By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The Bristol Eastern baseball squad put up a five-spot during second inning play on Monday during its CCC South bout against Newington but simply couldn’t hang on to any lasting momentum.

And Newington reliver Sam Drozd threw 5.1 frames of shutout ball as the Lancers fell by a 9-6 final from Muzzy Field in Bristol.

The Nor’easters moved to 12-3 overall while the Lancers fell to 4-11 with five games left to play.

The Lancers jumped out to a 6-2 advantage after two innings of action, only to see Newington come back with seven unanswered runs over the remainder of the contest.

Newington scored two runs, without the benefit of a hit, in the top of the first off Eastern starter Anthony Nocera who did not factor into the ultimate decision. 

The first two batters reached on a hit by pitch and a walk, respectively, with one run scoring on a sacrifice fly and another on an infield error to make it a 2-0 game.

Eastern got one back in the bottom of the first as consecutive one-out singles by Connor Cyr, Ben D’Amato, and Ryan Maglio loaded the bases.

A base-on-balls to Rio Fernandez scored Cyr made it a 2-1 game through one.

The Nor’easters were held scoreless in the second stanza while the Kingstreeters went on the attack in the bottom of the tilt.

Three consecutive singles by Caleb Molinsky, Isaac Roberge, and Kyle Babin (team leading three hits) loaded the bases. 

Gabe White’s grounder to shortstop led to a fielder’s choice, with everyone safe and scoring Molinsky to knot things up at 2-2.

Newington starter Gavin Gray retired the next two batters before a Maglio walk forced in a run while Fernandez was plunked by a pitch – for an RBI tally – to make it a 4-2 contest.

And a two run double off the bat of Harris propelled Eastern to a 6-2 cushion before Drozd relieved Gray to generate the final out of the frame.

Drozd then pitched five scoreless innings in relief, allowing just four hits, striking out eight, and kept Eastern off the scoreboard for the remainder of the encounter.

Newington picked up two runs in the third, a couple more in the fourth to tie the game, and then added three runs in the sixth, off a trio of Lancer pitchers, to go on to the win.

Owen Myers drew the loss for the Lancers while Johnny Montgomery allowed no hits over his two-inning stint, tallying four strikeouts. 

Eastern, which had eleven hits for the game, jammed out seven over the first two frames to grab that four-run edge.

Harris and Ben D’Amato each nabbed two to help Eastern’s offensive attack.

Bristol Eastern Baseball – CCC Interdivisional Action 

NEWINGTON 9, BRISTOL EASTERN 6

from Muzzy Field, Bristol   

Newington (12-3)       202 203 0 – 9 6 0 

Bristol Eastern (4-11)       150 000 0 – 6 11 3 
Battery: Newington – Gavin Gray, Sam Drozd (2) & Chase Leonard; Bristol Eastern – Anthony Nocera, Owen Myers (4), Johnny Montgomery (6) & Rio Fernandez. 

WP: Sam Drozd (Newington); LP: Owen Myers (Bristol Eastern). 

Bristol Eastern Batting   

2B – Mason Harris   

3B – None   

HR – None    

Records: Newington 12-3 overall; Bristol Eastern 4-11.