By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL — In the first game of a twin bill against Torrington, the Bristol Senior American Legion baseball team turned to its ace chucker, Roberto Cruz.

And the pitcher ended up throwing a complete game as Post 2 wrangled up a 6-2 victory in a Zone 1 affair.

Cruz moved to 3-0 overall, allowing six hits while striking out four, working himself out of a couple jams to remain perfect on the season.

“He gutted through,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta of Cruz. “I thought the umpire, his zone wasn’t giving [Cruz] the low strike at all. But I give the umpire credit because he stayed the whole game like that. He was tight, he was only giving the high strike and I give him credit for staying with that zone because really, as a player or coach, all you want it a consistent zone.”

It was the third straight victory for Bristol (4-2 Zone 1) after a week off from competition.

Torrington (1-6 overall) could have put a real hurting on Bristol in the first frame as Josh Hamel (2-for-4, double) and Tyler Semonich (2-for-3, run) smoked out back-to-back hits while Joe Dipippo drew a full count with nobody out – threatening to load the bases.

That’s when the fun truly began.

Dipippo struck out and when Hamel was caught in between second and third base on the K, Post 2 tracked the man down, tagging him out in what turned into a not-your-usual 2-6-5-4 double play.

And when Steele Brobston fell via strikes, the half-inning came to a close without the benefit of a score.

Post 2 had a response.

Elliot Norris (2-for-3, three runs, RBI) started the inning with a walk and off a botched pickoff attempt, with the ball rolling all the way to the first base fence, the runner was off to the races.

Norris easily tagged second base and sprinted to third, nearly sliding over the bag on a quick tag, but was called safe despite a protest from the Torrington skipper.

Adam Caron brought Norris home on a groundout to shortstop as Bristol led it 1-0.

From there, Ryan Fradette launched a bloop pop-up to short center that three fielders watched drop in safely, leaving second base open in the process.

Fradette then sprinted to second, beating the fielder to the bag for a slick double.

He then stole third and scored on a flare to right by Tyler Stickles — making it 2-0 through just one inning. 

Post 2 nearly put together a two-out rally in the second when Chris Osuch walked and Norris singled to left — putting two on — but nothing came of it as the home team maintained its two-run edge.

After Cruz retired eight straight, Semonich chopped a base hit into left field and went to second on a wild pitch to open the fourth.

With one gone, Steele Brobston grounded out to Cruz on the hill, throwing the ball to first for the second out and on the play, Semonich went to third.

The throw to third went above Caron’s head as Semonich scooted home, chopping the deficit to 2-1.

Dillon Hudson and Tyler Martin each got plunked by pitches to open the bottom of the fourth and Matt Beaucar sacrificed the duo a base.

And when Osuch was hit by a pitch, the bases were loaded with one out.

Small ball was then on tap as Norris dropped in a picture-perfect bunt, right in front of the pitcher who didn’t have a play on the ball.

“We executed really well with Elliot bunting,” said LaPenta of Norris. “And he eventually stole home.”

Hudson came home to score and when Jayden Churchill (1-for-2, two RBI) drew a bases loaded walk, Martin scored as Bristol led it, 4-1.

And then Bristol went for a double steal with Fradette at the dish.

With the count at 1-2, Norris stole home — beating the tag — as Post 2 started the fifth stanza with a 5-1 cushion in hand.

Cruz had retired 12 of 13 batters when he allowed his first walk of the game, a one-out base-on-balls to Hank Martin in the fifth.

“He didn’t have his breaking ball but, once again, he battled through the whole game,” said LaPenta of Cruz.

A fielder’s choice by Nick Basso erased the lead runner with two outs but he stole second and scored on a single by Ben Smith off a misplayed ball as Post 38 chopped the deficit to 5-2.

Hamel followed with a two-base hit to the gap in left and with runners on second and third, Torrington had the tying runner at the plate.

But Semonich flew out to Beaucar in right to end the threat.

Hamel retired the Bristol side in the bottom of the fifth as Post 38 was still trailing by three runs as the sixth inning commenced.

Cruz allowed a one-out base hit by Brobston in the sixth, but no damage was done, while on the flip side, Mike Roalf earned a walk to open the bottom portion of the tilt.

And then Churchill ended Hamel’s day on the hill as the batter absolutely scorched a double down the line in left – easily scoring Norris who reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second — as Post 2 scooped up a 6-2 cushion through six.

Torrington drew two walks in the seventh but the team was down to its final two outs, trailing by four runs.

To end the showdown, Hamel struck out and Smith was picked off at first base by Cruz to end things as Bristol won the first portion of the doubleheader by a 6-2 final.

‘We got the pickoff at first base to end the game,” said LaPenta. “That game, fundamentally, we did a lot of good things.”

Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball – Zone 1 Game

BRISTOL 6, TORRINGTON 2

from Muzzy Field, Bristol

Torrington (1-6)   000 110 0 – 2 6 1

Bristol (4-3)  200 301x – 6 5 1

WP – Roberto Cruz (Bristol), 3-0; LP – Josh Hamel (Torrington) 

Torrington Batting 

2B – Josh Hamel

3B – None

HR – None

Bristol Batting 

2B – Ryan Fradette, Jayden Churchill

3B – None 

HR – None

LOB – Torrington 5; Bristol 6 

Records: Bristol 4-3 overall (4-2 Zone 1); Torrington 1-6  

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