Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were shutout on Camp Day, falling 1-0 to their in-state rival New Britain Bees. Wednesday’s defeat snaps Norwich’s 3-game winning streak and marks the third time Norwich has been shutout this season, and second at home. Norwich is now responsible for a record of 18-21 through 39 ballgames.

UCONN product Frank Spirito continued his dominance on the rubber, tossing a season high 5 scoreless innings while holding the Bees offense to 3 hits. Spirito also fanned 4 and has now struck out at least 4 batters in four straight starts. The right-hander has allowed just 1 earned run over his last 20.2 innings, racking up 19 punchouts and owns an impressive 0.44 ERA over this stretch.

On the other side, Bees starter Ty Davis delivered 5 scoreless frames while holding the Norwich offense to 3 hits.

New Britain scratched across the only run of the afternoon on a Caleb Miller sacrifice fly to center, scoring Dylan Meyer, who led off the inning with an infield single. Norwich reliever Sean Connolly limited the damage, inducing a flyout to right from Brennan Staubley to leave runners at the corners.

Adam Merritt picked up the victory for the visitors, shutting down the Norwich offense to 1 hit over 3 frames while striking out three. The victory is Merritt’s 4^th of the summer and has reduced his season ERA to an impressive 0.54 over 16.2 innings.

Evan Mello slammed the door in the ninth to secure the win for New Britain, tossing a scoreless frame for his fourth save of the summer and second against Norwich. The New Bedford, Massachusetts native has now strung together 15.2 consecutive scoreless innings.

Win – Adam Merritt (4-1)

Loss – Sean Connolly (1-1)

Save – Evan Mello (S, 4)

Time – 2:20

Norwich will look to bounce back tomorrow night and split the mini 2-game series with the Bees. Brendan Grady (1-1) will toe the rubber for Norwich, opposite Garrett Garbinski (0-0) of New Britain. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from Dodd Stadium.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

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

Sandals Resorts Theme at the Bell Logistics Hole in the Wall Beer Garden

Wear beach themed attire and learn about travel options to Sandals Resorts from local travel agents.

Presented by: HMS Travel Consulting

Thirsty Thursday

Narragansett Beer Specials

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Bats Stay Hot in 3^rd Straight Victory

Nashua, NH – The Norwich Sea Unicorns continued their offensive surge on Tuesday night, cruising to a 10-1 victory over the Nashua Silver Knights at Holman Stadium. Norwich has now won 3 straight while outscoring their opponents 36 to 14 over the recent stretch. Tuesday night’s triumph improves Norwich to 18-20 overall and 2 games back of third place Nashua.

Norwich opened the scoring in the third, striking for three runs against Nashua starter Tommy Flaherty. Charlie Walsh and Jack Sweeney jumpstarted the Sea Unicorns’ offense with back-to-back singles to set the table. An error by the Nashua first baseman allowed Walsh to score, Sweeney to advance to third, and Anthony Tirado to reach safely. Tirado quickly swiped second, putting two runners in scoring position, and Ryan Thompson cashed in with a sacrifice fly to bring home Sweeney. Gabriel Rivera capped the rally with a clutch two-out single to score Tirado and give Norwich a 3–0 lead.

The offense continued in the 4th and 5th as Norwich added a run in each inning to take a commanding 5–0 lead. In the 4th, Chace Chaplin smashed a two-out double into right-center field to score Ryan Thompson, who had walked earlier in the inning. Silver Knights reliever Justin Dressler escaped further damage by retiring the next batter to strand runners at second and third. Norwich’s two-out magic continued in the 5th as Ryan Thompson wired a single back up the middle to plate Kenny Noe, who cracked a leadoff single to right, and extend the Sea Unicorns’ lead to 5.

Nashua broke through in the 6^th for their lone run of the night, trimming the Norwich lead to 5-1. Patrick Shrake led off with a base hit to right field and advanced to 2^nd on a ground ball to first. A wild pitch from Norwich reliever Cam Thomas moved Shrake to 3^rd and later scored on a chopper to short.

