Syracuse, NY – Worcester scored five runs in the opening inning and never relinquished the lead, defeating the Syracuse Mets, 7-3, on Sunday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium.
The WooSox (5-7, 41-42) jumped out immediately in the first. Tyler McDonough doubled and advanced to third on a throwing error before Vinny Capra walked. Mickey Gasper followed with an RBI double to right, and Allan Castro added an RBI single to left. Castro then stole second while Gasper stole home, and Andrew Knizner capped the inning with a two-run home run to left field, giving Worcester a 5-0 advantage.
Syracuse (6-6, 44-43) answered in the bottom of the first when Nick Morabito launched a leadoff home run to right field, trimming the deficit to 5-1.
After a pair of scoreless innings, Worcester added two more runs in the sixth. Kristian Campbell walked before Brett Harris was hit by a pitch. Max Ferguson singled to left to score Campbell, and Tyler McDonough followed with a base hit to load the bases. Vinny Capra then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, extending the WooSox lead to 7-1.
The Mets mounted one final push in the eighth. Nick Morabito worked a leadoff walk before Jorge Polanco blasted a two-run home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 7-3. Syracuse could get no closer as Worcester retired the final five batters of the game.
On the mound, Jack Weisenburger started for Syracuse and allowed five runs on four hits over four-plus innings, striking out two. Ryan Lambert relieved Weisenburger with one runner aboard in the fifth and escaped a bases-loaded jam by inducing an inning-ending double play. Joe Jacques faced two batters in the sixth, allowing a walk and a hit batter before departing. Dan Hammer recorded the final two outs of the sixth, stranding two inherited runners, and added a scoreless seventh inning. Nate Lavender struck out the side in a perfect eighth, and recorded three more strikeouts in the ninth.
Morabito finished with two hits, including his leadoff homer, while Polanco's eighth-inning two-run blast accounted for the Mets' final runs of the afternoon.
Syracuse heads to Norfolk to begin a six-game series with the Tides on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.