FILE PHOTO
By Joshua Kummins
WORCESTER — The North Shore Navigators sure made things interesting in Tuesday night’s second game of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League semifinals.
That’s been the way all season long. This time, however, it just wasn’t enough.
Worcester catcher Nick Rybarczyk (Marist) lined the game-winning single into shallow left field to break a tie and lift the Bravehearts to the championship round for the third consecutive season with a 5-4 win at Hanover Insurance Park.
“I think we were pretty juiced,” Navs manager John Zizzo said. “Once again, we got out-hit and fought back again. That’s what our team has been about all year, and they played a great game tonight.”
With the loss, North Shore sees its postseason run come to an end with a 30-29 overall record.
The Bravehearts opened the scoring in the second inning for the second consecutive night, tagging North Shore starter Bobby Tramondozzi (UMass Boston) for four runs, all unearned, on three hits and two costly errors.
Worcester first baseman Greg Kocinski reached on a one-out fielding error that set the wheels in motion for the big inning. Three straight singles and two walks followed, ending Tramondozzi’s night after just 1 1/3 innings.
“I didn’t think he was really sharp,” Zizzo said. “He was on four days rest. That has a lot to do with it, sometimes when a guy does that for the first time.”
Conor Bawiec (Elmira) retired the first two batters he faced out of the bullpen, although Ryan Ward’s (Bryant) grounder to second base scored Worcester’s fourth run of the ballgame.
The Navs again showed their resiliency, using some two-out magic in the third to get on the scoreboard.
“We started off pretty rough,” said first baseman Alex Brickman (Siena), alluding to the Navs’ 1-12 start this season. “We’ve been the underdog all year, so we were used to it.”
After Worcester’s Greg Stagani (West Liberty) induced a fly ball and a strikeout to begin the frame, North Shore turned on the offense.
Third baseman Nick Falkson (Tufts) singled and shortstop Joey Pena (St. Thomas Aquinas) walked, setting up an RBI opportunity for left fielder MacDaniel Singleton. The Salem State product lined the second pitch he saw straight through the middle, scoring Pena from second base.
Bawiec faced the minimum in the third, before North Shore tied the game ― this time, on one swing of the bat ― in its next turn at the plate.
Center fielder Colby Maiola (UMass Lowell) led the top of the fourth inning off with a walk. After first baseman Nick DiBenedetto (Trinity) reached first on a fielder’s choice, Brickman unloaded for a three-run shot to left field.
“I like playing here and seeing it well here,” Brickman said. “I had a feeling a fastball was coming, just got the bat head out early and tried to drive it as best I could.
The homer was Brickman’s fifth of the season and his third against Stagani.
“He was a great two-way guy,” Zizzo said of Brickman, who just graduated from Worcester Academy. “I just talked to him before the at-bat. He’s a good low-ball hitter, so I told him to look for it down. He actually got one that was a little bit up, and he hit it. When he squares it up, it’s going.”
With Stagani out of the game after striking out eight over five innings, the Navs squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead in the seventh.
DiBenedetto and Brickman drew walks against Bravehearts reliever Danny Barlok (Holy Cross) to open the frame, but Falkson popped up a bunt to start a 1-5-4 double play. Barlok then struck out shortstop Pena to end the threat.
Kocinski led off the eighth with a single, moved over to second on center fielder Austin Lonestar’s (St. Mary’s) sacrifice bunt and scored on the second RBI hit of the game from Rybarczyk, also a Marist product.
Singleton played the ball on a hop, but Kocinski slid around Navs catcher Mike D’Acunti’s tag to deliver the winning run.
Bawiec was the losing pitcher, although he allowed just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out four.
Worcester (38-18) advances to the FCBL championship round and will face the winner of a series between the Nashua Silver Knights and Seacoast Mavericks. The Bravehearts are searching for their third league title in as many years of existence.
Joshua Kummins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKummins.