Norwich Sweeps Home and Home Series with Nashua

Nashua, NH – The Norwich Sea Unicorns continued their winning ways to begin the month of July, posting a convincing 8-3 victory over the Nashua Silver Knights. Norwich’s Thursday night triumph improves the Sea Unicorns to 13-17 through 30 ballgames.

There was no scoring until the 3rd when Norwich erupted for 5 runs against Nashua starter Justin Dressler. Aidan Baglino reached to start the frame on an infield single and later advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. Later, Kenny Noe reached on a hit by pitch to give Norwich runners at the corners. Gavin O’Brien continued his hot stretch with a one out RBI single into right field to score Baglino. A walk to Gabriel Rivera loaded the bases for Norwich. A fielder’s choice groundout from Fairfield product Connor Scanlan allowed Noe to score, extending the Norwich lead to 2. Anthony Tirado delivered the knockout blow for Dressler, smashing a two out, bases clearing triple to give Norwich a commanding 5-0 advantage.

The Sea Unicorns added a run in the 4th to grow the lead to 6. Once again, Baglino started the inning with an infield base hit. A one out infield single from Noe provided Norwich traffic on the bases for Gavin O’Brien. The UMASS outfielder continued his productive day at the plate, delivering a one out single to score Baglino from 2nd.

The offense continued for Norwich in the 5th, adding a run to increase their lead to 7. A leadoff single from Scanlan, followed by a defensive miscue that allowed Alec Warden to reach, and a walk to Tirado quickly loaded the bases with nobody out. Joey Erace capitalized with a sacrifice fly to right, but despite the early threat, Norwich had to settle for just the one run.

Nashua broke through in the seventh after being held scoreless through six innings. The Silver Knights loaded the bases with one out following back-to-back singles from Will Shaheen and Jack Kidwell, and a hit-by-pitch to James Benestad. Cole Patterson drove in Nashua’s first run with a fielder’s choice to short. A throwing error by the Sea Unicorns’ second baseman on the back end of the attempted 6-4-3 double play allowed a second run to score, trimming the deficit to 5.

Gabriel Rivera launched his first homerun of the summer in the 9th to give Norwich an 8-2 lead. The blast for Rivera marks his first longball of the summer and matches Tirado with a team best 11 RBI.

Nashua scratched across their final run in the bottom of the ninth, aided by a Norwich miscue. Dave Yorke reached on an error by the third baseman with one out, and Jake Haarde followed with a pinch-hit RBI triple to drive him in. Sea Unicorns reliever Sean Connolly quickly regrouped, inducing back-to-back groundouts to lock down the win for Norwich.

Win – Cam Thomas (2-2)

Loss – Justin Dressler (1-3)

Time – 2:42

Norwich is back in action this evening for a double header with the first place Worcester Bravehearts. Luke Cardman (0-1) will take the baseball for Norwich in the opener of a crucial twin bill at Fitton Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Ride Fast Start to Victory Over Nashua

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were victorious on Wednesday night to begin the month of July, picking up a critical 6-4 victory over the Nashua Silver Knights. Norwich’s victory improves the Sea Unicorns to 12-17 through 29 ballgames.

Norwich went to work immediately, striking for 3 runs in the 1^st against Nashua starter Nate Kelleher-Mochak, who was making his 3^rd start of the summer against the Sea Unicorns. Charlie Walsh jumpstarted the Norwich attack with a leadoff double down the left field line, followed by back-to-back singles from Bryce Detwiler and Aidan Stern. Detwiler’s base hit to left field brought home the first run of the night for Norwich. The offense continued to rally with 2 outs, as Gavin O’Brien lined a single into center to score Detwiler, and Anthony Tirado delivered an RBI single of his own back up the middle to plate Ryan Thompson. The 3 runs and 5 hits in the opening frame is a season best for the Norwich offense and ended the night early for Kelleher-Mochak, who did not survive beyond the inning.

Nashua cut into the Norwich lead in the 2^nd,thanks to 3 straight 1 out hits of their own, against Norwich starter Landon Manzi. Nigel Sebastianelli kickstarted the visitors offense with an infield single, followed by a Jack Balcer infield knock of his own. River Hart produced the first run of the night for Nashua with a ringing RBI double to the left center field alley. Despite surrendering a run, Manzi bounced back with consecutive strikeouts to end the Silver Knights rally without further damage.

