Norwich Moves Back On Top Of League Standings

The Norwich Sea Unicorns have won 5 straight ballgames after sweeping the Westfield Starfires in a road doubleheader Tuesday night. Norwich’s recent surge has moved the Sea Unicorns back into 1^st in the Futures League standings holding a record of 25-15 through 40 contests.

Game 1

In game 1 of last night’s twin bill the Norwich Sea Unicorns posted an 11-5 victory at Bullens Field. Norwich jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, striking for 5 runs in the first.

Norwich sent 9 batters to the plate against Westfield starter Sam Formus to begin their night offensively, collecting 3 hits, a pair of walks, and took advantage of an error committed by the Starfires defense. The Sea Unicorns plated 4 runs before Westfield recorded their 1^st out. After failing to record an out through the first 6 batters Norwich sent to the plate, Formus retired the bottom of the Sea Unicorns lineup in order, to escape the inning with minimal further damage.

Westfield responded to the early deficit with 4 runs in the 2^nd and a run in the 3^rd to even the score at 5. The Starfires offense came roaring to life in the 2nd sending 8 batters to the plate against Norwich starter Gavin Hawkes. A pair of singles and a walk immediately loaded the bases for the host. The third base hit of the inning produced the first run of the night for Westfield. Later in the frame, a one out bases clearing double brought Westfield to within a run. Hawkes was able to minimize any further damage, retiring the next two batters he faced. A solo home run by Luke Masiuk in the home 3^rd tied the game at 5.

Norwich reclaimed the lead in the 4^th, taking advantage of some command trouble by the Westfield pitching staff. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases for Norwich with one out. Despite a pitching change made by Westfield, Shaun Callahan brought home Kaiden Dossa from 3^rd on a fielder’s choice to give Norwich the lead.

The bullpen for Norwich shutdown the Starfires offense in the final 4 innings, allowing just one hit the rest of the way. Tyler Rice earned the victory for Norwich in relief, tossing a pair of shutout innings.

The Sea Unicorns broke the game open in the 7^th thanks to their second 5-run inning of the night. Kaiden Dossa shined once again for Norwich, collecting his 4^th straight multi-hit performance while delivering a pair of RBIs and scoring a couple of runs. Trey Porter had his best performance of the summer offensively, collecting 3 hits, and both Anthony Tirado and Owen Turner drove in a pair of runs.

Game 2

Once again Norwich had a fast start, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead. AJ Soldra began the ballgame for the visitors with a leadoff double. With one away, Antonio Ducatelli drew a walk to give the Sea Unicorns a pair of base runners and later Nick Tomasetto brought home Soldra with a base hit to center field. Alex Irizarry continued his torrid stretch, crushing a 2-run double down the line in right field to give Norwich a 3-0 lead.

Similar to game one Westfield battled back to tie the game. The Starfires rallied for a pair of runs in the 2^nd and a run in the 3^rd to return the game back to equilibrium. Westfield cut the Norwich lead to 1, striking for a pair of runs against starter Callen Powers in the home 2^nd on 3 hits. The bats continued to heat up for the host in the 3^rd against reliever Tiernan Powers who surrendered the equalizer on a pair of base hits from the Westfield offense.

The ballgame remained deadlocked at 3 until the bottom of the 6^th. After surrendering a leadoff base knock, Bryson Plante took care of the next 2 batters he faced. Norwich elected to make a pitching change, with 2 away and runner on, for Giovanni Conte. Cameron Papetti took Conte deep to begin his outing and provided Westfield with their first lead of the night.

Norwich battled back in the 7^th with 3 runs to take a 6-5 lead. The Sea Unicorns did all their damage with 2 outs. Antonio Ducatelli kept the game alive for Norwich with a single to left field and advanced Bo Yaworski to second. Later Nick Tomasetto reached on an infield single to bring home Yaworski and cut the Westfield lead to 1. Next, Scott Penney drew a walk and Alex Irizarry delivered his 2^nd hit of the night to give the Sea Unicorns the lead with a base hit to left field.

