By Michael Letendre 

BRISTOL – After a four-game winning streak was snapped by a blowout loss at Lewis Mills on Wednesday, the Bristol Central baseball team got right back at it on Friday – nabbing a huge 4-3 victory over Berlin from Muzzy Field in Bristol. 

The Rams, now 7-8, held a 3-1 lead but the Redcoats (6-10) tied things up midway through the fifth frame before the home team scratched across a run in the bottom of the tilt to seize the edge for good. 

“That’s a good Berlin team,” said Central coach Bunty Ray. “Their record is very deceiving. They play in the top tier [of the CCC]. They swing the bat very well. The kids gutted it out.” 

Ray went to his two-tier pitching line-up, starting Nate Pirog and then switching to Frank Spirito as the duo scattered three runs off of nine hits over seven good innings of work. 

Pirog (3.1 innings, one run, five hits) threw into the fourth while Spirito (two runs, four hits, five Ks) mopped up the rest of the way – earning the win. 

“That’s been our formula for all our wins and success in big games,” said Ray of the dual pitching stints. “I mean, Frank is obviously on three days and Nate’s on three days. We’re just trying to climb into the tournament, give them a little break here and there.” 

Berlin attacked with one out in the first frame, getting a base hit from Jamie Palmese before a 4-6-3 double play ended the half-inning. 

In the bottom of the first, Central’s JT Clark slapped out an infield hit while Spirito and Ryan Ring were consecutively hit-by-pitches to load the bases with one away.  

And when Anthony Santilli’s slow roller to second saw the only possible play at first base, Clark came home to score as the Rams nabbed an early 1-0 push. 

To open the second, the Redcoats’ Kyle Hyde (3-for-4, RBI) dropped a double that bounced to the wall in left field as the visiting aggression was looking to tie things up. 

Toby Lavender later sent a ball to the gap in left as Central’s Zach Vanasse, making one heck of effort in center, just couldn’t capture it as the error led to Hyde scoring – making it a 1-1 game. 

In the bottom of the tilt, Central’s Bryan Capezzone walked and Mike Allan singled to left as the home squad had two one with just one out. 

To end the stanza, Clark slipped a single into left as Capezzone came home, attempting to score after tagging third base. 

But the runner was gunned down at the plate to end the second – keeping it a 1-1 stalemate. 

Berlin’s Dave Manafort (3-for-3, run) started the third with a one-hopper to right but he never left base while Spirito returned the favor with a single to start the bottom of the inning, advancing to second on Ring’s groundout to third. 

Santilli then reached on an error at shortstop as Central had runners on the corners with one down. 

And then DH Jack Bellantuono had the hit of the game, burying a ball deep to left, as Spirito scored and Pirog followed it up with a sweet squeeze bunt – plating Santilli – as Central nabbed a 3-1 push. 

The Redcoats roped up two singles to start the fourth and with one away, Spirito relived Pirog on the hill with runners on first and third. 

Lavender stole second to put two men in scoring position but Central’s Christian Stafford made an outstanding scoop of a Jon D’Amore groundout at third base and Mike Muscatello looked at strike three from Spirito as Central wiggled out of the jam, still leading 3-1. 

“Stafford’s play was unbelievable,” said Ray. “Our outfielders, they battled. We backed them up today. The ball was carrying. We backed them up and they went and tracked the ball down.” 

In the top of the fifth, Manafort dropped in a double just out of the reach of Santilli in right while Ryan Hines drew a base-on-balls to put two on with no outs. 

But Central was one strike away from getting out of the jam until Hyde slipped a slicer into center as Manafort came home to make it a 3-2 game. 

And with runners on first and third, Sal Dastoli belted a single to right and when Hines tagged the dish, it was a brand-new game at 3-3. 

“That’s a good offensive team,” said Ray of Berlin. “We had to play some defense behind [our pitchers]. It wasn’t the normal strikeouts.” 

Spirito started the bottom of the fifth with a blast to the gap in left as the double put the go-ahead run on for Central. 

Santilli struck out but on a passed ball, pinch runner Joe Mauriello advanced to third base. 

And one pitch later, the ball got away from the Berlin catcher – allowing Mauriello to score – and through five, Central reacquired the lead at 4-3. 

Manafort then went 3-for-3 with his single to right with two outs in the sixth but with two on, Spirito fanned Palmese to end the threat as Central’s one run edge carried into the seventh. 

In the top of the final inning, Spirito made a sweet catch of a Hyde line-drive to rob the batter of his fourth hit but Dastoli walked on a full count as Berlin had the tying run on. 

And Spirito struck out Lavender to end the showdown as Central came away with a huge 4-3 victory over Berlin. 

“You get pounded on Wednesday and you come back on Friday and play an unbelievable game,” said Ray. “That’s the mark of a team heading in the right direction.” 

Bristol Central Baseball – CCC South Showdown   

BRISTOL CENTRAL 4, BERLIN 3 

from Muzzy Field, Bristol 

Berlin (6-10)                          010 020 0 – 3 9 1 

Bristol Central (7-8)             102 010 0 – 4 6 1 

WP: Frank Spirito (Bristol Central); LP: Harrison Lombardi (Berlin). 

Berlin Batting  

2B – Kyle Hyde, Dave Manafort 

3B – None  

HR – None  

Bristol Central Batting  

2B – Jack Bellantuono, Frank Spirito 

3B – None  

HR – None 

Records: Bristol Central overall 7-8; Berlin 6-10. 

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