Norwich broke the game open in the 8^th erupting for 5 runs against right hander Charlie Cariello, all with 2 outs. Kenny Noe restored the Norwich lead to 5, dumping a single into center to score Gabriel Rivera, who flipped a single of his own into center with one out. Charlie Walsh kept the line moving with the 4^th base hit of the inning, dropping a single into center to drive home Gavin O’Brien. Jack Sweeney delivered the big blow, launching a 3-run homerun to left field, extending the Norwich lead to 10-1. The Rutgers product has now homered in back-to-back games and leads the team with 3 on the summer.

Cooper Maher was sharp in his first start of the summer, tossing 4 scoreless innings. The Northeastern commit held the Nashua offense to 3 hits, while striking out 5. Maher’s brilliant outing earned him Futures League Pitcher of the Night honors.

Win – Cam Thomas (3-2)

Loss – Tommy Flaherty (1-3)

Time – 2:49

Norwich returns home this afternoon after completing a 4-game road trip. UCONN product Frank Spirito (0-0) will take the mound for Norwich opposite Ty Davis (1-1). First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. from Dodd Stadium.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

Camp Day

Our annual Camp Day game when we invite the local summer camps for a fun trip to the ballpark!

Written by Adam Plager

It wasn’t long ago that recent MLB Draft picks would be sent to Norwich to kickstart their professional careers. Now in the fifth season playing in the Futures League, a Collegiate Summer Baseball League where college players spend their summers hoping to impress scouts, the Norwich Sea Unicorns are starting to see players with ties to the organization taken in the MLB Draft. Following last summer’s first ever first round draft pick (Kaelen Culpepper, of the inaugural 2021 Sea Unicorns, to the Minnesota Twins), the Sea Unicorns had three players with ties to the organization taken in the 2025 Draft.

Cameron Maldonado, who spent part of the 2022 season in Norwich following his high school graduation, was the first player taken this year when the San Francisco Giants selected him in the 7th round with the 206th overall pick. While with Norwich, the Northeastern University outfielder won the Futures League Home Run Derby at the All Star Festivities in New Britain. In 28 games for the Sea Unicorns, Maldonado batted .286 with 3 doubles, a triple, a home run, 5 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases.

Landon Manzi, a current pitcher on the Sea Unicorns roster, who just graduated from Killingly High School, was the next player taken when the Texas Rangers used their 14th round pick at 415 overall to select the tall righthander. Manzi will now have to decide if he wants to begin his professional baseball career or follow through on his commitment to pitch at Northeastern University in the fall. So far this year, Manzi led his Killingly High school team to the State Semifinal round and with the Sea Unicorns has pitched in 4 games, 3 starts, and had a season 5 strikeouts against the Nashua Silver Knights on July 2nd.

A.J. Soldra, an outfielder on the 2024 Sea Unicorns Futures League championship team, was the final player with ties to the organization to be selected when the Los Angeles Dodgers called his name in the 16th round with the 495th overall pick. Soldra had recently committed to play for UConn starting in the fall after spending the previous 2 seasons at NJIT and Seton Hall. Soldra was the 2024 All Star Game Position Player of the Game and led the league with 8 triples (breaking the league record). He will best be remembered for scoring the championship clinching run in the bottom of the 9th inning in Game 2 against the Westfield Starfires.

Maldonado, Manzi and Soldra are the third, fourth and fifth former Sea Unicorns to be drafted by MLB organizations since joining the Futures League in 2021. Aside from the aforementioned Culpepper, Colton Bender, also a member of the inaugural 2021 roster for a brief time, was drafted by the San Diego Padres that same summer. Additionally, Jayvien Sandridge, who was temporarily on the 2021 roster, signed as a free agent that summer and just recently made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees. Korey Morton, also a member of that inaugural 2021 team, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Astros last summer.

