By Michael Letendre  

MERIDEN – It’s never an easy battle when the Bristol Eastern and Maloney baseball programs go to battle in CCC South action.  

The squads have been rivals since 1960, existing through CCIL and Colonial Conference play, and the bouts usually go back and forth with the contests coming down to the final innings before a winner comes to the forefront.  

And on Tuesday, a four run fifth frame by Spartans broke a late stalemate as the Lancers absorbed a tough 9-5 decision on the road in Meriden from Maloney High School.  

Maloney improved to 5-3 over the winning effort while Eastern (2-6) dropped its fourth consecutive contest. 

It was a nip and tuck affair going into the bottom of the fifth as the squads were knotted at 5-5 before the home team unleashed four unanswered runs in the bottom of the tilt to seize the ultimate momentum in the game. 

Eastern pitcher Declan Schenck had another solid showing over his four-plus innings of work but drew a tough loss in the end. 

On the flip side, Eastern’s offense showed some life. 

The squad pounded out 10 hits against good pitching by the Spartans. 

Gabe White and Isaac Roberge generated two hits apiece while Jose Feliciano belted out a triple and scored a run for the Kingstreeters. 

In the field, four miscues by the Kingstreeters did not help matters but after a scoreless first frame, the visitors went on the attack. 

With one out in the second stanza, Feliciano nailed his three-base hit to deep right center while Caleb Molinsky followed with a walk, putting men on the corners.    

As Molinsky stole second, the catcher’s throw was chucked into the outfield, and Feliciano scored from third to make it a 1-0 game. 

A wild pitch then put Molinsky on third and he scored when Rio Fernandez beat out an infield single, pushing the Maloney deficit to 2-0.   

Maloney trimmed the score to 2-1 in the bottom of the second as two singles and a couple walks allowed the home program to score a run.  

However, the Lancers got that run back in the third.

Consecutive singles from Connor Cyr, Ben D’Amato, and a run scoring base hit from Ryan Maglio plated a run to make it a 3-1 game.  

However, it was then Maloney’s turn to snare the edge. 

The Spartans scored three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 4-3 push. 

Schenck hit a batter to start the inning and then a single to center by Kyle Valentine put two on. 

A wild pitch moved the runners up and a sacrifice fly led to the first tally as Maloney was within a run of the lead at 3-2.  

Two miscues by Eastern followed as the Spartans scored a couple runs to capture a 4-3 advantage through three. 

But the Lancers knotted things at 4-4 halfway through the fourth.  

Singles by Roberge, Kyle Babin, and White juiced the bases with one out and Cyr’s sacrifice fly saw Eastern draw even at 4-4 and it was anyone’s game.  

The see-saw battle went into the bottom of the fourth when Maloney struck for yet another run. 

Two-out doubles from Luis Delgado and Valentine accounted for the fifth run of the game as Eastern trailed 5-4 going into the fateful fifth frame of play. 

The Lancers were able to tie the score, this time at 5-5 when the team added a run to the till in the fifth.  

Maglio drew a base-on-balls and Feliciano was hit by a pitch to put the tying and go-ahead runs onboard. 

Maloney’s Alex Perez then relieved starter Sean Nowicky, striking out the first two batters he faced, but with two away, Roberge singled to left to score Maglio – making it a 5-5 affair.
However, the game was ultimately decided in the bottom of the stanza. 

David Stimpson doubled to left center to start the rally and then with one out, Griffen Papallo singled by the bag at third base to score the winning run. 

And then three insurance runs followed.   

A double to left center off the bat of Tyler Duffy scored Papallo, making it 7-5 as Owen Myers relieved Schenck on the hill.   

Jesus Arraez smacked a doubled on Myers first pitch past third, down the left field line to score Duffy, and then an error plated the final run to make it a 9-5 score.  

Maloney relievers Perez, and then Sam Giacco, pitched scoreless sixth and seventh innings to seal the win as the Lancers dropped a tough 9-5 decision.  

Bristol Eastern Baseball  

MALONEY 9, BRISTOL EASTERN 5  

from Maloney High School, Meriden  

Bristol Eastern (2-6)             021 110 0 – 5 10 4
Maloney (5-3)                        013 140 x – 9 11 2  

Battery: Bristol Eastern – Declan Schenck, Owen Myers (5) & Rio Fernandez.  

Maloney: Sean Nowicky, Alex Perez (5), Sam Giacco (7) & Rafael Rodriguez.  

WP: Perez (Maloney); LP: Schenck (Bristol Eastern).  

Bristol Eastern Batting  

2B – None  

3B – Jose Peliciano  

HR – None  

Meriden Batting  

2B – Luis Delgado, Kyle Valentine, David Stimpson, Tyler Duffy,  Jesus Arraez  

3B – None  

HR – None  

Records: Maloney 5-3 overall; Bristol Eastern 2-6