'Nadoes big rally in ninth is foiled; Line drive ends comeback bid.

• Position: SPORTS

Byline: Steve Farley

WORCESTER - Just when it seemed like Worcester turned the corner with its impressive win Thursday night in which it belted a club-record five home runs, the Tornadoes took a step back with a tough, 11-7 loss to Brockton last night in front of 2,409 fans at Hanover Insurance Park.

Trailing, 11-2, in the bottom of the ninth inning, Worcester rallied and scored five runs off left-handed reliever Mike Wlodarczyk and had the tying run at the plate, but Rox right fielder Keith Brachold made a diving catch on Stantrel Smith's fast sinking liner, ending the game.

The Tornadoes fell to 15-25 while second-place Brockton improved to 23-15.

"We're trying to compete every inning no matter if we're winning or losing, and that's nice to see," said Tornadoes veteran Omar Pena, who jumpstarted Worcester's ninth-inning rally by drawing a bases-loaded walk.

Danny Santiesteban led off the ninth with a single, but was forced out at second on Smith's grounder to third.

No. 9 batter Mike Baillargeon and Ryan Crespi singled to load the bases. After Pena's walk cut it to 11-3, Chris Colabello smashed a first pitch, two-run double to the fence in left and sliced Worcester's deficit to 11-5. Nick Salotti's groundout to third made it 11-6. Mark Minicozzi followed with an RBI single to right that cut Brockton's once sizeable lead to 11-7.

After Wlodarczyk hit Craig Maddox with a pitch, right-hander Colin Lynch came into pitch. Lynch walked Santiesteban (1 for 2, 3 walks) and re-loaded the bases. Smith then fouled off two pitches with two strikes, but then hit a line drive. Brachold dove forward, made the catch and ended the game.

"It's always disappointing losing a game, but it was nice to see us at the end of the game rallying," Pena said. "It gives us a little confidence we can compete. Guys should realize that we can do that every inning if we want to. We just know we have...