For the.first time in four years,there will be a new Futures Collegiate Baseball League champion as the Norwich Sea Unicorns, winners of the last three FCBL titles, lost a deciding Game 3 to in-state rival New Britain in the semifinals.

The Bees will have to wait a night to see who whey will face in finals, likely to begin on Friday at either NB or Burlington, Vt. The Lake Monsters stayed alive on Wednesday night with a 9-6 win at Worcester.

Here’s a look:

NO. 2 NEW BRITAIN 4, NO. 3 NORWICH 2

A two-run fifth inning was the difference on the scoreboard on a 13-hit night for the New Britain offense, but it was a fabulous relief pitching performance from Thomas Harding (St. John’s) that ultimately sealed the deal. Harding worked five hitless and scoreless innings in relief of starter Brandon Cahill (Monmouth), allowing only one baserunner via a walk and striking out six.

Center fielder Vinny Lombardo (UConn) delivered the biggest swing of the night for the Bees, ripping a two-run double into the right-center field gap to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead with two outs in the fifth. Lombardo and left fielder Ben Kuja (Brandeis) both finished 3-for-4.

After Norwich starter Michael Zalinkanskas (Ramapo) escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam without any damage done in the second and stranded two more in the third, the Sea Unicorns took a 2-0 lead with two-out magic in the fourth. Third baseman Matt Park (Quinnipiac) drove home the first run of the game on a double inside the left-field line before crossing the plate himself on designated hitter Jake Howlett’s (Monmouth) single on the next pitch.

The Bees found their way onto the scoreboard in the next half-inning, as shortstop Grady Schopps (Salve Regina) hit an RBI double to trade places with Kuja.

In the fifth, right fielder Michael Olender (Lehigh) and designated hitter Tim Hennig (Binghamton) greeted Norwich reliever Matt Tabet (Amherst) with back-to-back singles, and a balk moved both into scoring position ahead of Lombardo’s game-changing double.

From there, Harding did the rest. After being staked to a two-run lead, the southpaw struck out the side in the seventh and did not allow a baserunner until Norwich second baseman CJ Nolan (Sacred Heart) drew a two-out walk in the ninth. The duo of Cahill and Harding allowed only one hit outside of Norwich’s run-scoring inning.

NO. 1 VERMONT 9, NO. 4 WORCESTER 6

The Lake Monsters overcame an early three-run deficit and an error that scored another game-tying run in the eighth inning, as designated hitter Thomas Moss (Trinity) clubbed a three-run home run to left field to spark a three-run ninth.

After Moss tagged Worcester relief ace Lane LeClair (Crowder) for his first earned runs allowed all summer, first baseman Brad Johnston (Swarthmore) walked and later scored on a wild pitch to extend the Vermont lead. Brady Lane (Brandeis) relieved Brandon Rovinelli (Columbia) and worked out of a bases-loaded situation that he created with two walks, inducing a line-drive double play to end the game, record a save and extend the series.

Moss, who had a three-RBI performance, was one of five Lake Monsters to record a multi-hit game. However, Isaac Jensen (Southern Maine) was arguably the biggest hero, tossing five innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts in relief of starter Chase Burrows (Babson), who completed just two frames.

After Worcester started fast in the series opener back on Monday night, Vermont did the same with its season on the line. Second baseman Bryan Richman (Cal Poly Pomona) drew a leadoff walk before third baseman Danny O’Brien (Montclair State) and Moss knocked back-to-back, two-out singles, plating the opening run with the latter.

In this one, the opposition’s response was immediate, as Worcester carried a 3-1 advantage out of the first inning.

The Bravehearts laced three straight hits on five Burrows pitches, with shortstop Jacob Malfant (UConn) lining a leadoff single into center field and scoring the tying run on a hard double into the left-field corner by Brayden Lewis (Northeastern). Center fielder Chris Mondesir (Maine) drove home another run on a ground-rule double into deep center, then advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a ground ball.

In the second, Vermont clawed back within 3-2 after center fielder Brenden Walsh (Endicott) laced a leadoff single to left and scored as shortstop Patrick Shrake (Colby) reached on an error. Right fielder Ryan Keating’s (Nichols) leadoff homer down the line in the second and designated hitter Alan Carpenter’s (Worcester State) RBI single in the third extended the Worcester lead to 5-2.

The visitors started on the comeback trail an inning later, as right fielder Tyler Wiltsey (Rutgers) hit a sacrifice fly and left fielder Jake Lopez (Indianapolis) followed with an RBI single to make it a one-run game. Connor Herlihy (Stevens), who relieved fellow All-Star Jake Shaughnessy (Eastern Connecticut State) earlier in the frame, stranded the tying run on third to end the threat.

The start of the late innings saw Vermont tie the game on an O’Brien single to left and score following a misplay on Johnston’s base knock to left. The lead could have grown in the eighth if not for Lewis gunning out Richman trying to score on a Wiltsey double.

Again, Worcester did not go away. Rovinelli issued back-to-back walks before throwing Keating’s bunt back to the mound away past third base, allowing pinch runner John Ramsey (Trinity) to plate another tying run for a 6-6 score.