By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – The Bristol American Legion baseball team was never able to draw even against Tri-County on a Wednesday evening encounter.
Tri-County led 9-0 through three innings and never looked back, earning a 12-5 victory from Muzzy Field in Zone 3 play.
It was the first game of a doubleheader for the squad from Bristol.
Post 2 fell to 5-6-4 overall while Tri-County improved to 7-8.
James Quinn earned the win for Tri-County from the mound, throwing 5.1 innings of two run/six hit ball which included four strikeouts.
Ryan Maglio threw the first two frames for Bristol but after trailing 5-0, Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta pulled the chucker to keep his pitching ability intact for another day.
“We were down 5-0 and it was hot,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta. “And if I left Maglio in, I burn him and he couldn’t pitch for four more days [if he went the distance]. We’ve got a bunch of games coming up.”
Tri-County got cooking early, netting three runs in the top of the first frame via several bleeders and nubbers.
An RBI single by AJ Blanchette, flipped right behind Bristol second baseman Joe Sconziano, scored Luke Pernella and then a base hit to center from Oliver Ross pushed home Avery Gugliotti and Blanchette as the visitors grabbed a quick 3-0 edge through just a half-inning of play.
“He wasn’t pitching bad,” said LaPenta of Maglio. “But Tri-County hit a bunch of bleeders to start the game and then we got behind the eight ball.”
For Post 2 in the first, Sconziano earned a full count walk but was erased by a 6-4 groundout from Elliot Norris.
Norris eventually stole second and got to third base safely on an infield hit by Cole Caccamo.
But Norris snuck off third base on the play, got caught in a rundown and was eventually tagged out to end the inning without the benefit of a run.
In the top of the second, a groundout by Luke Pernella led to a run and when Gugliotti cracked an RBI single to center, Pernella came home as Tri-County zipped up a 5-0 push.
That’s when LaPenta pulled Maglio for Cyr to start the third inning.
“It was 5-0 [and] Maglio was at 44 pitches,” said LaPenta. “Let’s take him out and have him [ready] for that [Friday continuation] game [against NCL].”
When Cyr came into pitch. the visitors went for three third inning runs to make it an 8-0 contest.
Ross, who walked abroad, scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Jeremiah Bobbi and two throwing errors later – off a stolen base and then a secondary advancement – two more men tagged the plate as Tri-County plastered up an imposing eight-run cushion.
Tri-County nabbed a run in the fourth as a double from Gugliotti eventually led to a sacrifice fly by Nathan Cone, netting the inning’s only run – making it 9-0.
Credit Quinn through four as he allowed just one hit and a walk to keep Bristol’s bats relatively silent.
Cyr and company got out of the fifth frame without allowing a run, keeping the event a 9-0 game with Post 2 looking to finally crack the scoreboard.
“Connor, he didn’t throw bad,” said LaPenta of Cyr. “We just made a [ton] of errors.”
Bristol’s EJ Sanchez and Maglio drew back-to-back singles to open the bottom half of the fifth and with two gone, Joe Dunne beat out an infield hit – plating Maglio – as the home team trailed 9-1 going into the sixth stanza.
But Tri-County added two runs to its till in the sixth as two RBI groundouts led to an 11-1 score, meaning Bristol had to score at least once in the bottom of the inning to keep the event going.
Jayden Churchill nabbed a leadoff single to the gap in right and Caccamo followed with his own base hit to right to keep the sixth stanza alive as Quinn left the game with one away.
Bobbi came into throw from centerfield and Bristol made a little noise against the relief pitcher.
A balk by Bobbi advanced Churchill and Caccamo and Maglio brought the duo home with a shot to left that went over the fielder’s head in left as the double chopped the deficit to 11-3.
Cyr then helped his own cause with a single to left and on the throw in, the ball went all the way to the backstop.
Maglio scored on the error and suddenly, it was an 11-4 contest with one inning to play.
In the seventh, Chris Lusignan tripled to the corner in left and scored on a wild pitch – helping the visitors seize an imposing 12-4 lead.
With the top of the order up for Bristol to end the game, Sconziano singled to right to start a rally.
He advanced to third on a groundout by Norris and a sacrifice fly to right by Churchill scored Sconziano to make it a 12-5 game.
Caccamo came up with a flare to right to get on base but never advanced as Tri-County scooped up a big seven-run win in Bristol.
But despite the rocky start, the Bristol team came together a bit in the end which eventually helped fuel Post 2 over its huge one-run victory against Middletown in the nightcap.
Bristol American Legion Baseball – Zone 3 Showdown
TRI-COUNTY 12, BRISTOL 5
from Muzzy Field, Bristol
Tri-County (7-8) 323 102 1 – 12 11 4
Bristol (5-6-4) 000 013 1 – 5 10 6
WP – James Quinn (Tri-County); LP – Ryan Maglio (Bristol)
Tri-County Batting
2B – Avery Gugliotti
3B – Chris Lusignan
HR – None
Bristol Batting
2B – Ryan Maglio
3B – None
HR – None
LOB – Tri-County 8; Bristol 6.
Records: Tri-County 7-8 overall; Bristol 5-6-4.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.