After four days of rain stopped play, Bristol ran off with the lead late in the district championship with a 18-5 victory over Meriden on Saturday.  

Bristol’s Desiree Nickerson led off the game with a single, and scored on a triple off the bat of Arianna Rivera.  Rivera scored on a ground ball on the third pitch Makayla Antunes saw to give Bristol a two run lead.  

Down two runs in the bottom of the first inning, Meriden captured the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Alaina High was hit by a pitch, driving in a run. Meriden scored five runs in the first inning, but Bristol still managed to pull out the victory by not surrendering another run in the game.  Chloe Enger, High, Adrianna Bailey-Stewart, and Peyton Boyles all drove in runs for Meriden in the first inning.

The game was tied at five with Bristol batting in the top of the fourth when a sacrifice bunt by Brooklynne Whitlock scored Kayla Webber with the go-ahead run for Bristol.  Sisters Leah and Kayla Webber combined to score six runs on day, accounting for a third of Bristol’s total offense.

Bristol’s Juniors put up 11 runs in the fifth inning.  Olivia Gallup, Madison Foertsch, Whitlock, Desiree Nickerson, Arianna Rivera, and Hailey Beebe each had RBIs in the big inning.

Whitlock was the winning pitcher for Bristol. Whitlock lasted five innings, allowing six hits and five runs while striking out ten.

Enger took the loss for Meriden. Enger allowed 12 hits and 18 runs over five innings, striking out four.

Bristol totaled 12 hits in the game.  Rivera, Kayla Webber, Nickerson, Gallup, and Beebe each managed multiple hits for Bristol Gators 14U.  Rivera went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Bristol.  

Bristol was also sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error in five days of district play.  Gallup had the most chances in the field with 11 in the championship game.  

Bristol tore up the base paths yet again, as three players stole at least two bases. Nickerson led the way with four.

Enger led Meriden with two hits in three at bats, including a double to deep centerfield in the fifth inning.  She was caught stealing third when catcher Olivia Gallup threw a dart to Third baseman Madison Foertsch who applied the tag for the second out of the final frame.  Whitlock closed out the game with her tenth strikeout.  Meriden didn’t commit a single error in the field either. Emma Baconte had the most chances in the field with four.

With the victory, and the District 5 Junior League Championship, Bristol now advances to the Sectional Tournament in Orange, CT.