BRISTOL – Entering the month of May, look what local scholastic baseball program is still undefeated in town.
The Bristol Central baseball squad has been on fire since the 2023 campaign started, going a perfect 9-0 – allowing just 0.8 runs-per-game to date.
It’s a simple formula for the Rams: pitching and defense.
And both those elements win games.
The pitching staff has been simply tremendous, throwing strikes which has kept the competition frustrated and off the bases.
The combination of Frank Spirito, Aiden Lopez, Oscar Kuzniar and Nate Pirog might make up one of the most efficient pitching rotations in all the Central Connecticut Conference.
“The team is off to a good start with a great pitching staff,” said Central coach Bunty Ray. “We have given up only [seven] runs in [nine] games with only three runs being earned.”
And the stats are near astonishing.
Spirito is a perfect 3-0 overall with a 0.67 ERA in 21 innings pitched, tallying 41 strikeouts to date.
Lopez has been a beast as well, going 3-0, which includes – along with a little help from Nick Krompegal – a no-hitter against Platt last week.
He has thrown 16 innings, is 2-0 versus Platt this season, and has collected 29 strikeouts.
Pirog came into the last week 1-0, did not allow an earned run to start the season, while scooping up 13 strikeouts.
Kuzniar and Krompegal have been solid out of the bullpen, chucking over a half-dozen innings of scoreless ball.
That was defense, this is offense
There’s a tough line-up Ray can employ daily with impressive versatility.
Leadoff batter Joe Gretta is just as dangerous as Christian Stafford at the bottom of the order.
When batters one through nine can hit the ball, opponents don’t earn much of a break.
“The offense has hit up and down the lineup, taking advantage of opponents mistakes while also getting timely hits,” said Ray. “Production has come from everywhere in the lineup.”
Ray has highlighted Mike McMahon, Anthony Santilli and Mike Allan as being “clutch as of late.”
But back to the top of the order and Gretta.
The Southington transfer is amazing on both sides of the ball with his speed and ability to find a way on base.
And he’s a leadoff batter with power to boot and will chase everything down in centerfield.
Kuzniar and Lopez, who went 3-of-4 against Platt during his no-hitter, are producing runs while every player is getting it done in the field and at the plate.
“Seniors Christian Stafford, Frank Spirito and Ryan Ring have been solid both defensively and offensively.”
That is a lineup, one through nine, every team in the state would love to employ while the bench, with the likes of Rocco Spirito, provides plenty of pop when Ray makes a substitution.
Through nine games, Central has allowed just seven runs while notching over fifty on the flip side.
“The team batting average is .331,” said Ray, helping to accumulate that tremendous offense.
May is Muzzy Time
The schedule is a bit backloaded for Central this year and most of those challenging games will be played from the friendly confines of Muzzy Field – a venue the Rams are excited to be competing at.
Just this week, there will be three big challenges from Muzzy.
First, and it is a big one to start, the Rams battle Newington (8-1) at 4 p.m. on Monday and then two days later, Enfield (6 p.m.) travels to Bristol for a CCC interdivisional tilt.
The Eagles are 6-4 and then on Friday, Central and Eastern (3-6) take Muzzy Field at 7 p.m.
Overall to end the regular season, only two of Central’s remaining 11 contests will not be played in Bristol.
The Rams tangle against Tolland (currently 4-5) on the road on May 8 while squaring off at Berlin (5-5) when May 12 rolls around.
“There are a lot of tough opponents coming up and we need to stay focused on getting better heading into the postseason,” said Ray. “Most baseball seasons have highs and lows and it’s extremely tough to stay mentally and emotionally tough for a whole season. The players have bought into competing on every play so far.”
“Although we have made some mistakes, we have showed way more maturity handling bad plays and creating positive plays quickly after.”
Update…Last Thursday, Nate Pirog helped Bristol Central stay undefeated as Central belted Wethersfield by a 9-1 final in a CCC interdivisional showdown.
He managed an effort that included one earned run and four strikeouts. Central is now 9-0 and is one of the state’s few undefeated programs entering May.
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