By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – The Bristol Central baseball squad was on a roll entering its contest against Lewis Mills this past Wednesday.
The locals had won four straight games, outscoring the opposition 22-3, which included a mercy ruled shortened 10-0 clubbing of New Britain on May 5.
However, the Spartans dropped the Rams by a 13-1 final in Burlington as Mills won for the 10th time.
Games like that happen from time to time over a grueling CCC slate of games as the 13 runs were the most runs that Central allowed this season.
But the critical element was how Central (7-8) responded off that tough 12-run loss.
The answer came on Friday afternoon as the Rams tallied an impressive 4-3 victory over CCC South foe Berlin from Muzzy Field.
“That just shows where we are,” said Central coach Bunty Ray of his squad bouncing back from the Lewis Mills setback.
The season has been a trying one for the program due to inconsistency, injury, and other tomfoolery that few teams have to endure.
But to end April, Central cleared the cobwebs, improved its health with the return of JT Clark, saw sophomore pitchers Oscar Kuzniar and Nate Pirog put together some big performances from the mound, while old hand Frank Spirito loomed big at the plate and on the hill.
And even off a tremendous four-game winning streak, a stinker like the Mills game was quickly put in the past, and the Rams got right back to the pay window against a better-than-advertised Berlin squad – firing up 11 hits against ace pitcher Harrison Lombardi.
“That Lewis Mills game, I mean, I think the kids understood that was just baseball,” said Ray. “Mills just hit everything. They hit every gap. For us, it was just a matter of getting to practice, getting ourselves focused. Our at-bats were better today against a decent pitcher to be honest with you. That was their number one pitcher.”
Timely contributions go a long way and against the Redcoats, when DH Jack Bellantuono had an opportunity to produce from the plate, he did in a big way.
The junior sent a ball to left field for a huge two-base hit as his deep dish double plated a run and gave Central a 2-1 lead at the time.
And that’s exactly what Ray wants to see up at the plate when the game is still hanging in the balance.
“Even better for us was Jack Bellantuono getting that big, big double,” said Ray.
And right after that, Pirog dumped down a bunt to score a third run as Central captured a 3-1 push through three tilts.
After Berlin knocked in two runs to knot things up in the fifth, Spirito shut down the offense the rest of the way – eventually earning the win – while pinch-runner Joe Mauriello scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth, leading Central to a 4-3 victory.
“We’ve got to run the bases a little bit better, and we still have to work on some things,” said Ray. “But every time I go out there, I see us competing a little bit more, getting a little bit hungrier, and it feels good to watch them.”
The weeks ahead…
Central has five games left to end the season, four of which come over a grueling slate next week (weather permitting of course).
The Rams are home for RHAM (3:45 p.m.) on Monday while the following day, Central squares off against Middletown (6:30 p.m.). Both contests commence from Muzzy Field.
The following day, Central travels to West Hartford to battle Hall (3:45 p.m.) and then after a day off, Avon comes to town on Friday (3:45 p.m.) again from Muzzy.
And on Monday, May 23, it will be Central/Eastern one more time (6:30 p.m., Muzzy).
