Sea Unicorns Big 4^th Inning Propels Norwich to Game 1 Victory in Worcester

Worcester, MA – The Norwich Sea Unicorns earned a crucial victory in Worcester Sunday evening, defeating the Bravehearts 8-4. Sunday’s triumph gives Norwich a 1-0 series lead in the semifinals and a chance to clinch the series tonight in Norwich.

Both sides threatened in the first inning but came up empty. Norwich had runners at first and third with one out, but a line drive back to the mound was snagged by Bravehearts starter Evan Scully, who quickly flipped to first for an inning-ending double play. On the other side, Casey Wensley narrowly missed a two-run homer, and Nick Pappas, who was at first, tried to score on the play but was cut down at the plate to wipe away the game’s potential first run. The scoreless tie held until the fourth inning, when Norwich broke through with five runs against Scully.

In the 4^th, the Norwich offense came roaring to life, sending 10 batters to the plate and erupting for 5 runs on 6 hits. Gavin O’Brien and Antonio Ducatelli opened the rally with back-to-back singles, putting runners at first and second. Evan Scully got the next batter on a potential double play ball, but the Bravehearts shortstop bobbled the transfer, leaving Norwich with runners at the corners and one out. The Sea Unicorns made them pay, stringing together four straight hits to take a 5-0 lead. Bryce Detwiler wired a single up the middle to bring home the game’s first run, and Charlie Walsh followed with a bases-clearing double to the gap in right-center. A passed ball moved Walsh to third and he came home to score on CJ Nolan’s single through the drawn-in infield. Clay Hartje capped the rally with an opposite-field RBI single, ending the night for Scully.

Norwich tacked on a run in the 5^th against Bravehearts reliever Caleb Allen, stretching the lead to 6-0. Antonio Ducatelli jumpstarted the inning with a leadoff triple to the wall in right and came home on Chace Chaplin’s sacrifice fly to left.

Worcester scratched across their first run of the night in the 6^th on a Jackson Marshall 2 out single through the left side, scoring Kaleb Woodward who singled earlier in the frame.

The Sea Unicorns answered immediately in the 7th on a Bryce Detwiler rocket over the left-field wall for a two-run homer, stretching the Norwich lead to 8-1.

Matt Wootton returned to the mound in the 7^th and retired the leadoff man before running into trouble, surrendering back-to-back hits. Despite not finishing the inning, Wootton was stellar for Norwich, holding the Worcester offense to one run on eight hits, striking out two without issuing a walk over 6.1 innings. With two on and one out, Norwich turned to Matt Tabet, who escaped the threat by recording the final two outs.

The hosts rallied in the eighth for 3 runs, capitalizing on command troubles from Matt Tabet, who issued three walks in the inning. A leadoff walk to Nick Pappas and a single by Casey Wensley set the table for Jackson Marshall, who drove an RBI single into left to score Pappas. A one-out walk to Cam Papetti loaded the bases, and Henry DiGiorgio brought home another run with a grounder to first. Tabet’s third walk of the frame ended his night, forcing in a run on ball four when it skipped away for a wild pitch. Sean Connolly avoided further damage, retiring the next batter to preserve Norwich’s four-run lead.

Gio Conte locked down the victory tossing a scoreless 9^th inning to clinch Norwich a 1-0 series lead.

Bryce Detwiler was named Futures League Player of the Night for the second consecutive night, finishing 4-for-5 with two runs scored, three RBIs, and a home run.

Win – Matt Wootton (1-0)

Loss – Evan Scully (0-1)

Time 2:25

UPCOMING

Norwich returns to Dodd Stadium tonight for Game 2 and will send Frank Spirito to the mound with a chance to win the series. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $5 for tonight’s playoff game.

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Wrap Up Regular Season on Winning Note

Westfield, MA – The Norwich Sea Unicorns closed out the regular season in dramatic fashion Saturday night, rallying late to edge the Westfield Starfires 8–7. The comeback — just their second of the summer after trailing in the 6th inning or later — secured Norwich’s 28th win of the season.

Norwich jumped out to a 2–0 lead in the 1st against Westfield starter Brendan Murphy. CJ Nolan reached on an infield single, Bryce Detwiler walked, and Aidan Baglino delivered a single to right that skipped past the Starfires’ right fielder allowing Nolan to score and a throwing error into the infield allowed Detwiler to score.

