Rams square off against No. 9 Notre Dame West Haven today at 3:30 p.m. from Muzzy Field

By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – Seventh inning heroics helped the Bristol Central baseball program, ranked eighth in the Class L bracket, advance to second round play on Tuesday – posting a 5-4 come-from-behind victory against No. 25 Daniel Hand from Muzzy Field in Bristol. 

And in the bottom of the seventh inning, with two runners on, Central’s Anthony Santilli (2-for-4, double) produced the game-winning hit as his single up the middle scored Rocco Spirito to complete the comeback bid. 

“Santilli struck out at the at-bat before,” said Central coach Bunty Ray. “He got into his two-strike stance, and he was able to produce a run.” 

Central (15-6) got a quality outing from starting pitcher Nate Pirog (6.2 IP, six hits, three walks, four strikeouts) while Ty Davis mopped up in the seventh with a strikeout to seize his first state tournament win. 

But the Rams stranded 11 men on base – loading things up over the first and second innings – but scored just one run over that stretch. 

“Wherever anybody hits in the lineup, they’ve got to do their job,” said Ray. “We had runners on base quite a bit. We made some base running mistakes, little things and that’s what happens when you throw young kids in the lineup. You know, maturity on at-bats.” 

Hand’s Tai Nuzzi earned a full count walk to start the game but was out at second base via a fielder’s choice. 

And it looked as if Central had gotten out of the first inning jam, but clean-up hitter Vin Benevento belted a double over the head of Aiden Lopez in left field, plating Troy Piascik, to make it a 1-0 game through just a half inning of play. 

On the flip side in the first, Santilli belted a two-base hit to center and when Lopez (two base-on-balls) drew a walk, two Central runners were on without the benefit of an out. 

With one away, Joe Gratta hit a slow roller to the right of the pitcher’s mound for an out, advancing the duo into scoring position. 

Ryan Ring walked to load the bases and Mason Allan drew a full count with Hand starting pitcher Brandon SanMarco eventually walking in a run, making it a 1-1 game when Santilli tagged the dish. 

But Mason Allan was picked off first base to end the frame as the game went into the second stanza tied at 1-1. 

In the second, Hand’s Sam Markovitz nabbed an infield hit up the middle, was sacrificed over to second and scored when Nick Maynard slapped a single into right, making it a 2-1 game. 

And when Ben Kuta’s fly ball was dropped in right field, which should have ended the inning, two runners scored as the Tigers scooped up a 4-1 cushion. 

“Our outfield today was not like it usually is,” said Ray. “That’s usually our strength. We spotted them four runs. In the state tournament, when you spot somebody four runs, you leave that many guys on base and you don’t particularly run the bases all that well…I can’t think of anything we did great in the first three or four innings.” 

“But then, suddenly, we came back. But we can’t do that against the [Class L] field from here on in.” 

Central was snakebitten in the bottom of the second, earning two walks while Santilli was plunked by a pitch, loading the bases with one out. 

But a 4-6-3 double play ended the inning without the benefit of a run as Hand still led by three through two completed innings. 

Central and Pirog went 1-2-3 in the top of the third while Ring was plunked by a ball in the bottom of the tilt. 

However, a 4-3 putout ended the third with the Tigers still ahead 4-1. 

Hand’s Sam Markovitz (3-for-3) dropped in a deep infield single to first base to open the fourth but was eventually picked off while two Ks by Pirog quickly got Central out of the stanza. 

The Rams got one back in the fourth as Mikey McMahon (2-for-3, walk) singled to right and moved to second on a hit-by-pitch on Spirito. 

Seth Bissonette came in to run for McMahon and got to third on a long fly ball out to right by Santilli. 

And Bissonette scored on a passed ball to trim the deficit to 4-2 through four.  

But to that point of the showdown, Central drew six walks and saw three batters plunked by a pitch and could not get any of those runner’s home. 

“He was playing with fire by putting guys on base,” said Ray of Hand starting pitcher Brendon SanMarco. “We just didn’t make him pay. It wasn’t like they made a ton of defensive plays behind him. We had soft outs. We just have to play better. We have to hit better.” 

