By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – The Bristol Greeners were just one hit away from knotting up its showdown against Rainbow Graphics in the second game of a doubleheader from Muzzy Field in Bristol on Wednesday.

But that big hit never came as the Greeners fell 5-2 in Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League play.

Rainbow moved to 1-0 on the young season while Bristol dropped to 1-3 – playing four close games to open its first ever GHTBL campaign.

Rainbow’s Evan Chamberlain pitched a strong four innings, allowing just one run on four hits, fanning three, and did not allow a free pass.

Travis Salois threw a one-hit seventh inning for the save.

Bristol pitcher Casey Horjus battled, allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out six over 4.2 innings of work.

“As Casey started mixing in that curve-ball, it was really effective especially with a lot of left-handed hitters that they have,” said Bristol coach A.J. Lorenzetti of Horjus. “He definitely kept us in it.”

Jerry LaPenta threw well in relief, throwing 2.1 innings of three-hit ball, collecting three Ks, to keep Bristol in the mix until the very end.

Rainbow went for three runs in the top of the first frame to quickly snare the advantage.

With one out, Eric Anderson and Edison Galan sketched up back-to-back hits before Marcus Fry laced a triple that nearly bounced on the line deep in right field – clearing the bases – as Rainbow led it, 2-0.

And to end the scoring, Mike Poncini dropped an RBI double down the third base line, plating Fry, as the visitors nabbed a three-run edge in just a half inning of work.

“In that first inning, a couple balls were hit hard, a couple went down the line but overall, Horjus did well,” said Lorenzetti.

In the bottom of the tilt, Zach Marquis drilled the first pitch he saw into left but a 1-6-3 double play wiped out the Bristol base runners as the home team did not score.

Austin Martin opened the second for Rainbow with a base-on-balls, but Lorenzetti – behind the plate – made a great throw to second, on what could have been a passed ball, to wipe out the runner.

Horjus settled down nicely from there, striking out the final two batters of the second stanza to keep it a three-run game.

In the bottom of the second, Lorenzetti smacked a single to right field but as the ball bounced away from the fielder.

He tried for second base but was tagged out on the play.

Noah Fradette ended up running out an infield hit to short but never advanced to complete the second inning.

Rainbow added a run in the third as Tyler Repoli tallied an infield hit, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored when Jack Johnson zipped an infield hit to short, plating Repoli, to make it a 4-0 contest.

In the bottom of the inning, Marquis slapped a long fly-ball to right that was dropped as he hustled into second base with two outs.

But Jerry LaPenta grounded out to end the third as Rainbow continued to lead it by four.

Horjus went 1-2-3 in the fourth and Bristol went on the attack with one out.

Jon Pierce singled to short left field and when the third baseman mishandled a grounder by Lorenzetti, two men were on.

Pierce eventually came home on a Fradette groundout to make it a 4-1 game.

With two gone in the Rainbow fifth, Repoli generated his second hit of the game and when Max Adams added a single of his own, the visiting aggression had something brewing.

Horjus was relieved by LaPenta and helped Bristol get out of the inning.

On what looked like a passed ball to Nick Paasch, Lorenzetti faked a throw to second base, chucking to first instead to easily get Fry retuning to the bag as the Greeners got out of the jam without a run scoring. 

Ryan Skaff entered the game to throw in the fifth for Rainbow and retired the Bristol side in order – maintaining his team’s three-run edge through five.

LaPenta picked up two Ks in the sixth to quiet Rainbow, but Bristol was running out of time to get back into the contest.

In the bottom of the sixth, LaPenta started things off with a base hit to left as Bristol was back in business.

And when Mazzone was beaned by a pitch, the tying runner was at the plate with no one out.

Off a long fly-ball out to right, LaPenta made it to third base safely on the play and Bristol had runners on the corners.

Lorenzetti then hit a grounder and appeared to arrive at first base safely but was called out.

On the play, LaPenta scored to chop the deficit to 4-2 with the seventh inning on deck.

Anderson and Galan zipped up back-to-back singles with two outs in the seventh and then when Repoli’s pop-up behind third base was not fielded, Anderson scored to make it a 5-2 contest.

“It’s difficult when we’re only averaging a couple runs a game,” said Lorenzetti. “I know it’s early [in the season]. But if we can come out and get a few runs early in the game, and really give our pitcher a lead, it will help the defense relax a little bit.”

The rally was on for the Greeners in the seventh as Stephen Warkoski dropped a ball into short right for a single as Kenny Knox came into pinch run.

Salois fanned Johan Giblin for the first out while Zach Bartolome drew a walk and the top of the order was up for the Greeners with the tying run was at the dish.

To end the showdown, Marquis drew strike three and LaPenta grounded out as Salois earned the save as Rainbow came away 5-2 winners from Muzzy Field.

Greater Hartford Twilight League Baseball

RAINBOW GRAPHICS 5, BRISTOL GREENERS 2 

from Muzzy Field, Bristol 

Rainbow (1-0)                        301 000 1 – 5 11 2

Bristol Greeners (1-3)           000 100 0 – 2 6 0  

WP: Evan Chamberlain (R); LP: Casey Horjus (B) 

Rainbow Batting 

2B – Mike Poncini

3B – Marcus Fry

HR – None

Bristol Greeners Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Rainbow Graphics 1-0 overall; Bristol Greeners 1-3