Jimmy Mulvaney locked down the victory for Norwich with his 5^th save of the summer. The Fairfield product has now lowered his ERA to 0.89.

Norwich is back in action this morning for a meeting against the New Britain Bees. It is Summer Camp Day at Dodd Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. EST.

Norwich Completes Perfect Homestand with Victory over Westfield

The Norwich Sea Unicorns won their third in a row, defeating the top seeded Westfield Starfires 7-3 on Sunday. Norwich’s victory improves the Sea Unicorns to 23-15 through 38 ballgames and 2 points out of first in the Futures League standings.

Westfield began the scoring by striking for a pair of runs in the first to take an early 2-0 lead. The Starfires loaded the bases with no outs and immediately put the pressure on the Sea Unicorns. Norwich starter Justin Marks responded with a strikeout of the Westfield cleanup hitter for his first out. A sacrifice fly to center field produced the first run of the ballgame for the visitors. Luke Yuhasz extended the lead for the visitors with a bloop 2 out single into shallow center field. Marks escaped the inning without any further damage after inducing a ground ball to second.

Norwich immediately responded in the home first with three runs of their own to take a 3-2 lead. Kaiden Dossa began the frame drawing a leadoff walk and AJ Soldra followed, cranking a triple down the right field line to slice the Westfield lead in half. Sebastian Mueller brought the game even on a base hit back up the middle to plate Soldra from third. Connor Lane kept the line moving for Norwich, cranking a single to left field to give Norwich runners at first and second still with no outs. Back-to-back fly outs to center field produced the 3^rd run of the inning for Norwich and gave the Sea Unicorns the lead.

The Sea Unicorns extended their lead in the 3^rd, delivering their 4^th run of the afternoon on 3 hits. Sebastian Mueller ignited the offense with his 2^nd base hit of the day to provide Norwich a one out baserunner. Similar to the first, Connor Lane followed with a base knock of his own to give Norwich a pair of base runners. Nick Tomasetto advanced Mueller 90 feet with his second fly out to center field. The third base hit of the inning plated Sebastian Mueller from third, thanks to Scott Penney, who punched a single into right field.

After surrendering a pair of early runs to the Westfield offense, Norwich allowed just 1 run the rest of the way. The final run of the afternoon for the Starfires crossed the plate in the 4^th to cut the Sea Unicorns lead to 1. Westfield loaded the bases with one away on a pair of singles and a walk issued. Reliever Teo Spadaccini minimized the damage, allowing a run to cross on a ground out to second base. The Yale product escaped the inning by inducing a pop up to third base to preserve the lead for the host.

Once again, the Norwich offense came to life in the late innings, adding a run in the 7^th and a pair in the 8^th to create some insurance. The top 4 hitters in the lineup for Norwich all finished with multi-hit performances. AJ Soldra and Sebastian Mueller led the way, each collecting three hits. Soldra finished his afternoon a home run shy of the cycle and drove in 3.

Mike Poncini earned the victory for Norwich in relief, holding Westfield scoreless in 1.2 innings of work. The Quinnipiac product has not allowed any runs across 3.2 innings this summer for Norwich.

The Sea Unicorns are back in action tomorrow night for a doubleheader on the road against Westfield. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EST. from Bullens Field.

Former Sea Unicorn Taken 21st Overall On Sunday

The Norwich Sea Unicorns inaugural Futures League roster in 2021 has added to its professional baseball ranks. Kaelen Culpepper, an infielder from Memphis, TN and Kansas State University, has been selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round (pick 21) of the 2024 draft. Once Culpepper signs, he will join Jayvien Sandridge, a pitcher who signed a professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds before ever throwing a pitch for the Sea Unicorns and is now in Triple-A El Paso with the San Diego Padres organization, and Colton Bender, a catcher who played 12 games with the Sea Unicorns in 2021 before being drafted by the San Diego Padres, and is currently playing in High-A Fort Wayne in the Padres system, as former Sea Unicorns in professional baseball.

