The weather leading up to the Senior League softball state championship game on Tuesday was especially warm and fairly humid before the first pitch was thrown under the lights at Bristol’s historic Rockwell Park. The forecast had warned of severe rains, lightning and thunderstorms, all of which were fortunately averted that evening. 

Bristol had defeated the defending state champion Mansfield-Ashford team a night earlier by mercy rule, 18-7 in five innings. With Mansfield-Ashford winning the coin toss of Tuesday’s affair, and electing to be the home team, starting pitcher Leylah Giglio took the rubber to face the Bristol lineup that had scored 10 runs in the first inning the previous game. 

After a leadoff walk to Desiree Nickerson, it appeared that Bristol was again in the driver’s seat. However, Mansfield-Ashford had other plans. Giglio wisely pitched around the first five batters she faced with a combination of fastballs and change ups low in the strike zone, which induced three ground ball outs to her infield to exit the first inning unscathed. 

Bristol’s starting pitcher, Brooklynne Whitlock, also benefited from her infield’s defense in the first inning, inducing weak ground ball outs to the circle and third base, while striking out Mansfield-Ashford’s strongest hitter, Dakota Babbitt. Even so, Mansfield-Ashford’s leadoff hitter Julia Winakof scored to give her team the early 1-0 lead. 

Giglio would retire Bristol’s 6-7-8 hitters in order with two more plays in the infield and a strikeout to end the second inning, preserving the early one run lead. 

Whitlock retired the next three batters in order on a high fly ball to right fielder Cece Jones, a bunt attempt which catcher Liv Gallup fielded cleanly, and a strike out to end the inning. 

Bellah Loveall led off the third inning for Bristol, drawing a walk and scoring the team’s first run of the night on Jones’s single up the middle.  Bristol sent seven batters to the plate but left three runners stranded after three consecutive pop-ups to the infield to end the third inning. 

Bristol’s Makayla Antunes and Whitlock drew back-to-back walks to begin the fourth inning. Kayla Webber hit a sacrifice ground out to give Bristol their second run of the game. Whitlock later scored on a passed ball to give Bristol a lead they would never relinquish.

The fifth inning would be a pivotal one for Bristol, beginning with Gallup reaching base safely after being hit-by-pitch and later scoring on an Antunes’ sacrifice fly to right field.  Whitlock singled and scored on Kayla Webber’s double to left field.

With Webber on second, the most memorable moment of the game, and perhaps the entire championship series, took place when Desiree Nickerson hit the 1-1 offering deep into the wooded area behind the right field fence for a 2-run home run. It was clear to the crowd of nearly 200 spectators that Nickerson was overcome with joy and emotion, smiling brightly once the ball was struck, later covering her mouth with her hands as she rounded third with tears streaking down her face as she scored, joining her teammates who were waiting for her at home plate. 

“She’s been wanting to hit one out of this park for a long time, and it finally happened,” said Nickerson’s mother, Amber. 

Manager Adam Whitlock commented, “I watched Desiree and her mom practice hitting at the field for hours on Sunday. It doesn’t surprise me at all that she prepared herself for that moment.  She’s an amazing ballplayer, and a wonderful person. Really happy for her. She has worked hard to earn that moment.”

Bristol would add to their lead with six more runs in the top of the 7^th, giving themselves a comfortable 13-2 advantage headed into the bottom half of the final frame. Whitlock remained dialed in, striking out eight Mansfield-Ashford batters while allowing two earned runs over seven innings. Fittingly, she closed out the game with a strikeout of the final batter.

Bristol celebrated the victory after being awarded the state championship banner. With the win, Bristol’s Senior League All Stars are headed to the East Regional tournament in Worcester, Mass.

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