Sea Unicorns Fall in Extras to Lake Monsters, Winning Streak Halted at 6
Burlington, VT – The Norwich Sea Unicorns saw their season-long six-game winning streak come to an end in wild fashion, falling 13-12 in extra innings to the Vermont Lake Monsters on Tuesday night. With the loss, Norwich drops to 26-25 with 11 games remaining in the regular season.
The Sea Unicorns opened the scoring in the second inning, manufacturing a run against Vermont starter Adam Schwartz. Anthony Tirado singled with two outs and came around to score on Gavin O’Brien’s RBI single to right. A fielding error by the shortstop extended the inning, setting up a first-and-third situation that allowed O’Brien to deliver.
Vermont answered quickly in the home second, striking for a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Will Mahala and Massai Marshall tied the game, and Thomas O’Connell followed with the third straight hit of the inning off Norwich starter Landon Manzi, singling to center to give the Lake Monsters the lead.
The hosts added on in the third with a three-run inning to stretch their lead to 5-1. A walk and consecutive singles loaded the bases, setting the table again for O’Connell, who ripped a two-run double to right. Aidan Botti capped the frame with a sacrifice fly to center.
Norwich responded in the 4th, plating four runs to tie the game at 5-5. After an error and an infield single put two aboard, a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position for Gabriel Rivera, who brought home a run with a groundout to second. A two-out walk to Charlie Walsh loaded the bases, and another Vermont error allowed a run to score and kept the inning alive. Jack Sweeney made it count, drilling a game-tying two-run double into the left-center gap.
The Sea Unicorns took the lead in the fifth when Connor Scanlan dumped a two-out RBI single into left to score Tirado, who had walked earlier.
Norwich tacked on two more in the sixth to build an 8-5 advantage. Walsh reached on an infield single, and Chace Chaplin followed with a walk. After both advanced on a wild pitch, Cal Chance brought home a run on a groundout to second, and CJ Nolan ripped a two-out double to score Chaplin.
Vermont chipped away with a run in the 6th and two more in the 7th to tie the game at 8. Nolan Colby led off the 6th with a triple and scored on a Shaun McMillan sacrifice fly. In the 7th, Sam Cavossa delivered the big blow—a two-run ground-rule double down the rightfield line and once again the game was back to equilibrium.
Norwich momentarily reclaimed the lead in the ninth. Scanlan worked a two-out walk and came around to score on Charlie Walsh’s clutch RBI single to left after a costly error by the second baseman extended the inning.
Vermont had another answer, this time in the 9th. Cavossa drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and scored on McMillan’s RBI single up the middle, sending the game to extras.
Norwich exploded for three runs in the top of the 10th to take a 12-9 lead, but the Lake Monsters once again clawed back. With the bases loaded, Cavossa came through with a bases-clearing triple to tie it at 12. Cooper Berry then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, completing Vermont’s comeback and walking it off in a 13-12 final.
Win: Brady Lane (1-0)
Loss: Eric Mathewson (1-1)
Time: 4:34
Norwich will look to bounce back tonight beginning with the suspended game that will pick up from the top of the 10th inning with Norwich leading 6-5. Cooper Maher will take the mound for Norwich in the originally scheduled game following the completion of the suspended game opposite Matt Higgins.
Written by Adam Plager