Norwich Rallies in Another Extra-Innings Thriller, Forces Championship Game Three

FOLLOW THE POSTSEASON: Watch (FCBL Network) | GameLive Stats (Pointstreak)

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS
No. 3 New Britain Bees vs. No. 4 Norwich Sea Unicorns
Wednesday, August 13: at New Britain 1, Norwich 0 (10)
Friday, August 15: at Norwich 5, New Britain 4 (12)
Saturday, August 16: 1:35 p.m. at New Britain Stadium, New Britain, Conn.

NORWICH, Conn. — The quest for the first-ever three-peat of Futures League championships is still alive for the Norwich Sea Unicorns.

Designated hitter Bryce Detwiler (UConn) hit a two-out, walk-off single to shallow center field in the bottom of the 12th inning, leading fourth-seeded Norwich past the third-seeded New Britain Bees 5-4 in Friday night's second game of the best-of-three title series at Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium.

For the fifth time in six summers, the Futures League title will be decided in a winner-take-all game. The series will shift back to New Britain Stadium for a 1:35 p.m. first pitch.

Norwich rallied from an early 4-0 deficit, winning after scoring twice in the third inning and adding two more in the ninth to tie the score at 4-4. Detwiler went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while shortstop Charlie Walsh (George Washington) drove in a pair to lead the victorious Sea Unicorns.

Setting up Detwiler's heroics, first baseman Chace Chaplin (Yale) kept Norwich's 12th inning alive with a two-out double into the left-field corner against New Britain righty Lucas Kamoen (Western New England). Walsh was then intentionally walked before Detwiler drove in pinch runner Michael Fiatarone (Bryant) with the game-winning and season-extending run.

Detwiler, who finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, also led off the game-tying frame with a triple to deep right and crossed the plate on a wild pitch. Second baseman CJ Nolan's (Sacred Heart) single to left followed, and after catcher Clay Hartje (Johns Hopkins) sacrificed the runner into scoring position, a knock by right fielder Gavin O'Brien (UMass) tied the game.

Despite allowing his first two runs in a span of five appearances, New Britain's Evan Mello (Wheaton) did strand the walk-off run to force extras for the second straight game in the series.

The teams combined to leave baserunners in four of the first five extra half-innings, with only winning Norwich reliever Eric Mathewson (Eastern Connecticut) posting a 1-2-3 zero in the 11th. Matt Tabet (Amherst) preceded Mathewson on the mound and worked around three hits to throw three scoreless innings.

The visitors wasted little time tagging Sea Unicorn ace Matt Wootton (Eastern Connecticut) in the first, rattling off four hits including first baseman George Slauson's (Saint Anselm) three-run home run inside the right-field line. 

Left fielder Jake Risedorf (Southern New Hampshire) upped the New Britain lead to 4-0 in the third, lifting a sacrifice fly to drive home Colin Crowley (Winthrop) who scored his second run of the game following a leadoff single. Norwich reliever Gio Conte (Siena) settled in after allowing the one run and pitched shutout ball over the next five innings, while his offense clawed back within 4-2 on Walsh's two-run single to left in the last of the third.

Right fielder Camden Righi (UConn), Crowley and Slauson all had multiple hits for New Britain, which received a three-inning start from Colin Blake (Southern Connecticut) and used six relievers. Jake Harmony (Endicott), who was the winning pitcher in Wednesday's 10-inning series opener, struck out five across the 10th and 11th.

The Bees were held scoreless after the third inning, though Righi punctuated his third straight multi-hit game with a two-out triple in the seventh. Conte, who had not allowed a hit over the previous three innings, induced a fly ball thereafter to end the inning and his stellar relief outing.

For the latest news and information on the Futures League all year long, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.