Vermont Evens Series With 1-0 Win Saturday
GAME 2 BOXSCORE
NEW BRITAIN, CT — A year after the Lake Monsters lost game two of their semifinal series 1-0 at New Britain to even that series, Vermont turned the tables on the Bees in game two of the 2026 FCBL championship series Saturday night at New Britain Stadium as Chase Burrows tossed eight scoreless innings and Bryan Richman knocked home the only run of the game for a 1-0 victory to force a deciding game three Sunday 1:05pm at Centennial Field.
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Burrows (Babson) scattered four hits with one walk and one strikeout over the eight innings, while throwing 66 of his 89 total pitches for strikes. A night after New Britain scored 11 runs on 15 hits, Burrows held the Bees to a leadoff single in first, then singles in both the second and fourth innings that were erased on double plays.
After the fourth-inning leadoff single, Burrows retired 12 batters in a row until a one-out single and two-out walk in the eighth. With the tying and go ahead runs on base, Burrows got a groundout to end the inning. Ethan Freed (Quinnipiac) finished off the Bees in the ninth with and save a possible triple to open the frame.
The Lake Monsters, who were shutout for the first time all season in game one of the finals on Friday, were unable to capitalize on a leadoff single/walk in the first, two-out singles in the second and a one-out double in third. Then after three straight 1-2-3 fourth through six innings, Vermont was finally able to break through in the seventh.
Travis Stroh (CVU/Dayton) singled to right center with one out on an 0-2 pitch and advanced to second on a Patrick Shrake (Colby) two-out line drive single to center before Richman (Cal Poly Pomona) laced a 1-0 pitch just over the shortstop in left center to plate Stroh with the only run of the game.
MONSTER STARS
* Burrows (W) 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO
* Richman 2-for-4, RBI
* Shrake 2-for-3
MONSTER NOTES
* Vermont now 2-1 all-time in game 2 of finals (won game 2 of 2021 semi at Pittsfield to even series)
* 2nd championship series shutout for Vermont (12-0 win vs. Nashua in game 1 of 2022 finals)
* Burrows 8 IP longest out of season for Lake Monster pitchers (Burrows 7 IP vs. New Britain 7/30)
* 2:01 game time marks shortest-game overall in Vermont FCBL history (previous shortest road game time was 2:13 in 1-0 semi loss at New Britain last year)
* Sunday will be 3rd winner-take-all game 3 at Centennial (beat Pittsfield 2021, lost to Nashua 2022)
UPCOMING
Finals Game 3: Sunday at New Britain, 1:05pm at Centennial Field
Broadcast: WYCI (TV), FCBLnetwork.com (streaming), WJOY 1230am (radio)