By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The Bristol Central softball team might be on a date with destiny in terms of a Class L state championship berth.

And when St. Joseph from Trumbull attempted to derail those plans in a quarterfinal round showdown on Saturday in Bristol, the Rams simply refused to comply.

Trailing by one with the bases loaded, Central’s catching sensation Lorelei Stancavage blasted out the game-winning hit as the second ranked Rams came from behind to spin No. 7 St. Joseph, 4-3 – advancing to semifinal round competition against No. 3 Jonathan Law from West Haven High School on Monday at 7 p.m.

“We haven’t been chasing too many runs all year long,” said Central coach Monica Hayes. “And definitely not with the make-up of this team. In the last couple weeks, they’ve just been on fire offensively. We’ve been stifled in the last week or so and even including today but to execute in a pressure situation, I thought Dez [Nickerson], a freshman, came up huge.”

The comeback was a two-step process after Central (23-2) allowed the Cadets three runs in the top of the fifth as a 2-0 lead became a 3-2 hole.

But the comeback was pretty sweet.

First, Central pitcher Sophia Torreso (seven strikeouts, five hits, two earned runs) fanned every batter she faced in the sixth and seventh innings – setting up an exciting final frame by the locals.

With one away in the bottom of the seventh, Nickerson canned a blazing shot to centerfield and by the time she stopped hustling, there was a runner on third base via a triple.

Kaley Laird, playing excellent defense the entire afternoon, lined to first base for the second out as the Cadets were one putout away from ending Central’s season.

But St. Joseph didn’t want anything to do with Central freshman Lillian VanNostrand (2-for-3) and intentionally walked her – setting up runners on the corners.

The Cadets elected to deal with a couple seniors in the form of Torreso and later, Stancavage.

The Central pitcher drew a 3-1 count before earning a walk, juicing the bases.

And Stancavage, off a 1-2 count, dropped a lined shot to centerfield that no one could quickly track down.

On the play, Nickerson and VanNostrand scored the tying and game-winning runs as the Rams scored a huge one-run triumph.

“I mean, I just walked up [to the plate] with confidence,” said Stancavage. “It’s something I work on with my hitting coach all the time. He puts me in pressure situations, and he just makes games out of it. So, I like going into those types of situations.”

Torreso and Central went 1-2-3 in the top of the first frame while the home team was busy in the bottom of the tilt.

VanNostrand flipped a single to centerfield while Torreso reached on an error when her grounder was fielded to second base, but the catch was not made – putting two runners on.

However, St. Joseph pitcher Kaitlyn Dzialo (nine hits, four earned runs, nine strikeouts, two walks) wiggled out of trouble with two strikeouts to end the first.

In the top of the second, tomfoolery came and went in terms of the weather.

Torreso fanned the first batter, walked Kelsea Flanagan but after Janelli Pratts popped out to Adrianna Lubrico at first base, thunder and lightning delayed the game – starting at 2:50 p.m.

After an 83-minute weather delay, the game recommenced as Central’s Tori Hogan made a great stop at third base, getting the ball over to first to end a very lengthy top of the second.

To open the second for Central, Mya Porrini dropped in a Texas leaguer to short right, moved to second on a fielder’s choice but did not advance any further. 

After Dzialo smashed out a single to center for the first hit by the visitors in the third, Torreso induced an amazing double play ball.

McKenna Stratton popped up a ball that was easily caught in front of the circle by Torreso but pinch-runner Emily Branco was way off the bag on the play.

She was doubled off first base to snuff out the drive while Central went down in order to end the third tilt of a scoreless affair.

For St. Josephs in the fourth, Riley McDermott blasted out a short one-out single to centerfield but Central’s defense, including a slick throw over to first base by Porrini at second, the side was eventually retired.

Finally in the bottom of the fourth, the home team struck pay dirt offensively.

Stancavage started the jaunt off with a single that plunked off the second base bag while Porrini made it 2-for-2 with a blooper to center.

And then Lubrico and Sierra Messier posted back-to-back RBI singles to center – propelling Central to a 2-0 push through four.

But St. Josephs nabbed the lead in the top of the fifth as Niamh Dougherty blasted a two-RBI double and then Jill Guilfyle’s offering to left was misplayed, allowing Dougherty to scoot home, as the visiting aggression seized a 3-2 edge.

But did Central lose its confidence after dropping the lead?

“Absolutely not,” said Stancavage. “I had confidence in my team, I had confidence in myself right along.”

Central looked to have something brewing in the fifth as VanNostrand smacked a single to center but off a line-drive to first by Torreso, McDermott – stationed at first base – snatched the ball from the air and then tagged the bag – completing a double play to keep it a one-run game.

Torreso then fanned the Cadets side in the sixth and seventh innings, striking out six straight, as the home team needed to score at least one run to keep the event – and the season – going.

“That’s what good leaders do and that’s what fantastic pitchers do,” said Hayes of Torreso. “She’s just incredibly intelligent on the mound. She executed when she had to, and the kids saw that.”

In the bottom of the seventh, the game-winning heroics came early and often for Central.

Nickerson belted out her triple, putting the opening touches of the comeback into motion.

“I was so proud of her for that,” said Stancavage of the Nickerson triple. “That was insane especially as an underclassman, I am so proud of her.”

VanNostrand and Torreso earned free passes and Stancavage ended it all with her deep-dish double to center as Central came from behind to stop St. Joseph, 4-3.

“I knew they were going to walk those people,” said Hayes. “It’s just good coaching by them. But [we] put Lorelei in a pressure situation to execute and we’ve been missing that hit with people in scoring position. And what a time to have it.”

“I’m just so proud of those girls.”

Bristol Central Softball – Class L, Second round

No. 2 BRISTOL CENTRAL 2, No. 7 St. JOSEPHS 

from Bristol Central High School

St. Joesph (19-7)          000 030 0 – 3 5 1
Bristol Central (23-2)  000 200 2 – 4 9 2
Battery – St. Joesph: Katie Dzialo & Niam Dougherty; Bristol Central: Sophia Torreso & Lorelei Stancavage.

WP: Sophia Torreso (Bristol Central); LP: Katie Dzialo (St. Joseph)

St. Joseph Batting

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Bristol Central Batting

2B – Lorelei Stancavage

3B – Dez Nickerson

HR – None

Records: Bristol Central 23-2; St. Joesphs 19-7.