By Michael Letendre

WEST HARTFORD – With an eye on a big weekend, the Bristol Senior American Legion baseball team dropped a tough 7-1 decision to Zone 1 leader West Hartford on Thursday night from Conard High School.

Post 96 moved to 13-0 in Zone 1 play (14-1-1 overall) while Bristol fell to 6-5 (6-6).

But Bristol matched West Hartford hit-for-hit as both teams scooped up nine for the game.

The locals have been hitting the ball much better as of late and against Post 96, Post 2 had some good tallies.

But Bristol seemingly hit ball to a waiting defender each and every time the squad tried to rally.

“I thought we swung the bats well,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta. “[But] we hit the ball right at them. They had a couple bleeders and a couple bad hop [hits]. This field’s not that great [and] our ground balls seemed to go right to them.”

Matt Beaucar (1-3 overall) drew another tough luck loss for Bristol but was limited in terms of pitch count.

The Bristol pitcher went 2.2 innings, allowing just four hits, five earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts.

But by staying under 60 pitches, Beaucar can throw on Sunday when Bristol plays a twin bill against Meriden, along with fellow starter Roberto Cruz.

“Because we have three games this weekend, with one on Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday, I couldn’t leave Matt in,” said LaPenta. “I need him for Sunday to pitch.”

West Hartford chucker Lucas Pyrro (5 IP, 6 hits, 4 Ks) did not allow a free pass over the winning effort.

To open the first, Bristol’s Adam Caron (2-for-4) reached base via infield hit to shortstop and when the ball was thrown away to the first base fence – the runner was awarded second.

But Caron never advanced as West Hartford got out of the jam and quickly came up to bat.

In the bottom of the tilt, Post 96’s first two batters got on base via singles and with runners on the corners and one away, West Hartford scored on a double steal attempt.

Ty Redden was out at second base as Bristol catcher Chris Osuch made a perfect throw to the bag but David Cantarella (2-for-3, two runs) scored from third as West Hartford led 1-0 through one.

After Beaucar struck out Andrew Seidman to start the bottom of the second, Chase Hanawalt reached via error and when Ixael Albino walked, two were on for the home team.

A 6-4 fielder’s choice erased Albino going to second and Beaucar caught Brian Chelli looking at strike three to end the frame as Post 2 was hanging around, down a single run.

Pyrro cruised through three frames, allowing just the one hit to Caron, to go along with three Ks.

Cantarella etched up his second base hit to lead off the bottom of the third as West Hartford was looking to increase its 1-0 edge.

Joe Dooley induced a one-out walk and Tom LaSpada just laced a single over the head of Tyler Martin at second base – loading things up.

Seidman’s sacrifice fly to center scored Cantarella to make it 2-0 and a base-on-balls to Hanawalt juiced the bases once again.

Bristol’s Alex Canzellarini came in to pitch for Beaucar, allowing two two-out RBI walks to Dooley and LaSpada as the home team edged in front, 4-0.

Chill then blasted a two-base hit to right, plating two runs, as Bristol trailed 6-0 though three completed innings.

“I thought Alex did okay,” said LaPenta of Canzellarini. “He struggled [against Chelli]. He had a full count and Chelli fouled a bunch off and then he got a hit. If he gets off the hook there, it’s 4-0 still.”

Caron then made it 2-for-2 in the top of fourth with a one-out single up the gut.

Ryan Fradette followed with a base hit to left and Tyler Stickels (2-for-3, RBI) blooped a single to short center as Post 2 had the bases loaded with one away for Dylan Woodsome.

But Woodsome bounced into a 5-2-3 double play as Pyrro wiggled out of a big jam midway through the fourth.

“Woody’s ball, if that could have taken a bad hop there, maybe we get a couple runs,” said LaPenta. “Next thing you know, it [would have been] 6-2 or 6-3.” 

Dooley slapped a one-out single up the middle in the bottom of the fourth but Canzellarini and Bristol defense did not allow any additional offense as it was a 6-0 contest going into the fifth frame.

Martin beat out an infield hit in the fifth but never advanced while Brendan Grady singled in a run in the bottom of the stanza, making it 7-0.

Bristol’s Mike Roalf came in to throw for Bristol with one out and fifth after hitting Cantarella with a pitch, the bases were loaded.

But Roalf did not allow any additional offense as Bristol looked to finally crack the scoreboard in the sixth.

Pyrro threw 66 pitches through five as Simon Rosenburg took the mound for the home squad.

That’s when Post 2 attempted to rally.

Jayden Churchill (2-of-4, run) greeted the new pitcher with a base hit to left and advanced to second on a botched pickoff play with one away.

After two fly ball outs, Stickles jammed in a triple – the first of the season for Bristol – to the gap in left, scoring Churchill, as Bristol made it a 7-1 game.

Connor Cyr was then plunked by a pitch as Bristol had men on the corners with two outs but Roberto Cruz hit a liner right at the fielder in left to end the rally.

Roalf posted two quick outs in the bottom of the sixth, fanning Seidman, before yielding for Martin.

After allowing a double to Hanawalt, Martin induced a pop-out to Caron at third – moving the game into the seventh and final inning.

Trailing by six, Ryan Maglio flew out to right, Osuch bounced out to short, but Norris roped a single to center to keep the contest alive.

Churchill then slammed a double to the same spot as Post 2 had two runners in scoring position but Caron ended the game with a fly ball out to center as West Hartford won it, 7-1.

“We’ve just got to keep plugging along and get to where we’re playing good for the playoffs,” said LaPenta.

Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball – Zone 1 Game

WEST HARTFORD 7, BRISTOL 1 

from Conard High School

Bristol (6-5)  000 001 0 – 1 9 1  

West Hartford (13-0)  105 010 x – 7 9 2

WP – Lucas Pyrro (West Hartford); LP – Matt Beaucar (Bristol), 1-3 overall 

Bristol Batting 

2B – Jayden Churchill

3B – Tyler Stickles

HR – None

West Hartford Batting 

2B – Chase Hanawalt, Brian Chelli

3B – None 

HR – None

LOB – Bristol 8; West Hartford 9

Records: West Hartford 14-1-1 overall, 13-0 Zone 1; Bristol 6-6 overall (6-5 Zone 1).