The Bristol Eastern baseball team opened their season with a tough 7-5 loss to Wethersfield on Saturday. One or two key hits would have made the difference, as the Lancers had men on base almost every inning, but that one key hit never came.
Wethersfield collected seven hits in the game, but four went for extra bases, with three of these driving in six of the Eagles’ runs. Eastern had nine hits in the game, along with five walks and four Wethersfield errors, but left twelve runners on base.
In the bottom of the first inning, Wethersfield’s Cam Righi hit a solo home run over the center field fence off Lancer starter Anthony Nocera. Then, following two walks and a wild pitch, Jack Tenney’s two-run double to left center made it a 3-0 game after one.
Eastern responded with two runs in the top of the third. Brayden Schenck scored on an infield error, and Preston Guarda crossed the plate on Owen Myers’ line single over short.
The Lancers then tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth when Schenck’s single drove in Noah Molinsky, who had gotten on via an outfield error.
Wethersfield went ahead for good as they loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth, and Jackson Kelly’s double to deep center field scored all three, making it a 6-3 game.
Eastern got a run back in the top of the fifth. Mason Harris doubled to right center, and scored on Myers’ double to left.
Wethersfield made it a 7-4 game in the bottom of the sixth. Eastern reliever Jonny Montgomery struck out the first two batters, but a Righi double, an intentional pass, and a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Another walk, and then an infield single to deep short by Max Hoon scored Righi.
Eastern’s Myers opened the top of the seventh with his third hit of the game, a double to left center and later scored when Caleb Molinsky’s single to left was misplayed by the left fielder, making it a 7-5 game.
With the potential tying run on base, Righi came on in relief to get the final two outs with two runners aboard, capping his star-of-the-game performance.
Myers had two doubles, a single and a walk in a perfect day at the plate for Eastern. Schenck collected two singles, Dennis Espinal had a pinch-hit single, Ben D’Amato had a single, and the Harris double and Molinsky single accounted for the nine Lancer hits.
Eastern travels to Beehive Field to face New Britain tonight at 6:00.
BRISTOL EASTERN (0-1): 0 0 2 1 1 0 1 – – – – 5 9 1 WETHERSFIELD (1-0): 3 0 0 3 0 1 X – – – – 7 7 4
Eastern: Anthony Nocera, Jonny Montgomery (5) and Owen Myers. Wethersfield: Justin Bagdasarian, Max Hoon (5), Cam Righi (7) and Righi, Matt Doyle (7).
WP: Bagdasarian LP: Nocera
2B: BE: Myers (2), Harris W: Tenney, Kelly, Righi HR: W: Righi
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