By Michael Letendre
Writer’s Note: The Connecticut Elite Baseball Association (CTEBA) team in Bristol was basically ignored this summer in terms of game coverage. This article provides our readers at TBE a recap of Bristol’s state championship season in the 17 and under division along with a glance at the 19 and under program.
BRISTOL – The 2020 Connecticut State American Legion baseball season was suspended in the middle of May and ultimately cancelled due to COVID-19.
Bristol’s own David Greenleaf had to post that troubling news on the Connecticut American Legion Baseball website – leaving the team from Post 2, along with 110 other senior, junior and prep squads, without a place to play in during the summer months.
But another league was about to form to fill in the gap.
The Connecticut Elite Baseball Association (CTEBA) was just the right alternative for American Legion play this summer.
Games commenced from July 1 through August 9 and the level of competition was well received.
And for the second time over the past three seasons, the Bristol program at the junior (or 17 and under) division came away with a state championship Once again, the excellent leadership of head coach Bill Mason – and his small-ball approach – helped Bristol win at the highest level.
It’s always about the fundamentals under a Mason coached program.
The Bristol crew won a state and New England Regional title in 2018 and now, the program added a 2020 championship to its treasure trove of postseason hardware.
Twenty-five teams started the season in the 17U Division with the outfit from Bristol ending up with the best record in the league.
Bristol manned a slot in U17 Division 1 play along with programs from Avon, Meriden, Newington, Simsbury, West Hartford, and Winsted.
Overall, the team from the Mum City went 19-2 – the best record in CTEBA play.
Only two squads ended the season with one home loss and Bristol (9-1) was one of those programs.
Bristol mirrored that ledger on the road, also going 9-1, and tallied the second most victories outside of Orange (9-3) on the road.
Orange, in fact, won U17 Division 2 with a 17-4 record with Ellington ruled Division 3 at 14-4.
And in the end, it was a Bristol/Ellington confrontation for the league championship.
The Bristol outfit ruled postseason play – going 3-0 overall and outscored opponents by a crushing 15-1 tally.
Bristol earned the number one seed in the postseason with a .889 winning percentage – earning a shot at No. 8 Naugatuck in first round play.
Bristol beat Naugy via a 2-0 shutout on August 7 and in the semifinals one day later, against No. 4 Wallingford (15-6, .714), the locals earned the win by two runs again – this time zipping up a 3-1 victory to get to the finals.
And then in the U17 championship game, it was all Bristol as Ellington was thumped 10-0 on August 9.
Alex Dionne absorbed a tough loss as Ellington was one-hit from Muzzy field in Bristol.
Bristol pitcher Matt Beaucar, the tourney MVP who added two RBI from the plate in the title game, fanned five and walked only two to claim the victory from the mound.
Dylan Woodsome, 5-0 on the hill this year after recovering from shoulder surgery, had a key hit with the bases loaded against Ellington to lead a four-run second inning while putting down a squeeze bunt to plate another run – making it a 5-0 push in Bristol’s favor through four completed stanzas.
It was 7-0 after five frames and the game was quickly called in the sixth when Roberto Cruz zipped up a three-run base hit that made it 10-0, ending the game with Bristol seizing the championship.
Bristol’s Adam Caron was the tournament’s most outstanding hitter with four hits over tournament play.
Caron bashed out three hits alone in Bristol’s two run victory over Wallingford.
The 17 and under squad from Bristol had a roster consisting of Tyler Donahue, Jose Feliciano, Ryan Fradette, Dillon Hudson, Andrew Lozier, Tyler Martin, Nate Ouellette, Tyler Stickles, Mark Tata, Zach Vanesse, Conner Wilson, Woodsome, Cruz, Caron, and Beaucar.
The team lost just twice – dropping a 5-3 decision to West Hartford on July 22 while falling to Newington 13-10 on August 1 which was Bristol’s final regular season contest of the campaign.
Bristol’s offensive was the third best of all the U17 teams, scoring 117 runs and trailed just Wallingford (156 runs) and Ellington (118) in total runs scored.
But defensively, Bristol’s 42 runs allowed was tops in all of U17 ball.
The state champions played its games from Riley and Muzzy Field in Bristol.
Beaucar (5-0 overall) was sensational this season, throwing a five-inning no-hitter on July 2 as Bristol shutout West Hartford, 8-0.
On July 11, Cruz (6-0) and Feliciano combined to chuck a two-hitter in Bristol’s 7-0 blanking of Avon.
And the duo of Caron and Martin zipped up a two-hitter as Bristol defeated Winsted 3-2 on July 21.
It was a compact season for the U17 squad but a rewarding one by the completion of tournament play.
Bristol’s U19 squad just missed out on the postseason – going a credible 12-9 overall – and finished three games behind second place Meriden (15-6).
Head coach Jerry LaPenta led the troops once again while the Bristol 19 and under squad included Evan Bouchard, Jacobi Bouchard, Austin Brown, James Dauphine, Jagger Duquette, Ian Latko, Kyle Lauretti, Spencer Lindroth, Trevor Mays, Trevor Nohilly, Sean O’Neil, Christian Peterson, Nick Ruffino, and Carson Sassu.
Bristol’s big wins included an 8-1 thrashing of Berlin back on July 26 – a contest won by Duquette for his third win of the year.
The locals defeated West Hartford by a 4-3 final on July 18 when Mays threw a six-hitter for the win while Bristol sank the same squad – 3-1 on June 28 – as Mays allowed just five hits in the opener from Hall high school.
Mays went 5-2 this season, also adding one save to his outstanding ledger to lead the pitching staff.
And in a typical American Legion finish, the RCP squad won the 19 and under state title, defeating North Central CT by a 3-2 final.
CT Elite Baseball Association – 2020
17U Tournament Results
Round 1:
Bristol 2, Naugatuck 0
NCL 4, Orange 2
Ellington 5, West Hartford 3
Wallingford 5, RCP 0
Semifinals:
Bristol 3, Wallingford 1
Ellington 21, NCL 7
Championship:
Bristol 10, Ellington 0
17U Tournament; Seeding (by winning percentage)
1. Bristol .889
2. Orange .810
3. Ellington .778
4. Wallingford .714
5. RCP .667
6. West Hartford .611
7. NCL .647 (.611)
8. Naugatuck .600 (.571)
