By Michael Letendre
WOODSTOCK – The Bristol Eastern baseball team, thanks in part to its hot regular season finish, was able to avoid all the heavy hitters in the CIAC Class L tournament – drawing No. 4 Woodstock Academy for a first-round showdown on Tuesday.
And the 29th ranked Lancers put a real scare into the Centaurs – allowing the program just two hits as Eastern ace Andrew Lozier gave another outstanding effort to end his senior campaign.
But Woodstock notched three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Lancers fell by a 3-1 decision from the Charles Bentley Athletic Complex in Woodstock – ending its season at 7-14.
Woodstock improved to 17-5 and earned a shot at No. 20 Wilton, a 6-5 upset victor over No. 13 Torrington yesterday, in second round action.
Lozier was sensational in defeat as he threw a complete game jewel, walking just one and striking out four while allowing just one earned run.
He gave up a single to Hamilton Barnes leading off the bottom of the first and a base hit to Zach Roethlien in the three-run fourth.
And that was all the offense the Centaurs could muster against the crafty Lozier.
The Lancers had several baserunners erased during game play, having two picked off first base and another caught attempting to steal during the second, third, and fifth innings.
Each putout turned into rally killers as Eastern’s early 1-0 push did not hold.
The Lancers outhit Woodstock, 8-2, had runners on base in six out of the seven innings, but failed to produce any additional runs in support of their pitcher.
Jaydon Churchill tallied three singles and Lozier had a base hit and a triple to lead the offensive attack.
In that first frame, Churchill led off with a base hit, a soft liner to right field.
Churchill later stole second, and then with two outs, he scored on a Ryan Fradette double to right-center, making it a 1-0 game.
Woodstock failed to score over the first three innings of play before the fateful bottom of the fourth came to pass.
With the score still 1-0 in the fourth, Lozier hit the first batter of the inning, opposing pitcher Jonathan Smith.
Smith was then sacrificed to second as the tying runner was in scoring position.
Zach Roethlein later singled to center, putting runners on second and third with one out.
A groundout scored Smith as the game was all tied up at 1-1.
On a base-on-balls to the ensuing batter Trey Ayotte, Roethlein stole third and tagged the dish when the throw went wild – propelling Woodstock to a 2-1 lead.
Ayotte then stole second and third, later scoring on an infield error for the third run of the inning.
In the end, the 3-1 edge held as Eastern’s season was concluded off a very good showing in state tournament play.
The loss marked the final games for Eastern seniors Trevor Nohilly, Fradette, Gabe Bartolome, Tyler Stickels, Brayden Moore, Logan Schenck, Nate Ouellette, Alex Canzellarini, Tyler Martin, Dylan Woodsome, and Lozier.
CIAC CLASS L Baseball, First Round
NO. 4 WOODSTOCK ACADEMY 3, NO. 29 BRISTOL EASTERN 1
from the Charles Bentley Athletic Complex, Woodstock
Bristol Eastern (7-14) 100 000 0 – 1 8 2
Woodstock Academy (17-5) 000 300 0 – 3 2 2
Bristol Eastern: Andrew Lozier & Cameron Moore; Woodstock Academy: Jonathan Smith & Hamilton Barnes
WP: Jonathan Smith (W); LP: Andrew Lozier (BE)
Bristol Eastern Batting
2B – Ryan Fradette
3B – Andrew Lozier
HR – None
Woodstock Academy Batting
2B – None
3B – None
HR – None
Records: Woodstock Academy 17-5; Bristol Eastern 7-14 overall
