By Michael Letendre 

The playoffs are upon the New England Collegiate Baseball League as the regular season was recently completed by the Bristol Blues on Saturday evening. 

And the locals expect to be prime time players over postseason play. 

The Blues already clinched a first round bye in the playoffs while a victory against Danbury on Saturday would propel Bristol to the regular season title – and a number one seed in the postseason tournament. 

Regardless of the finish from Saturday, the Blues were slated to start the postseason from Muzzy Field in Bristol. 

The week that was 

After starting the week with a tough 5-1 setback to Danbury on Tuesday, Bristol got right back to the pay window on Wednesday – drilling the Valley Blue Sox by a 5-2 final from McKenzie Stadium in front of 600 fans. 

Bristol notched two runs in both the second and third tilts to snare a 4-0 edge, never relinquishing the edge. 

Colin McVeigh chucked a solid 5.2 innings for Bristol, allowing just three hits and two earned runs while striking out four. 

Luke Garofalo (1.1 innings, two hits) earned the save for Bristol. 

Chaz Myers (run scored, stolen base) and Jack Lynch (two RBI) smoked out two hits apiece for the winners while Jay Harry smacked out his sixth double of the campaign. 

Jacob Gaudreau had the other hit for the Blues. 

And then on Thursday, July 28, Bristol had an immediate rematch against the Sox and the result was even worse for Valley. 

The Blues wrangled up a 9-0 win.

Jack Kelley (three strikeouts) threw four scoreless frames for Bristol but Tommy Hughes pitched a single inning in the fifth to salt away the win. 

The Blues out-hit the Sox 8-6 as Matt Smith and Luke Broadhurst each dropped in a pair of hits to pace the offense. 

Smith went 2-of-4 with a walk while Broadhurst was also 2-of-4 but knocked in a run. 

Derek Tenney (1-for-2, BB, RBI) Carson Swank (1-for-1, two RBI) each added doubles while Griffin Arnone dropped in a home run as the Blues had won two straight games. 

It was just a 1-0 game through four frames before Bristol unloaded for five fifth inning runs to turn a close contest into a blowout as 371 fans enjoyed the festivities from Muzzy Field. 

And in the regular season finale from Bristol, the Blues had another one-run nailbiter as the North Adams SteepleCats traveled to the Mum City on Friday. 

It was a close one throughout, but the Blues scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to capture a 6-5 victory – moving to an outstanding 31-12 overall. 

Over 900 fans at Muzzy Field witnessed a great come from behind win as Bristol trailed 5-3 going into the fateful ninth and final frame. 

To start the ninth, Joseph Rios doubled and when Ben Huber was plunked by a pitch, two runners were on. 

Lynch ended up singling on but an error by the SteepleCats pitcher plated both Rios and Huber and quickly, the event was all tied up at 5-5 without the benefit of an out. 

With Lynch on second base – representing the tying run – and one away, Swank was hit by a pitch and Lynch advanced to third. 

Matt Smith was then intentionally walked to load the bases, putting the force on.

But Harry blasted a long fly ball to centerfield for the second out. 

On the play, Lynch scored from third base as the sac fly propelled the Blues to the one-run win. 

Harry went 2-of-3 with a double and two RBI, Rios was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Lynch had that critical single to pace the Bristol offense. 

The pitcher of record for the Blues, Thomas Benincaso, threw in just the ninth inning – allowing two earned runs – but took the victory after the comeback bid by Bristol was successful. 

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