Vermont Lake Monsters

Vermont Rallies Thursday For 5-4 Victory To Advance To FCBL Finals Starting Friday

GAME 3 BOXSCORE

BURLINGTON, VT  — Trailing by three runs and just one out away from the end of their 2026 season, the Vermont Lake Monsters put together three straight two-out RBI base hits to score four times to beat the Worcester Bravehearts 5-4 in the third-and-deciding game of their Futures League semifinal series on Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field Thursday night. 

With the victory, the FCBL regular-season champions will host second-seeded New Britain 6:35pm on Friday in game one of the Futures League Championship series, while the Bees will host game two 6:35pm on Saturday. If necessary, a championship deciding game three will be Sunday at Centennial. 

Vermont trailed Thursday 4-0 and had just three hits over the first six innings before finally getting on the scoreboard in the seventh on a Brad Johnston (Swartamore) RBI double to score Thomas Moss (Trinity TX), who had led off the inning with a walk.

Johnston led off the ninth with a single before moving around to third as the Lake Monsters loaded the bases on a Brenden Walsh (Endicott) one-out walk and Justin Yeutter (Cal Poly Pomona) infield single. After a Bryan Richman (Cal Poly Pomona) line out to short, Tyler Wiltsey (Rutgers) lined a 1-2 pitch to left for a two-run single cutting the deficit to 4-3. 

Jake Lopez (Indianapolis) followed with a 0-1 RBI single to rightcenter scoring pinch runner Ryan Ruggiero (Bucknell) with the tying run. After a walk to Danny O’Brien (Montclair State) reloaded the bases, Moss grounded a 1-2 pitch deep in the hole at short and easily beat out the throw to first for the walkoff RBI single. 

Worcester had built its 4-run advantage with single runs in the third and sixth innings before a two-run double in the seventh. Lake Monster starter Jack Richburg (CVU/Springfield) allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts over the first four innings, while Jake Taylor (Columbia) a 1-2-3 top of the ninth with two strikeouts to earn the win. 

MONSTER STARS
* Moss 1-for-3, 2 B, R, RBI
* Johnston 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI
* Wiltsey 1-for-4, BB, R, 2 RBI

MONSTER HIGHLIGHTS
* 2nd time this season that Lake Monsters have scored 4 runs in bottom of 9th for the victory
* Trailed 11-7 before 4-run 9th for 11-10 win over Westfield June 6th (start of 25-3-1 stretch at home)
* Lake Monsters are now 10-2 in 1-run games during regular-season and playoffs
|* Vermont has now won 4 of 6 FCBL semifinal series (won first 3 played 2021-23)
* New Britain 38-20 during regular-season (5-4 vs. Vermont) and beat Norwich 2 games to 1 in semis

UPCOMING 
Finals Game 1:  Friday vs. New Britain,, 6:35pm at Centennial Field
Tickets On Sale: https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2new/BuyNew.asp?EventID=360287 
Broadcast: WYCI (TV),  FCBLnetwork.com (streaming), WJOY 1230am (radio)