BURLINGTON, VT — Bryce Molinaro hit a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning and Tyler Petteroni a pinch-hit leadoff homer in the top of the 10th as the New Britain Bees rallied for a 4-3 Futures League victory over the Vermont Lake Monsters in front of 3,017 at historic Centennial Field on Wednesday night.
Lake Monsters led 3-1 in the top of the eighth when reliever Callan Fang (Harvard) walked the leadoff batter and then, after a strikeout, gave up the two-run first-pitch tying homer to Molinaro (his third home run of the season).
Vermont had a chance to walk off in the bottom of the ninth as Kyle McCausland (Middlebury) fouled off four straight 0-2 pitches before lining a single to center, but Teddy Schoenfeld was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base for the second out.
After a strikeout to end the ninth, Pettorini hammered the first pitch of extra innings to right for his second home run of the season. Lake Monsters got a one-out Antonio Perrotta (Virginia) single in the bottom of the 10th, but a forceout and strikeout ended the game.
Vermont had taken a 3-1 lead with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a Khal Coney (TrinityU) two-out RBI single followed two batters later by a Jake Gaudreau (Bryant) two-run single to left.
The Lake Monsters will play the next four days on the road, beginning with a two-game series at first-place Worcester 6:30pm Thursday and Friday. After a two-game series at New Britain over the weekend, the Futures League will hold their All-Star Game at Centennial Field on Tuesday (along with Home Run Derby Monday).
MONSTER PERFORMANCES
- Evan Maloney (Wake Forest) 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
- Carson Walsh (Northeastern) 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO
- Gaudreau 1-for-3, 2 RBI
MONSTER HIGHLIGHTS
- Mahoney allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks in the 2nd inning, the only earned run he has allowed over his last 5 starts (28 innings combined)
- The 2 runs allowed on the 8th-inning homer were just the 2nd & 3rd earned runs allowed by Fang in 19 ⅔ innings this season
- Just the 2nd 10-inning game and 1st loss for Vermont (won in 10 at Worcester July 13)
- Lake Monsters had been 17-0 this year when leading after 7 innings and are now 28-4 when scoring 3 or more runs
- Crowd of 3,017 was the 6th attendance of 3,000+ at Centennial this year and the Lake Monsters are now averaging 2,327 for the season
- Vermont (29-17) remain 1.5 games behind 1st-place Worcester (31-16) and 1 game behind 2nd-place Norwich (31-17), who both lost on Wednesday
Next Game: Thursday at Worcester, 6:30pm
Next Centennial Game: FCBL Home Run Derby Monday & All-Star Game Tuesday
Next VT Home Game: July 29th vs. Nashua