By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – They’re back!

The Bristol Greeners have hit Muzzy Field, once again, with a vengeance.

It’s the same coaches, mostly the same players but’s there’s something different about the boys in green this year.

The Greeners are now calling the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League home and under the lights from Muzzy Field on Wednesday, the squad from Bristol was the 2021 opening act for the league.

In an enjoyable twin bill, the Greeners squared off against the Hartford Colts and the South Windsor Phillies.

The Greeners split the evening, losing to Hartford by a 2-0 final before dropping South Windsor, 5-4, in the nightcap.

The opening game against the Colts featured a matchup between the GHTBL’s two newest expansion teams.

Bristol’s Trevor Mays and Hartford’s Nick Hock put together an exciting  pitcher’s duel as the chuckers allowed minimal hits and runs.

In a scoreless affair, Hartford finally broke through in the fifth inning as the program notched the only runs of the game.

Matt Fusco’s triple scored Adam Tedesco from second base to make it a 1-0 game in Hartford’s favor. 

And on the ensuing play, Fusco scored as he beat a throw home on a ground ball – making in a 2-0 contest.

Other than that, Mayes was sharp on the hill for the Greeners.

Mays was able to close out the fifth inning, giving up just two runs on three hits through five innings of work.

Bristol’s Kenny Knox and Casey Horjus each threw a scoreless inning of relief to keep the Greeners in the game.

However, Hock was nearly untouchable, giving up just one hit, a walk and a hit batsmen – throwing a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts. 

Jerry LaPenta picked up the lone hit for Bristol. 

But in the second game, the Greeners were able to earn its first ever GHTBL victory.

Bristol got the bats going early against South Windsor when a two-run single by Ben Mazzone gave the Greeners a 2-0 lead through one inning of action.

It was still a 2-0 contest when Bristol’s Zach Marquis led off the bottom of the fourth with a long double and scored on Che Smith’s single, making it 3-0. 

Smith later scored on a wild pitch to give Bristol a 4-0 cushion.

In the top of the fifth, South Windsor combined Bristol’s defensive miscues with timely hitting – batting around to knot the score at 4-4.

The Phillies’ Tommy Slane singled to cap off the rally as South Windsor tied things up.

But in the bottom half of the fifth, the game-winning RBI was scored by the home team.

Stephen Warkoski’s sacrifice fly drove in Jon Pierce to give the Greeners a 5-4 edge – a lead the home team would not relinquish again.

Knox, who got out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth frame, pitched a scoreless sixth to pick up the win. 

Horjus came on in the top of the seventh, striking out the side to close out the game – earning the save in the process. 

Overall, the Greeners generated nine hits in the second game.

Austin DiLeone and Noah Fradette picked up hits for Bristol while Kyle Richards had two hits for the Phillies.

Aedin Wadja, Jordan Zima, Slane and Jake Petrozza all tallied a hit for the visiting outfit. 

The upcoming GHTBL schedule has the Greeners back in action on Wednesday, June 2, for another doubleheader from Muzzy Field. 

The Greeners will welcome the Malloves Jewelers of Middletown in the first game of the evening at 6 p.m. and in the nightcap, it’s a battle against Manchester’s Rainbow Graphics at 8 p.m. 

NOTES…Unlike its years in the Tri-State Baseball League, Bristol will play all its home games from Muzzy Field in Bristol. 

Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League – May 25 

HARTFORD COLTS 2, BRISTOL GREENERS 0  

from Muzzy Field, Bristol 

Hartford Colts (1-0)              000 200 0 – 2 4 0 

Bristol Greeners (0-1)           000 000 0 – 0 1 0 

WP: Nick Hock (H); LP: Trevor Mays (B) 

Hartford Batting 

2B – None

3B – Fusco

HR – None 

Bristol Greeners Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Hartford Colts 1-0 overall; Bristol Greeners 0-1 overall 

Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League – May 25 

BRISTOL GREENERS 5, SOUTH WINDSOR PHILLIES 4 

from Muzzy Field, Bristol 

South Windsor (0-1)             000 040 0 – 4 6 1 

Bristol Greeners (1-1)           200 210 0 – 5 9 5 

WP: Kenny Knox (B); LP: Luke Matthewson; SV: Casey Horjus (B) 

South Windsor Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None 

Bristol Greeners Batting 

2B – Zach Marquis 

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Bristol Greeners 1-1 overall; South Windsor Phillies 0-1