Norwich answered immediately with a run of their own in the home 2^nd to restore their 3-run lead. Charlie Walsh once again ignited the Sea Unicorns offense with a leadoff single into left field. A stolen base advanced Walsh into scoring position and he later advanced to 3^rd on a grounder to 1^st. Nashua reliever Rob Gilchrist allowed Walsh to score on a 2 out wild pitch, marking the first earned run he has allowed all summer.

Nashua threatened in the 3^rd, loading the bases thanks to 3 straight singles. However, Landon Manzi recovered to escape the frame unscathed thanks to back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout to center field.

The Sea Unicorns added some insurance in the 3^rd to increase their lead to 4. Connor Scanlan started the inning with a base hit to center field. Gavin O’Brien kept the line moving with a base hit back up the middle. CJ Nolan delivered in the clutch for Norwich, wiring a 2 out single into left field to score Scanlan from 3^rd after Nashua turned a 4-6-3 double play.

The visitors once again responded with a run in the following frame to trim the Norwich lead back to 3. River Hart opened the 4^th crushing a double against Norwich reliever Jack Novak. Later, a dropped third strike allowed Hart to advance to 3^rd and Chase Roberts to reach. A wild pitch from Novak brought home Hart. The Westfield State product managed to battle his way out of the inning without further damage.

The hosts manufactured their final run of the night in the home 4^th, marking the first time all summer the Sea Unicorns have collected runs in each of the first 4 innings. Nashua reliever Brennan Rumpf shutdown the Norwich offense in the final 5 innings, holding the Norwich offense to 1 hit while striking out 6.

Nashua added runs in the 5^th and 6^th to cut the Norwich lead to 6-4. In the 5^th, the Silver Knights immediately loaded the bases after Jake Haarde cranked a leadoff double followed by a pair of free passes issued by Novak. With the bases loaded and no outs, Norwich elected to make a pitching change for Nick West, who managed to limit the Nashua offense to one run on a 1 out sacrifice fly.

The Silver Knights added their final run of the night in the 6^th after blasting back-to-back doubles from Cole Patterson and Patrick Shrake. Nick West bounced back with 3 straight strikeouts to end the Nashua threat.

Eric Mathewson shutdown the Silver Knights offense over the final 3 innings to earn his first save of the summer. The Eastern Connecticut State product tossed his best outing of the summer, not allowing a single hit from the Nashua offense while racking up 5 strikeouts.

Win – Nick West (1-0)

Loss – Nate Kelleher Mochak (1-3)

Save – Eric Mathewson (S,1)

Time – 3:07

Norwich is back in action tonight to conclude the home and home series with the Nashua Silver Knights. Frank Spirito (0-0) will take the mound for Norwich, opposite Justin Dressler (1-2) of Nashua. First pitch is scheduled for 6pm from Holman Stadium.

Bees 5^th Inning Sinks Sea Unicorns in Sunday Defeat

New Britain, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were unable to overcome the Bees 5^th inning in a 7-1 loss on Sunday afternoon. Sunday’s defeat effectively concludes a difficult month of June for the Sea Unicorns, who stumbled to a 9–16 record over the month. On the summer, Norwich owns a record of 11-17 overall entering the month of July.

The Bees broke the game open in the 5^th erupting for 5 runs against Norwich starter DJ Peterson. A leadoff walk and a hit batsman to start the frame provided immediate traffic for the New Britain offense. A wild pitch from Peterson advanced both runners into scoring position. Carlos Irizarry produced the first run of the afternoon for the hosts on an infield single to first, however the Sea Unicorns caught a break and recorded the first out in the frame on the Bees attempt to score an additional run on the play, as the Norwich first baseman threw home to retire Chaz Wright who was breaking for the plate.

Later in the inning, a failed pickoff attempt from Peterson to 2^nd spilled into centerfield allowing Irizarry to take 3^rd. Dylan Mayer brought home Irizarry on a groundout to first. Back-to-back 2 out base hits from Noland Risedorf and Cam Righi continued the hosts threat in the frame. Julius Rosado delivered the big blow crushing a one out triple to the right center field gap to increase the Bees lead to 4. New Britain tacked on their final run of the inning thanks to the 2^nd wild pitch of the stanza from the Norwich starter.