Westfield quickly cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning, stringing together three consecutive two-out singles against Norwich starter Daniel Cantafi. The hosts then erupted for four runs in the 2nd to grab a 5–2 lead. A single, stolen base, and error put Cole Silvia on third before walks to Otis Follet and Ben Williams loaded the bases. Jimmy Chadwell tied the game with an infield single, Josh Frometa singled in the go-ahead run, and a pair of miscues — including a dropped ball at first — helped plate two more. Anthony Ruggiero’s sac fly capped the inning.

Norwich chipped away with a run in the 3rd when Detwiler singled, stole second, and scored on Baglino’s second hit of the night. The Sea Unicorns pulled even in the 5th, starting with Nolan’s infield single and Detwiler’s walk that ended Murphy’s night. Against reliever Thomas Pirog, Norwich executed a double steal, and an errant throw from the catcher allowed Nolan to score. Baglino’s third hit of the ballgame and second RBI tied the game at 5.

Westfield answered with two runs in the bottom half against Antonio Ducatelli, who was making his first pitching appearance of the summer. After loading the bases on two walks and an infield single, the Starfires regained the lead on a bases-loaded walk and a fielder’s choice groundout.

The seesaw continued in the 7th. Nolan led off with a triple, Detwiler was hit by a pitch, and a walk loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice from Spencer Chard scored Nolan, and an errant throw on a double play attempt brought home Detwiler to tie it again at 7–7.

Norwich went ahead for good in the 8th against Caleb Martinek. Sean Connolly drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored when Eric Mathewson bounced a single through the right side.

Joey Erace earned the win, striking out the side in the 7th inning in his season debut, and Detwiler closed the door with a six-out save.

Win – Joey Erace (1-0)

Loss – Caleb Martinek (0-1)

Save – Bryce Detwiler (S, 1)

Time – 3:09

UPCOMING

Norwich will begin their quest for a three-peat this evening on the road against the Worcester Bravehearts. Matt Wootton (5-1) will look to lead Norwich to a crucial game 1 victory opposite Evan Scully (0-0) of the Bravehearts. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. from Fitton Field. Norwich this summer is 5-7 against the Bravehearts and 4-2 in Worcester.

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Bats Go Quiet in New Britain, Playoff Matchups Set

New Britain, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns offensive woes against the Bees continued Friday night, falling 3-1. With last night’s loss Norwich will enter the postseason as the #4 seed and a matchup against the top seeded Worcester Bravehearts.

Norwich opened the scoring in the first against Bees starter Colin Blake to grab an early 1-0 lead. Chace Chaplin was hit by a pitch to give the Sea Unicorns a one out baserunner. Chaplin swiped second to move into scoring position and Gabriel Rivera delivered with 2 outs, flipping a base hit into center field to score Chaplin. Unfortunately, that would be all the offense Norwich would get as Bees pitching stifled the Norwich offense the rest of the way.

New Britain threatened to tie the game in the first after Norwich starter Matt Tabet battled early command issues. A walk and a hit batsman put two runners on with no outs, and an error by the shortstop nearly brought home the tying run. However, Chard recovered after bobbling the ball, throwing out Tim Henning at the plate. Moments later, a sharp line drive to second turned into an inning-ending double play as Michael Fiatarone fired to second to double off the baserunner.

The Bees offense came to life in the fifth after being limited to just one hit through the first four innings, plating a pair of runs to take the lead. Norwich reliever Charles Ennis struggled with command, issuing a leadoff walk before Carlos Irizarry crushed a one-out double. An infield single scored Julius Rosado to tie the game, and a hit-by-pitch put runners at the corners. Norwich nearly escaped without further damage, but Staubley beat out a potential inning-ending double play, allowing the go-ahead run to cross the plate.

In the 6th, New Britain tacked on an insurance marker to extend their lead to 3-1. Julius Rosado sparked the rally, hammering a one out double. A balk advanced Rosado to third and Jake Risedorf wasted no time bringing home the Rutgers commit, lining a base hit into center.

Despite a rocky first inning, Bees starter Colin Blake settled in and dominated over his final four frames to earn the win, allowing just four hits while striking out three without issuing a walk. The New Britain bullpen kept Norwich in check the rest of the way, limiting the Sea Unicorns to two hits over the final four innings. Braden Young closed the door in the ninth, striking out two in a scoreless frame to record his first save of the summer.

