By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – After knocking off Wethersfield the previous day, the Bristol Eastern baseball team absolutely spun the grouping of Bulkeley/AAE/Bloomfield on Thursday behind an amazing pitching performance by Ben D’Amato as the sophomore stud threw a no-hitter.

D’Amato went six innings to earn his no-no as the Lancers won by a 10-0 final from Clem J. Roy Field in Bristol.

Eastern matched Bristol Central with a final regular season ledger of 9-11 while the Bulkeley program fell to 3-17.

The game was called in the sixth inning due to the mercy rule.

And in terms of mercy, D’Amato dished out very little – showing all the grit his dad and older brother did in an Eastern uniform over the years – as he racked up twelve strikeouts.

During one stretch, he collected eight consecutive Ks over a major league performance.

D’Amato did not hand out a free pass and allowed only two baserunners as the chucker hit a batter while an infield miscue put a man on first base.

Conor McCormick rumbled up two hits for Eastern, scored three runs, and drove in a run, D’Amato added a single and double for two RBI, Preston Guarda dropped in two singles and collected two RBI while Jaydon Churchill sized up a double while scoring twice.

Eastern scored a run in the first when Guarda singled in Connor Cyr for a 1-0 edge as the Kingstreeters never allowed its opponent any chance to respond.  

In was still a one run game going into the bottom of the third but Eastern quickly belted the contest wide open.

Using five hits over the frame, Elliot Norris started things off with a bunt single and scored on McCormick’s double to right-centerfield.  

Churchill followed up with a double to left center, scoring McCormick, as Eastern led 3-0. 

Churchill went to third on a groundout, scoring on a passed ball, and D’Amato doubled to right center – tagging the dish on a Ryan Maglio single – making it a 5-0 push.

Eastern picked up single runs in the fourth and fifth innings with both coming on passed balls as the Kingstreeters nabbed a 7-0 push.

In the sixth, the Lancers ended the game.

McCormick led off, beating out an infield single, as the final drive of the showdown was heating up.  

Churchill got on via an infield error and Connor Cyr made it to first safely when his grounder to second was played too late for a force out at second as the fielder’s choice loaded the bases with no outs.  

Guarda’s base hit to center scored McCormick and when D’Amato singled up the middle, he won his own game as his two-RBI tally made it 10-0 – concluding the contest via the mercy rule.

Bristol Eastern Baseball – Non-conference Showdown  

BRISTOL EASTERN 10, BULKELEY/AAE/BLOOMFIELD 0 (6)

from Clem J. Roy Field, Bristol

Bulkeley/AAE/Bloomfield (3-17)  000 000 – 0 0 3 

Bristol Eastern (8-11)     104 003 – 10 10 1 

WP: Ben D’Amato (Bristol Eastern) 

Bulkeley/AAE/Bloomfield Batting  

2B – None

3B – None 

HR – None 

Bristol Eastern Batting  

2B – Conor McCormick, Jaydon Churchill, Ben D’Amato

3B – None 

HR – None   

Records: Bristol Eastern 9-11 overall; Bulkeley/AAE/Bloomfield 3-17

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