Norwich collected their only run of the afternoon in the 4th against Bees starter Carson Parrott. The Tennessee Tech product cruised early, retiring the first 10 batters he faced before Norwich collected their first hit of the afternoon. Caden Fahy cracked the first hit of the ballgame for the visitors followed by Chace Chaplin, who poked a single down the line in right before being thrown out trying to extend his single into extra bases. Ryan Thompson produced the lone run of the afternoon for Norwich on the third straight single of the inning to score Fahy from 3^rd. Parrott retired the next batter he faced to minimize any further damage.

New Britain added two more runs in the 5th, capitalizing on a season-worst four errors by the Norwich defense to stretch the lead to 6.

The Bees bullpen limited the Norwich offense to 2 hits over the final 4 innings while striking out 7. In total, New Britain pitching racked up an impressive 13 strikeouts, nearly matching their season high of 14.

Win – Collin Blake (1-1)

Loss – DJ Peterson (1-2)

Time – 2:35

Norwich is back in action Tuesday night at New Britain Stadium, marking the eighth meeting of the summer between the two Connecticut foes. Landon Manzi (0–1) is slated to make his second start of the season for Norwich, while Jack Sheldon (0–0) will toe the rubber for the Bees in his second outing of the summer. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Written by Adam Plager

Matt Wooton’s Game 2 Gem Lifts Norwich to Doubleheader Split Against Nashua

Nashua, NH – The Norwich Sea Unicorns split their Saturday doubleheader against the Nashua Silver Knights dropping a heart breaker in the opener 2-1 and bounced back in the night cap posting a 4-0 shutout. Norwich now carries a record of 11-16 entering play on Sunday.

Game 1

It was a pitcher’s duel at Holman Stadium as the game remained scoreless until the home 5^th. In fact, both sides were held to one hit apiece through the first 4 innings of the contest.

Norwich starter Frank Spirito ran into his first trouble of the afternoon due to command struggles. The Silver Knights leadoff batter reached via a hit by pitch to start the frame and a 2 out walk to Dylan Littlefield provided traffic on the bases for the hosts. Joseph Zorc delivered the first run of the ballgame on a single to center field. A throwing error from the Norwich centerfielder allowed Littlefield to go 1^st to 3^rd on the play. Despite allowing the 1 earned run the UCONN product was sharp in his outing working 4.2 IP and limited the Nashua offense to 3 hits while striking out 4.

On the other side, Nashua starter Andrew Chenevert was equally impressive over 5 plus innings of work holding the Norwich offense to 1 earned run on 3 hits and 4 strikeouts as well.

The Sea Unicorns responded with a run in the 6^th to level the scoring at 1. Chenevert ran into immediate danger in the 6^th after 5 shutout innings. Norwich loaded the bases thanks to a leadoff single from Alec Warden followed by a hit batsman and a single from Antonio Ducatelli. The second hit of the inning from the Norwich offense ended the night for Chenevert as the Sea Unicorns had a bases loaded threat looming. Nashua elected to bring in Brennan Rumpf to escape a bases loaded jam with no outs. Rumpf held Norwich to just 1 run as Anthony Tirado worked a one out walk. Besides the walk the right hander struck out a pair and ended the inning on a grounder to second.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the 7^th setting up a dramatic finish. Once again it was Joseph Zorc who delivered the big blow for Nashua, launching a walkoff home run to win the game for Nashua.

Win – Brennan Rumpf (2-0)

Loss – Ryan Camp (3-1)

Time – 1:52

 

Game 2

It was the Matt Wootton show in the night cap of the doubleheader. The Eastern Connecticut State product shined once his again for the Sea Unicorns delivering his best outing of the summer to lift Norwich past Nashua. The right hander tossed 7 shutout innings holding the Nashua offense to 2 base hits while striking out a season high 7. Wootton’s dominant outing earned him Futures League Pitcher of the Night honors for the 2^nd time this summer.

Norwich took the lead in the 3^rd on a 2 out wild pitch from Nashua starter Josh Florence allowing Chard to score after singling earlier in the frame. Chard advanced to 2^nd after Kenny Noe worked a one out walk and took 3^rd on a Bryce Detwiler fielder’s choice.

