By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – On an unusually hot Tuesday afternoon, the Bristol Central girls softball team took care of business in round one of the CIAC Class LL bracket against Wilton.
And while the twenty-eighth ranked Warriors tried to get into the flow offensively, each drive was snuffed out by pitching sensation Alex Sciarretto and the hyped-up defense behind her – leading to a 6-0 shutout for the fifth ranked Rams, advancing on to second round play against No. 12 Cheshire on Wednesday in Bristol.
Wilton (9-12) was unable to generate any real offense off Sciarretto, recently named to the CCC South All-Conference team, and managed to keep the visiting aggression on ice on one of the hottest days in May this year.
“I felt pretty confident in all my pitches today,” said Sciarretto. “And I felt confident in my defense knowing they were behind me to make plays and knowing that I had confidence enough to throw all my pitches today.”
From the mound, Sciarretto chucked a five-hitter, fanned nine and never gave the Warriors anything to work with over a fantastic complete game effort.
The defense was slick with Central (19-4) playing error free ball as Sam Sklenka made outstanding catches in centerfield, Kaley Laird played a sharp second base and Gabby Buonafede was simply tremendous at third.
When Central’s defense is humming, it’s a tough sell from the dish for opponents.
“It’s come a long way,” said Central coach Monica Hayes of the defense. “It just makes the game more efficient. It makes the pitchers have to throw less and in a game like today, especially when it’s 100 degrees out. I said that between the innings…pitchers and catchers, we appreciate that. Obviously as coaches, we want them to make every play but I thought they did a tremendous job.”
Sciarretto had the hit of the afternoon, a two-RBI double for a little insurance in the sixth, Sam Sklenka went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Sophia Torreso [All-Conference] belted out a single as well.
To start the game, Wilton’s Brooke Bohacs smacked a two-out grounder that went nearly up the middle for a base hit but a 6-4 fielder’s choice ended the half-frame.
The tomfoolery commenced quickly with one away in the bottom of the first for the Rams.
Sam Sklenka laid down a perfect bunt that just out of the reach of Wilton’s catcher for an infield single.
But the throw to first went wide and Sklenka was off to the races, getting into third safely and when Lorelei Stancavage – another newly minted All-Conference performer – drew a full count base-on-balls, runners were on the corners.
“We just have kids with some speed and we try to utilize it the best that we can,” said Hayes. “We got a bunch of bunts down and we’re just trying to put pressure on the other team and make them make plays. We’ve been doing that all year long consistently and we’re just going to keep doing that.”
From there, Leah Sklenka grounded out to second base but reached on an error while Sam Sklenka easily scored from third as Central rambled up a 1-0 lead via the RBI tally through one completed frame.
Sciarretto went 1-2-3 with two Ks in the top of the second while Wilton chucker Sadie Klyver (four Ks) also retired the side – having to sweat out a long fly-ball by Sciarretto to deep centerfield – as the Warriors kept it a 1-0 contest.
Sciarretto dominated through three tilts, facing one batter above the minimum, as Wilton still trailed by a run.
In the bottom of the third, Laird had a tremendous battle at the plate but got the better of Klyver when she sliced a single to right.
The fielder somehow batted the ball over to centerfield and Laird sprinted to second as Central was up to its old aggressive tricks.
Another sweet bunt from Sam Sklenka saw her arrive safely at first base and eventually stole second to put runners on second and third.
Stancavage then followed suit with another bunt and when the ball was thrown short of the first base bag, eventually rolling into the outfield, both lead runners scored as it became a 3-0 game.
And when the Warriors tried to pickoff Stancavage at third, the ball was chucked into left and when the runner tagged the dish, it was a 4-0 game.
Going into the top of the fifth, Jenna Soltis smacked a double to right and Wilton had its first runner in scoring position.
However, Soltis never advanced as Sam Sklenka made a huge diving catch and off one final groundout, Central bounced out of the inning as Wilton did not score.
“We have Sam out in centerfield” playing outstanding defense said Hayes. “Gabby Buonafede took advantage of her opportunity and played a great third base. She’s a senior, she knows what to do. She’s smart and she went out there and executed. That was an excellent job by the seniors. That’s what seniors do.”
The Warriors’ Avery Samai dropped in a one-out single in the sixth but nothing came of it as Central attacked in the bottom of the tilt for a little insurance.
With ducks in the pond, Sciarretto belted a double to left – clearing the bases – as the Rams picked up a 6-0 edge and Wilton was down to its final three outs.
“It felt good knowing that we were up six runs and even if one [Wilton runner] scored, we’d still be fine,” said Sciarretto. “I trusted my offense even though we didn’t produce as much as usually do today, I still trusted them enough to keep us in the game.”
The Warriors didn’t go quietly into the night as Grace DiBuono-Krafick and Klyver dropped in back-to-back hits to put runners on first and second with no one out.
Laird fielded a grounder at second for the first out and a pop-up to third base put the Warriors on the brink.
But the runner from first tried to take second on the Buonafede catch at third base.
Laird got the ball at second and sprinted after Soltis going back to the first base bag and tagged (or tackled) the runner out just two steps from first as the double play ended the contest and Central scooped up a slick 6-0 win to advance in Class LL play, ready for second round showdown against No. 12 Cheshire (17-5) on Wednesday.
CIAC Softball, Class LL – First Round Showdown
No. 5 BRISTOL CENTRAL 6, No. 28 WILTON 0
from the softball field at Bristol Central High School
Wilton (9-12) 000 000 0 – 0 5 4
Bristol Central (19-4) 103 002 x – 6 6 0
WP: Alex Sciarretto (Bristol Central); LP: Sadie Klyver (Wilton).
Wilton Batting
2B – Jenna Soltis
3B – None
HR – None
Bristol Central Batting
2B – Leah Sklenka, Alex Sciarretto
3B – None
HR – None
Records: Bristol Central 19-4; Wilton 9-12
CLASS LL Softball – First Round Scores
Bristol Central 6, Wilton 0
Cheshire 11, Simsbury 1
Conard 11, Enfield 10 (9)
Fairfield Ludlowe 14, Darien 0 (5)
Fairfield Warde 3, Amity 1
Glastonbury 5, Hamden 0
Hall 6, New Canaan 0
Maloney 6, New Milford 1
Naugatuck 7, Manchester 1
Norwalk 7, Norwich Free Academy 6
Shelton 5, Brien McMahon 1
Southington 22, Wilbur Cross 0
Staples 9, Newtown 2
Trumbull 15, Stamford 0 (5)
West Haven 7, Newington 2