Win – Colin Blake (1-2)

Loss – Charles Ennis (0-2)

Save – Braden Young (S, 1)

Time – 2:14

UPCOMING

Norwich will conclude the regular season on the road tonight against the Westfield Starfires. Daniel Cantafi (1-2) will make his second start of the summer for Norwich opposite Brendan Murphy (1-5). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Bullens Field.

Norwich Unable to Overcome Bees 5^th Inning

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns fell 8-3 on Thursday night against their in-state foe New Britain Bees to begin a pivotal home and home series. Thursday’s defeat drops Norwich to 4^th place in the Futures League standings, owning a record of 27-32 with 2 games remaining in the regular season.

Norwich began the scoring in the 2^nd inning against New Britain starter Jake Risedorf to take an early 1-0 lead. CJ Nolan jumpstarted the Norwich offense, wiring a leadoff double down the left field line. Gabriel Rivera delivered the games first run, dumping a one out single into left to score Nolan.

The Sea Unicorns extended their lead in the third on a two-out RBI single from Antonio Ducatelli. Norwich immediately applied pressure against Bees reliever Devin DiVita, as Jack Byrne led off the inning with a single to left and Joey Erace followed with a well-placed bunt single to put two aboard. DiVita settled in and retired the next two batters, nearly escaping the jam unscathed. However, a potential inning-ending double play was thwarted when Bryce Detwiler beat the throw to first, extending the inning and setting the stage for Ducatelli’s clutch knock.

New Britain responded with a pair of runs in the 4^th to tie the game at 2. Despite being no-hit through the first 3 innings, the Bees rallied with 2 outs against Norwich reliever Landon Manzi. Caleb Miller began the rally drawing a 2 out walk and quickly moved into scoring position swiping second. Jack Kane brought home Miller, rocketing a 2 out triple to the wall in left field, and an infield single from Chaz Wright plated Kane to tie the game.

The Bees offense continued to roll in the 5^th, striking for three runs to take the lead. Manzi issued a leadoff walk to Jake Risedorf and George Slauson made him pay, clobbering a 2-run homerun to right. The right-hander bounced back with a strikeout, but Brennan Staubley reignited the rally with a one-out single to left. Colin Crowley followed with a double to right, putting two runners in scoring position. A grounder to short brought home Staubley, stretching the New Britain lead to three.

Norwich battled back with a run in the home 5^th to cut the Bees lead to 2, but that would be the closest Norwich would come. Back-to-back one out walks set the table for the Norwich offense. Later, an error from the Bees third baseman allowed a run to score.

New Britain broke the game open in the ninth with their second three-run inning of the night. Command issues from Norwich reliever Ryan Camp set the stage, as he walked the first two batters and hit the third to load the bases. A groundout to third plated the first run, and back-to-back one-out singles pushed across two more to make it 8–3.

Win – Devin DiVita (1-0)

Loss – Jack Novak (0-3)

Time – 3:02

Norwich is back in action tonight in New Britain to conclude a home and home series with the Bees. Matt Tabet (0-1) will make his fourth start of the summer opposite Colin Blake (1-2). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. as the Sea Unicorns look to split the series.

Norwich Snaps 7-Game Slide, Pick Up Crucial Victory Over Vermont

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns snapped a seven-game skid with a crucial 7-2 victory over the Vermont Lake Monsters on Wednesday night, marking their first win since July 27. Last night’s win officially clinches Norwich a berth in the postseason with 3 games remaining in the regular season, owning a record of 27-31.

Norwich opened the scoring in the third against Vermont starter Matt Higgins, taking an early 1-0 lead. The Sea Unicorns strung together three straight one-out hits, starting with an infield single from Chase Taylor. Gavin O’Brien followed with a base hit to left, setting the table for Cal Chance, who delivered with an opposite-field RBI single to score Taylor. Unfortunately, that would be all the offense in the inning for Norwich, as Higgins settled down and retired the next two batters to escape further damage.

Vermont answered immediately, striking for a pair of runs in the 4^th against Norwich starter Cooper Maher to take the lead 2-1. Maher ran into trouble with one out issuing a walk to Sam Cavossa and Tommy Popoff reached via an infield single to spark the Lake Monsters offense. With two outs, Evan Dennis capitalized, crushing a bases clearing double to give Vermont their first lead of the night.