The Sea Unicorns added some insurance in the 6^th striking for 3 runs to take a 4-0 lead. Norwich went to work immediately against Mike Crowley loading the bases with no outs thanks to a leadoff infield single from Kenny Noe followed by a ringing double from Bryce Detwiler. With runners at 2^nd and 3^rd and no outs the Silver Knights elected to intentionally walk Chace Chaplin to load the bases. The move was unsuccessful as newcomer Cal Chance worked a one out walk to force home the 2^nd run of the night for Norwich. Crowley bounced back retiring the next 2 batters he faced before Jack Byrne delivered a clutch 2 out single to increase the Norwich lead to 4.

Win – Matt Wootton (2-1)

Loss – Josh Florence (0-1)

Time – 1:44

The Sea Unicorns are back in action this afternoon for the first of two against the rival New Britain Bees. DJ Peterson (1-1) will make his 2^nd start of the summer for Norwich opposite Colin Blake (0-1) of the Bees. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. from New Britain Stadium.

Written by Adam Plager

Bryce Detwiler Powers Norwich to Thrilling Home Run Derby Victory

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns needed the Home Run Derby on Friday night to pick up a hard-fought victory over the Westfield Starfires. The victory improves Norwich to 10-15 through 25 contests and ends the Sea Unicorns 3-game skid.

Westfield opened the scoring in the 2^nd capitalizing on command troubles from Norwich starter Brendan Grady. A leadoff single followed by a hit batsman and a walk immediately loaded the bases for the visitors. Seth Alford produced the first 2 runs of the night on a ringing double to the right center field gap. Later, a one out infield single from John Mass extended the lead for the visitors to 3. Grady battled his way out of the inning without further damage thanks to a critical double play turned by the Sea Unicorns middle infield.

Norwich chipped into the Westfield lead in the 3^rd slicing the Starfires lead to 2. Aidan Stern reached on a hit by pitch to start the frame and Antonio Ducatelli followed with a base hit back up the middle to give Norwich immediate traffic on the bases. Gabriel Rivera manufactured the first run of the night for the host on a sacrifice fly to right.

The Sea Unicorns took the lead in the 4^th breaking through for 3 runs against Westfield starter Connor Niemiec. Anthony Tirado jumpstarted the Norwich attack, cracking a leadoff single to right. Connor Scanlan followed with a walk and once again Norwich had immediate traffic against Niemiec. A grounder to 1^st from Jack Ohman advanced both runners into scoring position. Joe Durso cut the Westfield lead to 1 scoring Tirado from 3^rd on a controversial infield single. Next, a wild pitch from Niemiec forced the Westfield infield defense in as both Durso and Scanlan took 2^nd and 3^rd. Aidan Stern gave Norwich the lead on a clutch single into centerfield scoring both Durso and Scanlan.

The score remained the same until the 8^th when Westfield battled back with a pair of runs to retake the lead. Josh Frometa reached to start the inning after an error committed by the Norwich reliever. After Frometa reached, Norwich elected to make a pitching change, calling on Nick West for his Sea Unicorns debut. The right hander walked the first batter he faced but bounced back with an infield pop-up to record the first out in the inning. Jonathan Chatfield gave Westfield the lead on a single into right field scoring Frometa from 2^nd and a throwing error from the Norwich right fielder allowed Ruggiero to score from 1^st. West mitigated any further damage holding the Westfield lead to a run.

Norwich tied the game at 5 in the bottom of the inning without recording a hit, taking advantage of walks, hit batters, and a costly Westfield error. Joe Durso was hit by a pitch to open the frame, and Jack Byrne came on as a pinch runner. After Aidan Stern drew a walk, both runners executed a double steal to move into scoring position. Antonio Ducatelli reached on a fielder’s choice, and when the ball was misplayed at second, Jack Byrne scored the tying run while Aidan Stern was thrown out at the plate for the first out. After an intentional walk to Gabriel Rivera and a flyout from CJ Nolan, Norwich loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, but continued threats to take the lead came up short as Westfield escaped with a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

The Starfires threatened in the 9^th to take the lead after Norwich reliever Eric Mathewson allowed the first 2 batters to reach. With traffic on and no outs the Sea Unicorns elected to make a pitching change for flame throwing right hander Gio Conte. The move paid off as the UCONN transfer popped up the first batter he faced on a failed bunt and struck out the following two batters he faced in order. Gio continued his dominance in the 10^th stranding the automatic runner at 3^rd and was named Futures League Pitcher of the Night for his efforts on the mound.

