WESTFIELDThe Westfield Starfires crushed the New Britain Bees 8-1 at Bullens Field on Friday, July 25. Anthony Ruggiero, a product of the Northeast, recorded a career-high four hits, ending three runs short of the cycle, while the team recorded a season-high 18 hits.
The Starfires defeated New Britain in two of their last three games, improving their season record to 12-34-2. The Bees, who are currently tied with Nashua for the final playoff place with a 22-27 record, did not lose ground in the standings despite the Silver Knights’ loss that evening.
In this game, New Britain took the lead with a run off two free passes in the first inning and then a run-scoring single.
Griffin Mills of Northwestern delivered a base hit in the opening frame’s home half, putting Anthony Ruggiero to the plate with one away.
Ruggiero, a native of the Northeast, put up a strong at-bat against Garret Garbinski, the starting pitcher for the All-Star game. Following six foul balls, the native of Mendon, Massachusetts, hit his fifth long ball of the season over the right field fence, giving the Starfires a 2-1 lead. These were Garbinski’s first runs given up in more over 20 innings of work this season.
They didn’t get some insurance until the fifth inning, but Westfield kept hitting, earning several base hits in the second and third.
Mills doubled over left fielder Brennan Staubley’s head to start the fifth inning. With four innings remaining, the Starfires were ahead a pair when Ruggiero moved him over with a groundball to the right side, allowing Griffin Enis of Virginia to drive Mills home with a sacrifice fly.
Greg Strite, the Starfires’ starter, was on fire after giving up a run in the top of the first inning, allowing no hits until the fifth.
After two hits and a walk in the fifth inning, the Bees loaded the bases with one out. Justin Bowman of Columbia, who came in as a relief pitcher, saved the 3-1 score by striking the next two batters.
Even while the game was still competitive going into the bottom of the seventh, following that half-inning, everything shifted drastically.
After Mills hit a bunt single, Menzel doubled to start the inning and came around to score. The two then performed a double steal to score the game’s fourth Westfield run. Using RBI doubles, Ruggiero, Enis, and Iona’s Cole Silvia scored the next three runs.
The Starfires ended up blowing the game open, leading 7-1 after scoring four runs and four doubles in the period.
In the seventh and eighth innings, Bowman dominated the Bees, continuing exactly where he left off in the sixth. After striking out the side in order in the seventh inning, the Georgia native made the Bees look foolish. He then pitched another 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, adding another strikeout to his tally.
After Menzel, Ruggiero, and Enis all singled to increase the lead to seven runs, the Starfires scored again in the eighth.
To complete the victory in the ninth, Westfield passed the ball to two-way All-Star John Mass, who did not let him down. As the Starfires won Friday night, the Boston College graduate sent the Bees packing by striking out all three hitters he faced.
With the home run and three RBIs, Ruggiero is now 8-for-17 in his last four games. He is tied for third in the league in RBIs (25), and fourth in home runs (5).
Mills and Menzel each got a double and two singles for three hits, while Enis recorded a season-high four hits and three RBIs. Five of Westfield’s eight runs came from those two as well. Westfield’s 18 base hits set a season high, surpassing the previous best of 16 set on May 29 during a 15–5 victory over the Norwich Sea Unicorns on the second day of the season.
Strite pitched five innings with four hits, one run, and five strikeouts to earn the victory. The Wheaton College graduate has reduced his ERA from 5.75 to 3.72 since July 1 by not giving up more than one earned run in each of his three appearances.
Bowman ended three innings with a career-high six strikeouts and only gave up one walk, his only baserunner. The Starfires dismissed the last 11 batters to bat for New Britain after Mass completed the victory with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Starfires will remain in town on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. to play the struggling Nashua Silver Knights at home.
Tickets are available at www.westfieldstarfires.com for this game as well as all other Starfires home games.