Should the three players drafted this week sign contracts, that would give the Sea Unicorns seven total players with ties to the organization that have spent time with MLB organizations. With this year’s draft complete, there is also a chance other players could sign as undrafted free agents as well. This story will be updated with any new information related to those signings.

Continuing to battle some of the worst weather luck in recent memory, the Norwich Sea Unicorns today have announced several schedule updates for the remainder of the 2025 regular season.

Having already played four doubleheaders, the Sea Unicorns still face the uphill task of completing their 62 game regular season schedule. Remaining make up games for postponements include:

-Saturday, July 19th at New Britain with a doubleheader consisting of two 7 inning games to make up for the game rained out on Tuesday, July 1st. The first game will begin at 4:35pm.

-Sunday, July 27th at home against Westfield with a doubleheader consisting of two 7 innings games to make up for the game postponed on Thursday, July 10th. The first game will begin at 1:00pm.

Additionally, the Sea Unicorns have 2 games that were suspended and will be finished at later dates as follows:

Thursday, July 24th at Worcester. The teams will play the originally scheduled 10:30am game as a 7 inning game before then finishing the game suspended on Wednesday, July 9th. That game was suspended by rain with the Sea Unicorns leading 2-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Wednesday, July 30th at Vermont. The teams will pick up the suspended game from Sunday, July 13th with the Sea Unicorns batting in the top of the 10th inning, having just taken a 6-5 lead. The regularly scheduled game will follow and be played as a 9 inning game.

The Sea Unicorns return to action tomorrow, Tuesday, July 15th in Nashua at 6:00pm before returning to Dodd Stadium on Wednesday, July 16th for their annual Camp Day game at 11:00am against the New Britain Bees. The Sea Unicorns and Bees return to Dodd Stadium again on Thursday, July 17th at 6:30pm for a Thirsty Thursday battle featuring Narragansett Beer specials as well as a Sandals Resorts beach theme at the Hole In the Wall Beer Garden. Come out and meet travel consultants from HMS Travel to learn more about travel options to Sandals Resorts.

The Sea Unicorns also are home on Friday, July 18th at 6:30pm against the Worcester Bravehearts for Unity in the Community Night presented by ProHealth Physicians and will celebrate both K Cancer Night with The ECHO Foundation and Masons Night. The Sea Unicorns will wear the “Rose of New England” Norwich Connect jerseys presented by Dime Bank and following the game there will be a great fireworks show presented by Liberty Bank.

Following the Saturday doubleheader in New Britain, the Sea Unicorns will close out the weekend with a home game on Sunday, July 20th against the Worcester Bravehearts at 1:00pm. Kids 12 & under can run the bases and have a catch in the outfield following the game.

This will be the final game before the All Star break, which will feature the Home Run Derby at Fitton Field on the campus of The College of the Holy Cross on Monday, July 21st and the Futures League All Star Game on Tuesday, July 22nd at Polar Park in Worcester. For more information about tickets and all the activities the Bravehearts have planned, please visit the webpage at https://www.polarpark.com/futuresleague

The Sea Unicorns look forward to seeing everyone throughout the remainder of the 2025 season as we look toward a potential playoff berth for the 3rd straight season!

Sea Unicorns Power Their Way to Saturday Night Victory

Burlington, VT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were victorious in extra-innings 12-9 on Saturday, taking the first 2 games of the 3-game weekend series against the Lake Monsters. Norwich is now 17-20 overall and are back in playoff positioning, leapfrogging the New Britain Bees for 4th place in the Futures League standings.

Norwich began the ballgame with 3-straight singles against Lake Monsters starter Matt Higgins to take an early 1-0 lead. Aidan Stern singled up the middle, followed by Gavin O’Brien who dumped a base hit into left field to give Norwich runners at the corners. Kenny Noe produced the game’s first run on an infield single to score Stern. Despite the rocky start, Higgins managed to limit the damage to the one run thanks to a double play and a strikeout to end the Norwich threat.

