By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The Bristol Central softball team roped up a huge 9-3 win over crosstown rival Bristol Eastern on Friday, etching up a 17-3 record for the season, as the Rams won from the softball field on King Street to complete regular season play.

Central got to Eastern pitching sensation Ali Tellier, drilling out timely hits while running the bases well to snare a 9-1 cushion thought four-and-a-half innings of action.

“We knew we could get to Tellier if we put the ball in play,” said Central coach Monica Hayes. “That’s what we tried to do, put the ball in play, and that’s really our motto for every game. Whether we do or not may be an issue but I’m really proud of the girls. They did exactly what they were supposed to do.”

Tellier managed 10 strikeouts and put out numerous fires over her complete game effort but the Rams were offensively proficient in the first four innings of play.

But Eastern’s offense never got on track as Central’s tough pitching duo of Sophia Torreso and Alex Sciarretto allowed just three total hits.

“We throw out Ali every time and they’ve got a couple different studs out there that they’re throwing at us,” said Eastern coach Tyler Caitlyn of Central. “They’re a great team. Those two pitchers, I think, are both going up for All-State.”

Torreso (11 strikeouts) gave up three hits while Sciarretto was near flawless over 1.2 innings of mop up duty.

“She was feeling it,” said Hayes of Torreso. “She was definitely starting to struggle but I wanted to see her work through it and I thought she did pretty well. [Eastern’s Grace] D’Amato got to her but I thought she was aware that she was losing it a little bit and Alex Sciarretto was ready to come in.”

“But I thought Pia hit her spots well in the first five innings.”

Central stacked the deck early in the showdown as Kaley Laird (3-for-3, double) scooted a ball by third base for a single to open the game and when the ball was thrown away, the runner easily recached second base.

She then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Sam Sklenka (two hits) scorched a ball, again by third base, Laird scored as Central etched up a 1-0 push.

Lorelei Stancavage (2-for-3, RBI) then drilled a deep-dish double to left to put runners on second and third – all without the benefit of an out.

And off a slick Torreso bunt, the ball was chucked away at first as Sam Sklenka scored to make it a 2-0 push.

A slick diving catch by Janessa Gonzalez behind the plate helped eventually get Eastern out of the jam as Eastern came to the plate for the first time down a couple runs.

On the flip side, Torreso generated two strikeouts and when Tellier grounded out, Central was back to the dish.

To open the second, Sciarretto absolutely crushed a ball over the fence in left for a solo homer as the Rams scooped up a 3-0 lead through an inning-and-a-half of action.

“I’m so happy for her because she’s been struggling at the plate over the last couple weeks,” said Hayes of Sciarretto. “She’s seen a lot more fastballs and we dropped her down the order a little bit and she’s been thriving in the last week and a half. I’m glad she’s been able to put the ball in play.”

In the third, Central padded its advantage as Leah Sklenka singled on and moved to second on a passed ball.

From there, Torreso belted a ball to left, which was almost tracked down, as the double scored the lead runner to push Central to a 4-0 tally.

Torreso ended up scoring off a couple wild pitches to help the Rams seize a 5-0 cushion.

Eastern got something going into the third with one gone as Emily Valentine generated the Lancers’ first hit and when Grace Browne walked, two runners were on.

After a Torreso K, Sam Policki toasted a single by the first base bag – scoring Valentine – as Eastern was on the board, 5-1.

Policki then moved to second to put two runners in scoring position while Tellier earned a full count at the dish.

But Torreso fanned Tellier to get out of a huge jam as the contest remained a 5-1 contest.

“That’s the person you want at the plate in that situation,” said Caitlyn of Tellier. “That’s our top hitter, that’s our leader. She’s come through for this program over her four years. She’s been a productive player here. You could taste a couple runs there. It just didn’t go our way.”

Laird started the fourth with another single to left and when Sam Sklenka was plunked by a pitch, Central had two on without the benefit of an out.

Stancavage unleashed another hit, scoring Laird, and when Leah Sklenka launched a short fly to center, Sam Sklenka hustled home on the RBI tally to make it 7-1.

“They ran the bases well, much better in the last week or so,” said Hayes of her squad. “We executed offensively.”

Another wild pitch scored a run and when Stancavage tagged the dish, an 8-1 lead followed.

Tellier struck out the final two batters she faced in the fourth as Eastern had to make up seven runs.

“I know Ali’s been battling these girls for the last three or four seasons,” said Caitlyn. “So they probably know each other really well. I think they got to her a little bit this time.”

Alex Shorette earned a two-out walk in the fourth but got stranded while Tellier went 1-2-3 in the fifth, retiring five straight, to give the Lancers a chance back at the plate.

Torreso stayed in command in the fifth, etching up strikeouts 10 and 11 as the visiting aggression maintained its 8-1 lead through five.

Laird made it 3-for-3 with a double to left in the sixth and advanced to third on a Sam Sklenka grounder.

And Laird came home on a passed ball that made it a 9-1 tilt but in the bottom of the sixth, Eastern had a response.

With one away, Tellier and Gonzalez zipped up back-to-back walks and then Grace D’Amato booted a sharp single to right – clearing the bases – as the Lancers trimmed the deficit to 9-3.

“That was a beautiful swing,” said Caitlyn of D’Amato’s loud hit. “She’s been starting to swing at better pitches lately. We’ve had some conversations about counts and which pitches to swing at and when to really release on certain ones. She got a good count and absolutely drilled it in the opposite field.”

“Every coach loves to see a nice little opposite field single to plate two RBI.

Torreso then made way for Sciarretto in the circle who did not allow another hit by the Lancers.

Shorette drilled a very deep ball to center that Sam Sklenka tracked down for the second out and when Ashley Serafin ended the frame with a grounder, Eastern trailed 9-3.

“Defensively, we came up with some plays,” said Hayes. “Sam came up huge in centerfield. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that all year long but Sam’s made some huge plays in centerfield.”

Tellier earned her 10th strikeout to close out the seventh stanza and when Valentine reached base via error in the bottom of the inning, Eastern had a little life.

But Sciarretto retired the side from there as Central roped up a huge 9-3 win over Eastern to end the regular season with 17 victories.

Bristol City Series Softball – CCC South Showdown  

BRISTOL CENTRAL 9, BRISTOL EASTERN 3

from the softball field at Bristol Eastern High School 

Bristol Central (17-3)      212 301 0 – 9 8 1

Bristol Eastern (10-10) 001 002 0 – 3 3 3

WP: Sophia Torreso (Bristol Central); LP: Ali Tellier (Bristol Eastern).

Bristol Central Batting 

2B – Lorelei Stancavage, Sophia Torreso, Kaley Laird

3B – None 

HR – Alex Sciarretto

Bristol Eastern Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Bristol Central 17-3; Bristol Eastern 10-10

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