By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – A frustrating nine inning loss by the Bristol Senior American Legion baseball team to Simsbury on Thursday night saw Post 2 lose a late lead and then fall in extra innings by a 4-3 final.

Bristol dropped to 6-5 overall (6-4 Zone 1) on the campaign.

“I said [to the players] ‘I’ve talked many times with all my teams in the past. You give an honest effort, and a team beats you, you can live with it.’ But we gave Simsbury that game,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta.

While Post 2 out-executed Bristol when it counted, the locals did just enough to nearly win the Zone 1 showdown from Muzzy Field.

And Post 84 was looking to score off the bat.

Simsbury’s James Fagnant started the first frame with a one-out base hit to left and later stole second to get into scoring position.

But a couple pitches later, Bristol pitcher Matt Beaucar (7 IP, five hits, 2 ER, 3 Ks) had the runner picked off and in a rundown.

Post 2 appeared to have a 1-5-6 putout in hand but interference was called on Bristol’s Elliot Norris at shortstop after he tagged Fagnant coming back to second base.

Fagnant was awarded third base and when Nolan Conderino was beaned in the head by a Beaucar offering, two men were on.

But Conderino was thrown out by Bristol catcher Chris Osuch trying to steal second and when Evan Odegard (5 IP, four hits, 0 ER) looked at strike three, the half-inning was over and Bristol escaped a tricky situation.

And then it was two out rally time for the home squad.

Norris (2-for-5, run) started the bottom of the first with a little spark, reaching on an error when Post 84’s shortstop botched his grounder – taking a base hit away from the leadoff hitter.

It appeared as Norris was going to be picked off at first moments later but a balk was called on Odegard and the runner was awarded second.

With two away, Ryan Fradette was hit-by-pitch and Tyler Stickels (2-for-4, RBI) sent Norris home as his RBI chopper sailed by the third baseman and Post 2 led it, 1-0. 

Simsbury’s Luke Guyer zipped out a single to right and Colby Wilhelm walked to open the second stanza with no one out.

A sac bunt from Matt Fagnant advanced each runner a base as the duo eventually scored.

Guyer scooted home on a passed ball while Wilhem tagged the dish on a Jacob Cohen fly out to Dylan Woodsome in right as the sacrifice gave Post 84 a 2-1 edge.

After Stickels first inning RBI tally, Odegard retired seven straight as Simsbury’s 2-1 push lasted into the fourth inning.

Bristol got right back at it in the bottom of the fourth, tying the event up at 2-2.

Fradette opened things as he crashed a ball off the wall in left and with one gone, Martin grounded out to third but the throw was booted to first base.

With men on the corners, Roberto Cruz sent a ball to right-center field for the second out – allowing Fradette to easily score on the sacrifice — as the tilt was tied up at 2-2.

Woodsome then singled on, putting runners on first and third, but the vaunted ‘Bristol pickle’ saw Martin get tagged out running back to third base as the teams entered the fifth in a 2-2 stalemate.

Beaucar picked up some steam, retiring 10 of 11 batters, before Jacob Goodwin unleashed a double down the line in left with one away.

“Matt battled through,” said LaPenta of Beaucar. “He didn’t have his great stuff but he battled.”

James Fagnant was intentionally walked with two outs but reliever Drew Anastatio flew out to center to end the threat.

In the bottom of the fifth, Osuch took a ball off the helmet to leadoff and Norris’s bunt died in the thick grass on the first base side of the foul line as two runners were on.

Jayden Churchill followed with a slick sacrifice bunt, pushing the Osuch/Norris duo into scoring position.

And when Hudson grounded out towards second base, Osuch easily scored as Bristol retook the lead, this time at 3-2.

After a 1-2-3 inning by Beaucar, Stickles opened the sixth with a flare to left while Martin walked on four consecutive balls as there were runners on first and second with no one out.

Stickles was eventually cut down attempting to get to third on a near passed ball.

“We had a chance there in the bottom of the sixth to get an insurance run and Tyler can’t get thrown out at third base,” said LaPenta. “We get a run there, we’re up two. We win the game. It’s little things like that.”

“To me, it’s the cardinal rule in baseball. You can’t make the first out at third.”

Cruz then grounded out while Woodsome walked to keep the inning alive.

A wild pitch sent Martin to third while Woodsome tried to bait a throw halfway down from first, eventually stealing second in the process.

With men on second and third, Osuch was hit by a pitch for the second time that evening, juicing up the bases.

But Norris grounded out to end the inning and heading into the seventh, Post 2 was still leading by one (3-2).

Simsbury didn’t quit as Cohen unleashed a one-out bunt down the third base line.

He stole second and the ball was chucked into center, allowing the runner to get all the way to third base.

As Post 84 was down to its final out, Jacob Williams drilled a two-base hit deep to left as Cohen easily scored from third and suddenly, it was a 3-3 game.

Guyer shutdown the Bristol side in the bottom of the seventh as the squads were headed for extra innings.

Churchill (2 IP, 1 ER) took charge of the mound in the eighth, scooping up a quick strikeout but hit Odegard to put a runner on.

Odegard got to second with two outs via a wild pitch but no further damage was inflicted by the visiting aggression.

Post 2 was retired in order in the eighth and the contest continued into the ninth with the score at 3-3.

Cohen walked with one gone in the ninth and as he swiped second, the ball, once again, scooted into center – allowing the runner to take third.

And Cohen scored on a Goodwin sacrifice fly to left as Post 84 nabbed a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.

“We had three pitch-outs today and we can’t execute a pitch-out,” said LaPenta. “The guy walks and I know he’s going [to steal second base]. We call a pitch out. No one’s backing up [the throw from Osuch]. Cohen gets to third base and on a sac fly, we lose the game on nothing.”

Odegard, after leaving the mound in the fourth, came back to throw in the ninth — attempting to save the game.

But with two outs, Norris hustled out a base hit as the Simsbury shortstop made a poor throw to first.

The speedster got to second on the error but Churchill flew out to left, ending the game, as Simsbury escaped with a 4-3 win in Bristol.

“It just comes down to execution,” said LaPenta. “Guys aren’t making plays. It’s one of the most disappointing losses in a while just because we should have won the game. We didn’t play that great but we should have won the game.”

Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball – Zone 1 Game

SIMSBURY 4, BRISTOL 3

from Muzzy Field

Simsbury (3-7)  020 000 101 – 4 5 3

Bristol (5-4)  100 110 000 – 3 6 2  

WP – Luke Guyer (Simsbury); LP – Jayden Churchill (Bristol); S – Evan Odegard (Simsbury) 

Simsbury Batting 

2B – Jacob Goodwin, Jacob Williams

3B – None 

HR – None

Bristol Batting 

2B – Ryan Fradette

3B – None

HR – None

LOB – Simsbury 6; Bristol 7

Records: Simsbury 4-6 overall; Bristol 6-5 overall (6-4 Zone 1)