By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – The Bristol Eastern baseball team has been absolutely snake bitten this year. 

That 0-7 record the program carries is about as bogus as it gets because Eastern was on the cusp of winning more than a couple games this season before one late, bad inning unraveled everything – keeping the Lancers from getting to the pay window to date. 

That’s exactly what happened against Lewis Mills on Monday afternoon as the visitors scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to snare an 8-4 victory over the Lancers from Clem J. Roy Field in Bristol.   

The Spartans moved to 2-5 off the winning effort while Eastern remains winless. 

Eastern trailed 4-3 going into the bottom of the seventh with two outs on the board before late heroics staved off the seven-inning defeat. 

Dylan Woodsome started the rally by lining a single to center, Andrew Lozier drew a walk while a two-strike single up the middle from Tyler Stickels plated Woodsome to tie the game at 4-4 – forcing an extra frame.   

But in the top of the eighth, Mills made all the big plays offensively. 

Eastern reliever Cole Latko walked the first two batters in the tilt as Ryan Maglio eventually took over on the hill. 

From there, the Spartans’ Alec Varano laid a perfect bunt down the third base line for a base hit, loading the bases with no outs.   

Maglio retired the next two batters he faced but walked Evan Niziolek on a full count, forcing in the eventual go-ahead run that made it 5-4.   

Lewis Mills’ Scott Groleau followed with a single to right to score two and one final run came across on a bad throw from the outfield to propel the visitors to an 8-4 cushion. 

Evan Reynolds led the Spartans offense with a two-run single while Groleau had one of his own two-RBI hit over that fateful eighth inning.  

Starting pitcher Brenden Baiardi threw into the sixth, striking out ten – including nine Ks over the first 13 batters he faced to keep Eastern off the bases early on in things. 

Baiardi also walked two, allowed four hits and three runs but posted a no-decision.   

Niziolek pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn the victory in relief for Mills. 

Eastern’s Ryan Fradette generated two hits, including a two-run double in the sixth, while Nate Ouellette added in two singles to pace the offense. 

The game was scoreless through the first three innings as Baiardi allowed just one hit over his first four frames.   

Eastern starter Logan Schenck pitched two scoreless innings to open the showdown and left the contest for Dylan Woodsome who got some work in for the Lancers on the mound.   

Mills scored the game’s first run in the top of the fourth to make it a 1-0 affair. 

Evan Niziolek singled to right, then stole second base to get into scoring position and with two gone, Jacob Dorman lined a single to right to plate the lead runner. 

But Eastern quickly tied things up at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth. 

Trevor Nohilly singled between short and third but was forced out at second base on Gabe Bartolome’s grounder via a fielder’s choice.   

Bartolome then stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored when Jaydon Churchill’s soft liner dropped into right center for a hit, making it a 1-1 game. 

In the sixth, the Spartans snared three runs to grab a 4-1 push.    

A two-base outfield error, followed by a single from Brice Waldron, scored a runner to make it a 2-1 contest.  

And then an error in the infield, followed by a hit-by-pitch, loaded the bases for the visiting aggression.  

Reynolds then flashed a two-run single between short and third to make it a three-run affair.  

Eastern came back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to get within one at 4-3.   

An infield error and a single from Ben D’Amato put two runners on with just one out.   

Niziolek then relieved Baiardi but the new pitcher could not stop the damage.   

Ouellette singled to left to load the bases and Fradette then made the relief pitcher pay. 

He smashed a two-run double over the left fielder’s head as Eastern trailed 4-3 heading into the final inning. 

The Lancers generated one final run in the seventh to move the game into the extra frame before things fell apart. 

And even down four runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Lancers attempted to rally. 

Eastern had two runners on as a single by Fradette and a base-on-balls from Nohilly put the tying run in the on-deck circle. 

But Niziolek retired the next two batters he faced to seal the win for Lewis Mills as the bad luck continued for the Kingstreeters. 

CCC South Baseball 

LEWIS MILLS 8, BRISTOL EASTERN 4 

from Clem J. Roy Field, Bristol 

Lewis Mills (2-5)                   000 103 04 – 8 9 1 

Bristol Eastern (0-7)             000 012 10 – 4 9 4 

Battery – Lewis Mills: Brenden Baiardi, Evan Niziolek (6) & Evan Reynolds; Bristol Eastern: Logan Schenck, Dylan Woodsome (3), Mike Roalf (6), Cole Latko (8), Ryan Maglio (8) & Nate Ouellette. 

WP:  Niziolek (LM); LP: Latko (BE) 

Lewis Mills Batting 

2B – Mike Triplett 

3B – None 

HR – None 

Bristol Eastern Batting 

2B – Ryan Fradette 

3B – None 

HR – None 

Records: Lewis Mills 2-5 overall; Bristol Eastern 0-7