Nuzzi singled on with one away in the fifth but was cut down at second base to end the half inning as Central finally generated a little consistent offense. 

Gratta, Mason Allan and McMahon all singled on and with one out in the bottom of the fifth, the bases were juiced for the third time in the showdown. 

And then Mike Allan (2-for-3) blasted the hit of the afternoon, shooting a hot shot up the middle for a base hit, scoring Gratta and Mason Allan and suddenly, it was a brand new game at 4-4. 

Hand had something brewing in the sixth as Markovitz slapped a single to center but was picked off the second base bag via a steal attempt that kept things all tied up going into the bottom of the frame. 

Then in the bottom of the sixth, Kuzniar absolutely hustled out an infield hit to third base with one out as the home team had the go-ahead run at first. 

A fielder’s choice by Gratta pushed Kuzniar to second base but the runner never advanced as the final inning of regulation was upon the game. 

Hand’s Nick Antonetti opened the seventh with a walk and when Jacob Rochler slipped in a sacrifice bunt, the lead runner not only took second but hustled into third base. 

But the defensive play of the game came and went as Maynard sent a dribbler to McMahon at second base. 

He coolly threw the ball home to Ring as he supplied the tag for a 4-2 putout at the plate, ending Pirog’s day as Ty Davis took the mound. 

And Davis sent Nuzzi packing via strikeout as the contest remained a 4-4 affair. 

SanMarco was lifted for Payton Powell in the bottom of the seventh, squaring off against Central batters six through eight. 

With two away, Spirito drew four straight balls as Powell lost the plate a bit, followed by a deep infield hit by Mike Allan to shortstop. 

To end the game with men on first and second and two outs, on a full count with the runners going, Santilli blasted a hit to center – plating Spirito for the game winner – as Central survived by a 5-4 final.  

“Once again, when we needed to get the big hit, we did,” said Ray. “We got guys in. We took the extra base when it presented itself, but we’ve got to play better.” 

The Class L bracket in scholastic baseball is already in turmoil after just day one

The top seed in Class L has already hit the shower. 

On Tuesday, No. 32 Wilton dropped No. 1 Wilcox Tech by a 17-4 final as the day’s biggest upset.  

However, No. 9 Notre Dame West Haven dominated No. 24 Cheney Tech 20-0, setting up Wednesday’s exciting clash against the Rams.  

The Green Knights (15-6) are a legitimate challenge for the Rams and should push the squad to the limit. 

But every win by this Central squad should continue to give the locals more and more confidence, allowing the program chances to play better and advance in Class L bracket play. 

“I’ve been in a lot of tournament games where I’ve seen, and I told them in practice the other day, it could be one bunt coverage, it could be one base running play” that costs the game said Ray. “Hopefully they’re getting the experience and learning from it. But there’s a lot of things that are going on here that just need to be better.” 

If Central can improve upon that first playoff win and take of business against Notre Dame, another home game in Bristol should be in the cards as the winner of the Rams/Green Knights won’t have to travel far for quarterfinal play if No. 17 Windsor advances past Wilton on Wednesday. 

Bristol Central Baseball – Class L Tournament Game 

No. 8 BRISTOL CENTRAL 4, No. 25 DANIEL HAND 4 

from Muzzy Field, Bristol 

Hand (9-12)                            130 000 0 – 4 6 0 

Bristol Central (15-6)           100 120 1 – 5 8 1  

Battery: Hand – Brandon SanMarco, Payton Powell (7) & Paul Calandrelli; Bristol Central – Nate Pirog, Ty Davis (6) & Ryan Ring.

WP – Ty Davis (Bristol Central); LP – Payton Powell (Daniel Hand)

Hand Batting 

2B – Vin Benevento 

3B – None 

HR – None 

Bristol Central Hitting 

2B – Anthony Santilli 

3B – None 

HR – None 

Records: Bristol Central 15-6 overall; Hand 9-12.