With the game still tied after 10 innings, a home run derby was needed to decide the outcome. Westfield’s Seth Alford and Anthony Ruggiero came up empty in their attempts, giving Norwich a chance to win it with one swing. Bryce Detwiler called game, launching a mammoth drive over the double wall in left field to cap a nearly four-hour marathon for Norwich.

Norwich Is back in action today for a double header against the Nashua Silver Knights at Holman Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and game 2 will start at approximately 6 p.m.

Win – N/A

Loss – N/A

Time 3:49

Written by Adam Plager

Bees Sting Late, Spoil Cardman’s Masterpiece

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns dropped a nail bitter on Thursday night to their state rival New Britain Bees 3-1. Norwich’s defeat is their 3^rd in a row and are now a season worst 6 games below .500 responsible, for a record of 9-15.

It was a pitcher’s duel at Dodd Stadium as both starters kept the ballgame scoreless over the first 6 innings allowing a combined 5 hits.

Luke Cardman was electric on Saturday working 6 innings of shutout baseball. The Alexandria, Virginia native stymied the Bees offense to just 1 hit which was an infield single from Tim Henning in the 3^rd. Cardman set both season highs in strikeouts with 7 and innings pitched, tossing 6 masterful frames on Thursday night. The righty has allowed just 1 earned run over his last 16 innings of work, striking out 18 without issuing a walk.

On the other side, Bees starter Ben Oliveira was equally impressive working 6 scoreless innings of his own. The Somerset, Massachusetts native limited the Norwich offense to 4 hits while striking out 5 and did not surrender a walk.

Norwich broke the scoreless tie in the 7^th on a clutch one out single from Gavin O’Brien past the drawn in New Britain infield defense to score Anthony Tirado from 3^rd, who drew a leadoff walk.

The visitors battled back to tie the contest in the 8th against reliever Cam Thomas. Jack Kane reached on an error to lead off the inning, and a one-out single from catcher Brandon Gaer amplified the pressure giving the Bees a pair of baserunners. A fielder’s choice moved both runners into scoring position, and a wild pitch from Thomas plated the tying run.

New Britain took the lead in the 9th, striking for a pair to grab a critical 3-1 advantage. Camden Righi jumpstarted the rally with a leadoff single against Norwich reliever Gio Conte. A one-out bloop single from Brennan Staubley put runners at the corners, and Jack Kane pushed across the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice groundout. The Bees added insurance when a grounder was misplayed by the Norwich second baseman, allowing a second run to score.

Zach Zajac sealed the comeback win for the Bees, tossing a scoreless 9th to preserve the victory. He ran into two-out trouble after an error and a walk gave Norwich life, but the RPI product responded with a clutch strikeout to lock down the save and strand the tying run.

Win- Fayz Baig (1-0)

Loss- Gio Conte (1-1)

Save – Zach Zajac (S,3)

Time – 2:28

Norwich will look to turn the page tomorrow night against the Westfield Starfires in the final home game in the month of June. Brendan Grady (1-1) will toe the rubber for the Sea Unicorns opposite Connor Niemiec (0-3). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

“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 across the red front section with The Rose of New England!

Presented by: Dime Bank

Postgame Fireworks

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

Presented by: Liberty Bank

Written by Adam Plager

Early Lead Not Enough in Wednesday Night Loss at Worcester

Worcester, MA – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were unable to hold onto their early lead Wednesday night, falling 11-7 to the Worcester Bravehearts at Fitton Field. Norwich is now 1-5 over their last 6 contests and are responsible for a 9-14 record through 23 ballgames.

It was a strong start for Norwich, taking an early 3-0 lead in the 2^nd. Alec Warden drove in the first run of the night on an RBI double to the left field wall to score Jayden Novak who was plunked to begin the inning. Later, an error from the Bravehearts shortstop that leaked into left field allowed the visitors to add on a pair to increase the lead to 3.

Worcester responded with a run in the home 2^nd to trim the Norwich lead to 2. Jackson Marshall kicked the inning off with a base hit to left field. A wild pitch advanced Marshall into scoring position and a one out throwing error from the Sea Unicorns shortstop allowed Marshall to score.

Norwich immediately responded with a pair of runs in the 3^rd, building their largest lead of the night at 5-1. Jack Ohman launched a one out double down the left field line to score Chace Chaplin, who walked earlier in the inning. A wild pitch to Alec Warden plated Jayden Novak to provide the Sea Unicorns with a 4-run cushion.