Despite the rocky fourth, Maher kept Norwich within striking distance, limiting the Vermont offense to 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 5 over his four innings of work.

Trailing by a run, the Norwich offense came roaring to life in the 6^th inning, exploding for 4 runs to retake the lead. Connor Scanlan began the rally wiring a leadoff single up the middle and command troubles from Vermont reliever Will Polishuk loaded the bases. After surrendering a pair of walks to loads the bases, Polishuk fired a wild pitch, allowing Scanlan to score to tie the game. Gavin O’Brien gave Norwich the lead, hammering a one out triple to the wall in right field scoring Jack Kushman and Chase Taylor. Charlie Walsh capped the rally slicing a 2 out single into left field plating O’Brien to give Norwich a 5-2 advantage.

In the eighth, the Sea Unicorns added insurance against Vermont reliever Cole Tarrant, who struggled with command. Cal Chance worked a leadoff walk, and back-to-back wild pitches moved him to third, forcing the Lake Monsters to bring the infield in. A groundout to second kept Chance at third, but Tarrant’s control continued to waver as he hit CJ Nolan to put runners on the corners. With two outs, Connor Scanlan made him pay, smoking a triple to the wall in right, stretching the Norwich lead to 5. Scanlan earned Futures League Player of the Night honors last night, finishing 2-3 with a triple and 2 RBIs.

The bullpen slammed the door shut, tossing 5 scoreless innings and holding the Vermont offense to just 2 hits without issuing a free pass, helping Norwich cruise to a much-needed win on Wednesday night.

Win – Eric Mathewson (2-1)

Loss – Will Polishuk (0-1)

Time – 3:00

Norwich is back in action tonight to begin a pivotal home and home series with their in-state rival New Britain Bees. Frank Spirito (1-1) will toe the rubber tonight for Norwich opposite Ty Davis (1-1). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with tonight’s game broadcasted on NESN.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

vs New Britain Bees @ 6:30pm (gates open at 5:30pm)

Aruba Theme at the Bell Logistics Hole in the Wall Beer Garden

Wear your favorite Caribbean themed outfit and learn about travel options to Aruba from local travel agents

Presented by: HMS Travel Consulting

Thirsty Thursday

Narragansett Beer Specials

“Norwich Connect” Jersey Night

The Sea Unicorns will wear special “Rose of New England” jerseys to show their strong connection to the City they call home, featuring three blue sections to signify the Three Rivers of Norwich as well as being emblazoned in the red front section with The Rose of New England!

Postgame Fireworks

Stick around following the game for a spectacular fireworks show by American Fireworks!

Presented by: Liberty Bank

Written by Adam Plager

Norwich Unable to Contain Lake Monsters in 9^th Inning

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns dropped their seventh straight game Tuesday night, falling to the Vermont Lake Monsters, 6-3. Vermont broke a 3-3 tie with a three-run rally in the top of the ninth, handing Norwich another late-inning defeat. The loss drops Norwich into a tie for third place with New Britain at 26-31, with just four games remaining in the regular season.

It was a pitcher’s duel through the first three innings, with both teams held hitless. Vermont broke the deadlock in the fourth against Norwich starter Drew Sliwkowski. Cooper Berry drew a leadoff walk, marking the first baserunner allowed by the left-hander. A comebacker to the mound moved Berry into scoring position as Norwich took the out at first. Hunter Kingsbury then advanced him to third with a grounder to second. Sliwkowski plunked the next batter to keep the inning alive, and Nolan Colby capitalized, lining a two-out RBI single into center field.

Norwich responded immediately, striking for a pair in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Despite three no-hit innings from Adam Schwartz, Vermont turned to Bryce DiPiero out of the bullpen to begin the frame. Chace Chaplin ignited the Sea Unicorns’ offense, smashing a leadoff double down the left field line. A fly ball to right moved Chaplin to third, and like Vermont, Norwich rallied with two outs. Michael Fiatarone tied the game with an RBI double into the left-center gap, and Clay Hartje followed with a base hit to drive in Fiatarone and give Norwich the lead.

Vermont battled back with a pair of runs in the 6^th against Norwich reliever Daniel Cantafi to tie the game at 3. A walk and an error to open the frame sparked the Lake Monsters comeback effort giving the visitors immediate traffic in scoring position. The second RBI of the night from Nolan Colby cut the Norwich lead to 1 and a Nick Frontino sacrifice fly tied the game.

