BURLINGTON, VT — Jack Winnay and Jordan Kang both had two hits and two RBI, while the Lake Monsters bullpen did not allow an earned run over seven innings of relief Wednesday as Vermont took game one of a best-of-three Futures League semifinal series with a 7-2 victory over the Worcester Bravehearts at historic Centennial Field.

Wednesday started in the bottom of the second inning after the game was suspended by rain on Tuesday night with the Lake Monsters ahead 3-1 after a Trevor Cohen (Rutgers) RBI single and Winnay (Wake Forest) bases loaded hit by pitch.

The game resumed with Vermont getting another run on a throwing error to give the Lake Monsters a three-run bottom of second. Evan Maloney (Rhode Island) took over on the mound to start the third and allowed just an unearned run over four innings to earn the win in relief.

The unearned run came on a Andrew Chronister two-out RBI double, but that would be the last baserunner for the Bravehearts. Maloney recorded a strikeout to end the sixth before Ben Alekson (Stowe/Fairfield), Sean Gamble (Minnesota State) and Callan Fang (Harvard) combined to strikeout seven of the final nine batters (each a 1-2-3 inning) to end the game.

The Lake Monsters added insurance runs in the seventh on a Jake Gaudreau (Bryant) two-out RBI single and two more runs in the eighth on a Kang (Harvard) two-run single after Vermont had loaded the bases with two outs on a walk, single and hit batter.

With the win, the Lake Monsters clinched at least one more game this season at Centennial Field. Vermont will look to sweep the semifinal series 7:00pm Thursday at Worcester or return home for a deciding third game on Friday. A win Thursday over the Bravehearts would move the Lake Monsters into the Championship Series (see bottom of release)

Tickets for Vermont’s next playoff home game (either semifinal Game 3 or Championship Series) will go on sale after the completion of both semifinal games tomorrow night at   www.vermontlakemonsters.com

MONSTER PERFORMANCES

  • Winnay 2-for-3, 2 HBP, 1 R, 2 RBI

  • Kang 2-for-4, 2 RBI

  • Alekson and Kang both 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO

MONSTER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Vermont is now 5-0 all-time in FCBL semifinals games, having swept 2021 series vs. Worcester and 2022 vs. Westfield

  • Thomas Santana (Yale) started for Vermont Tuesday, allowing 1 unearned run with 0 hits, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts before game suspended

  • Alekson (7th) and Fang (9th) both struckout the side in their inning, while Gamble had a 1-2-3 8th inning with 1 strikeout

  • Cohen and Eric Becker (Virginia) both had 2 hits and 1 run

  • Lake Monsters are now 32-5 this year when scoring 5+ runs and 30-2 when they outhit their opponent

Best-of-3 Semifinal Series
G1 Wednesday: Vermont 7, Worcester 2  (Monsters lead 1-0)
G2 Thursday: Vermont at  Worcester, 7:00pm
G3  Fri (if nec): Worcester at Vermont, 6:35pm

Best-of-3 Semifinal Series
G1 Tuesday: Norwich 3, New Britain 2
G2 Wednesday: New Britain 3, Norwich 2 (Series tied 1-1)
G3  Thursday: New Britain at Norwich, 6:30

If Vermont loses Thursday at Worcester
Semifinal Game 3 at Centennial Field Friday at 6:35pm
If Vermont and Norwich both win Thursday
Championship Game 2 at Centennial Field Saturday 6:05pm
If Vermont and New Britain both win Thursday 
Championship Game 1 at Centennial Field Friday at 6:35pm