Once again, the hosts battled back, chipping away to trim the Norwich lead to 1 with a 3-run frame of their own. A pair of singles and a walk immediately loaded the bases for Worcester with no outs. Chris Mondesir brought home the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center. A wild pitch from Sea Unicorns starter DJ Peterson allowed another run to cross the plate, followed by an Evan O’Rourke double to the left field wall to make it a 5-4 ballgame.

CJ Nolan answered for Norwich, cranking a leadoff homerun to start the 4^th. UCONN commit Bryce Detwiler followed with a base hit and later advanced into scoring position thanks to a wild pitch. Sea Unicorns first baseman Chace Chaplin added some insurance with a one out single through the drawn in infield defense to score Detwiler from 3^rd.

Unfortunately, the Sea Unicorns 7-4 lead would not survive past the 5^th inning as the Worcester bats came roaring to life in the middle innings. The Bravehearts trimmed the deficit to two in the 4^th on a sacrifice fly from Jaylem Sepulveda, bringing home Cam Papetti, who led off the inning with a double off the left-field wall that came just shy of a home run.

Worcester took the lead in the 5^th thank to a 4-run, 2 out rally. Kaleb Woodward began the threat poking a one out triple down the left field line against Norwich reliever Ryan Camp. The Roger Williams product bounced back striking out the next batter he faced to record the 2^nd out in the frame. Evan O’Rourke delivered a 2 out single to score Woodward, which ended the night for Camp. Norwich elected to bring in Cooper Maher to end the Worcester threat. Despite the pitching change, the Bravehearts offense continued to roll as Jackson Marshall laced a one out single to score O’Rourke and tie the game at 7. The tie did not last long as Cam Papetti walloped his first of two home runs to give the hosts a 9-7 lead.

The Bryant product added some insurance in the 7^th with a towering 2 out blast to extend the Worcester lead to 11-7.

Papetti’s monster day at the plate for the Bravehearts helped power Worcester to a victory and earned him Futures League Player of the Night honors finishing with three hits, 2 home runs, and 4 RBIs.

The Norwich offense had no answers after the 4^th inning, being held to 3 hits in the final 5 innings. Aiden Cardoza led the charge for Worcester on the mound, earning the win in relief with three scoreless innings of one-hit baseball and six strikeouts. Cardoza’s efforts on the mound earned him Futures League Pitcher of the Night honors.

Win- Aiden Cardoza (1-0)

Loss- Cooper Maher (0-2)

Time 2:52

Norwich is back in action tonight at Dodd Stadium against their in-state rival New Britain Bees. Luke Cardman (0-1) will look to lead Norwich back into the win column opposite Ben Oliveira (0-1). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

Irish Night at the Bell Logistics Hole In the Wall Beer Garden

Wear green or any other Irish themed outfit and learn more about travel options to Ireland from local travel agents.

Presented by: HMS Travel Consulting

Thirsty Thursday

Narragansett Beer Specials

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Drop Disappointing Tuesday Night Meeting with Lake Monsters

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were defeated 12-6 by the Vermont Lake Monsters on Tuesday night to close out their 6-game homestand. The loss drops Norwich to 9-13 through 22 ballgames while the Lake Monsters collected their 6^th straight victory and now hold sole possession of first place in the Futures League.

Vermont opened the scoring immediately, striking for a pair in the 1^st against Norwich starter Matt Pearch. The Yale commit battled command issues throughout his start, issuing 5 walks and hitting a batter. The Lake Monsters had immediate traffic to begin the ballgame thanks to a pair of walks to start the night. Leandro Guevara took advantage lining an RBI single to left field to bring home the first run of the night. Later, a sacrifice fly from Cooper Berry increased the Vermont lead to 2.

The offense continued in the 2^nd for Vermont, plating another 3 runs to build a 5-0 lead. Once again wildness from Pearch paved the way for the Lake Monsters. A hit batsman and a walk provided traffic on the bases to start the inning. An infield single from Hunter Kingsbury and a throwing error that spilled into foul territory helped score the 1^st run of the frame. Next, an error from the Norwich third baseman led to the 2^nd run of the inning for Vermont and a sacrifice fly from Massai Marshall stretched the Vermont lead to 5.

Vermont added a run in the 3^rd to extend their lead to 6 on a sacrifice fly from Guevara to score Kingsbury who cracked a one out double to the wall in right field.

