(NEW BRITAIN, C.T., July 2nd 2020) The New Britain Bees kicked off their inaugural season as a part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League with a 6-0 win over the defending champion Worcester Bravehearts on Thursday night.

Noah Martinez (Central Connecticut State University), Andrew Cain (University of New Haven) and Todd Peterson (UCONN) all led the Bees with two hits and a run scored each.  Cain and Peterson added two RBI’s a piece onto the statsheet and off to a strong start in this 2020 season.

The Bravehearts had a difficult night at the plate tonight, collecting only four hits as a team and leaving a staggering 10 runners on base.  Second baseman Mariano Ricciardi (University of Dayton) became the first player ever to play four seasons with the Bravehearts, although he struggled at the plate going 0 for 5 with three strikeouts.

Both teams started off the game very strong on the defensive side, not allowing either team to produce offense and get runs on the board.  It wasn’t until the sixth inning when the bats began to get hot for New Britain.  Holding a 1-0 lead, UCONN third baseman Todd Petersen hit a 2 RBI single into left field, followed by another run scored due to an error by Worcester’s catcher, Ben Rice.  New Britain would tack on two more runs in the seventh inning off a double into center field by designated hitter Andrew Cain (University of New Haven). 

New Britain’s starting pitcher, Alex Price (Middlebury College), was just the start to a full nine innings of strong pitching from the Bees.  Price pitched four innings, allowing only two hits and five strikeouts, along with walking two batters.

Ben Talbot (Holy Cross) closed out the game with a 1-2-3 inning, throwing only 11 pitches and striking out the final batter to seal the Bees first ever win as an FCBL team.  All four New Britain pitchers recorded at least one strikeout, and only gave up a total of four hits throughout the entire game.

The Bees return to action Friday night against the Westfield Starfires for the second of a four game homestand to start off the season.  Westfield is looking for a fresh start after finishing last season at 15-41, the worst record in the FCBL.  First pitch set for 6:35 p.m.

About the New Britain Bees

The New Britain Bees are members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium. For information on tickets packages, group outings and sponsorships call 860-826-BEES (2337) or visit NBBees.com.

About the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL)

The FCBL is made up of seven teams from various parts of New England, each of which plays 28 home games and 28 away games. Each franchise is made up of elite collegiate athletes competing in a minor league style format.  Each franchise provides high quality, affordable entertainment, in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere. At least 50% of the players on each team must be from New England or attend college in New England. For further information, visit www.thefuturesleague.com.