By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The Bristol Eastern baseball team held an early three run edge over Maloney on Friday afternoon.

But that push didn’t last as the Spartans scored seven runs over the middle innings to eventually square up an 8-6 victory over the Lancers in a CCC South clash from Clem J. Roy field on the campus of Bristol Eastern.

The Lancers, now 1-8, had several late chances in the contest to capture the lead again but that one big hit never materialized.

Maloney swept the season series against Eastern and moved to 7-2 overall in the winning effort.

The Spartans blasted out 15 hits off four Eastern pitchers with six of those going for extra bases.

Kam Hartenstein, Raff Rodriquez, Jack Fitzgerald, Ryan Killeen, Joseph Rodriquez all jammed out doubles while Raff Rodriquez also added a triple to the offensive onslaught.

The Lancers nabbed nine hits for the game, two apiece from Jaydon Churchill and Andrew Lozier.

At one point, Eastern held a 4-1 push after three complete frames but after seven straight runs by Maloney, the visitors captured an 8-4 edge going into the bottom half of the fifth.

Churchill opened the first frame with a walk, Dylan Woodsome singled to center, and Andrew Lozier drew four balls to juice the bases.  

Churchill scored on a passed ball and when Ben D’Amato’s sacrifice fly plated Woodsome, the home squad led by a 2-0 push. 

Maloney came back with one run in the second off Eastern starter Brayden Moore when Raff Rodriquez led off with a deep double to left and scored on a double by Jack Fitzgerald that chopped the deficit in half, 2-1.

Then in the bottom of the third, Eastern was at it again from the plate. 

Churchill opened the stanza with a pop fly single over shortstop while Woodsome sacrificed the runner to second.  

Lozier then drove a single past the first baseman to score Churchill, making it a 3-1 contest.

Nate Ouellette followed with a single up the middle, putting runners on first and second.  

On a pickoff play at second, pitcher Evan Avery’s throw went into center field as the runners were on the move.

Lozier made it safely to third and scored when the throw in from center went wild – making it 4-1 through three completed frames.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Spartans scored twice and then in the fifth, Maloney scooped up five additional runs. 

A single by Evan Cordero, an RBI double from Ryan Killeen, and a run scoring single by Joseph Rodriquez notched two runs that chopped the deficit to 4-3 through four.

After a scoreless fifth frame by Eastern, Maloney scored five times off three Eastern pitchers.

Moore hit Avery with a pitch leading off and Raff Rodriquez followed with a triple to deep left field.  

Fitzgerald singled in Rodriquez as Maloney took a 5-4 lead – never trailing again.    

Eastern’s Ryan Maglio relieved Moore but a single, a bad-hop double, a run scoring wild pitch, and a walk netted another two runs and brought in reliever Mike Roalf with Maloney extending its edge to 7-4. 

And with the bases loaded, the Spartans batted around in the inning.

Amazingly, Avery was hit by a pitch for the second time in the stanza to drive in the fifth Maloney run, propelling the Spartans to the 8-4 lead.

But the Lancers struck back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, chopping the deficit to 8-6.  

Churchill led off with a double to left and Lozier had a two-base hit to right, scoring the lead runner, as Eastern chopped the deficit to 8-5.

From there, an infield error put runners on the corners and Ben D’Amato singled up the middle to score Lozier, making it an 8-6 game as Eastern was back in it and looking for more.  

A walk to Tyler Stickels loaded the bases but two strikeouts ended the threat as Maloney was still in front by two. Xx

Lozier came on to pitch the final two innings, holding Maloney scoreless  and giving the Lancers’ offense six more outs to work with.

Eastern threatened in the sixth against reliever Sam Giacco, putting two runners on.

A single by Cole Latko and then a walk to Woodsome saw Eastern put the tying runner on with one out.

But Giacco retired the next two batters to end the threat and the Lancers didn’t score in the seventh, falling by a 8-6 final in the end. 

CCC South Baseball

MALONEY 8, BRISTOL EASTERN 6 

from Clem J. Roy Field, Bristol 

Maloney (7-2) 010 250 0 – 8 15 3

Bristol Eastern (1-8) 202 020 0 – 6 9 0

Battery – Maloney: Evan Avery, Sam Giacco (6), Kam Hartenstein (7)    & Kam Hartenstein, Sam Giacco (7); Bristol Eastern: Brayden Moore, Ryan Maglio (5), Mike Roalf (5), Andrew Lozier (6) & Nate Ouellette, Cam Moore (5).

WP: Evan Avery (M); LP: Brayden Moore (BE)

Maloney Batting

2B – Kam Hartenstein, Raff Rodriquez, Jack Fitzgerald, Ryan Killeen, Joseph Rodriquez

3B – Raff Rodriquez

HR – None

Bristol Eastern Batting

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Maloney 7-2; Bristol Eastern 1-8 overall