WEYMOUTH, Mass -- Wednesday night marked the start of ninth season for the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. It was an amazing opening day, at least for the fans at Holman Stadium in Nashua who got to see some great Futures League baseball between the Brockton Rox and Nashua Silver Knights.
Unfortunately, the Bristol Blues’ season and home opener against expansion team, the Westfield Starfires was postponed due to inclement weather in the Bristol, Connecticut area. That game will now be played as the day part of a day-night double header at Muzzy Field in Bristol on Saturday, June 1st. first pitch of game one is set for 3pm while game two will begin at 7pm. The Starfires inaugural game will take place on Friday evening against the Pittsfield Suns. Game time is set for 6:30pm at Bullens Field in Westfield, Mass.
Nevertheless, the Nashua Silver Knights and the Brockton Rox kicked off the 2019 season at Holman Stadium.
Led by University of Maine’s Mike Sabatine, the visiting Brockton Rox offense exploded for nine runs to hold off the Nashua Silver Knights and earn a 9-6 victory at Holman Field.
Sabatine started it off for the Rox as he took the first pitch of the 2019 Futures League season up the middle for a single. He would eventually score on a Mitch Donofrio groundout to make it 1-0 Rox in the first inning.
Rox starting pitcher Nick Sinacola threw three scoreless innings to start the game and defend the slim 1-0 lead. Brockton added to their lead in the top of the third inning with a two-run triple by Sabatine. He would eventually score the third run of the inning on an RBI groundout by Andrew Martinez.
The Silver Knights showed life in the fourth inning, scoring two runs. They started the inning with back-to-back singles by Jared Dupere and Luis Atiles. Dupere came around to score on an RBI single from Dylan Jones. Atiles would come around to score on a Josh Brodeur RBI single to cut the Rox lead to 5-2.
The Rox added two more runs in the fifth inning to open the lead to 7-2 with an RBI single from Andrew Marra. Mitch Donofrio scored later on a Silver Knights error. Nashua answered in the sixth inning with two runs of their own on a bases-loaded walk and wild pitch to cut the deficit to 7-4 in favor of the visiting Rox.
The offense did not stop for the Rox as they scored two more runs in the seventh inning on a two-run double by J.P. Knight. The Silver Knights also tacked on a run of their own in the seventh with a Jones RBI groundout to score Dupere.
At the end of the seventh inning, the Silver Knights shot off fireworks behind the center field fence at Holman. The fireworks were scheduled to come post game but due to the length of the game, 3 hours 20 minutes, the opening night festivities shot off a little early.
With the score 9-5 after a scoreless eighth, the Rox were unable to score in the top of the ninth. The Silver Knights did start a comeback but were unable to erase the four runs deficit, scoring one run. The game ended 9-6 in favor of the Rox who capture the first win of the 2019 FCBL season.
There is a three game slate on Thursday evening as the North Shore Navigators open their season with a trip to Brockton to take on the Rox. Bristol will open their season on the road against Pittsfield at Wahconah Park. The defending co-champion, Worcester Bravehearts, play host to the Silver Knights at Hanover Insurance Park. All games begin at 6:30pm.
Stay Connected