Norwich extended the lead to a pair in the 2nd thanks to Joe Durso, who cracked a one out double to left field. A wild pitch advanced the Sea Unicorns catcher to 3rd and he later scored on a groundball to 3rd.

Vermont answered in the bottom half striking for 3 runs on 4 hits against Norwich starter Matt Wootton. Tyler Harmony lifted off the Vermont offense with a one out RBI single into right field to plate Hunter Kingsbury. Tommy Popoff gave Vermont the lead crushing a bases clearing double to center field.

The Sea Unicorns responded immediately with a run in the 3rd to even the scoring at 3 apiece. Aidan Stern jumpstarted the Norwich attack reaching on an infield single and later advanced into scoring position by swiping 2nd. An error from the Vermont catcher allowed the Trinity product to take 3rd and he was later brought home on a ringing double from Gavin O’Brien.

Norwich grabbed the lead in the 4th thanks again to Aidan Stern who smacked a 2 out double to right field to drive home Joey Erace.

The Norwich lead did not survive long as Vermont tied the game at 4 with a run of their own in the home half. Tommy Popoff delivered once again for the host with his 2nd double of the night to score Harmony, who singled earlier in the frame.

In the 5th, Norwich flexed their muscles, belting a pair of homeruns against Lake Monsters reliever Blake McLaughlin to build a 7-4 lead. Norwich did all their damage with 2 outs as Jack Sweeney homered for the second time this summer to give Norwich a 5-4 advantage. Next, Joe Durso worked a walk, and Ryan Thompson continued the power surge, clobbering a 2-run homerun to stretch the Norwich lead to 3.

Norwich added insurance in the 6th to increase their lead to 4. Jack Sweeney continued to display his power, ripping a 2 out double to left field to score CJ Nolan.

The Lake Monsters cut into the Norwich lead in the home 6th, striking for a pair of runs, trimming the Norwich lead to 2. Sam Cavossa ignited the Vermont offense with a leadoff triple and scored on the play thanks to an error from the Norwich shortstop. Later, a one out double from Hunter Kingsbury plated Nolan Colby, who singled earlier in the frame. Sea Unicorns reliever Cam Thomas mitigated any further damage, escaping a bases loaded jam.

Vermont continued their comeback effort in the late innings, rallying for a run in the 7th and 8th to even the score at 8.

With the game tied at 8, extra innings were needed to decide a winner. Norwich wasted no time in the 10th, erupting for four runs to seize a commanding 12 to 8 lead. Gavin O’Brien sparked the rally with an infield single, giving the Sea Unicorns runners at first and second. CJ Nolan delivered the go-ahead blow, ripping a double down the left field line to score Aidan Stern, who began the inning as the automatic runner. Lake Monsters reliever Sean Gamble struggled with command, walking Connor Scanlan before uncorking a wild pitch that brought home O’Brien. Clay Hartje then delivered the dagger with a two out bases clearing double to score Nolan and Scanlan and break the game open.

Sean Connolly secured the victory, working 2 innings with no earned runs. The lone run that crossed the plate was the automatic runner.

Aidan Stern earned league recognition for his big day offensively, being named Futures League Player of the Night. Stern finished the night with 4 hits including a pair of doubles and stole his team leading 13th base of the summer in the winning effort.

Win – Sean Connolly (1-0)

Loss – Sean Gamble (0-2)

Time – 3:47

Norwich will go for the series sweep this afternoon against Vermont. Hector Alejandro (0-0) will take the mound for Norwich opposite Jack Kelleher (3-0). First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. from Centennial Field.

Written by Adam Plager

Norwich Offense Explodes for Monster Series Opening Victory

Burlington, VT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns offense erupted for a season best 14 runs in Friday night’s 14-6 victory over the Vermont Lake Monsters. Last night’s triumph improves Norwich to 16-20 overall and 0.5 games back of New Britain for 4^th place in the Futures League standings.

