Bravehearts: Worcester posts walk-off win over Pittsfield

WORCESTER — One bad inning didn't really hurt the Worcester Bravehearts during Wednesday morning's Futures Collegiate League game against Pittsfield.

In fact, it may have helped them.

After allowing six runs in the seventh and watching a three-run advantage vanish, the Bravehearts roared back, scoring three times in the eighth to tie it, and once more in the ninth, to gain an 8-7 walk-off victory before a large, vocal gathering at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.

With the score tied, 7-7, Worcester's Dustin Harris walloped a triple to right-center to lead off the ninth inning. Mack Cheli followed with a grounder up the middle which got by the defense, enabling Harris to scoot home with the winning run.

Worcester, which has won nine of its last 10, improved to 20-14. Pittsfield dropped to 15-19.

"Our guys have worked hard, and they've competed every day and done everything we've asked of them," Bravehearts manager J.P. Pyne said. "This was a good effort by our guys against a good team, and it's nice to see the effort and hard work translate into wins."

Worcester's offense was sparked by a host of standouts. Harris rapped three hits, including a triple. He reached base four times. Mike Dellicarri had a two-run triple and reached base four times. Leadoff batter Mariano Ricciardi, a West Boylston native, reached base four times, scored twice and knocked in a run.

Worcester got a standout game from relief pitcher Kendall Pomeroy, a Shrewsbury native. Pomeroy, a right-hander, came on in the seventh and pitched two shutout innings. He retired the side in the eighth and ninth, and earned the victory.

"Kendall Pomeroy was just huge for us, and he has been all year," Pyne said. "While he was doing the job out there, we felt we had a chance to swing our way back into the game."

Pittsfield's six-run splurge gave the Suns their first lead, 7-4. Pittsfield sent 12 batters to the plate but had just one extra-base hit, a double by No. 8 hitter Taylor Meilleur.

After being blanked in the seventh inning, the Bravehearts batted around in the eighth, rapping four hits. Harris and Cheli got things started with singles. Harris scored on a double by Kirk Sidwell, and Cheli came home on a hit by Idelson Taveras. Ricciardi drove in Sidwell with a sacrifice fly.

Worcester took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Bravehearts loaded the bases on walks to Ricciardi, Chris Rinaldi and Dellicarri. Ricciardi scored on cleanup hitter Eddie Haus' infield out.

Pittsfield tied the score, 1-1 in the second before the Bravehearts regained the lead with a three-run fifth. Dellicarri delivered the big hit, a booming triple after singles by Ricciardi and Rinaldi. Dellicarri scored when the throw in on his triple went wild.

Worcester starting pitcher Henry Ennen came through with a solid effort. He struck out the side in the first and had six strikeouts through three innings. Pittsfield loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning but came up empty thanks to an infield pop-up and a double play.

"We feel really confident with Henry Ennen on the mound — he's been really, really good for us," Pyne said. "Kyle Angel, the first guy out of the pen, has been a starter for us and is coming off an injury. We were hoping to get a little bit of a boost with him, but he just didn't look ready to go. We'll re-evaluate that. But it was definitely a good team win for us."

—Contact Craig Holt at sports@telegram.com.