By Michael Letendre 

TORRINGTON – The Bristol American Legion Baseball team finally completed its suspended game against Torrington on Wednesday evening. 

And Post 2 took the opportunity to steal away the game in what turned into a bit of a blowout. 

Torrington was leading 3-1 when the rain came on June 19 – suspending the showdown. 

After a troublesome fifth frame in the restart, Bristol crushed it over sixth and seventh innings as the visitors notched seven straight runs to snare a huge 8-3 win from Fuessenich Park in Torrington 

Bristol improved to 10-7-1 overall while Torrington fell to 6-14. 

The game may have taken over three weeks to complete but in the end, Post 2 earned its fifth victory over its past six games, zipping up critical momentum going into the tail end of the week. 

The game certainly did not start in Bristol’s favor, but the squad did everything it could to eventually turn the showdown around in the restart for an improbable victory. 

Here comes the rain again 

Here’s how the scoring took place before the game was suspended on June 19: 

Bottom of the second  

*Melvin Alvarez’s single to right scored two as Post 38 led 2-0 through two completed frames. 

Top of the third 

*An RBI groundout by Jayden Churchill plated EJ Sanchez to chop the deficit to 2-1. 

Bottom of the third 

*Casey Cerrutto’s sacrifice fly scored Jacob Grobel as Bristol trailed by a 3-1 push before the game was suspended half an inning later. 

And now the conclusion 

The game restarted in the bottom of the fourth as batters 5-7 were up for the home team. 

But Bristol pitcher Caleb Molinsky (four innings, one hit) induced three quick outs to end the fourth. 

With one gone in the fifth, Bristol’s Josh Dunne got hit by a pitch and when Elliot Norris dropped in a one-hopper to center, the lead runner got to second base safely. 

But the throw-in got away from the second base bag,  Dunne tried to get to third but was gunned down for the second out of the frame. 

Norris swiped second base, but Churchill flew out to shallow left to get Post 38 back to the dish, still in front by two runs. 

“We had three at-bats, we were down 3-1 and when we got up in the top of the fifth, I said we were playing for a run,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta. “If we get one run and make it 3-2 in the fifth, we’re right back in the game.” 

While the run didn’t come for Bristol, Torrington’s fifth came and went rather quickly as an inning ending double play saw Grobel fly out to right for the second out and Cole Caccamo quickly tossing the ball to first base – doubling up the runner who was nearly at second base – to end the frame. 

And in the fateful sixth stanza, Post 2 finally drew ahead. 

Ryan Maglio generated a one-out walk and Caccamo followed up with a single to center, putting two runners on. 

After Connor Cyr flew out, Bristol scored three runs via a slick two-out rally. 

Nick Sconziano singled through the infield into right, loading the bases and from there, Sanchez put together an epic at-bat. 

He just kept fouling off pitch after pitch, earned a full count, and kept battling until drawing the biggest base-on-balls of Bristol’s campaign, forcing Maglio in and making it a 3-2 game via the RBI walk. 

“I thought EJ had an amazing at-bat,” said LaPenta of Sanchez. “We’re down 3-1 there with the bases loaded. He just fouled off a whole bunch of pitches and got us to 3-2. Now [Torrington pitcher Joe Dipippo] is really squeezing the ball. He walks another guy to tie it up.” 

Another RBI base-on-balls, this time by Josh Dunn, saw Caccamo score from third to knot the contest at 3-3. 

And when Norris eked out a bases loaded infield hit to shortstop, the speedster got to first safety, no play could be made and Sconziano scored as Post 2 captured the lead at 4-3 after five-and-a-half innings of play. 

Even an error couldn’t slow down Bristol in the bottom of the sixth as a huge 6-4-3 double play, cued by Norris at shortstop, thrown over to Maglio at second base and then gunned down to Cyr at first – snuffed out Post 38’s chances to draw even. 

Then the seventh stanza came and went for Bristol as the squad scored four times to make the event academic. 

Maglio walked for the second time – again with one out – and Caccamo added another single to center to put two on. 

Cyr then flashed a base hit through the hole to center, plating Maglio, as the insurance run saw Bristol charge in front 5-3. 

“Connor had a huge hit to put us ahead,” said LaPenta. “We were just tacking on there and it just takes all the pressure off [Molinsky].” 

Additional offense was on the way as Sconziano dropped a ball in no-man’s land in right field by the foul line, scoring Caccamo, as Post 2 scooped up a 6-3 edge. 

“Nick just keeps getting hits,” marveled LaPenta.  

After Sanchez popped out for the second out, it set up the vaunted ‘Bristol pickle’ that looked more like a traditional double steal than Post 2’s traditional run and bait situation. 

Sconziano eventually took off from first base, baiting the throw from the catcher as Cyr eventually was off to the races from third. 

The ball wasn’t fielded cleanly at second base and when Cyr tagged the dish, Bristol earned a 7-3 push. 

Finally, Josh Dunn’s short pop-up behind third base was bobbled, leading to Sconziano coming home, and trailing 8-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, Torrington was basically down and out. 

A leadoff double by Thomas Pataky didn’t faze Molinsky, or the Bristol defense in the least, as the visiting aggression quickly ended things from there. 

“[When] you’re up five runs, you don’t care about the first guy,” said LaPenta. “No biggie.” 

Molinsky kept his cool, threw strikes and a groundout and two pop-ups later, the game was finally completed as Bristol zipped up an impressive 8-3 win behind the power of seven unanswered runs while Molinsky moved to 4-1 overall. 

“The kids are playing with a lot of confidence,” said LaPenta. “Coming down here 3-1, we only have three at-bats, they had four and we just took the will right out of them in the sixth inning. It’s just an amazing win.” 

NOTE…Bristol ends the regular season with four games in three days this weekend, starting with two contests at Northeast on Friday (weather permitting). Post 2 goes to South Windsor on Saturday and then finishes up play on Sunday in Enfield. All four games are Zone 3 affairs.  

Bristol American Legion Baseball – Zone 3, Senior Division showdown

BRISTOL 8, TORRINGTON 3

from Fuessenich Park, Torrington

Bristol (10-7-1)          001 003 4 – 8 11 3

Torrington (6-14)      021 000 0 – 3 4 1 

WP – Caleb Molinsky (Bristol, 4-1 overall; LP – Joe Dipippo (Torrington)

Bristol Batting

2B – Elliot Norris, Connor Cyr

3B – None

HR – None

Torrington Batting

2B – Thomas Patacky

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Bristol 10-7-1 overall; Torrington 6-14.