By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – The Bristol Greeners have been an excellent addition to the 2021 Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League line-up.

And the expansion squad is going to be in every game this year, playing an excellent brand of Bristol baseball.

The Greeners battled against Malloves Jewelers in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday from Muzzy Field in Bristol.

Bristol played extremely well but allowed the Jewelers to score three times in the top of the first inning as the visitors nabbed a 3-2 victory.

The Greeners got an outstanding performance from pitcher Travis Mays as the former Bristol Eastern standout gave it one heck of an effort.

He retired 14 of 15 batters at one point of the game while allowing seven hits and tallying nine strikeouts overall, falling to 0-2 on the campaign.

“Trevor was working well,” said Bristol coach A.J. Lorenzetti.

Credit belongs to the Jewelers’ John Martin and while he didn’t overpower the Greeners on the hill, he threw a complete game that included just six hits and five strikeouts.

Bristol’s Zach Marquis led Bristol from the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk while Lorenzetti added a double.

And all the scoring in the game for both teams came during the first inning of play.

The Jewelers put three runs on the board as a run scoring single from Austin Roy and an RBI groundout by Mike Munson netted two runs while a passed ball allowed a third runner to scoot home as the visitors led 3-0 before Bristol got to bat.

“I think in the first inning, there were a couple balls that just found a hole and I was really proud of Mays for bearing down after that,” said Lorenzetti. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the runs across for him.”

In the bottom of the tilt, the Greeners got two of those runs back.

Marquis led off with a blazing double to the gap in right and with two outs, Jon Pierce dropped in a single to center as the lead runner hustled home to make it a 3-1 game.

And then Lorenzetti smoked a double over the head of the fielder in center as Pierce easily scored to chop the deficit to 3-2 through one completed frame.

Mays settled down nicely in the top of the second, fanning the final two batters he faced to keep it a one-run contest, retiring six straight.

In the bottom of the tilt, Jonah Giblin reached on an error and Marquis walked to put two on with two outs.

But that game-tying hit never came as Bristol still trailed by one going into the third inning.

Cole Peterson slapped a one-out hit to left but didn’t get far a Mays retired nine of 10 during one stretch as Bristol came to the plate in the bottom of the third.

Ben Mazzone was plunked by a pitch to open the frame and made it to second off a grounder from Pierce.

But he ended up stuck in scoring position as the Jewelers were clinging to its 3-2 edge through three.

Marquis made an incredible catch in right field for the second out of the fourth inning, robbing Jake Radziewicz of an extra-base hit, as Mays collected strikeout five and six to end things.

Despite a single from Keegan Bartis in the bottom of the fourth, John Martin fanned the side as Bristol still trailed by a run.

Mays was cruising along, retiring 14 of his last 15 batters, before Chris Zampino drilled a base hit up the middle with two outs.

But a quick fly-ball out by Cole Peterson ended the fifth for the visiting aggression.

And Bristol had a chance to do some damage in the bottom of the inning as Jerry LaPenta and Mazzone each reached base via error.

But a double play and a groundball out stopped the rally as the Jewelers refused to yield its 3-2 advantage through five.

And then in the sixth, Austin Roy and Munson plastered back-to-back hits to open things, but Mays struck out Ty Baldwin – ending his stint on the mound with one out in the sixth.

Kenny Knox came in to throw with one gone and generated two quick outs as the Greeners were looking to tie the event up.

Noah Fradette opened the sixth with a blooper to left and Zach Bartolome came into pinch run but the bottom of the Greeners’ order couldn’t bring him home.

The Jewelers attempted to add insurance in the top of the seventh as Chris Zampino dropped a deep infield hit to short to start a rally.

He advanced to second on a wild pitch but Knox fanned Peterson to end the seventh as Bristol had to score a run to keep the game going with the top the order due up.

Marquis complied with a single to the gap in right as the Greeners were in business as the go-ahead run was at the dish.

But Martin induced a strikeout and two fly-outs to end the contest as the Greeners fell, 3-2.

“We definitely had a lot of opportunities” to score, said Lorenzetti. “The guys put together a lot of [good] at-bats. I really don’t think we struck out much tonight at all. We put a lot of balls in play. Unfortunately, [the Jewelers] made a few good plays [and] we hit a few balls at them. That’s what makes the difference.”

Greater Hartford Twilight League Baseball

MALLOVES JEWELERS 3, BRISTOL GREENERS 2

from Muzzy Field, Bristol 

Jewelers (1-0)                        300 000 0 – 3 8 3

Bristol Greeners (1-2)           200 000 0 – 2 6 0  

WP: John Martin (J); LP: Trevor Mays (B, 0-2) 

Jewelers Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Bristol Greeners Batting 

2B – Zach Marquis, A.J. Lorenzetti

3B – None

HR – None

Records: Malloves Jewelers 1-0 overall; Bristol Greeners 1-2