The score remained the same until the 6^th, when the Lake Monsters broke through for their second 3 run inning of the contest. Vermont did their damage before Norwich recorded an out in the frame on 4 hits and an error.

In the 7^th, the Lake Monsters tacked on another to grow their lead to 10, effectively putting Norwich in danger of the game ending early via the run rule.

Antonio Ducatelli had other ideas, cranking a leadoff triple to start the home 7^th, and was later brought home on a Gabriel Rivera sacrifice fly to give Norwich their first run of the night.

The Lake Monsters answered in the 8^th striking for a pair of runs to once again put the hosts on the brink of a shortened ballgame. Tyler Harmony kicked the inning off with a ringing ground rule double and was later brought home on a Hunter Kingsbury base hit to right field. Guevara followed with his 3^rd RBI of the night crushing a double to the wall in left field.

Despite an 11-run deficit entering the home 8^th, Norwich erupted for 5 runs to trim the Vermont lead to 6. Joe Durso jumpstarted the Norwich offense with a leadoff base hit and later stole both 2^nd and 3^rd and an errant throw from the Vermont catcher allowed Durso to score. Next, three consecutive free passes from the Vermont reliever with one out helped Norwich load the bases. Matt Fincher elected to make a pitching change in the middle of a 3-0 count to Ducatelli with the bases loaded. The pitching change was unsuccessful as the reliever fired ball 4 to the Norwich left fielder to force home the 3^rd run of the night for the Sea Unicorns. A controversial infield fly ruling off the bat of Rivera was dropped in shallow right field and was ruled the 2^nd out of the frame, but helped the hosts bring home another run. Anthony Tirado capped off the big inning with a 2 out, 2 run scoring base hit to center field. Unfortunately, that would be the end of the spark from the late-inning surge.

The Sea Unicorns are back in action tonight on the road at Fitton Field against the Worcester Bravehearts. DJ Peterson (1-1) will take the mound for Norwich in his first start of the summer opposite Evan Cornelius (0-0). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Win – Eli Fleming (2-2)

Loss – Matt Pearch 0-1)

Time – 3:22

Norwich Snaps 4-game Skid with Sunday Funday Victory

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns snapped their 4-game skid on Sunday afternoon, posting a 5-3 victory over the New Britain Bees. The victory improves Norwich to 9-12 on the summer and back into 4^th place in the Futures League.

New Britain opened the scoring in the 1^st capitalizing on early command trouble from Norwich starter Brendan Grady. After striking out the Bees leadoff man, Grady lost command of the strike zone plunking a batter and walking the next two to load the bases. A passed ball plated the first run of the afternoon for the visitors. Grady minimized any further damage striking out the next two batters he faced.

The Sea Unicorns responded with a pair in the 3rd to take a 2-1 lead. Bryce Detwiler kickstarted the offense with a one-out single to center. Aidan Stern followed with a base hit of his own, and Connor Scanlan evened the score by lacing a single up the middle to score Detwiler. Norwich then executed a double steal, allowing Stern to cross the plate and give the Sea Unicorns their first lead of the day.

In the 4th, Norwich extended the lead to 3-1. With two outs, Detwiler delivered again, ripping a double to score Jack Durso, who had doubled to the left-field wall earlier in the inning.

New Britain cut the deficit in half in the 5th. Nolan Risedorf led off with a bunt single, and Easton Masse followed with a base knock to center, creating immediate traffic. Norwich reliever Jack Novak retired the next batter on a flyout to center, but it was deep enough to move Risedorf to third, and he later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2.

The Bees continued to battle, tying the game in the 7th. Carlos Irizarry poked a leadoff single to right, and a pair of wild pitches by Cooper Maher pushed him to third. Irizarry scored on a sacrifice fly to even the game at 3-3.

The hosts took the lead for good in the 8th, striking for a pair to build a 5-3 advantage. Connor Scanlan clocked a leadoff double to the wall in center field, and New Britain reliever Connor Willett issued back-to-back walks to load the bases for the Sea Unicorns. With the bases full and nobody out, New Britain elected to make a pitching change in an effort to mitigate further damage. Gavin O’Brien put Norwich in front with a sacrifice fly to right, and Spencer Chard added an insurance run with a fielder’s choice groundout.

Gio Conte locked down the victory for the Sea Unicorns, tossing 2 scoreless innings to help lead Norwich past New Britain. The transfer to Sienna College escaped a bases loaded jam in the 8^th and worked around a 2 out runner in the 9^th to preserve the victory for Norwich.

