By Michael Letendre

WEST HARTFORD — The Bristol Senior American Legion baseball squad nearly pulled off a Zone 1 miracle against West Hartford on Tuesday afternoon – trimming a nearly 10-run deficit to three through six completed innings.

But Post 2 simply ran out of gas in the end as Post 96 held on to win it by a 9-6 final from Conard High School in West Hartford.

Bristol (5-3 Zone 1) nearly got out of a first inning jam – getting within strike of a scoreless frame – before West Hartford went for four runs in the first inning, adding four more in the fourth and scored one more in the fifth to make it a 9-0 contest.

Bristol then zipped up six straight runs in the sixth to chop the deficit to 9-6 late.

But Post 2 had chances for runs over the first four innings that would have taken some pressure off of Bristol starting pitcher Alex Canzellarini (3 IP, 10 hits, 8 ER, 2 K).

Bristol’s bats were swinging from the start as Elliot Norris (2-for-2, two steals) started the fun with a sharp single to right, advancing to second and then third via steals.

But winning pitcher Joe Dooley (5 IP, 7 hits, 10 K, 0 BB) eventually fanned the side as West Hartford came to the bat.

Canzellarini nearly returned the favor, striking out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the first and had two strikes on Dooley.

But the opposing pitcher singled, Canzellarini hit the next batter, and then walked Drew Seidman to load things up – all with two outs.

Ixael Albino then walked in a run on four balls, making it 1-0, before Brendan Grady grounded to third.

But the ball was booted, two runners scored, and the home team snared a 3-0 push.

To end the first, Quinn LaRock earned a bases loaded walk as Post 96 generated four runs through one.

“His biggest problem is his command,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta of Canzellarini. “We got off to a good start, two strikeouts. He had the next guy at 1-2. And then it just kind of got away from him.”

Post 2 started the second stanza with zest as Adam Caron reached on a bad throw by the second baseman and then Dillon Hudson (3-for-4, RBI) absolutely unloaded a deep-dish double to the gap in right as Bristol had men on second and third with no one out.

But Dooley used his high fast ball to strike out the remaining side as West Hartford maintained its 4-0 edge.

In the bottom of the tilt, Tom Redden slammed a double to center to open things but a pop-up and two slick plays by Norris at shortstop ended the second.

In the third, Bristol attacked once again as Norris was plunked by a pitch and Jayden Churchill singled to left to put two on.

But Post 2 just couldn’t tally that one hit to bring the runners home as West Hartford maintained its 4-0 cushion.

Albino opened the bottom of the third with an infield hit to third base but a fielder’s choice from Brady erased the lead runner.

Grady eventually stole second and when Brian Chelli singled to left, men were on the corners for the home team.

Chelli quickly took second and Grady attempted to steal home on what looked like a passed ball.

But the Bristol catcher, Chris Osuch, hustled after it as Grady charged home.

The race was won by Osuch as he was ready to tag the streaking runner.

Grady attempted to leap over Osuch to the other side of the plate but was called out on the tag as Bristol escaped a jam.

Hudson made it 2-for-2 in the fourth as his single started another rally.

Roberto Cruz (2-for-4) followed with a flair to center and Matt Beaucar attempted to bunt the duo over.

But Dooley fielded the ball to catch Hudson at third for the first out.

With two away, Norris hustled out an infield single to short as the bases were juiced for Churchill.

Churchill’s shot to right was just scooped in and, despite six hits, Bristol had not scored through four.

“We let them off the hook,” said LaPenta of the Bristol offense. “We had second and third with no outs. We had first and second with no outs twice. And we let that kid [Dooley] off the hook. He threw pretty good but I thought we had chances to break through.”

West Hartford’s David Cantarella opened the bottom of the fourth with a base-on-balls and Redden followed up with a flair to right.

And the lead runner scored on a Dooley single to left as Post 96 sized up a 5-0 edge.

A wild pitch brought Redden home, Tom LaSpada doubled to score Dooley, and an RBI single by Seidman made it 8-0.

And after Albino singled on, Tyler Martin took over for Canzellarini.

“He settled down for a few innings,” said LaPenta of Canzellarini. “The biggest thing with him is his command. You’ve got to have command. When he loses his breaking ball command, you’ve got to just throw all fastballs. It’s tough to pitch that way.”

A fielder’s choice and a double play – cued by Norris – finally ended the fourth with Post 96 in command by eight runs.

After Dooley compiled strikeout number nine and 10 in the fifth, Adam Caron reached base on an infield hit to shortstop but Bristol couldn’t crack the nonexistent scoreboard.

Redden nabbed an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth that made it a 9-0 game through five.

In the top of the sixth, Bristol’s first five batters reached base safely as the squad eventually went wild for six runs.

To open things, Cruz slammed a double to center off reliver Simon Rosenberg and Beaucar followed suit with a two-base hit, plating the lead runner to make it 9-1.

Osuch then reached base via an infield hit and Martin plopped an RBI single to center to trim the deficit to seven (9-2).

Churchill was then hit by a pitch (almost twice in the same at-bat), loading things up.

With one gone, Ryan Fradette dropped a single into left and when Osuch scored, it was a 9-3 game with the bases still loaded.

Hudson then drove a ball into right field and the RBI single made it 9-4 before tomfoolery trimmed the deficit even further.

Cruz, batting around, lofted a shot to center and though the fielder got his glove on the ball, he couldn’t pull it in.

Two runs scored on the error and suddenly, it was 9-6 and the tying runner was in the on-deck circle.

While Bristol did not score again in the inning, it was only trailing by three runs midway through the sixth.

Martin allowed two runners to get on base in the bottom of the sixth but wiggled out of the jam with a couple strikeouts as Bristol was down to its final three outs in the seventh.

And Post 2 was retired in order to end the showdown as West Hartford had to hold on late, surviving a 9-6 scare from Bristol.

“I told the guys [after the game] ‘I’m still proud of the fact that we got right back in the game there at the end’” said LaPenta. 

Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball – Zone 1 Game

WEST HARTFORD 9, BRISTOL 6

from Conard High School

Bristol (5-4)                            000 006 0 – 6 13 1  

West Hartford (10-0)            400 410 x – 9 12 1

WP – Joe Dooley (West Hartford); LP – Alex Canzellarini (Bristol) 

Bristol Batting 

2B – Dillon Hudson

3B – None

HR – None

West Hartford Batting 

2B – Joe Redden, Tom LaSpada

3B – None 

HR – None

Records: West Hartford 10-0 overall; Bristol 5-4 overall (5-3 Zone 1)

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