Sea Unicorns sweep regular-season champs in best-of-three semifinal series
NORWICH, Conn. — It's never easy to maintain dominance in the postseason like in the regular season.
That's the case especially in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, where six teams facing each other over 60-plus games all summer breeds familiarity.
While the Worcester Bravehearts captured the regular season by 5½ games at a league-record 45-16, they only won seven of 12 from the Sea Unicorns, who took three of the last five meetings, including the last two.
During the first two days of this week, the Sea Unicorns used that familiarity — and leaned on their playoff tradition as two-time FCBL champions — to sweep Worcester, which will not carry the Futures flag for the fifth time.
Norwich returns to the championship series after defeating the Bravehearts, 2-1, in a 14-inning thriller on Monday, Aug. 11, at Dodd Stadium. The Sea Unicorns' victory followed an 8-4 verdict at Fitton Field in Sunday's Game 1 of this FCBL best-of-three semifinal.
In the title series, Norwich faces the winner of Tuesday night's game between the New Britain Bees and Vermont Lake Monsters. New Britain blanked Vermont, 1-0, to even their series on Monday.
Game 2 in Norwich ended nearly two hours earlier than the 14th inning, when Worcester trailed, 1-0, with one out in the top of the ninth.
But Worcester, which had been riddled by Norwich right-hander Frank Spirito's pitching all night but now faced reliever Sean Connolly, wasn't finished quite yet.
Casey Wensley singled with one out in the ninth, took second on a balk and scored on Jaylem Sepulveda's single to tie the game.
Worcester reliever Aiden Cardoza then shut down the Sea Unicorns for the fourth straight inning and forced extra baseball.
The teams exchanged zeros until the 14th, when Charlie Walsh singled home pinch runner Jack Byrne with one out for the walk-off.
Excellent pitching enhanced the Bravehearts' chances in Game 2. Former St. Paul ace Jake LeFrancois got the start, sailed through the first three innings and was nicked for a run in the fourth as Antonio Ducatelli scored on a 4-6-3 double play.
In the fifth, Norwich's Gabriel Rivera doubled to lead off, and Cal Chance singled him to third base and stole second after C.J. Nolan fouled out to first.
LeFrancois, however, pitched out of the jam, inducing Chase Taylor to ground out to third, with the runners being held, then struck out Gavin O'Brien swinging. LeFrancois allowed just four hits in his five innings.
He combined with Cardoza, Josh Fischer and Patrick Chapin to strike out 13 Norwich hitters.
Spirito's only win of the summer came July 24 — at Fitton Field where he hurled eight shutout innings while striking out nine in a 5-0 win over Worcester.
The UConn right-hander was at it again Monday against the Bravehearts, firing no-hit ball until Henry DiGiorgio doubled in the fifth inning. Cam Papetti recorded the Bravehearts' second hit in the seventh, also a double.
Spirito finished with six strikeouts and just one walk through eight innings.
Worcester can look back at a memorable summer, which included several sizable winning streaks and a 9-1 spurt to end the regular season, all while batting .280 as a team to lead the lead.
Norwich endured ups and downs throughout the summer, finishing fourth at 28-33, but was playoff ready come this week.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Bravehearts' FCBL title hopes are dashed in 14th inning by Norwich
Category: General Sports
