By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – If the Bristol American Legion baseball team just continues to win, taking care of its own business and letting the other squads in Zone 1 pick each other off, then good things are going to be in store for the locals come the end of the regular season.

Post 2 did exactly that on Sunday as Bristol dropped Simsbury by a 11-1 final from Muzzy Field.

Bristol (11-4 overall, 9-4 Zone 1) continues to lead the division in wins and games played this season while Simsbury dropped to 0-6 with several games to make up.

It was a scoreless game through two frames but Post 2 scored twice in the third and then added three-spots over the fourth, fifth, and sixth stanzas to ice the event.

“In the first couple innings there, [I] was a little nervous because we had to beat that team,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta. “They were shorthanded. They only had nine guys. But we ended up getting it done.”

Bristol pitcher Matt Beaucar was excellent over five innings of work, allowing just two hits, fanned a couple and retired the last six batters he faced to earn the victory.

He threw just 57 pitches overall.

“He throws strikes,” said LaPenta of Beaucar. “I figured I might as well keep him under eighty [pitches] so he only needs three days rest in case I want to throw him Thursday [against Zone 1 leader West Hartford]. Once we got the lead there and we were pretty comfortable, I figured why waste him if I don’t have to. Plus, I want Alex [Canzellarini] to get a little [work in].”

Beaucar needed just seven pitches in the first inning as Matt Ferro singled with two outs, made it to second base when the ball got away from the fielder, but the runner never advanced from there.

In the bottom of the tilt, Bristol’s Ryan Fradette (2-for-3, RBI, two runs scored) reached via error when his chopper went right under the legs of the third baseman with two gone.

Fradette easily stole second, but Jack Kozikowski flew out to center to end the first without the benefit of a score.

Simsbury’s Samuel Ward popped a slow roller up the middle with one out in the second, but Beaucar picked up a K and a fly-out to center to end Post 84s chances.

Post 2 was retired in order in the bottom of the second as Simsbury chucker Morgan Rybczyk was settling in nicely for Simsbury.

Beaucar allowed a two-out walk to Aiden Dwyer in the third, but Ferro flew out to center, ending the threat.

Quickly, Post 2 lit up the scoreboard.

Bristol’s Dylan Woodsome got something brewing in the bottom of the third as he legged out a double to right while Austin Brown followed with his own flare to right.

And when a pickoff attempt was made to get Brown at first, the ball was thrown by the bag, and Woodsome easily scored from third to make it a 1-0 game.

Brown hustled down to third base on the miscue and when Adam Caron (two walks) drew four straight balls, Bristol had men on first and third again.

Caron quickly stole second while Fradette drove a deep ball to left as Owen Murphy came up with a great catch for the second out of the frame.

But the play turned into a sacrifice fly as Brown scored to propel Bristol to a 2-0 push through three.

Greg Mrosck opened the fourth for Simsbury with a four-ball walk and then swiped second to get into scoring position.

Ward advanced Mrosck to third off a grounder fielded by Beaucar and then Rybczyk followed suit, but his offering was easily scooped up by Caron at first base as Simsbury still trailed by two runs.

William Smith came into throw for Simsbury to open the fourth and walked Zach Rinkavage to start his stint on the hill.

Evan Bouchard also drew ball four but off a wild pitch, both runners were on the move – eventually reaching second and third without the benefit of an out on the scoreboard.

Bristol catcher Tyler Stickels then put in a nice piece of hitting, sending a single into left – plating Rinkavage – to make it a 3-0 contest.

Bouchard then scored on a passed ball and Woodsome smacked an RBI grounder to short as Stickels scooted home and Bristol’s edge reached 5-0 through four completed frames.

“Once we got the lead there, people relaxed and we got some runs,” said LaPenta. 

Bouchard made a great throw from shortstop to chop down Grant Kaplinski to open the fifth as Beaucar needed just four pitches to end the inning.

Fradette opened the bottom of the fifth with an infield hit to deep shortstop and Kozikowski walked to put two on.

When Simsbury tried to get Fradette going into second base, the ball zipped into the outfield as runners were on the corners for Bristol.

Rinkavage then sailed a ball to center for an out and on the play, Fradette tagged home plate as the sac fly made it a 6-0 game.

Stickels later walked to put two on for Post 2 and Andrew Lozier nearly took the ball out of Muzzy Field.

Lozier skied a ball to deep centerfield as it eventually bounced off the lower portion of the wooden outfield wall, clearing the bases, as the long double made it an 8-0 contest through five.

“If we’re really going to do anything, we need him to hit,” said LaPenta of Lozier. “And he really hasn’t hit for us yet, but I think he’s put a little too much pressure on himself. He needs to just relax and let his ability play. We need to be in the three-spot [in the batting order] and hit the ball hard.”

“Hopefully, he starts going.”

Canzellarini then came into pitch for Bristol in the sixth, allowing three walks while a double steal finally saw Post 84 crack the scoreboard as Ferro scored from third base, but Simsbury still trailed, 8-1.

Brown and Owen Davis opened the sixth with walks while Fradette singled to left to load the bases.

A wild pitch scored Brown and Kozikowski then slapped a ball by the shortstop as Davis scored, making it a 10-1 contest.

Rinkavage was plunked by a pitch, reloading the bases with one out, and on a sacrifice fly by Bouchard, Fradette scored to give Post 2 an 11-1 lead.

To end the game, Canzellarini eventually fanned the side – collecting five Ks overall – as Bristol defeated Simsbury by ten runs.

“I think Alex can really help us,” said LaPenta. “He missed the whole high school season with a broken finger. So the more reps he can get, the better he’ll feel – especially for his breaking ball.”

“All in all, it was a good day. We got the win.”

NOTES…By agreement from both teams, the game went all seven innings despite the final score. The contest reached 11-1 in the bottom of the sixth, when the mercy rule should have ended the event. LaPenta wanted to get Canzellarini an extra inning and the teams continued to compete until the last Simsbury out was recorded.

Bristol American Legion, Senior Baseball – Zone 1 game

BRISTOL 11, SIMBURY 1

from Muzzy Field, Bristol

Simsbury (0-6)     000 001 0 – 1 2 4

Bristol (9-4)   002 333 x – 11 7 2  

WP: Matt Beaucar (Bristol); LP: Morgan Rybczyk (Simsbury) 

Simsbury Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Bristol Batting 

2B – Dylan Woodsome, Andrew Lozier

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Bristol 11-4 overall, 9-4 Zone 1; Simsbury 0-6 Zone 1