By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The way the softball game was proceeding between the Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern squads on Thursday afternoon, seven innings was not going to cut it.

And after the Rams squared up a run in the top of the eighth inning, the Lancers were going to have to respond in some sort of fashion.

Down to its final out, the Kingstreeters ended up making the ultimate response to end the city series tilt.

Eastern’s Janessa Gonzalez tied up the game with an RBI single and then Jazmyn Browne blasted out the game-winning hit as Eastern (5-3) came from behind to seize a 2-1 victory from the softball field on King Street.

“[Browne] is a disciplined hitter up there,” said Eastern coach Scott Redman. “She doesn’t chase bad pitches. She’s patient up there, she got a pitch she could get her bat on, put it in a perfect spot [and] won the game.”

The Rams (6-3) squandered several chances to take the lead in the game but it just took one swing of the bat from the ultra-talented Gwen Torreso in the top of the eighth to tally what appeared to be the game-winning hit.

She sent a ball just over the fence in centerfield and off the solo shot, the Rams grabbed a 1-0 edge.

But then the Gonzalez/Browne duo made it academic with the back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the frame to help the Lancers seize the win.

“It’s the best game I’ve seen, not just between Central and Eastern, it’s the best I’ve seen in five years,” said Central coach Monica Hayes. “We put the pressure on [Eastern] to get a base hit and they earned it. They hit two balls really hard and they were right there.”

To open the game, the Rams quickly went on the offensive.

Central loaded the bases in the first inning with one gone as Sam Sklenka singled over the second baseman, Gwen Torreso added a base-hit to right-center and Lorelei Stancavage was plunked by a pitch.

But Eastern ace Ali Tellier (six hits, seven K’s) fanned both Sophia Torreso and Leah Sklenka as Central came away from the inning without a run.

On the flip side, Central’s Alex Sciarretto (eight hits, 10 K’s) fanned the side in the first as the game quickly moved into the second frame.

“She was light’s out the first three innings,” said Hayes of Sciarretto. “Eastern put the ball in play a little bit and they got some runners on base but I thought she did a good job getting out of jams. To be honest, that’s the first time we’ve pitched out of jams in a couple of games.

Sciarretto helped her cause with one out in the second as she sent a scorcher to center and was sent to second via a bunt by Kayla St. Onge.

But Tellier struck out Kaley Laird as the Lancers escaped another jam.

Tomfoolery struck Eastern in the bottom half of the tilt as Riley Giblin was hit-by-pitch and off a sac bunt from Gonzalez, the lead runner moved to second.

But Giblin never stopped at second as first baseman Sophia Torreso quickly threw the ball to Janessa Bartell at third base, applying a slick tag for a double play.

Central’s Sam Sklenka opened the third inning by getting plunked by a ball, stole second and ended up on third with two outs.

She ended up stranded while on the Eastern side, Alex Shorette created some excitement to lead things off.

Shorette jammed a double to left for Eastern’s first and only extra-base hit of the showdown.

With two gone, Tellier came back from a 0-2 count to draw a walk and when Sam Policki raced out an infield hit, Eastern had the bases juiced.

But Central’s Leah Sklenka ran down a Jasmine Perez foul ball in right field for a huge inning-ending out and the Eastern rally was squashed.

And then with Leah Sklenka up at the plate to begin the fourth, she drilled a ball to right which was dropped for the only miscue of the game and the runner made it to third base safely as the Rams threatened once again.

Three consecutive groundouts ended the inning as the contest remained a 0-0 stalemate as four consecutive rallies by Central were stopped by the Eastern defense.

“We had people on base all day long,” said Hayes. “It happens. That’s a testament to [Tellier]. I think that’s great catching too. They kept us off-balanced, jammed us inside and squared up one ball all day long that went over the fence.”

In the bottom of the stanza, Giblin led off with a full-count walk and when Gonzalez grounded out, the lead runner made it safely to second base and stayed there.

Browne walked to put two runners on, but Shorette followed with a hot shot that Laird nabbed at second base for an out.

She quickly chucked the ball to first base for an inning-ending double play and the city rivals moved into the fifth frame without the benefit of a score.

To open the fifth, Laird slipped a blooper to left and, once again, the visiting aggression had something brewing.

But to end the inning, Gonzalez gunned down Laird attempting to steal second as another opportunity came and when for the Rams.

Eastern never put anything together in the fifth as Sciarretto generated strikeouts seven and eight to keep the contest a 0-0 game. 

Sophia Torreso earned a trip to first base via a hit-by-pitch with one away in the sixth and when Leah Sklenka grounded out, the lead runner moved into scoring position with two gone.

But Bartell jammed a ground ball to Giblin who easily tagged the first base bag for the out to keep Central off the scoreboard.

Policki opened the bottom of the sixth with a Texas leaguer to short right and was moved over to second off a sacrifice bunt by Perez.

And then Giblin sent a flare to left and even as the fielder bobbled the ball, Policki was held at third base.

Giblin ended up at second to put two runners in scoring position.

Sophia Torreso then made a brilliant one-handed catch in foul territory for the second out and when Sciarretto fanned Brown, opportunity came and went for Eastern.

And now, in the seventh inning, one run would be the magic number for either team.

Laird laid down a perfect bunt with two outs and beat out the throw over a bold gambit, but Sam Sklenka popped out in foul territory to Gonzalez behind the plate to end the threat.

In the bottom of the seventh, Shorette singled to center and when Serafin sacrificed the runner to second, Eastern had two chances to drive in the winning run.

Sciarretto struck out Makayla Antunes and Tellier was just thrown out at first – forcing one final inning of play.

And to open the eighth, Gwen Torreso sent a ball over the fence in center as the homer made it a 1-0 game as Central had the momentum.

“You have to tip your cap to Gwen, hitting one out there in the top of the eighth,” said Redman. “It was a good hitter hitting a good pitch out.”

Tellier eventually induced two strikeouts to limit the damage as Eastern was forced to respond, now trailing by a run.

And then Eastern ended the classic confrontation.

To open the final frame, Policki sent a bloop single to right and Jasmine Perez’s sacrifice moved the lead runner to second.

Then with two gone, Gonzalez slipped a single into center – a clutch hit – as Policki came home to tie things up at 1-1.

“She hasn’t stopped, she hasn’t let up. She still grinds,” said Redman of Gonzalez. “She makes that play behind the plate [in foul territory] to end the inning. It wasn’t a gimme especially with the gusts of wind that we had today. Obviously, she gets the big game-tying hit. She’s having a ball this year [and] she’s playing really well.”

Gonzalez ran to second on the throw-in and it was up to Browne to close the contest out.

Browne won it with her hit to left-center as Gonzalez scored – propelling the Lancers to the huge come from behind win.

“Hat’s off to them,” said Hayes of Eastern. “I thought that was some great execution with runners in scoring position.”

“It’s terrible someone had to lose this game because both teams deserved to win,” said Redman. “Both teams left it all out there. Both pitchers, wow, pitched sensationally.”

CCC South Softball

BRISTOL EASTERN 2, BRISTOL CENTRAL 1 (8)

from the Bristol Eastern softball field 

Bristol Central (6-3) 000 000 01 – 1 6 0

Bristol Eastern (5-3) 000 000 02 – 2 8 1

WP: Ali Tellier (BE, 5-3); LP: Alex Sciarretto (BC)

Bristol Central Batting

2B – None

3B – None

HR – Gwen Torreso

Bristol Eastern Batting

2B – Alex Shorette

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Bristol Eastern 5-3 overall; Bristol Central 6-3