By Michael Letendre
STORRS – In the shadow of the UConn campus, the Bristol Eastern baseball team started its campaign off with a huge 5-1 victory over Edwin O. Smith from Farrell Field Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The contest was the season opener for both squads.
The CCC interdivisional battle saw the Lancers allow just five total hits as Eastern pitcher Mike Roalf earned the victory.
Roalf threw shutout ball over the first five innings, allowing just four singles and two walks while striking out four.
Ryan Maglio then pitched the final two frames, allowing a solitary run in the sixth but not much else.
Allowing just one free pass, Maglio came through with six strikeouts in a big relief effort.
The Kingstreeters generated just three hits on the afternoon but they all went for extra bases.
Caleb Molinsky and Rio Fernandez each scooped in doubles while Jose Feliciano cranked out a three-run homer to pace an efficient offensive attack.
The Lancers also took advantage of half-a-dozen errors by Smith while Eastern was flawless in the field.
But it was a scoreless game until the fifth stanza when Eastern nabbed the lead for good.
In the top of the fifth, two walks sandwiched around an infield error loaded the bases with no outs for the Lancers.
Ben D’Amato’s sacrifice fly to center scored Gabe White for the first run and then with two away, Feliciano jammed his three run homer over the fence in left to push Eastern to a 4-0 cushion.
Smith cut the deficit to 4-1 as the Panthers finally scored in the bottom of the sixth when a leadoff walk eventually led to a two-out RBI single by Colin Willour.
But the Lancers added a run in the seventh to go ahead by four runs once again.
Fernandez opened the inning legging out a double to left and with two gone, Mason Harris reached base on an infield error to put two men on.
With Anthony Nocera at bat, Owen Myers broke for second, causing the Smith pitcher to balk, as Fernandez scored the final Eastern run to make it a 5-1 game.
The home team never scored again as the Lancers came away with an impressive 5-1 win to start the season.
After losing all of its gas money traveling to Mansfield on Wednesday, Eastern will recoup its funds with a home game against Lewis Mills on Monday (3:45 p.m.) in a CCC South attraction from Clem J. Roy Field in Bristol.
NOTES…Eastern is now 3-1 all-time in games against Edwin O. Smith.
Bristol Eastern Baseball – CCC Interdivisional Showdown
BRISTOL EASTERN 5, EDWIN O. SMITH 1
from Farrell Field Park, Mansfield
Bristol Eastern (1-0) 000 040 1 – 5 3 0
Edwin O. Smith (0-1) 000 001 0 – 1 5 6
Battery – Eastern: Mike Roalf, Ryan Maglio & Rio Fernandez; Edwin O. Smith: Calvin Mirko, Owen Sgro (6) & Colin Sheardwright.
WP – Mike Roalf (Bristol Eastern); LP – Mirko (Edwin O. Smith).
Bristol Eastern Batting
2B – Caleb Molinsky, Rio Fernandez
3B – None
HR – Jose Feliciano
Edwin O. Smith Batting
2B – None
3B – None
HR – None
Records: Bristol Eastern 1-0 overall; Edwin O. Smith 0-1
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.
