By Michael Letendre

TORRINGTON – The Bristol Senior American Legion baseball squad never seems to have an easy time of it against Torrington in Zone 1 battles over the years.

And Saturday’s game between the squads was as wacky as they come. The teams combining for 15 runs and several walks but Post 2 grabbed an 8-7 victory over Post 38 from Fuessenich Park in Torrington.

The triumph moved Bristol to 7-5 in Zone 1 play and 7-6 overall.

Post 38 fell to 3-9 overall and has yet to win a game from home this year.

Eight pitchers were used over seven innings of on the diamond warfare.

Post 2 used a plethora of pitchers – four in all – as Bristol has a twin bill on Sunday, meaning arms were in short supply for the Torrington showdown.

The combination of Tyler Martin (6 IP, 3 ER, 4 Ks), Jaydon Churchill, Elliot Norris, and Dylan Woodsome (0.2 IP, K) combined their efforts to pull out the eventual win.

Martin scooped up his first victory of the season, Churchill and Norris held the fort, while Woodsome earned the save as Bristol held off a great effort by Torrington.

The fourth pitcher of the outing for Post 38, Jacob Groebel, drew the loss for the home team (1.1 IP, 2 ER).

In fact, all eight of the runs Torrington allowed were earned.

On the flip side, just four of seven runs Bristol allowed were of the earned variety.

The home team left runners on base everywhere to the tune of a dozen as that one big hit never materialized at the right time for Torrington.

Bristol generated nine hits that afternoon as Churchill tallied a third of those (3-of-4, two runs, RBI).

Ryan Fradette went 2-of-3 with a double, a run scored, and two RBI.

Chris Osuch roped up two hits (2-for-4) and scored two runs, Tyler Stickels (1-for-2, double, two walks, RBI) also had a good day while Martin (1-for-3, run, RBI) helped out his own cause.

Adam Caron and Martin each nabbed RBIs via sacrifice flies while Fradette, Woodsome, and Stickels all stole bases for the visiting aggression.

This game could have gone either way but thanks to two Bristol runs in the top of the seventh, Post 2 secured an 8-6 lead as Martin had thrown 104 pitches – reaching the pitch count and made way for the other three Bristol pitchers.

But four combined walks allowed a run to score – trimming the Bristol lead to 8-7 – before Woodsome shut the door on Torrington for good.

It was crazy throughout as Torrington led 1-0 through one before Bristol nabbed a 3-1 push over its portion of the third tilt.

Post 38 regained the edge in the bottom of the third, scooping up a 4-3 lead through three.

Once again, Bristol dropped in three runs in the top of the fifth to secure a 6-4 cushion.

However, Post 38 scored twice in the sixth to tie things up at 6-6 before seventh inning heroics sealed the win for Post 2.

Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball – Zone 1 Game

BRISTOL 8, TORRINGTON 7 

from Fuessenich Park, Torrington

Bristol (7-5)  003 03 2 – 8 9 1  

Torrington (3-9)   103 002 1 – 7 7 2

WP – Tyler Martin (Bristol); LP – Jacob Groebel (Torrington) 

Bristol Batting 

2B – Ryan Fradette, Tyler Stickels

3B – None

HR – None

Torrington Batting 

2B – Ben Smith

3B – None 

HR – None

LOB – Bristol 7; Torrington 12 

Records: Bristol 7-6 overall (7-5 Zone 1); Torrington 3-9.