Norwich is back in action Tuesday night against the Vermont Lake Monsters to conclude the 6-game homestand. Matt Pearch (0-0) will take the mound for the Sea Unicorns opposite Eli Fleming (1-2). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Win – Gio Conte (1-0)

Loss – Connor Willett (0-1)

Time – 2:55

UPCOMING PROMOTION

Featuring 2 for $5 Hot Dogs

Purchase a ticket for this game and receive a free ticket to our next Tuesday home game on August 5

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns 9^th Inning Rally Falls Short in Saturday Night Loss to Nashua

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns fell short in their comeback mission on Saturday night falling to the Nashua Silver Knights 6-4. The defeat is Norwich’s 4^th in a row while Nashua collected their 6^th straight win. Norwich is now responsible for an 8-12 record through 20 ballgames.

It was a pitcher’s duel through the 6^th inning at Dodd Stadium with both sides being held scoreless and 3 hits combined.

Norwich starter Frank Spirito shined in his 4 innings of work holding the Nashua offense to just 1 hit while striking out 5. Opposite him Silver Knights starter Andrew Chenevert was equally impressive quieting the Norwich offense to 1 hit over 5 innings with 3 punchouts.

Nashua opened the scoring in the 6^th inning plating a pair to take a 2-0 lead. Sea Unicorns reliever Justin Gouin ran into immediate danger allowing the first 2 batters to reach safely before spotting his 1^st out in the frame. Joseph Zorc delivered the first run of the night for the visitors wiring a one out single to score Dylan Littlefield. Patrick Shrake followed with a base hit to center field to load the bases for Nashua and ended the night for Gouin. Eli Della Bitta walked the first batter he faced, forcing in the second run of the inning, but bounced back with back-to-back strikeouts to limit the damage.

The offense continued for Nashua in the 7^th thanks to the first home run of the summer for Jake Haarde to increase the Silver Knights lead to 4.

Both sides traded runs in the 8th inning. River Hart extended the visitors’ lead to five with a one-out double into the left-center field gap. Norwich answered in the bottom half, sparked by Aidan Stern’s bunt single to lead off the inning. Stern advanced to second on a throwing error by the Nashua reliever, then moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored to trim the deficit.

Ernie Little restored Nashua’s 5-run advantage in the 9^th inning scoring on a 2 out wild pitch after reaching on an infield single.

Much like Friday night, Norwich saved another furious comeback effort for the final inning. After being held to just two hits through the first eight innings and trailing 6 to 1, the Sea Unicorns’ offense finally came to life. Norwich did all their damage with two outs in the ninth. The hosts loaded the bases thanks to command issues from the Nashua reliever, who walked a pair and hit a batter. Gabriel Rivera plated the first run with a single to center field. With the bases still loaded and two outs, Nashua elected to make a pitching change. Charlie Walsh made them pay by ripping a two-run single up the middle to cut the deficit to two. Unfortunately, that would be the closest Norwich would come in their 9^th inning comeback effort.

Norwich is back in action this afternoon with a matinee meeting with the New Britain Bees and will look to snap their 4-game skid. Brendan Grady (1-1) will take the mound for Norwich opposite Jack Sheldon (0-0).

Win – Andrew Chenevert (4-0)

Loss – Justin Gouin (0-1)

Save – Brandon Metivier (S, 1)

Time – 2:50

UPCOMING PROMOTION

Autograph Book giveaway

The first 200 kids to enter the gates will receive an autograph book that they can bring back every time they attend a Sea Unicorns game and get autographs from their favorite players.

Presented by: Spicer Propane

Sunday Funday with postgame Kids Run the Bases and Have a Catch in the Outfield

Children 12 & under are invited on the field following the game to Run the Bases one time and Have a Catch in the Outfield with their families for 15 minutes.

Baseballs for Have a Catch are branded by: CT DOT

Sunday’s are also our First Mate’s Club Days

The First Mate’s Club is open to children 12 & under. As a member, you will receive a ticket to every Sunday home game, receive a t-shirt and a credential to show off your membership in style, receive discounts at concessions and merchandise stands on Sunday’s, as well as participate in an ice cream social following today’s game.

Presented by: K & H Equipment of Plainfield

Written by Adam Plager