By Michael Letendre

WATERFORD – The Senior American Legion state tournament baseball game between Waterford and Bristol on Sunday afternoon turned into an instant classic.

The contest was still undecided after seven innings as ‘overtime’ was needed to see which team advanced to the championship bracket in Pod C.

In the bottom of the eighth in a scoreless affair, Waterford’s Preston Tabor cracked a home run over the fence in centerfield as Bristol fell by a 1-0 final in a Northern Division showdown from Waterford High School.

Waterford moved to 23-3 overall with the win while Bristol fell to 11-8.

Bristol pitcher Roberto Cruz was simply tremendous, throwing 95 pitches, allowing just six hits, one earned run, struck out three and walked only one to fall to 4-1 this season. 

“He pitched great coming off an injury. He had a bad hamstring,” said Bristol coach Jerry LaPenta of Cruz. “I told the guys all year long, we play as hard as we can and the guys bust their ass and do everything they can. If a team beats us, I can live with it.”

Waterford pitcher Anthony Jessuck was just as good, allowing three hits, fanning eight, and handing out two free passes.

Post 2 had runners on base in four innings but the locals just couldn’t get that big hit off of Jessuck.

“[Jessuck] threw well,” said LaPenta. “And we played well. We had a couple chances to score. We didn’t get it done but I thought we played great.”

With one away in the first inning, Jayden Churchill (1-for-2, walk, three stolen bases) popped a ball into left for a single and after an Adam Caron strikeout, the runner stole second and third to get into scoring position.

But Ryan Fradette drew strike three as Waterford came to bat against Cruz.

The Bristol pitcher allowed a leadoff single to Tabor (2-for-4) but he fanned Evan McCue as the teams went into the second stanza without the benefit of a score.

Post 2 struck quickly in the second as Tyler Stickels ran out an infield hit  and got to second via a steal with two outs on the board.

But Matt Beaucar grounded out to the second baseman as opportunity came and went for the visiting aggression.

Waterford’s Aiden Whitten drew a two-out walk in the second but Dylan Woodsome collected two putouts in right to keep it 0-0 through two.

Jessuck, after the Stickels hit, retired six straight and his defense helped out a bit.

To open the third, Osuch eked out a pop-up/liner but second basemanSean Salvador, who was outstanding defensively, chased the ball into right field for a big out.

“They made a couple really nice plays,” said LaPenta of Waterford. “That second baseman on Chris’s ball, I thought for sure it was going to drop. If that drops, Elliot’s up next. If we bunt, maybe we get first and second. Maybe they throw it away…you never know.” 

In the bottom of the third, Conner Rowe and Ken Miller posted back-to-back two-out singles to put runners on the corners.

But Fradette ended up making all three putouts in center as the home team stranded two.

The Waterford pitcher did well in the fourth, striking out the Bristol side, while Cruz was also cruising – scooping up his third K on a Whitten whiff – and as the fifth frame commenced, it continued to be a pitcher’s duel in a scoreless game.

“We played great. Roberto pitched awesome,” said LaPenta. 

But after Jessuck retired 10 straight, Tyler Martin got the Bristol offense   churning again with a one-out base hit to right and when Beaucar drew a four-ball walk, Post 2 had two on.

But there would not be any advancement as Jessuck’s defense got the chucker out of the jam midway through the fifth.

And in the bottom of the fifth, Post 2 had to climb out of a hole as well.

With one away, Sean Salvador snuck a single up the middle.

He then stole second and when the throw went into shallow centerfield, Salvador was at third base with one out.

But Caron snared a Tabor line-drive at third and Martin took care of a Rowe groundout at second as Bristol got back to work offensively.

Churchill opened the sixth stanza with a walk and a sacrifice bunt by Caron sent the lead runner to second and into scoring position.

He stole third with one out and Bristol had two chances to get that game-winning run home.

“We had a chance with one out and Ryan [Fradette] up,” said LaPenta. “He battled and popped it up. That was our one good chance to score there.”

And, with a 1-2 count on Stickels, Churchill attempted to steal home – sprinting from third to the dish in a surprise play.

It was close but Churchill was just tagged out at home to end the half-inning.

“I told him he’s got to get at least halfway” down the line said LaPenta of Churchill on the play. “He was about five feet short before he left. He broke great and he put pressure on the catcher. The kid made a good throw back and he was about a foot short of being safe.”

“No risk, no reward. You’ve got to make things happen.”

Fradette made an outstanding catch of a Ken Miller offering in center in the sixth – a ball that could have dropped in for a two-base hit.

And Fradette once again made all putouts to keep things scoreless going into the seventh.

Jessuck did he job through seven, allowing just the three hits, as Waterford was looking to end it in the bottom of inning.

Cruz returned the favor of a 1-2-3 inning – allowing just five singles to that point of the game – as an extra frame was needed to determine a victor.

Pitch counts were high for both starting pitchers but Jessuck got out of the eighth inning with a few pitches to spare as Bristol went down in order.

And then in the top of the eighth, Tabor made it academic with his home run as Bristol dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Waterford.

But its double elimination and even off the loss, Bristol’s still in it.

After a day off, Enfield comes to Bristol in an elimination showdown from Muzzy Field at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

If Post 2 wins, it’s another trip to Waterford High School on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

“They’ve got a good club,” said LaPenta of Waterford. “We play Tuesday and hopefully, we can get back here Wednesday. We’ll have to beat them twice. It’s not going to be easy but nobody said winning any kind of championship is easy.” 

NOTES…In the bottom of the Pod C bracket, Northeast was eliminated by Enfield by a 13-3 final from Farms Cross ‘B’ in Tolland.

Bristol Senior American Legion Baseball – State Tournament, Northern Division, Pod C Game

WATERFORD 1, BRISTOL 0

from Waterford High School

Bristol (11-8)  000 000 00 – 0 3 1 

Waterford (23-3) 000 000 01 – 1 6 0

WP – Anthony Jessuck; LP – Roberto Cruz (Bristol), 4-1 overall

Waterford Batting 

2B – None

3B – None

HR – Preston Tabor

Bristol Batting 

2B – None

3B – None 

HR – None 

Records: Bristol 11-8 overall; Waterford 23-3.