By Michael Letendre
The Bristol Blues of the New England Collegiate Baseball League have been the talk of the Western Division this season.
The Blues were a sterling 24-8 overall entering its doubleheader in Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon and the only team with a winning record in the West plays over at Muzzy Field.
Second place Valley Blue Sox (15-19 overall) are 10 games in back of Bristol and the only other program with a better record than the locals in the league play is Vermont.
The Vermont Mountaineers carries an overall ledger of 26-6 but just posted a loss to the Blues on Friday night.
It’s been a busy stretch for Bristol over the past week and here’s a quick recap of all the action this week, starting with the Blues’ 6-1 triumph over Valley this past Sunday.
Sunday, July 10 – Bristol Blues 6, Valley Blue Sox 1
Bristol snared a run in the first and two more in both the third and fifth frames as the Blues ramped up a five run victory over Valley in a showdown from Muzzy Field.
Bristol’s Griffin Arnone went a slick 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk while Calvin McCall was 2-of-3 with a base-on-balls and an RBI.
AJ Gaich walked three times for Bristol.
Mason Ulsh threw extremely well over his five innings of work, allowing just four hits, striking out five while not allowing an earned run to win it for the Blues.
Monday, July 11 – Bristol Blues 6, Upper Valley Nighthawks 5
In another one of those one-run triumphs, Bristol notched a single run in the 10th to stave off defeat on the road from the Maxfield Sports Complex.
Errors fueled the final run as Ryan Wilson scored off a Derek Tenney single and a couple miscues in the field.
Off those errors, Bristol notched the game-winning tally.
Peter Philips earned the win for Bristol over 1.1 innings of two strikeout ball.
Carson Swank (2-of-4, run) and Josh Spiegel (2-for-2, walk, two RBI) rounded up half of Bristol’s eight hits that day.
Wednesday, July 13 – Newport Gulls 6, Bristol Blues 3
In a rare loss, Bristol carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning but Newport scored four times in the eighth to capture the win at Cardines Field.
Chaz Myers was 3-of-4 from the plate that night, collecting a run and two RBI for the Blues.
Michael Thomas Morrissey (0.1 IP, two ER) drew the loss for the locals.
Bristol out-hit Newport, 11-10.
Thursday, July 14 – Bristol Blues 8, North Adams Steeple Cats 1
The Blues used a two-run second to get on the board and then broke the contest open with a four-run third as Bristol belted North Adams from Bristol.
Adams was held to just five hits as Colin McVeigh threw a strong six innings. He allowed just four hits while fanning three.
Tenney had a night, going 4-of-4 while collecting seven RBI over an amazing performance.
After the SteepleCats scored a run in the top of the eighth, Tenney returned the favor with a home run – his first of the campaign – as Bristol got back on the winning track.
Friday, July 15 – Bristol Blues 11, Vermont Mountaineers 6
In a wacky showdown of the NECBL’s best teams, Bristol trailed 4-2 through three but outscored the home team 9-2 the rest of the way to capture the win from the Montpelier Recreation Field in front of nearly 1,400 fans.
Tenney did it again, going 3-of-4 with an RBI and two runs scored while four players from Bristol had multi-hit games.
Boston Smith and Myers each jammed out home runs during the fray, accounting for a combined seven RBI.
The Blues used six players on the hill with the victory going to Matt Smith in the fifth.
He did not allow any offense over his one inning appearance.
