By Michael Letendre
MERIDEN – It was three straight games for the Bristol Central softball team this week, leading to three blowout victories.
The Rams wrapped up the festivities on Friday afternoon, spinning Platt over a 16-0 triumph in a non-league game from John Phostole Field in Meriden.
Central (8-0 overall) was only slated to play Platt (5-2) once this season in CCC South action, but the teams decided to compete in non-league play as well.
Against the Panthers, if wasn’t just about the 16 runs but the zero on the flip side was just as imposing.
The Central outfielders went after everything in sight – whether it was Desiree Nickerson in left, chasing after a foul ball that was drifting towards the fence, or Sam Sklenka making the catch of the game in the fifth – diving to the grass to rob a player of an extra base hit – as the Rams were locked and loaded throughout the showdown.
“That’s one of the things we’ve been focusing on and talking about,” said Central coach Monica Hayes of the extra efforts. “Every pitch and every play matters and when you don’t play for a score, we just want to focus on execution and focus on maximum effort. I thought that was very evident today. We’re up 13 or 14-0 and Sam’s making a diving catch in left-center. I thought that was phenomenal.”
“And you know what? Pitchers clearly appreciate that and it’s a great play to watch but it also shows dedication and pure athleticism out of Sam.”
Central crushed Platt over the top of the first, tallying eight runs to ice the game before the home team could even earn at an at-bat against star pitcher Alex Sciarretto (three-hitter, 10 strikeouts).
Kaley Laird (2-for-3, two runs, two RBI) started the fun with a base hit up the middle and Sam Sklenka (4-for-4, run, two RBI) followed with a bunt hit, hustling to second base in the process.
From there, Leah Sklenka blasted a fly ball to right in what should have been caught for a sacrifice fly.
But the fielder held the ball for just a split instance, then dropped it, and due to the lack of possession, no out was issued and an error was charged to the Panthers.
The hit cleared the bases as Central ramped up a quick 2-0 edge.
With one away, Pia Torreso (two runs scored) and Nickerson (2-for-2, three runs, RBI) each earned walks to juice the bases.
Lorelei Stancavage (3-for-4, three runs, two doubles) then dropped an RBI single to right and when Lily VanNostrand (two runs scored, walk, five RBI) slapped a hot shot to center, the Rams cleared the bases once again with the visitors snaring a 6-0 push.
To end the scoring exploits, Mya Porrini spaced out an RBI double and Sam Sklenka generated her second hit of the inning – a run producing double that slipped by the shortstop – to propel the Rams to an imposing 8-0 lead.
“We got [the ball] up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, up the middle,” said Hayes of Central’s hits. “I can look at that all day long. We had a couple plays in the first inning, executed and then it was base hit, base hit, base hit.”
And then on the flip side, Sciarretto went 1-2-3, including a backwards K, as Central was quickly back to the dish in the top of the second.
To start the scoring festivities, Sciarretto absolutely crushed a ball over the fence in right-centerfield as the solo shot made it a 9-0 game.
It was second homer of the campaign for ‘Big Al.’
“What I thought was even better, after that [home run], she followed up with two great at-bats,” said Hayes of Sciarretto. “I think she had either an eight-pitch or a nine-pitch at-bat. I thought she had great at-bats. She’s seen the ball very well over the last couple games, the last week or so.”
“It’s always a big pickup when the pitchers are helping themselves. The kids love it.”
Still in the second with one away, Nickerson dropped a single by the third baseman, Stancavage doubled to the gap in left and when the second baseman flubbed an offering from VanNostrand, Nickerson scored as the Rams were in control at 10-0.
To end the scoring in the second, Laird dropped in a standup triple, good for two RBI, and when Sam Sklenka singled to center, Laird came home as the Rams were happily in front by a 13-0 score.
In the bottom of the second, Platt’s Sidney Green earned a full-count walk, but Sciarretto ended up striking out the rest of the side as Central continued to lead by 13.
Credit belonged to Platt pitcher Amelia Gostkowski in the third as Nickerson earned a base-on-balls, but no further damage was done.
More Ks by the Panthers ensued over the bottom of the third as Sciarretto nabbed strikeouts five and six and her possible no-hitter continued into the fourth frame.
VanNostrand walked to lead off the fourth and with two away, Sam Sklenka dropped a loud single to left but Central was not able to pad its large advantage any further.
In the bottom of the tilt, the Rams faced some adversity, but the shutout remained intact for the senior chucker.
After Sciarretto fanned Skyler Wisniewski in the fourth, Emily Hart just dropped in a single over a diving Nickerson in left while Green doubled to the gap in right.
Gostkowski walked to load things up, but Sciarretto struck out the final two batters – collecting nine Ks through four – as Central’s 13-0 cushion loomed big on the scoreboard.
The Rams were active in the fifth frame as Torreso reached second base when her offering to left was misplayed while Nickerson’s single to right centerfield plated the lead runner.
Stancavage ripped a two-base hit to the fence in right-center to put two on and Nickerson came home on a VanNostrand groundout, making it a 15-0 contest.
Finally, reserve Tori Hogan eked out a base hit when she beat out a grounder to the catcher and when the ball was thrown away to first, Stancavage easily scored from third as Central zipped up an imposing 16-0 push with Platt down to its final at-bats.
The Panthers were three up and three down in the fifth inning as Sciarretto fanned the final batter she faced as the Rams snared a big 16-0 victory on the road.
“It’s so much fun to play with kids that want to be out there and it’s fun to coach kids who are intense and want to play and they know the game,” said Hayes. “They really are a lot of fun to coach, and they execute.”
NOTES…Platt’s lone loss this season, before falling to the Rams, was a 10-5 setback to Middletown… Sciarretto’s home run was her second of the campaign.
Bristol Central Softball – Non-Conference Action
BRISTOL CENTRAL 16, PLATT 0 (5)
from Platt High School, Meriden
Bristol Central (8-0) 850 03 – 16 15 0
Platt (5-2) 000 00 – 0 3 3
WP – Alex Sciarretto (Bristol Central); LP – Amelia Gostkowski (Platt)
Bristol Central Batting
2B – Sam Sklenka, Lorelei Stancavage (2), Mya Porrini
3B – Kaley Laird, Lily VanNostrand
HR – Alex Sciarretto
Platt Batting
2B – None
3B – None
HR – None
Records: Bristol Central 8-0 overall; Platt 5-2 overall
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