By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL — After spinning the Torrington Senior American Legion team in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday, the squad from Bristol was right back at it — looking for a sweep.

But Post 38 refused to give in, charged all the way back from a 5-1 deficit and managed to tie up the game going into the bottom of the seventh.

However, Post 2 still had three more outs to work with and before the phrase ‘extra innings’ was said by anyone at Muzzy Field, Bristol made its comeback to break a 5-5 stalemate.

Ryan Fradette’s bottom of the seventh single to left field scored Jayden Churchill from third as Post 2 zipped up a 6-5 win – moving to 5-2 in Zone 1 play and 5-3 overall.

Starter Matt Beaucar put Bristol in position to win it, going 5.1 innings – throwing a three run, four hitter that included two strikeouts but the pitcher did not factor into the ultimate decision.

Alex Canzellarini (1.1 IP, 2 Ks) and Churchill saw action from the mound late in the showdown as Torrington tied the contest up late.

“I thought Alex did a good job there,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta of Canzellarini. “He’s still struggling with command of his breaking pitch so we really couldn’t go too much to it in the seventh. I thought he did a good job in the sixth and then Jayden came in and got us out of a big spot there.”

In the end, Churchill pitched to one batter — getting Nick Basso to fly out to centerfield — to earn the win on the hill.

But Beaucar held Torrington (1-7) in check over those first five frames, allowing Bristol’s offense to shine.

After a scoreless first frame by Torrington, Bristol got right to work over its first at-bats.

Elliot Norris singled up the middle, Churchill (3-for-3, walk, three runs scored) walked, and Adam Caron’s bunt – which appeared to roll foul – was deemed fair as the base hit loaded things up without the benefit of an out.

Torrington pitcher Corey Pray then struck out the next two batters to nearly sneak out of the jam.

But Dillon Hudson walked on four consecutive balls, plating Norris, as Bristol secured a 1-0 lead.

And then a routine grounder to second by Tyler Martin was thrown away at first, allowing Churchill and Caron to scoot home, as Post 2 nabbed a 3-0 push as the two-out rally continued.

Ryan Maglio was hit by a pitch to reload the bases and Rio Fernandez (1-for-2, walk, RBI) then drew a full-count walk as Hudson scored to make it a 4-0 game with Bristol batting around.

“In both games, we got off to a nice start,” said LaPenta. “We put the pressure on Torrington. Getting four runs was huge.”

To open the second stanza, Torrington’s Ray Campbell blasted a deep double to center, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jacob Groebl and scored on a Nick Basso groundout to Norris at shortstop to trim the deficit to 4-1.

Churchill was at it again in the second, dropping in a bad-hop double to start the festivities in the bottom of the stanza.

He moved the third on a chopper to short by Adam Caron and scored on sacrifice fly to left by Fradette as Post 2 edged in front, 5-1.

Bristol went down in order in the third while Campbell started the top of the fourth reaching base via error, moving to second on a Groebl sacrifice bunt.

And then Nick Basso unleashed a single to left as Campbell attempted to score from third.

Churchill made a great throw-in from the outfield to Caron at third, tossing it to Fernandez behind the plate — easily tagging the runner out – as opportunity came and went for Torrington.

Fernandez then did a little damage at the dish in the bottom of the fourth, slamming a double to deep left, as another rally was taking shape by Bristol.

Churchill followed with a nice piece of hitting, dropping a single into left, as men were on the corners with one away.

But the vaunted “Bristol pickle” came up sour as Churchill was tagged out halfway to second before Fernandez could score – ending the inning with Post 2 still in front by a 5-1 push.

In the fifth, Fradette started the tilt with a full-count walk, then swiped second, and moved to third when the catcher threw the ball away on a steal attempt.

Fradette ended up scoring on Tyler Stickles’ sacrifice fly to center as Post 2 snared a 6-1 push.

Or was it not a run?

On appeal, Fradette was called out, having left third base too early, though Bristol still led 5-1.

Post 38 put something together in the sixth as Joe Dipippo raced out an infield hit and when Campbell was plunked by a ball, two were on with one gone.

Bristol made a pitching change as Canzellarini came in to relieve Beaucar.  

He walked Groebl to load things up and Nick Basso dropped in an RBI single up the middle to trim the deficit to 5-2.

Dean Basso’s grounder to second was then booted, allowing Campbell to score as Torrington creeped closer at 5-3 with the bases still juiced.

But Canzellarini fanned Zach Redlund and Josh Hamel to get out of the jam as Bristol led by two.

Post 2 could not pad its edge in the bottom of the sixth as Torrington was down to its final three outs.

Post 38 would not quit as Campbell roped out an RBI double while Groebl poked a run-scoring single into left — plating Campbell — and it was a brand new game at 5-5.

With Churchill in to throw, Groebl stole second but Nick Basso flew out to center as Bristol looked to end it in the bottom of the seventh.

Churchill started the jaunt with a single to center, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball.

“He’s just been playing great,” said LaPenta of Churchill. “He leadoff with a single, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and then scored.”

Caron later earned a walk, putting runners on first and third with no one out.

And Fradette ended it with a single to left, scoring the winning pitcher, as Bristol swept the doubleheader with its 6-5 triumph in game two.

“All in all, it was just a great day,” said LaPenta. “The hardest thing in baseball is to take two. To sweep someone in a doubleheader is just really hard to do. That’s a nice big sweep there.”

Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball — Zone 1 Game

BRISTOL 6, TORRINGTON 5

from Muzzy Field, Bristol

Torrington (1-7)  010 002 2 – 5 7 2

Bristol (5-2)  410 000 1 – 6 7 2 

WP – Jayden Churchill (Bristol); LP – Ben Smith (Torrington) 

Torrington Batting 

2B – Ray Campbell (2)

3B – None

HR – None

Bristol Batting 

2B – Jayden Churchill, Rio Fernandez

3B – None 

HR – None

LOB – Torrington 7; Bristol 6

Records: Bristol 5-3 overall (5-2 Zone 1); Torrington 1-7

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