During that inaugural 2021 season, Culpepper spent time playing shortstop, second base and third base over 40 games. A Futures League All Star, Culpepper batted .301 over 133 at bats, tallying 40 hits, 6 doubles, 2 home runs, 19 runs batted in, 30 runs scored, and was successful on 11 of 14 stolen base attempts.

“Seeing Kaelen Culpepper drafted in the first round is an exciting moment for the Sea Unicorns franchise,” said General Manager Lee Walter, Jr. “The Futures League has produced many great players throughout its history and the Sea Unicorns are thrilled to be able to contribute to the roster of professional players. Having Kaelen join Jayvien and Colton at the professional level shows that Norwich can attract good players and we look forward to having more former Sea Unicorns reach professional baseball over the next several years.”

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft continues on Monday and Wednesday. Further updates of former Sea Unicorns being drafted will be provided as they occur.

Early Offensive Surge Leads Norwich to Friday Night Victory in Front of over 4,000

The Norwich Sea Unicorns continued their winning ways on Friday night, posting a 7-3 victory over the Road Warriors. The victory keeps Norwich in a deadlock for 2^nd in the Futures League standings, with the New Britain Bees, each holding a record of 22-15.

The Sea Unicorns offense went to work immediately, striking for 3 runs in the first and adding a pair in the second to jump out to an early 5-0 lead. In the first, Kaiden Dossa and AJ Soldra ignited the Norwich offense with a pair of singles to give Norwich runners at first and second with no outs. Sebastian Mueller continued his dominance at the plate, delivering an RBI double to drive home Dossa and Soldra to give Norwich a 2-0 lead just 3 batters into the night. A passed ball advanced Mueller 90 feet to 3rd and he was instantly brought home thanks to Chris DiPrima, who slapped a base hit up the middle. After allowing 3 runs 5 batters into the ballgame, Road Warriors starter DC Brown was able to escape the 1^st without any further damage.

Norwich continued their early offensive success in the 2^nd, adding a pair of runs on 3 hits. Aidan Baglino drew a leadoff walk and later advanced into scoring position with his first swiped bag of the summer. With one away in the frame, Dossa was aggressive on the first pitch he faced, flipping it into left field to produce the 4^th run of the ballgame for Norwich. A throwing error propelled the Yale product into scoring position and similar to the Sea Unicorns leadoff hitter, Soldra took advantage of the first pitch he faced, wiring it into center field to bring home Dossa. Soldra wasted no time travelling to 2^nd with his 11^th stolen base of the summer, but was later cut down at the plate trying to score on a base hit from Mueller into right field. Brown retired the next batter he faced to escape further damage, but Norwich had built a 5-0 lead through 2 innings.

Sea Unicorns starter Hector Alejandro began his outing in dominant fashion, holding the Road Warriors offense scoreless through his first 3 innings of work. The UCONN product continued to cruise to begin the 4^th retiring the first two batters he faced in order before running into trouble. Three consecutive hits for the Road Warriors cut the Norwich lead to 3. Alejandro finished his night surrendering a pair of runs on 5 hits while striking out 4 across 4 innings of work.

After a fast start, Norwich was held to 2 hits by the Road Warriors bullpen in the final 5 innings. Norwich plated a run in the 6^th thanks to some havoc on the basepaths created by Tirado and Soldra. The Sea Unicorns shortstop began the frame with a base hit, and a walk to Kaiden Dossa provided Norwich runners at first and second with no outs. Soldra hit into a fielder’s choice and as a result Norwich had runners placed at the corners with one out. Next, Norwich successfully executed a double steal to plate their 6^th run of the night.

The visitors cut the Norwich lead to 3 once again, with a run in the 8^th against reliever Callen Powers. Norwich answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of some command trouble from reliever Dominic Monico, who hit a batter and walked a pair to load the bases. The Road Warriors elected to make a pitching change with the bases full and 2 outs. A wild pitch from the new reliever allowed the Sea Unicorns to restore their 4-run lead.

