One year ago, as a 9U team, Bristol turned some heads as the youngest group in the District 5 Softball Tournament, pulling off a first round upset of Wallingford before falling just short in the semifinals.
This season, Bristol was not going to be denied. Now a 10U squad, Bristol went through the district tournament undefeated, capping their championship run with a 9-4 victory over Wallingford Wednesday evening.
Bristol now moves into the Sectionals Tournament, which will be held next week in Granby.
“One year later, with the same team coming into this tournament, we’ve seen such a big growth from last year to this year,” Bristol coach Anthony Lefurgey said. “Our pitching, our catching, our hitting, our baserunning – a huge improvement all around from everyone.”
After blowout wins in its first two games versus Wallingford (9-0) and Southington (15-0), Bristol had a stave off a valiant effort from Wallingford in the finale.
Bristol jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second in an unconventional style. With two outs, the return throw from Wallingford’s catcher on the pitch sailed past the mound, allowing Caroline Motel and Dakota Green to score on the error.
In the bottom of the frame, Green was in the mix again, catching a fly ball in right field and throwing to first to complete a double play to end Wallingford’s first threat.
“That was such a huge play from Dakota Green to get us out of that jam,” noted Lefurgey.
Bristol rode the momentum from that play into the top of the third when Keeva Knowles crushed a three-run homer to center, scoring Ava Lefurgey and Makinnley Whitlock for a 6-0 advantage.
In the fourth, Ava Lefurgey ripped an RBI single and Maddy Yopp walked with the bases loaded to put Bristol up 8-1.
Wallingford clawed back with three bases loaded walks in the fifth before Ava Lefurgey added another run-scoring single for insurance in the bottom of the inning.
Wallingford had one last chance in the sixth, but Lucy Kalat stopped a hard grounder at second to record the first out before Ava Lefurgey notched her 12th and 13th strikeouts of the contest in the circle to seal the win and a trip to the sectionals.
“I am super proud of this team,” said Anthony Lefurgey, who coaches alongside Kevin Kalat and Mike Bastiaanse. “I told the team before the game that this will need to be a team effort. And absolutely this team won today because it was a 100 percent team effort.”
A team effort it was. Lucy Bastiaanse, who tossed a no-hitter in the round prior against Southington, had two hits, including a triple, and two walks. Whitlock reached base four times with a single and three walks, while Yopp reached base in all three of her plate appearances (single, two walks).
Ellie Tiscia (single, walk), Ava Wijdan (two walks) and Motel (two walks) all reached base twice for Bristol, with Maci Duchemin adding a walk.
With one championship down, Bristol now has its vision on more.
“We’re very excited for this opportunity (at sectionals),” Anthony Lefurgey said. “They definitely have earned this.”
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