The game remained tied until the ninth, when Vermont surged for three runs to take a 6–3 lead. Cantafi retired the first batter, but a one-out walk to pinch-hitter Bryan Richman sparked the Lake Monsters’ rally. Xander Meissner followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners. A fielder’s choice groundout brought home Richman to give Vermont the lead. Travis Stroh kept the inning alive with an infield single, and Cooper Berry delivered the big blow, cranking a two-run double to left to extend the lead.

Norwich threatened in the home half of the ninth, loading the bases, but ultimately came up empty as Shamus Kelly struck out a pair to seal the victory for Vermont. Gavin O’Brien led off the inning with a single against Brady Lane, and a one-out throwing error by the Lake Monsters’ catcher put runners at second and third. With a threat brewing, Vermont manager Matt Fincher turned to Kelly out of the bullpen. The right-hander struck out Bryce Detwiler for the second out, and Fiatarone with the bases loaded after issuing a 2 out walk to Antonio Ducatelli to preserve the victory.

Win – Langdon Hazen (1-1)

Loss – Daniel Cantafi (1-2)

Save – Shamus Kelly (S, 2)

Time – 3:28

Norwich is back in action tonight at Dodd Stadium to conclude a 2-game series with the Lake Monsters. Cooper Maher (0-3) will take the mound for Norwich opposite Matt Higgins (0-0). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Fall Short in Home Run Derby Loss, Losing Streak Reaches 6

Westfield, MA – The Norwich Sea Unicorns came up just short Sunday afternoon, falling to the Westfield Starfires in the Home Run Derby. With the loss Norwich has now dropped 6 straight and own a record of 26-30 entering the final week of the regular season.

Westfield opened the scoring in the 1^st against Norwich starter Bryce Detwiler to take an early 1-0 lead. Cole Silvia ignited the Starfires offense with a leadoff infield single, stole second, and advanced to third on a balk. Later, a one out error by the Norwich shortstop allowed the first run of the afternoon come home to score.

Norwich responded in the 4^th, striking for three runs against Westfield starter Brendan Murphy as the offense came roaring to life. The Sea Unicorns opened the inning with three straight hits, beginning with a leadoff single from CJ Nolan. Bryce Detwiler followed with a base hit to set the table for Anthony Tirado, who tied the game with an RBI single and quickly moved into scoring position by swiping second. Newcomer Michael Fiatarone then gave Norwich the lead with a run-scoring groundout to first, and in his return to the lineup, Aidan Baglino capped the rally, hammering a two-out RBI double to extend the lead.

Trailing 3-1, Westfield chipped away in the bottom of the fourth as Cooper Tarantino laced an RBI double to left, scoring James McDermott, who had reached after being hit by a pitch.

Westfield tied the game in the 6^th thanks to back-to-back doubles from James McDermott and Jimmy Chadwell to even the score at 3 apiece.

The ballgame remained tied at 3, sending the game to extra-innings. Both sides traded runs in extras forcing the game to be decided by the Home Run Derby.

This game featured a familiar showdown from this season’s Home Run Derby championship round during the All-Star break in Worcester. Norwich elected to swing first in the derby, sending Bryce Detwiler to the plate, but he came up empty. Griffin Ennis sealed the win for Westfield with just one homer, completing the comeback. Their paths crossed again under different stakes Sunday afternoon, adding a little extra intrigue to the late-season matchup.

Win – N/A

Loss – N/A

Time – 3:22

Norwich returns to action Tuesday night at Dodd Stadium to open a critical three-game homestand against the Vermont Lake Monsters. After going winless last week, the Sea Unicorns will look to bounce back and inch closer to a playoff spot. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

vs Vermont Lake Monsters @ 6:30pm (gates open at 5:30pm)

Featuring 2 for $5 Hot Dogs

Purchase a ticket to this game and receive a free ticket to our final regular season home game on Thursday, August 7

Written by Adam Plager

Norwich Unable to Find Winning Solution in 5th Straight Defeat

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns continued to reel on Saturday night, falling 5-2 to the league-leading Worcester Bravehearts. With the defeat, Norwich has now dropped five straight, while Worcester extended its winning streak to six and notched a franchise-record 40th win — the most in the Futures League this season.

Worcester began the scoring in the 1st, grabbing an early 1-0 lead. Kaleb Woodward drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Norwich second baseman following catcher Clay Hartje’s throw. Woodward came around to score on a Nick Pappas RBI groundout to third.