Kaden Murphy slammed the door shut in the 9^th, punching out a pair to help Norwich secure their second straight victory. Vincent Borghese earned the win for Norwich tossing 3 scoreless innings in his debut as a Sea Unicorn.

Norwich is back in action tonight to close out the mini-2-game series against the Road Warriors. The Saturday Entertainment Series continues at Dodd Stadium located at the Hole In The Wall Bar on the first base concourse starting at 4:30pm for live music featuring the Professors of Sweet Sweet Music (POSSM) presented by Yale New Haven Health and L & M Hospital. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST.

The Norwich Sea Unicorns ended their 3-game skid with a walkoff victory over the Worcester Bravehearts 7-6 on Thursday night. Norwich’s victory moves the Sea Unicorns into a tie for second in the Futures League standings, with the New Britain Bees, each holding a record of 21-15.

Worcester began the scoring in the 2^nd inning, taking advantage of a 2 out error committed by the Norwich defense to take a 2-0 lead. Norwich starter, Timothy Lewis allowed the first 2 batters he faced to reach base safely on a leadoff single from Dylan Lapointe and then plunked the next batter on the first pitch to give Worcester runners at first and second with no outs. Lewis responded by retiring the next 2 batters he faced in order, and Norwich had an opportunity to escape the frame with the game still scoreless. Unfortunately, an error by the Norwich first baseman allowed Worcester to strike first. Max LeFrancois followed with a base hit to extend the Bravehearts lead to 2.

Norwich immediately responded, rattling off 6 runs in the bottom of the inning and chased the Worcester starter who was able to record only one out. The Sea Unicorns sent 6 batters to the plate, striking for 5 runs before John Connolly retired his first batter of the frame. Antonio Ducatelli and newcomer Sebastian Mueller began the home 2^nd with a pair of singles and a walk to Christian Stratis loaded the bases. The second consecutive walk issued by Connolly plated the first run of the inning for Norwich. Jack Sweeney extended the lead for Norwich to 3, smashing a double to the wall in left field to drive home Mueller and Stratis. Chris Carson continued the scoring parade for the Sea Unicorns, poking a single into right field and the lead for Norwich grew to 5. At last, the Endicott product was able to record his first out of the frame on a pop up to the third baseman. AJ Soldra followed with the 5^th hit of the inning for Norwich and the 6^th run of the night for the host, which ultimately ended the night for Connolly.

Evan Scully shined for the Bravehearts, holding Norwich scoreless over 5.2 innings of relief. The Endicott product escaped the 2^nd inning without any further damage and kept Worcester in the game, holding the Norwich offense to just 3 hits. Scully’s damage control proved to be effective as the Bravehearts offense slowly chipped away at the 4-run deficit.

Sea Unicorns starter Timothy Lewis ran into danger in the 4^th, allowing Worcester to trim the Norwich lead to 1. A leadoff double and a single opened the door for the Bravehearts offense. Lewis was able to retire the next batter he faced on a weak pop up to the first baseman. Next, a fielder’s choice groundout produced the 3^rd run of the night for Worcester as Norwich was unable to complete the double play. Back-to-back hits for Worcester made it a one rune game and spelled the end of the line for Lewis, who departed with runners at 2^nd and 3rd. Norwich turned to Jimmy Mulvaney to preserve the lead for Norwich. Mulvaney began his night hitting the first batter he faced to load the bases for Worcester. The Fairfield product responded with a critical strikeout to end the threat and hold the lead for Norwich.

The ballgame remained 6-5 until the 9^th inning, when Dylan LaPointe cranked a 2 out triple to tie the game at 6. LaPointe’s game tying triple set the stage for a wild 9^th inning. Rodriguez escaped the top of the 9^th without any further damage, allowing Norwich a chance to walk it off in the home 9^th.

