WORCESTER, MA — Kyle McCausland was 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, including a go ahead solo home run in the top of the seventh inning as the Vermont Lake Monsters opened a two-game series at Worcester with an 7-6 Futures League victory over the first-place Bravehearts Thursday night at Fitton Field.
After Worcester took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of second inning, Vermont got a run back in the third on a bases loaded double play before taking 3-2 advantage in the fourth on on an RBI single from McCausland (Middlebury), who scored on Trevor Cohen (Rutgers) two-out RBI single.
Callan Fang (Harvard) gave the Lake Monsters a 4-2 lead with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Bravehearts fought back to take 5-4 lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning for a two-run single and sacrifice fly.
Vermont tied game 5-5 as they led off the sixth with a pair of singles and a hit batter to load the bases before Tommy Martin (Yale) sacrifice fly. McCausland put the Lake Monsters ahead 6-5 with his one-out solo homer (his second) to straight-away center in the seventh.
Martin plated an unearned insurance run in the eighth with an RBI double, which was needed as Worcester got a two-out Michael Florides RBI single to left in the bottom of the eighth to cut lead to 7-6, but also ended the inning as Florides was thrown out at second base by McCausland. Sean Gamble (Minnesota State) tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his third save.
With the victory over the Bravehearts and a Sea Unicorns loss to Pittsfield, Vermont (30-17) is now tied with Norwich (31-18) just one-half game behind Worcester (31-17) for first-place in FCBL standings.
MONSTER PERFORMANCES
- McCausland 3-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
- Cohen 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI
- Martin 2-for-3, BB, R, 2B, 2 RBI
MONSTER HIGHLIGHTS
- McCausland’s homer was his 2nd of the season, snapping 7-way team lead as Lake Monsters now have 8 home runs overall
- It was Vermont’s 1st home run since Jack Winnay (Wake Forest) July 7th at Nashua
- Lake Monsters had 14 hits overall, just 2nd time last 17 games with double-digit hits
- Edward Hart (Duke) had 3 strikeouts in 2 scoreless innings of relief (did allow 3 inherited runners to score), while Patrick Menk (Virginia) 1 run in 2 innings for his 1st win
- After starting 3 games as designated hitter, Fang (2-1, 5 sv, 1.37 ERA) made his 1st appearance in the field as starting first baseman
Next Game: Friday at Worcester, 6:30pm
Next Centennial Game: FCBL Home Run Derby Monday & All-Star Game Tuesday
Next VT Home Game: July 29th vs. Nashua