By Michael Letendre

MERIDEN – Pitching and defense wins baseball games.

It’s as simple as that in American Legion baseball because, especially in the early going, there’s always an adjustment period when it comes to wooden bats.

That’s why the squad from Bristol must do all the little things to get on base that sometimes doesn’t lead to a base hit.

Over its last five games, Post 2 has scored 15 total runs with 11 of those coming over two wins against Meriden and Newington in Zone 1 play.

And over those victories, Bristol did a good job getting men on base and moving them around.

“Early on with the wood bats, we don’t necessarily score a lot of runs,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta. “The runs [we scored] tonight [against Meriden] weren’t on a lot of hits. It was little stuff.”

Bristol ran all over Meriden last Thursday and that aggressive play put men in scoring position over several innings.

And while Bristol scooped up eight hits at Meriden – one off the season high for the program – it’s getting that extra base, or two, that’s helped Post 2 put runners in scoring position to zip up runs on the scoreboard.

“We’ve got to steal a lot,” said LaPenta. “We’ve got to bunt, and we’ve got to be aggressive. [If you] sit back and wait for hits with the wood bat, it doesn’t usually happen. Maybe later in the season when they get more comfortable, you can kind of do that.”

Bristol has somehow hit into more double plays this season than the law should legally allow and getting the players around the bases into the right positions has helped the program to score runs at Meriden and Newington.

Base stealing, including the vaunted ‘Bristol pickle’ the squad employs from time to time, will continue to be critical to Post 2’s success and LaPenta knows if his boys stay in motion, the ball will eventually be thrown away.

That type of play will benefit Bristol in close games against the top teams of the zone this year.  

“I like being aggressive anyway,” said LaPenta. “I think aggression puts pressure on people. People who get pressured make mistakes.”

Cruz pitches Bristol to victory in bullpen stint

Last Tuesday, infielder/pitcher Roberto Cruz hurt his hamstring again – a nagging injury that refuses to go away from the scholastic season.

So, while you won’t see him in the infield at second base anytime soon, he will continue to chuck a game or two.

And Cruz is always a tough out on the hill as Wallingford can attest to after getting two-hit by the Bristol Central standout.

“Roberto pulled his hamstring again,” at the Avon game said LaPenta. “I think he’s going to be all right to pitch. So hopefully, he’ll be good to go.”

Cruz was able to throw this past Sunday as he helped lead his team to victory in a huge road bout.

Bristol needed extra innings to do it, but a two-run eighth helped break a 3-3 stalemate as Newington was shutdown in the bottom of the tilt – eventually falling by a 5-3 final from Legends Field.

Post 2 is now 4-3 overall and 2-3 in Zone 1 action entering the week.

Matt Beaucar, after beating Meriden the previous Thursday over a relief appearance, went 6.1 strong innings against Newington but was eventually lifted for Cruz in the seventh.

Cruz threw 1.1 innings – including a scoreless eighth frame – to move to 2-0 on the campaign.

He needed only 11 pitches to secure the win for his squad.

Dom Bukowski threw one inning out of the Newington bullpen in picking up the loss.

Bristol scored three runs in the top of the first inning and had a 3-1 edge in hand going into the bottom of the seventh.

Newington notched two runs in the frame, making it a 3-3 game, before Post 2 scored two runs in the top of the eighth and Cruz shut the door on the home team to finish it.

On tap

The month of June sees Post 2 play four more times.

This Thursday, Bristol travels to Memorial Field in Simsbury (0-2) for a Zone 1 tilt before Post 2 has its biggest game to date.

This Sunday, West Hartford – 4-0 in Zone 1 play – travels to Muzzy Field in a huge showdown at 1 p.m.

And to end the month, Bristol is at Berlin on Tuesday, June 29 (6:30 p.m.) from Sage Park and the following day, Avon travels to Muzzy Field for a Zone 1 affair (5:45 p.m.).

Juniors win

The junior program from the Mum City ended up getting to the pay window on June 16 as Post 2 picked up a 13-2 victory over Torrington from Fuessenich Park.

Ryan Maglio threw four strong innings to earn Bristol it’s first win of the season.

And then on June 19, Post 2 had a four-run seventh but ended up falling by a 7-4 push to Simsbury from Riley Field in Bristol.

Bristol Eastern standout Jaydon Churchill pitched four innings but ended up losing the decision.

On Wednesday, Bristol travels to Newington in a Zone 1 battle from Legends Field at 6 p.m.

And then on Saturday, Post 2 squares off against Simsbury from Memorial Field at 11 a.m.  

Zone 1 standings – as of June 23

West Hartford             4-0

Avon                           2-1

Meriden                       3-2

Naugatuck                   2-2

Newington                  2-2

Bristol                         2-3

Simsbury                     0-2

Berlin                          0-3