Scott Penney began the danger for Norwich, wiring a one out double to the left center field gap. Worcester elected to intentionally walk AJ Soldra to face Connor Lane. The Sea Unicorns catcher legged out an infield single and the bases were loaded for Antonio Ducatelli with still one out. Next, Ducatelli chopped a sharply hit ground ball to the Bravehearts second baseman, who fired home for the 2^nd out and then the Worcester catcher attempted to complete the double play, but his throw sailed over the head of his first baseman, allowing AJ Soldra to come home and score to seal the victory for Norwich in walkoff fashion.

Norwich is back in action tonight to begin a 2-game set with the Road Warriors. It is First Responders Night presented by Hartford Healthcare/ Backus & Windham Hospitals along with postgame fireworks by American Fireworks presented by Liberty Bank. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST.

Nashua’s Early Offensive Surge Too Much for Norwich in Wednesday’s Road Meeting

The Norwich Sea Unicorns dropped their third consecutive contest to the Nashua Silver Knights, falling 12-4 on Wednesday. Norwich’s defeat in the Gate City drops the Sea Unicorns to 20-15.

Nashua took an early 2-0 lead in the home 1^st thanks to the 4^th home run of the summer for Owen Carey. The Silver Knights did all their damage with a pair of outs after Norwich starter Gavin Hawkes retired the first 2 batters he faced in order. Nater Wachter continued his success against Norwich pitching, delivering a 2 out double to center field to set the stage for Owen Carey. The Nashua first baseman took advantage of a 2-0 count walloping his 4^th home run of the summer.

Norwich cut Nashua’s early lead in half in the 3^rd, plating their first run of the night. Trey Porter began the frame with a base hit into center field. Porter wasted no time navigating his way around the base paths thanks to a balk by Nashua starter Jason Libby to advance into scoring position. Later, Porter stole 3^rd for his 3^rd swiped bag of the summer. Antonio Ducatelli brought home the Norwich center fielder with a ground out to the shortstop.

The host immediately responded, striking for 6 runs in the bottom of the inning to take a commanding 8-1 lead. Nashua began the inning sending 8 batters to the plate and scoring 5 runs before an out was recorded. It was at this juncture that Norwich elected to make a pitching change to bring in Giovanni Conte. The UCONN product retired Nashua’s next 3 hitters in order to escape the inning with just 1 run crossing the plate on a fielder’s choice ground out.

In the 4^th and 5^th, the Sea Unicorns produced a run in each frame. Shaun Callahan began the Norwich 4^th reaching on an error committed by the Nashua first baseman. A single by Chris DiPrima gave the Sea Unicorns runners at first and second with no outs. Kaiden Dossa delivered for Norwich with a pair of outs, lacing a single into left field to bring home Callahan.

Back-to-back doubles for the Sea Unicorns in the 5^th helped Norwich score their 3^rd run of the night. Ducatelli smashed a lead off double to center field and was quickly driven in on Peter Link’s 1^st double of the summer. Link has now registered all 3 of his RBIs this summer against Nashua and Ducatelli has smacked 3 of his 4 doubles this summer against Nashua pitching.

Reliever Giovanni Conte was strong in his outing allowing just 1 run in 3 innings of work. The lone run Conte surrendered came in the 6^th inning after allowing a lead off triple that was brought home on a wild pitch. After allowing the first 2 batters to reach base safely in the 6th, Conte departed for reliever Bryson Plante.

Unfortunately, it was a rocky outing for Plante, who struggled with command. The Norwich reliever allowed 3 runs in 1.2 innings of work, allowing a pair of hits and issuing 5 walks.

Norwich added their final run of the night in the 8^th inning. Dossa reached on a fielder’s choice after Scott Penney began the frame with a base hit. Dossa’s first stolen base of the summer moved him into scoring position and a passed ball advanced the Yale product to 3rd. Ducatelli continued his strong offensive surge with an RBI single.

Norwich will look to get back into the win column and snap their 3-game skid tonight with a meeting against the Worcester Bravehearts. It is Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark with specials on Narragansett presented by The Famous Narragansett Beer Company. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST.

