The Bristol Eastern baseball team opened up an 8-0 lead over Tolland and went on to defeat the Tolland Eagles by the score of 8-5 on Monday afternoon, in a game played at Tolland High School.
Anthony Nocera pitched the complete game win for Eastern allowing five hits and four earned runs. Nocera was in complete control except for the fifth inning when Tolland scored four runs on three hits. He retired the side in order in the first, second, and seventh innings.
Eastern struck for two in the top of the first. Noah Molinsky singled, stole second, and scored on Ben D’Amato’s double to right. D’Amato moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Owen Myers sacrifice fly.
Eastern added four runs in the top of the third. Caleb Molinsky reached on an error, and went to third on a hit-&-run single by Gabe White. D’Amato then doubled to deep right to score Molinsky. Myers then singled to left, driving in White and D’Amato. Preston Guarda followed with a single, and Mason Harris singled in Myers with the fourth run of the inning. Eastern now led 6-0.
In the Eastern fourth, a walk and a hit batter put two runners on. Noah Molinsky followed with a single to right to score a run, and another run scored when the right fielder misplayed the ball. Eastern seemed to be in total control with an eight run lead.
Nocera sailed until the fifth. In the Tolland fifth, two walks opened the inning. Evan Clark singled by third, seemingly loading the bases, but the BE third baseman was called for interference, all runners moving up a base. And a groundout, a single, a bad-hop single by short, and a sac fly accounted for four Tolland runs in the inning, and the Eastern margin was now a four run lead, 8-4.
Tolland scored an unearned run in the sixth. An infield error put a runner on, and a single and sacrifice fly scored the run.
With the score now at 8-5, Nocera retired the side in order in the seventh to secure the win.
Eastern had eight hits for the game, two apiece by D’Amato and Noah Molinsky.
Bristol Eastern 8 Tolland 5
BRISTOL EASTERN (4-7): 2 0 4 2 0 0 0 – – – – 8 8 3 TOLLAND (4-4): 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 – – – – 5 5 3
Bristol Eastern: Anthony Nocera & Owen Myers Tolland: Josh Blanchard, Chase Anderson (3), Jeremy Blanchard (6) & Wyatt Zahner
WP: Nocera LP: Josh Blanchard
2B: BE: D’Amato (2)
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