Vermont struck first in the second inning on a Massai Marshall RBI triple that brought home Xander Meissner, who had drawn a walk earlier in the frame. The run marked the first earned run allowed by Norwich starter Luke Cardman since June 19 against Westfield, snapping a scoreless streak of 15 consecutive innings for the right-hander.

Aidan Stern gave Norwich the lead in the 3^rd inning, clobbering a 2-run homerun. Stern’s one out blast brought home Kenny Noe who was aboard at first after wiring a single earlier in the frame.

Norwich added insurance in the 4^th striking for a pair of runs to stretch their lead to 4-1. Jack Sweeney reached to start the inning via a walk. Anthony Tirado followed smashing a double to give the Sea Unicorns runners at 2^nd and 3^rd with no outs. Later, Gabriel Rivera plated Sweeney on a grounder to short and advanced Tirado to third. Clay Hartje followed with a productive out of his own to score Tirado after rolling a ground ball to first.

The Norwich offense continued to roll in the fifth inning, erupting for five runs to increase the lead to 9–1. The Sea Unicorns quickly loaded the bases after a leadoff single by Aidan Stern, followed by command issues from Vermont reliever Shamus Kelly, who hit Chace Chaplin and walked Alec Warden. Charlie Walsh cleared the bases, crushing a double to left field. Jack Sweeney followed with a double of his own to drive in Walsh. Clay Hartje capped the monster inning with a sharp single to right, plating Sweeney.

Norwich’s offensive rampage continued in the 6^th striking for 3 more runs to take a commanding 11-1 lead. Back-to-back walks to Stern and Chaplin provided Norwich with immediate traffic on the bases. Jack Sweeney delivered for Norwich, mashing his 2^nd double of the night to score both base runners.

Vermont responded in the bottom half of the inning with three runs off Norwich reliever Justin Gouin, trimming the Sea Unicorns’ lead to 11–4. Shaun McMillan led off with a single and scored on a one-out double by Leandro Guevara. Xander Meissner followed with a base hit to put runners at the corners, and Cooper Berry made it three straight hits for the Lake Monsters, driving in Guevara. Massai Marshall capped the rally with an RBI groundout to first.

In the 7^th, the Lake Monsters offense added a run against Norwich reliever Eric Mathewson on 3 hits. Leandro Guevara continued his big day at the plate cranking a 2 out single to score Bryan Richman who singled earlier in the frame.

The Sea Unicorns answered in the eighth with a pair of runs to restore their eight-run cushion. Charlie Walsh reignited the Norwich offense with a leadoff single off Lake Monsters reliever Emmet Christian. Control issues from the Tufts product loaded the bases, as Anthony Tirado walked and Gabriel Rivera was hit by a pitch. Kenny Noe delivered for the visitors, flipping a two out single into left to score Walsh and Tirado.

Massai Marshall completed the scoring for the hosts in the 8^th, clocking a one out homerun against Norwich reliever Nick West.

Norwich finalized the scoring in the 9^th, once again capitalizing on command troubles from the Lake Monsters pitching staff. The Sea Unicorns needed just 1 hit in the inning as Lake Monsters reliever Will Polishuk hit a batter and walked a pair.

The 14 runs and 14 hits last night are both season highs for the Norwich offense.

Win – Luke Cardman (2-0)

Loss – John Higgins (1-1)

Time – 3:30

Norwich will look to win the series tonight at Centennial Field. Matt Wotton (3-1) will take the baseball for the Sea Unicorns opposite Matt Higgins (0-0). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Shutout for the First Time This Summer

Nashua, NH – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were blanked by the Nashua Silver Knights 3-0 on Tuesday night at Holman Stadium. Last night’s defeat marks the first time all summer Norwich has been shutout and drops the Sea Unicorns to 15-20 through 35 contests.

Nashua opened the scoring in the second inning against Norwich starter Landon Manzi, capitalizing on command issues from the right-hander. A leadoff walk followed by three consecutive hit batsmen with one out forced home the game’s first run, giving the Silver Knights an early 1–0 lead.