Norwich answered immediately in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1. Chase Taylor extended his hitting streak to three games with a leadoff single through the right side. He stole second and moved to third on a Gavin O’Brien infield hit. Charlie Walsh brought him home with a fielder’s choice groundout.

The Bravehearts recaptured the lead in the 3rd, striking for 3 runs to build a 4-1 lead. Norwich starter Matt Tabet ran into immediate danger, plunking the leadoff batter and back-to-back base hits loaded the bases with no outs. Casey Wensley gave Worcester the lead on a one out sacrifice fly to left and Jackson Marshall extended their lead, dumping a 2-run single into left field.

The Sea Unicorns cut the deficit in half in the home 3rd on a Gavin O’Brien RBI double to center field, scoring Connor Scanlan who singled earlier in the inning. A baserunning mishap by O’Brien – who stumbled rounding second – led to the second out and helped Worcester escape the frame without further damage.

Casey Wensley added to the Worcester lead in the 7th, wiring a 2 out RBI single up the middle to bring home Woodward and restore the Bravehearts 3-run advantage.

All-Star reliever Caleb Allen earned the victory for the Bravehearts, tossing 3.2 innings of 1 hit baseball and Josh Fisher locked down the save recording the final 5 outs. Fisher has now collected saves in consecutive outings while Allen picked up his third win of the summer.

Win – Caleb Allen (3-1)

Loss – Matt Tabet (0-1)

Save – Josh Fisher (S,2)

Time – 2:34

UPCOMING

Norwich will look to snap their 5-game slide tomorrow afternoon against the Westfield Starfires. Bryce Detwiler will make his second start of the summer opposite Brendan Murphy (1-5). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. from Bullens Field.

Written by Adam Plager

Struggles Continue in 4^th Straight Loss

Burlington, VT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns had no answers Thursday night, falling 12-0 to the Lake Monsters for their fourth straight loss. With the defeat, Norwich has now dipped 2 games under .500 holding a record of 26-28.

Vermont jumped on Norwich starter Frank Spirito early, scoring two runs in each of the first two innings, taking a quick 4-0 lead. In the 1^st, Tyler Harmony sparked the offense with a single up the middle, swiped second, and came around to score on Hunter Kingsbury’s one-out RBI single. Nick Frontino then drew a walk, and Leandro Guevara added to the damage with an RBI single to left.

Command issues hampered Spirito in the 2^nd, issuing back-to-back one out walks and hit a batter to load the bases for the Lake Monsters. Kingsbury once again delivered, dropping a two-run single into right to give Vermont a four-run cushion. He added his fourth RBI of the night in the fourth inning, hammering a two-out triple to score Xander Meissner, who singled to start the inning.

The hosts broke the game open in the 5th, erupting for seven runs, sending 12 batters to the plate. Vermont capitalized on wildness from Sea Unicorns reliever Bryson Plante, who walked three straight after striking out the first batter he faced and uncorked 5 wild pitches.

Guevara made it 6-0, coming around to score on three consecutive wild pitches after reaching via a walk. Later in the inning, a throwing error by the Norwich third baseman with runners at the corners allowed two more runs to score, extending the lead to 8-0.

Norwich turned to Tiarnan Doyle out of the bullpen, but the Lake Monsters kept rolling, stringing together three straight two-out hits to drive in four additional runs and push the lead to 12.

Lake Monsters starter Jack Kelleher was dominant, tossing a complete game shutout as the contest ended after seven innings via the run rule. Kelleher allowed just four hits and five total baserunners in route to his fifth win of the summer. His stellar outing earned him Futures League Pitcher of the Night honors.

Win – Jack Kelleher (5-0)

Loss – Frank Spirito (1-1)

Time – 2:17

Norwich will look to snap their 4-game skid tonight when the Sea Unicorns return home for a crucial matchup against the Nashua Silver Knights. Matt Tabet will make his third start of the summer for Norwich opposite Scott Longo (0-2). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. from Dodd Stadium.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

vs Nashua Silver Knights @ 6:30pm (Gates open at 5:30pm)

“Norwich Connect” Jersey Night

The Sea Unicorns will wear special “Rose of New England” jerseys to show their strong connection to the City they call home, featuring three blue sections to signify the Three Rivers of Norwich as well as being emblazoned in the red front section with The Rose of New England!

