By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – Would the Bristol Central softball team ever complete its epic Class LL second round clash against Cheshire?

It all started on Wednesday with a no-go due to an unfortunate quick downpour and a soaked field over at Bristol Central.

On Thursday, the battle eventually commenced from Casey Field in Bristol but in the top of the fourth inning, here comes the rain again.

Finally, in a Friday morning attraction, the contest between the tremendous programs was finally completed.

And No. 5 Bristol Central defeated No. 12 Cheshire by a 3-1 final from Casey Field as the locals moved on to the quarterfinal round.

“Survive and advance, just what I told the kids,” said Central coach Monica Hayes. “Survive and advance in tournament time. It doesn’t matter how you get it done as long as you move on and we did that.”

The Rams will stay home to take on No. 13 Trumbull (17-5) in a Class LL quarterfinal from the softball field at BCHS on Saturday – starting at 4 p.m.

Central won for the 20th time this year (20-4) and the players from the winning Rams are happy that this journey through wonderland is finally over against Cheshire.

“This game went over three days,” said Central’s winning pitcher Sophia Torreso. “We couldn’t play on our home field which obviously has an advantage to it. As the days went on, we were like ‘you know what, we’ve got this.’”

Bristol had its ground’s crew working on the field before the game, apparently led by leadership – and guile – of Avery Point and former Bristol Eastern baseball standout Andrew Lozier, and the facility was in tremendous shape at game time – helping to get this contest in for the surging Central softball program.

“I mean [the Bristol ground’s crew] were up here this morning, who knows how early, getting the field ready for us to play,” said Torreso. “That just shows how much they love our sport and shows how much they really want us to be here.”

Central scored three times before the game was delayed for nearly 18 hours

Before the rain delay, Central seized ultimate control of the game.

Leah Sklenka (2-for-3, two RBI) dropped a two-RBI single into right field as the Rams led 2-0 after one completed stanza.

In the second inning, Adrianna Lubrico (1-for-2, run) flipped in a base hit, moving to second via a wild pitch.

Kaley Laird then blasted a single into left as Lubrico eventually scored to push Central’s cushion to 3-0 through two innings.

“It was huge,” said Hayes of Central’s 3-0 start. “We had a stretch at the beginning of the season where we did that and then we didn’t score runs for the rest of the game. We [kind of] reverted to that today because we started scoring more efficiently throughout the innings as the season went on.”

“But to take the field up 3-0 after an inning or two, that’s a real confidence builder and thank god we feed off that today.”

On the flip side, Torreso was tossing a no-hitter and looked to be getting out of a tight spot in the fourth frame before Casey Field was drenched.

But Torreso and company were determined to see the game completed off a fantastic start. 

“We just all came together, and we were like ‘we’re going to get this win,’” said Torreso. “We’re going to get to the quarterfinals [on Saturday].”

The Game continued Friday

Cheshire had two runners on via two walks with one out in the fourth inning as the game resumed. 

Cheshire’s Emily Grayson began the restart reaching on a fielder’s choice while Cheshire pitcher Karla Carangelo came home on a wild pitch to chop the deficit to 3-1.

But the damage was contained as Torreso roped up strikeouts five and six and the visiting Rams still had two runs to make up.

“They definitely had momentum yesterday and then we got rained out,” said Hayes. “And coming back, I thought they had a little bit more energy than we did today [but] we escaped with a win.”

For Central in the fourth, Sarah Romano started the frame with a walk and was bunted over to second on a Lubrico bunt.

But two fly-outs later, Cheshire was back at the dish still trailing by two.

Grace Lurz started off the fifth with a walk and swiped two bases but Torreso induced a K and two pop-ups – both fielded by the Central pitcher – as that 3-1 lead was holding firm.

With two gone in the fifth, Torreso ripped a deep-dish double to left and Mya Porrini had a battle against Carangelo on the hill.

Even though Porrini struck out on a tough pitch, ending the fifth, time was running out on the visitors.

Cheshire’s Tai Byrd walked to start the top of the sixth – ending Torreso’s stint in the circle (six strikeouts, no hits) – as Alex Sciarretto (one hit, three strikeouts) came into throw.

The chucker allowed just one hit – sandwiched around two strikeouts – as Central maintained its two-run lead through six with both pitchers from BCHS holding the fort.

“If you ask me which one is the better pitcher, I can’t choose,” said Hayes of Torreso and Sciarretto. “They’re both equally as productive, equally as good. And [when] I take one out and I put the other one in, it’s six of one, half dozen of the other.”

“I thought that the [strike] zone that was being called wasn’t matching up with what Pia was throwing and that’s the only reason why she came out.”

Carangelo retired the Central side in the sixth in order and going into the top of the seventh, it was win or go home for Cheshire.

With one away, Karissa Spring walked with one out but with the tying run at the dish, Sciarretto struck out Cat Palmer and when Carangelo grounded out to second, Central won the marathon game – advancing to quarterfinal round play on Saturday.

“We really played this game in two days,” said Torreso. “We played three innings and then played another four [the next day]. It was really weird and bizarre.” 

And frankly, there’s no better way to put it.

CIAC Softball, Class LL – Second Round Showdown  

BRISTOL CENTRAL 3, CHESHIRE 1 

from Casey Field, Bristol

Cheshire  000 100 0 – 1 1 0

Bristol Central 210 000 x – 3 6 0

WP – Sophia Torreso (Bristol Central); LP – Karla Carangelo; Save – Alex Sciarretto (Bristol Central)

Cheshire Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – None

Bristol Central Batting 

2B – Sophia Torreso

3B – None 

HR – None

Records: Bristol Central 20-4; Cheshire 17-5

CLASS LL – Quarterfinal Round Scores

Bristol Central 3, Cheshire 1

Danbury 5, West Haven 2 (11)

Fairfield Ludlowe 2, Hall 1

Southington 6, Maloney 2