The hosts added insurance in the 8^th to stretch their lead to 3-0. Joseph Zorc belted a leadoff homerun against Norwich reliever Cam Thomas. Zorc’s blast is his second of the summer and have both come against Norwich pitching. Following Zorc’s longball, Norwich turned to Justin Gouin, who quickly recorded the first out before issuing a one out walk to Will Burns. An error by the third baseman then allowed Jack Balcer to reach and Burns to move from first to third. Keldrin Rodriguez followed with a sacrifice fly to score Burns and extend the Nashua lead.

The Norwich offense had no answers for the Silver Knights and were stifled to 3 hits all night. Nashua starter Tommy Flaherty set the tone, tossing 5 scoreless innings while racking up a season high 9 strikeouts. Flaherty’s stellar performance earned him Futures League Pitcher of the Night honors and his first win of the summer.

Win – Tommy Flaherty (1-2)

Loss – Landon Manzi (0-2)

Save – Kyan Bagshaw (S, 2)

Time – 2:32

Norwich will look to bounce back tonight against the first place Worcester Bravehearts at Fitton Field. Frank Spirito (0-0) will take the baseball for Norwich as the Sea Unicorns will look to snap their 2-game skid. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Written by Adam Plager

Bravehearts Slow Down Sea Unicorns Roll in Month of July

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were defeated 8-3 on Sunday afternoon by the top seeded Worcester Bravehearts. Norwich’s defeat drops the Sea Unicorns to 15-19 on the summer and 1.5 games back of 4^th place New Britain.

Norwich opened the scoring in the 1^st against Worcester starter Pat Clemmey to take an early 1-0 lead. Caden Fahy kickstarted the Norwich offense with a leadoff double down the left field line. Bryce Detwiler continued his hot stretch lining a single back up the middle to score Fahy and give Norwich the lead.

Despite the strong start from the Norwich offense, Bravehearts reliver David Siciliano shutdown the Norwich bats after entering the ballgame in the 2^nd. The Shrewsbury, MA native tossed 5 scoreless innings and limited the Norwich offense to 3 hits while striking out 5 in the winning effort.

Worcester responded with a run in the 3^rd to even the score at 1 apiece. Ryan LeClair jumpstarted the Bravehearts offense, cranking a one out double to the left center field power alley. Jamison Howland advanced LeClair to 3^rd with a flyout to right field. A 2 out walk to Kaleb Woodward kept the inning alive, giving Worcester runners at the corners. Later, a botched pickoff attempt at first allowed LeClair to score and tie the game.

The Bravehearts took the lead in the 4^th against Norwich reliever Cooper Maher. A leadoff infield single, followed by command troubles from Maher, loaded the bases for the visitors via a walk and a hit batsman. The Northeastern commit struck out the next batter before Norwich turned to Nick West out of the bullpen. West punched out the first hitter he faced but then hit LeClair to force in the go-ahead run. The right-hander limited the damage, retiring Howland to end the Worcester threat.

In the 5^th, the visitors added some insurance, striking for a pair of runs to stretch their lead to 4-1. Casey Wensley brought home the first run of the frame on a sacrifice fly to center field to score Woodward, who doubled to begin the frame. Jackson Marshall kept the inning alive, crushing a 2 out double to the wall in left field, and later came around to score on a Jaylem Sepulveda base hit.

Kaleb Woodward extended the Bravehearts lead in the 6^th, reaching on a 2 out single to score Wyatt Hoffman, who began the inning with a double to left.

Worcester broke the game open in the 7^th, adding another 3, to build a commanding 8-1 advantage.  A series of defensive miscues by Norwich gifted the Bravehearts their sixth run, a successful double steal added another, and Ryan LeClair capped the rally with his second double of the ballgame.