Fan Appreciation Night

The Sea Unicorns want to thank all their fans for the love and support throughout the season with one final Friday Night Bash!

 

Postgame Fireworks

Stick around following the game for a spectacular fireworks show by American Fireworks!

Presented by: Liberty Bank

Written by Adam Plager

Lake Monsters Surge Late, Rally Twice in Doubleheader Sweep of Norwich

Burlington, VT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were unable to hold onto their late leads against the Vermont Lake Monsters Wednesday night, dropping both contests. Norwich has now lost 3 straight and are back under .500 holding a record of 26-27 with 9 games remaining.

Game 1

The evening began with the completion of a suspended game from July 13, with Norwich holding a 6-5 lead in extra innings. Unfortunately, that edge would not hold as Vermont rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 10th to walk off the Sea Unicorns for the second straight night.

The game had been scoreless through the first four innings before Norwich broke through in the 5th. Chace Chaplin opened the scoring with a solo blast—his first home run of the summer—to give Norwich a 1-0 lead.

Norwich added another run in the 6th. Alec Warden drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and moved to third on CJ Nolan’s base hit. Cal Chance then brought Warden home with a fielder’s choice, extending the lead to 2-0.

Vermont responded with a four-run bottom of the 6th. After a leadoff walk and a double by Xander Meissner, Sam Cavossa tied the game with a 2-run single up the middle. With the score even and a runner on second, Norwich turned to reliever Jack Novak. After Chance caught Cavossa stealing third and Novak induced a flyout, Hunter Kingsbury gave Vermont the lead with a two-out, two-run homer to make it 4-2.

The Sea Unicorns responded in the 7th. After loading the bases with a walk and back-to-back singles, a wild pitch scored Chaplin, and a sacrifice fly by Anthony Tirado tied the game at 4-4.

Vermont pulled ahead again in the 8th on a solo home run from Jeremy Sosa, but Norwich forced extras with a 9th-inning rally. Tirado led off with a single, advanced to third on two wild pitches, and scored on a groundout by Chance.

Norwich briefly regained the lead in the 10th, but Vermont walked it off once again with two runs in the home half.

Win – Zander Teator (3-1)
Loss – Gio Conte (2-3)
Time – 3:23

Game 2

Vermont completed the sweep with a 6-4 win in the originally scheduled game, taking the first three games of the series.

The Lake Monsters jumped on Norwich starter Cooper Maher early, striking for a pair of runs in the 1^st. With two outs in the 1st, Cooper Berry launched a 2-run homer to give Vermont an early lead.

The hosts added another in the 3rd. After a leadoff walk to Cavossa and a wild pitch, Bryan Richman singled to put runners at the corners. Cavossa came around to score on a Shaun McMillan fielder’s choice, making it 3-0.

Norwich responded in the 4th. Connor Scanlan walked, advanced on a passed ball and wild pitch, and scored on a fielder’s choice to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Sea Unicorns erupted for three runs in the 7th to briefly take a 4-3 lead. Scanlan singled and advanced to second on a right field error. Scanlan kickstarted the rally punching a single to right and took second on an error by the Vermont right fielder. Charlie Walsh drew a one out walk to set the table for Chace Chaplin who cracked a double to score Scanlan.  Jack Sweeney’s sac fly tied the game, and Antonio Ducatelli delivered a go-ahead single to left.

Vermont answered with a pair of runs in the home 7th to grab a 5-4 lead. Back-to-back singles and a one out walk loaded the bases for the Lake Monsters. Norwich reliever Cam Thomas struck out the next batter but then walked in the tying run and hit the next batter to force home the go-ahead run.

The Lake Monsters added insurance in the 8th. After a double by Tommy Popoff and a fielding error, Richman came through again with a two-out RBI single to stretch Vermont’s lead to 6-4.

Sean Gamble locked down the victory for Vermont, tossing a scoreless 9th inning to pick up his 9th save of the summer.

Win – Jack McLaughlin (4-0)
Loss – Cam Thomas (4-3)
Save – Sean Gamble (S, 9)
Time – 2:52

UPCOMING

Norwich will look to salvage their Vermont trip tonight after dropping their first 3 games at Centennial Field. Frank Spirito (1-0) will look to lead the Sea Unicorns back into winning form opposite Jack Kelleher (4-0). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Written by Adam Plager