By Michael Letendre

TORRINGTON – The rain gods acted feverishly on Monday evening when the Bristol Senior American Legion baseball team traveled to Torrington for a Zone 3 engagement against Post 38.

And while the weather map did not show rain at the start of the showdown, a dark cloud quickly engulfed the field at Fussenich Park.

After the second inning, sporadic drops of rain proved to be the beginning of the end.

The game made it into the fourth frame but halfway through the tilt, the field flooded, and the contest was halted.

Torrington was leading 3-1 at that point with the storm ruining a good pitcher’s duel.

Bristol’s Declan Schenck and Torrington’s Joe Dipippo battled throughout, keeping their respective squads in the mix.

In fact, the pitchers took charge in the first inning with Dipippo fanning two – as did Schenck on the flip side – with the contest quickly going into the second stanza.

Bristol’s Cole Caccamo earned a one out walk in the top of the second but did not advance while Torrington netted two runs in the bottom of the inning.

With two on, Torrington’s Tyler Semonich walked to load the bases and Melvin Alvarez followed up with a slicer to right – scoring two – but was thrown out at second base off a great thrown-in by Cole Caccamo.

In the third, Bristol got one back as Edward Sanchez led off with an infield hit to shortstop and with one retired, Norris blasted a double to left to put runners on second and third.

An RBI groundout by Jayden Churchill scored Sanchez to make it a 2-1 game midway through three.

Post 38 responded in the bottom of the frame before the rain ruined everyone’s fun.

Jacob Grobel led off with a single to center and then moved to second base via a balk on Schenck.

A groundout to first base moved the lead runner to third and when Casey Cerrutto launched a ball to right, which was caught by Caccamo, Grobel scored from third as the sacrifice fly pushed the Bristol deficit to 3-1.

Bristol nearly answered in the top of the fourth with two away.

Connor Cyr smacked a slick double to the gap in left center and Nick Sconziano followed with a single to left.

Cyr rounded third on the hit, in an attempt to score, but a great throw-in and tag by Cerrutto at the dish got the runner, keeping it a 3-1 contest.

Then the rain came, quickly turning into a downpour of epic proportions that had players and fans alike scurrying for cover.

And ten minutes later, even an ark made by a guy named Noah couldn’t have saved humanity, or the game, that evening.

The contest was quickly suspended in the fourth inning with Post 2 trailing by two runs – to be concluded on another day.

NOTES…A small but powerful storm cell ruined the festivities on Monday. Just less than two miles away from Fussenich Park, heading back to Bristol via Route 8, the streets were bone dry…Not too far away, the Bristol Blues got its game in against Danbury, pulling out a 6-5 victory. By the time the crew from Post 2 was heading back home, it was sprinkling at Muzzy Field but the game was completed, going the full nine innings.

Bristol American Legion Baseball – Zone 3, Senior Division

TORRINGTON 3, BRISTOL 1 (suspended in the fourth)

from Fuessenich Park, Torrington

Bristol (3-2-2) 001 0 – 1 4 1

Torrington (3-5) 021 – 3 3 0 

Bristol Batting

2B – Elliot Norris

3B – None

HR – None

Torrington Batting

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Bristol 3-2-2 overall; Torrington 3-5 (records did not change due to the game not being completed.