By Michael Letendre

ELLINGTON – The Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball team battled Zone 3 challenger Ellington this past Friday with a line-up that featured only nine players.

With the top of its wheelhouse not in the state and its core from Wolcott unavailable, Post 2 attempted to mix and match offense and defense against a more than decent Ellington program.

A tough first inning set the tone of the game as Ellington doused Bristol for several runs, eventually capturing an 11-1 mercy ruled win from Ellington High School.

The victors improved to 4-2 overall while Bristol slipped to 1-2-1.

Ellington went for seven runs in the bottom of the first to take ultimate control of the showdown as a two-RBI double, an infield bunt no one had a play on, along with two bases-loaded walks, helped make it a 5-0 game – ending the day for Bristol starting pitcher Isaac Roberge midway through the stanza.

“I’m trying to see what I’ve got with Isaac. He didn’t pitch much in the high school season,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta. “He’s got a decent arm, but he gets down on himself really quick. We just have to figure out how to use him best, maybe bring him later in the game without the pressure of starting. He threw pretty good in the game [Northeast] that got suspended due to rain. He threw one inning there. He threw pretty good so maybe we’ll have to use him out of the bullpen more.” 

Declan Schneck came in for Roberge but an error at third base, along with an RBI groundout by Thomas Lesco made it 7-0 though one.

Bristol just couldn’t catch up from there.

“It was a tough first inning,” said LaPenta. “We had a chance to make a play there. There was a ground ball to third and we didn’t make it with two outs.”

Evan Robbins won the showdown on the hill for Ellington, allowing just one hit, walking four while striking out four over three innings.

He got in trouble early but eventually managed to escape without allowing a run.

Ellington had men on in the second frame, but Schneck got out of the jam to keep it a 7-0 game.

But the chucker ran into a bit of trouble in the third tilt.

With two away, Lesco’s offering to shortstop allowed Brandon Anderson to score from third while Dylan Aafedt cracked a two-base hit to left for an RBI as the home squad led it 9-0 through three.

Post 2 had chances over the first three stanzas as Connor Cyr doubled to right and EJ Sanchez sacrificed him to third base in the top of the first.

Both Ryan Maglio and Cole Caccamo walked to load things up but two outs later, the half-inning was over as Bristol did not score.

Schenck walked to open the second inning but never advanced while Sanchez was robbed of a hit at shortstop in the third while Schenck followed suit in the fourth – this time by the third baseman – as Ellington was ahead by nine going into the bottom of the fourth.

“I thought we had some decent at-bats,” said LaPenta. “We hit the ball hard [and] we made a few plays.”

Cyr came in to pitch in the fourth as Ellington went for two runs via an RBI groundout by Anderson while another miscue plated Evan Robbins to make it an 11-0 contest going into the top of the fifth.

“Declan threw all right, but I didn’t want to waste him,” said LaPenta. “And Connor [Cyr], he can throw some strikes. He hasn’t pitched in a while.”

Bristol finally got on the board in the fifth and final inning.

Jed Sutula beat-out an infield hit to third, went to second on a passed ball and then Sanchez walked as men were on the corners.

Maglio followed up by ripping a long foul ball to right for the second out but on the play, Sutula came home to trim the deficit to 11-1.

But Post 2 did not get any closer as the visiting squad absorbed a tough ten-run decision to fall to 1-2-1 overall.

“We were really shorthanded today,’ said LaPenta. “We were missing all those kids. The good thing about baseball is you get right back at it [Saturday]. We should have a lot of guys back.”

“Maglio, our best, will be throwing on the mound, so if we get a win, things will look better.”

Bristol American Legion Baseball – Zone 3, Senior Division

ELLINGTON 11, BRISTOL 1 (5)

from Ellington High School

Bristol (1-2-1)            000 01 – 1 2 3

Ellington (4-2)           702 1x – 11 5 0 

WP – Evan Robbins (Ellington); LP – Isaac Roberge (Bristol).

Bristol Batting

2B – Connor Cyr

3B – None

HR – None

Ellington Batting

2B – Steven Kozak, Dylan Aafedt

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Ellington overall 4-2; Bristol 1-2-1.