Norwich scratched across a run in both the 8th and 9th innings, but that was as close as they would get. In the 8th, Ryan Thompson drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a one-out single from Bryce Detwiler. Jack Byrne brought home Thompson with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Sea Unicorns mounted one final push in the 9th, loading the bases with nobody out against Worcester reliever Paul McCarthy. Cal Chance drove in a run with a groundout to second, but McCarthy quickly bounced back, retiring the next two batters to end the game with minimal damage.

Win – David Siciliano (2-1)

Loss – Cooper Maher (0-3)

Time – 2:54

Norwich is back in action Tuesday night against the Nashua Silver Knights. Landon Manzi (0-1) will take the baseball for Norwich opposite Tommy Flaherty (0-2). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from Holman Stadium.

Written by Adam Plager

Matt Wootton Delivers Another Masterpiece in Victory over Westfield

Norwich, CT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns stayed hot in July, cruising past the Westfield Starfires 6-1 on Saturday night. The win improves Norwich to 15-18 overall and 4-1 in the month.

Norwich threatened early, loading the bases in the 2nd but couldn’t break through. They finally cashed in during the 4th, plating a pair to take a 2-0 lead.  Jack Sweeney began the frame drawing a leadoff walk. An error from the Westfield third baseman allowed Connor Scanlan to reach, giving Norwich immediate traffic on the bases with no outs. Joe Durso delivered the game’s first run, cracking a single into left field to score Sweeney. With runners stationed at the corners and still no outs, Gavin O’Brien lifted a fly ball to right field deep enough for Scanlan to score on the sac fly and extend the Norwich lead to 2.

The 2-0 score held until the home 7th, when Norwich opened the floodgates, erupting for 4 runs against the Westfield bullpen. Aidan Stern sparked the rally with a bunt single and quickly swiped second. Alec Warden followed with an infield single, and a throwing error by the third baseman allowed Stern to advance to third and Warden to move up to second. Chace Chaplin smoked an RBI single into left to score Stern, then stole second to give Norwich a pair of baserunners in scoring position with no outs. Gavin O’Brien followed with his second sac fly of the night to make it 4-0.

Despite a pitching change from Westfield, Norwich kept the pressure on with two outs. Jack Sweeney drew a walk, and a successful double steal pushed Chaplin to third and Sweeney to second. Connor Scanlan came through with a two-run single to give the Sea Unicorns a 6-0 cushion.

Matt Wootton dominated once again for the Sea Unicorns, tossing 7 shutout innings with 7 strikeouts and no walks for the second straight start. The victory is Wootton’s 3^rd of the summer, and Norwich is now 4-1 in games he starts.

Westfield plated their only run of the night in the 9^th inning against Norwich reliever DJ Peterson. Alex Benevento broke up the shoutout bid with 2 outs in the frame, driving a single into left field to score Griffin Mills who walked earlier in the inning.

Win – Matt Wootton (3-1)

Loss – Brendan Murphy (0-4)

Time – 2:38

Norwich is back in action this afternoon for a matinee matchup with the Worcester Bravehearts. Hector Alejandro will make his return to the Sea Unicorns opposite Pat Clemmey (0-0). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

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 presented 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.

Presented by: K & H Equipment of Plainfield

Written by Adam Plager

Sea Unicorns Split Independence Day Doubleheader with Bravehearts

Worcester, MA – The Norwich Sea Unicorns picked up a crucial victory in the nightcap of the doubleheader against the Bravehearts after dropping a nail biter in the opener at Fitton Field. Last night’s split keeps Norwich 4 games under .500 owning a record of 14-18.

Game 1

Norwich opened the scoring in the second inning on CJ Nolan’s second home run of the summer, a two-run shot that brought home Cal Chance, who had drawn a two-out walk. Both of Nolan’s long balls have come at Fitton Field and each to a nearly identical spot in left-center.