Norwich Suffers Second Consecutive Loss to Silver Knights

The Norwich Sea Unicorns dropped their Tuesday night affair with the Nashua Silver Knights, falling 6-4. Norwich’s defeat is their second straight against Nashua at home and drops the Sea Unicorns to 20-14.

It was a pitcher’s duel between Norwich starter Liam Carroll and Nashua starter Cam Keaveney holding both offenses scoreless until the 4^th inning. Nashua struck first, taking a 2-0 lead plating a pair of runs in the top of the 4th. Owen Carey recorded the first hit of the night for Nashua with one away in the frame. Carroll began his night allowing just one base runner through 3.1 innings of work before the Nashua first baseman singled into center field. Carey later advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Next, a bouncing ball to the Norwich shortstop that he decided to fire to 3^rd to nail down the lead baserunner advancing from 2nd, but was ruled safe, provided the visitors runners at the corners with still one out. The Silver Knights took advantage of the opportunity thanks to Drew Loikits, who smashed a bases clearing double to the wall in left. An incredible play from Trey Porter in center field throwing out the base runner trying to score from second on a base hit gave Norwich a critical second out in the inning and prevented Nashua from further extending their lead. Carroll retired the next batter he faced to escape the situation and complete his outing.

Norwich was held to one hit through 5 innings by Nashua starter Cam Keaveney, who retired 16 consecutive Sea Unicorns after surrendering a lead off base hit. The Sea Unicorns put the pressure on Keaveney when Alex Irizarry crushed a one out double into the right center field gap. Irizarry’s double spelled the end of the night for Keaveney, who tossed 5.1 innings of 2-hit baseball while striking out 5. Nashua elected to make a pitching change with Norwich threatening in the home 6^th. The tables quickly turned when Irizarry was caught stealing 3^rd base for the second out in the inning. A pop out to the catcher later ended the inning and left Norwich still in search of any offense.

The Sea Unicorns finally cashed in their first run of the night in the 7^th to slice the Nashua lead in half. Trey Porter began the home 7^th with a double thanks to some help from the 3^rd base bag that deflected the baseball into left field and over the head of the Silver Knights third baseman. A fielder’s choice ground out moved Porter 90 feet, and later Connor Lane brought home the Norwich center fielder with a sacrifice fly to help get Norwich on the board. The RBI for Lane is his 5^th in 2 games.

A 4-run 8^th inning was the difference last night, as once again Nashua was able to capitalize on defensive miscues from the Norwich defense. In the inning, Nashua struck for 4 runs on 4 hits and were aided by a pair of errors to take a commanding 6-1 lead. Nashua began the frame with a single and a ground rule double placing runners on 2^nd and 3^rd with no outs. Reliever Callen Powers was able to locate his first out in the inning thanks to a strikeout. An error committed by the Norwich third baseman loaded the bases for Nashua. The second double of the frame produced the first 2 runs of the inning for the visitors. An error by the Norwich shortstop brought home the 3^rd run of the inning for Nashua and later the 4^th hit of the inning provided the Silver Knights with their 4^th run of the 8^th inning.

Norwich responded with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, but unfortunately that would be the closest Norwich would come in their late-inning comeback effort. The Sea Unicorns were guided by command trouble from the Nashua pitchin,g who needed 3 relievers in the inning to preserve their lead. Overall, Nashua pitching issued a pair of walks and plunked a pair of Sea Unicorns while only allowing one hit in the frame. The lone hit for Norwich was a one out double wired down the right field line by newcomer Chris DiPrima. The Yale product’s first hit as a Sea Unicorn also led to his first RBI of the summer bringing home Owen Turner from 1^st. Ultimately, Nashua reliever Andrew Koshy secured the victory for the visitors recording the final 4 outs.

The Sea Unicorns are back in action tonight on the road to close out a 3-game set against the Silver Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST from Holman Stadium.

