vermont Lake Monsters at Fitton Field.
After tying the game in the eighth on a two-out RBI double and keeping game tied to end the top of the 10th with back-to-back strikeouts with go ahead run on third, Bravehearts walked off in bottom of 10th after an error, intentional walk to load bases and run-scoring wild pitch.
Vermont had taken a 3-1 lead with 3 runs in the third on a bases loaded RBI groundout and Cooper Berry (Pomona Pitzer) two-run single before Worcester tied game in the bottom of the inning with two runs, but starter Casey Gauge (Catawba) got out of further damage with inning-ending double play with runners on the corners.
Shaun McMillan (St. Johns) gave the Lake Monsters a 4-3 lead in the fourth with a two-out RBI single, then accounted for Vermont’s fifth run with a leadoff home run in the top of the 7th. The homer to left center on a 2-0 pitch was his league-leading 11th of the season and league-leading 48th RBI.
MONSTER PERFORMANCES
* McMillan 2-for-4, BB, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
* Berry 3-for-5, 3 RBI
* Adam Schwartz (Gordon) 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
* With back-to-back exra-inning losses, Vermont now 1-4 in 10-inning games (3 losses to Worcester)|
* Vermont 27-4 when leading after 7 innings, but 0-2 in the last 2 games at Worcester|
* McMillan now 1 RBI away from tying Vermont FCBL-era season record 48 RBI by Jimmy Evans (2022)|
* McMillan also 1 HR away from tying Vermont all-time season record 12 homers (Matt Cepicky 1999 and Miguel Mercedes 2013)|
* Sam Cavossa (Saint Michael’s) was 2-for-5 to increase FCBL hit lead to 63 (including 2 hits in 7/13 suspended game that will be completed Wednesday)
* Vermont outhit Worcester 12-9, but were just 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position
Next Game: Tuesday vs. Norwich, 6:35pm
Promotion: 25-cent Hot Dog Hysteria
Broadcast: WYCI (TV), fcblnetwork.com (streaming)