The Bravehearts responded with a pair in the 3^rd to stabilize the scoring at 2 apiece. Alex Kuenzle reached via a one out walk and Chris Mondesir wasted no time driving him home with a ringing RBI double to the left center field alley. A wild pitch from Norwich starter Brendan Grady advanced Mondesir to 3^rd. Grady regrouped after the wild pitch, striking out Evan O’Rourke to keep the runner at 3^rd.  However, a 2 out throwing error by the Norwich third baseman allowed Mondesir to score and tie the game.

The game remained deadlocked at 2 until the home 5^th when more defensive miscues plagued Norwich. Once again, Alex Kuenzle began the threat drawing a leadoff walk and quickly moved into scoring position with a steal of second. O’Rourke gave the Bravehearts the lead, wiring a one out single into center field scoring Kuenzle. The base stealing continued as O’Rourke swiped second and later scored on a throwing error from the Norwich shortstop. Norwich reliever Gio Conte battled his way out of the frame without further damage after the Sea Unicorns turned a 6-3 double play.

Worcester starter Jake LeFrancois kept Norwich off the board after surrendering the 2-run homer in the 2^nd. LeFrancois turned in 6 strong innings for the Bravehearts while racking up 7 strikeouts in the winning effort.

Norwich threatened in the 7^th against reliever Caleb Allen, loading the bases with 2 outs, but were unable to convert on the opportunity.

Win – Jake LeFrancois (4-0)

Loss – Gio Conte (1-2)

Save – Caleb Allen (S,1)

Time – 1:48

 

Game 2

Similar to the opener of the doubleheader, Norwich once again struck first with a home run. This time, Charlie Walsh launched a solo shot in the first inning to give the Sea Unicorns the early lead.

Anthony Tirado added some insurance for the Sea Unicorns in the fourth after drawing a one-out walk. With two outs in the frame, the UMASS Amherst product got to work on the basepaths—stealing second and then third on the very next pitch. A throwing error by the Worcester catcher on the attempt to nab Tirado at third sailed into left field, allowing him to score and extend Norwich’s lead to 2-0.

The visitors broke the game open in the 5^th striking for 4 runs against Bravehearts starter Randy Guzman. Norwich did all their damage before Worcester pitching recorded an out. Ryan Thompson began the inning punching a single into right field. Gavin O’Brien continued his torrid stretch at the plate, crushing a double to the wall in left center field to bring home Thompson. Aidan Stern kept the line moving after being plunked by the first pitch he saw to set up an opportunity for Bryce Detwiler. The UCONN commit took full advantage, launching an opposite field 3-run homerun over the right field wall, furthering the Sea Unicorns lead to 6.

Luke Cardman continued his dominance on the mound, dealing 5 shutout innings against the top offense in the Futures League. Cardman silenced the Worcester bats to just 1 hit while striking out 7.

Worcester came alive in the 7^th, once again capitalizing on a Sea Unicorns defensive miscue. Norwich reliever Charles Ennis struggled with command early, walking the first batter he faced, and hit the next to put two aboard with no outs. Evan Cali then hit a slow dribbler in front of the plate, and a throwing error by the Norwich catcher allowed Kaleb Woodward to score. With runners now at second and third, Jackson Marshall lifted a sacrifice fly to right, bringing home Wyatt Hoffman and allowed Cali to tag and advance to third. Moments later, a grounder to second scored Cali, slicing the Norwich lead in half. Ennis settled in and retired the next batter to escape the inning without further damage.

Justin Gouin locked down the victory for the Sea Unicorns, tossing a scoreless 7^th inning. The save for Gouin is his first of the summer, helping Norwich notch their 14^th win of the summer.

Win – Luke Cardman (1-1)

Loss – Randy Guzman (3-1)

Save – Justin Gouin (S,1)

Time – 2:05

Norwich is back at home tonight for a meeting with the Westfield Starfires. Matt Wootton (2-1) will toe the rubber for Norwich opposite Brendan Murphy (0-3). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

UPCOMING PROMOTION

Postgame Movie Night

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of an all time classic and “Crush it like Quint”. Jaws will be featured on a large projector screen set up on the field following the game.

Presented by: Narragansett Beer Company