By Michael Letendre

MERIDEN – After a tough game at Avon the previous Tuesday, what would the response be for the Bristol American Legion baseball team in its most recent showdown against Meriden on Thursday?

After watching all its 3-0 lead evaporate midway through the showdown against Post 45, Bristol tallied three straight runs to close out the event as Post 2 wrangled up a 6-3 victory at Legion Field in Meriden.

It was the first Zone 1 win of the campaign for Bristol (3-2 overall, 1-2 Zone 1).

“To come back after they tied it and get the lead there [in the sixth inning] was huge,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta. “And then a couple insurance runs was really big. But, of course, we couldn’t make it easy.”

Meriden (1-2) put all the pieces of a comeback together late in the fray, but Bristol pitching made all the big pitches when ducks were on the pond for the home team.

Bristol starter Andrew Lozier threw well, allowing just five hits, fanning eight, and giving up just the three runs over 4.2 innings of work.

The pitch count foiled his outing in the end, but Matt Beaucar won it for Post 2 in relief.

Beaucar did not yield a run, allowed two hits, while punching out three.

“He’s a quality kid. He throws strikes,” said LaPenta of Beaucar. “He can throw his breaking ball for a strike which was huge.”.

Bristol tacked three runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first – giving Lozier a ton of support before he even got on the hill.

With one out in the top of the first, the next five Post 2 batters reached base safely.

Adam Caron (1-for-3, two runs) eked out an infield hit and then Lozier (1-for-3, two runs) powered a double into right field as runners were on second and third.

Zack Rinkavage then walked to load things up and Jack Kozikowski (2-for-3, two RBI) slipped a single to short center – plating two runners – and when Ryan Fradette dropped a base hit into right, Rinkavage scored as Post 2 etched up a 3-0 push.

“It was good that I had the full team here today,” said LaPenta. “It’s a whole different thing when you’ve got guys [playing] in the right spots, playing where they should be and pitching with our heads. So, it was good.”

Lozier didn’t let the momentum slip in the bottom of first as he generated two strikeouts along a scoreless frame.

Bristol went down in order during the second stanza and Lozier did an amazing job getting out of a jam in the bottom of the tilt as the bases were loaded with one out.

Meriden’s Evan Cordero and Javon Malone each pulled out walks and when Ethan Brazel singled to left, the bases were juiced.

Lozier then turned up the heat, fanning both Kyle Parmelee and Dylan Gay, and going into the third inning, it was still 3-0.

In the top of the third, Rinkavage reached base on an error and when Kozikowski singled on, Bristol had something brewing once again.

But a double play ended the frame as Meriden was looking to get on the board.

Lozier simply refused to comply – inducing a grounder to the mound and two Ks – and Post 2 was quickly back at the dish in the fourth.

Late in the frame, pinch hitter Tyler Stickels drew a two-out base-on-balls and then stole second to get into scoring position.

But Evan Bouchard flew out to left as Post 45 get out of the stanza untouched.

Meriden finally tallied a run in the fourth as Owen Papciak opened the frame with an unplayable ball hit to second base.

After the infield hit, he stole second and with one out, Malone hit a deep-dish double to center to score Papciak as the deficit was trimmed to 3-1 through four.

Meriden starter pitcher Ryan Killeen was in the flow in the fifth, retiring seven of the last eight batters he faced, giving the Meriden squad quick ups back at the plate.

Gay opened the bottom of the fifth with a two-base hit to right field and Max Giacco sent a double to center as the lead runner scored – making it a 3-2 game with a man still in scoring position.

Jack Fitzgerald was then plunked by a pitch and when Drew McCarty ‘drew’ a walk, the bases were loaded with on one out.

Papciak flew out to Fradette in center and an on-the-money throw-in to the debuting Owen Davis behind the plate prevented the man at third from scoring.

From there, Cordero slipped a grounder to Caron at first base and with the hustling Lozier covering to get the out, Giacco scooted home and it was a 3-3 game.

Beaucar then came into throw, reliving Lozier and generated one final groundball out to end the fifth in the 3-3 stalemate.

Killeen immediately got into trouble in the sixth as he walked Kozikowski – getting on base for the third straight time – and when Fradette earned a base-on-balls, Evan Avery took the mound for the home team.

After a double steal, Beaucar grounded out to first, getting the ball passed the first man trying to field it, and on the putout, Kozikowski scored from third to make it a 4-3 contest as Bristol retook the lead for good.

With one gone in the sixth, Parmelee laced a double to right and the tying run was at second.

He eventually stole third and was looking to score.

But after a fly-out and a K ended the inning, Bristol’s 4-3 edge remained intact.

And the Bristol offense took the pressure off Beaucar as the visitors when for two additional runs in the top of the seventh.

Caron was hit by a pitch to start the festivities and Lozier walked to put two on.

After a double steal, Rinkavage blasted a fly-ball to right for an out, but pinch runner Alex Canzellarini scored from third – making it a two-run game.

Lozier then hustled home on a passed ball and heading into the bottom of the seventh, Bristol’s edge reached 6-3.

However, Meriden nearly got back into it, putting the go-ahead runner at the dish with two gone in the bottom of the seventh.

“We couldn’t have a 1-2-3 inning, right?” said LaPenta with a bit of a grin. “[We] hit the first guy then had a couple grass balls.”

The Meriden squad eventually loaded the baes via a hit-by-pitch, and error and a broken-bat infield hit.

But Beaucar struck out Brazel, earning the win in the process, as Bristol came away with a huge 6-3 Zone 1 victory. 

“You’ve always got to get that first win out of the way and that was a great feeling,” said LaPenta.

Bristol American Legion Senior Baseball – Zone 1 game

BRISTOL 6, MERIDEN 3

from Legion Park, Meriden

Bristol (3-2)     300 001 2 – 6 6 1

Meriden (0-2)           000 120 0 – 3 7 2 

WP: Matt Beaucar (B); LP: Ryan Killeen (M)

Bristol Batting 

2B – Andrew Lozier

3B – None

HR – None

Meriden Batting 

2B – Javon Malone, Dylan Gay, Max Giacco, Kyle Parmelee

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Bristol 3-2 overall, 1-2 Zone 1; Meriden 1-2 Zone 1