The Norwich Sea Unicorns saw their mini-3-game winning streak come to an end after falling to the Nashua Silver Knights on Sunday 13-8. Norwich’s defeat is their first in the month of July and drops the Sea Unicorns to 20-13 through 33 ballgames.

There was no scoring in the ballgame until the 3^rd when Nashua erupted for 4 runs to take an early 4-0 lead. Sea Unicorns starter Justin Marks began his outing in dominating form, facing the minimum through his first 2 innings of work. Unfortunately, things went awry in a hurry for Norwich after Nashua loaded the bases with one out. Norwich decided to make an early call to the bullpen for Yale product Teo Spadaccini, who immediately faced trouble. Nater Wachter began the scoring for the visitors, poking a single into right field to bring home a pair of runs. A sacrifice fly extended the lead for Nashua and allowed the baserunner on 2^nd to advance 90 feet. Next, a balk from Spadaccini produced the 4^th run of the inning for the Silver Knights.

Norwich was held scoreless by Nashua starter Andrew Chenevert until the 4^th inning. The Sea Unicorns sliced the Nashua lead in half thanks to some production from the bottom of the order. Peter Link began the frame drawing a lead off walk and later advanced into scoring position swiping his 2^nd stolen base of the summer. Antonio Ducatelli began his 4-hit afternoon wiring a single into right field to give Norwich runners at the corners with one out. Connor Lane continued his success against Nashua pitching, plating the first run of the game for Norwich with his first RBI of the summer with a base hit into left field. Later in the inning, Aidan Baglino delivered an RBI single of his own to bring home Ducatelli and cut the Nashua lead in half. Baglino’s base hit ended the afternoon for Chenevert and forced Nashua to go the bullpen to escape any further damage.

Nashua broke the game open in the 5^th inning, exploding for 6 runs to take a 10-2 lead. In the inning, the Silver Knights sent 12 batters to the plate and did not have an out recorded until after the 8^th batter in the frame. By the time Norwich pitching located the first out in the 5^th, the Silver Knights had scored 3 runs and a new reliever was brought into the game. Overall, Nashua recorded 6 runs on 5 hits and a pair of walks.

The Sea Unicorns chipped into the 8-run deficit in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs. Christian Stratis began the inning being hit by a pitch and AJ Soldra followed punching a single into center field. A fielder’s choice groundout provided the host with runners at the corners and a walk to Nick Tomasetto loaded the bases with one away. Connor Lane delivered once again for Norwic,h legging out an infield single to bring home Stratis and Link.

Both sides were held scoreless in the 6th. However, the offensive silence did not last for long as the flood gates quickly returned in the 7th. A pair of defensive miscues committed by the Norwich defense opened the door for the Nashua offense. Initially an error by the Sea Unicorns shortstop allowed Nashua runners at the corners with one out. River Hart quickly advanced into scoring position swiping second base to break up any potential double play. A second straight error, this time by the Norwich first baseman, brought home both baserunners for the Silver Knights and extended their lead to 8.

Norwich responded with 3 runs of their own in the home 7^th but that would be the closest Norwich would come, as both sides scratched across a run each in the 8^th and were held scoreless in the 9th. Antonio Ducatelli and Connor Lane shined for Norwich offensively combining for 7 of the 13 hits recorded by the Sea Unicorns offense. Ducatelli finished his afternoon 4/5 with 2 runs scored, an RBI, and a double. The Central Connecticut State product is now batting .317 on the summer thanks to his first 4-hit performance in the Futures League. Connor Lane, who was the designated hitter for Norwich yesterday, finished 3/4 with 4 RBIs. The UCONN commit is now 6 for 9 in his last 3 games and is batting .261 overall.

The Sea Unicorns are back in action tomorrow night for the 2^nd of 3 three consecutive meetings against the Silver Knights. It is Cow Appreciation Night at the ballpark tomorrow night presented by Mountain Dairy along with $2 Hot Dogs and other concessions specials. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST.