By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The Bristol Central softball team continued its winning ways on Monday afternoon but crosstown rival Bristol Eastern didn’t make it easy.

The Rams were eventually able to shake the Lancers midway through the affair as Central moved to 11-0 overall off its 10-2 triumph over the Lancers in a CCC South showdown from Page Park in Bristol.

A fatal five run fifth doomed Eastern (5-5 overall) but up until that point, the home team put up an impressive fight, snaring a 1-0 lead early and keeping within shouting distance until the middle portion of the game.

Winning pitcher Alex Sciarretto (four innings, 8 Ks) allowed just two hits and kept at it until Central was able to pull ahead.

Sophia Torreso (3 IP, no hits, 7 Ks) then threw three perfect innings in relief of Sciarretto.

“It was a little rough in the beginning but my team picked me up,” said Sciarretto. “Sophia also picked me up and it’s really comforting knowing that my team was there for me.” 

Eastern showed early poise and defensive efficiency behind the arm of pitcher Ashley Serafin (6 IP, nine hits, 5 ER, 4 Ks).

She did her best to keep runners off the bases, yielding just three hits over the first three frames of play.

“We were hanging around with one of the best teams in the state for four innings,” said Eastern coach Tyler Catlin. “Even when they had a big inning in the top of the fifth, Central put up five [runs], we didn’t buckle. The energy was still good out there.” 

Serafin kept Central off the board in the first inning though the visiting squad made it tough. 

Kaley Laird (4-for-5, three RBI) eked out an infield hit to shortstop, stole second and moved to third base on a fly out by Leah Sklenka.

And then Sciarretto launched a deep fly ball to center but a leaping catch by Eastern’s Emily Valentine ended the half frame.

In the bottom of the tilt, the Kingstreeters nabbed the first run of the showdown.

With one away, Gracie Browne walked aboard and later stole second and third to put the pressure on.

And Serafin belted a double to left, plating Browne, as the contest was 1-0 in Eastern’s favor.

“We came out punching first,” said Catlin. “We got a quick run on the board. Serafin had an awesome double against one of two really good pitchers…I was proud of her to drive in that run. I think we had two outs in that situation. Two out RBI hits, they go a long way.” 

The second stanza saw Central’s Lillian VanNostrand walk and advance to second on a groundout by Lorelei Stancavage.

And Desiree Nickerson (2-for-4, three runs scored) hit a foul ball that was snared out of the air by Eastern catcher Sarah Lacouture to end the second with Eastern still on top by one run.

Sciarretto racked up strikeouts three and four to end the second inning with the Lancers still leading 1-0. 

In the top of the third, Central knotted the contest at 1-1 with two away.

Laird smoked an infield single that bounced off the gloves of both the third basemen and shortstop and when the throw to first base went awry, the runner was awarded second base.

Sam Sklenka bunted Laird to third and when Leah Sklenka singled to center, the lead runner tagged the dish to tie things up at 1-1.

Sciarretto was on fire in the third, fanning the side, as Central was about to snare the edge for good in the fourth frame. 

Torreso singled and legged it over the third to open the fourth off a two-base miscue.

Central’s Lorelei Stancavage then dropped a fly ball out in centerfield as the sacrifice fly scored Torreso, making it a 2-1 game with two outs.

Nickerson just beat out a bunt hit to shortstop, stole second and Mya Porrini (2-for-3, three RBI, two runs) flipped in a Texas Leaguer to right field to plate Nickerson, making it 3-1.

And then at the top of the order, Laird drilled a double down the left field line to score Porrini as Central snared a 4-1 push going into the bottom of the fourth.

“We struggled through some errors in the beginning,” said Torreso. “But Kaley Lard, Sam Sklenka, [all] our teammates pick us up with energy in the dugout. We got some hits and we were really aggressive on the bases.” 

Valentine helped shelve the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth as she launched a devastating ball to right field which was lost in the evening sun.

The in-the-park homer trimmed the deficit to 4-2.

“I thought they had great energy,” said Central coach Monica Hayes of Eastern. “They had more energy than we did to start the game for sure and we had to match their energy. I gave that challenge to them in the second or third inning and I thought the second time through the lineup, I thought we did a great job making some adjustments.” 

“But this is a high school softball game and it’s a city series [showdown] so I’m not surprised at all that [Eastern] got up on us to start.” 

The Lancers weren’t done as Beebe dropped a ball in center – ending up at second with one out.

Makayla Autunes drew a base-on-balls to put two on as the go-ahead run was standing at the dish.

However, a 1-4 double play shockingly ended the fourth inning.

Sciarretto made a slick catch for the second out off a pop-up bunt by Kayla Webber and threw it to second base to get Beebe for the inning-ending double play.

Central then used a five run fifth to put the event away as Sciarretto started the jaunt with a blazing triple to left.

Torreso sent her home on a sacrifice fly to left as the Rams nabbed a 5-2 push.

“For the first couple times through their batting order, I think she did a nice job,” said Caitlin of Serafin. “I think they got to her the third time around and I think they started getting the timing down a little bit. But she had them off balance. She throws strikes, she keeps her defense involved, the defense was making plays early and I think [Central] is a good team for a reason.” 

“I think their bats came alive maybe the third time around.”  

With two away, Eastern almost got out of the jam but VanNostrand walked, Stancavage hit a single to left and when Nickerson drew a base-on-balls, Central had things loaded up.

Porrini then nabbed a base hit to right, scoring two, and when Laird followed with a short single to right, two more runners scored as Central seized a 9-2 lead through five.

Torreso then took the mound in the fifth and went nine up and nine down, striking out the side in the bottom of the fifth and seventh innings.

“A great thing about being on a team with two pitchers is knowing the person behind you is going to back you up,” said Torreso. “Some days it’s Alex, some days it’s me and it’s also knowing the people behind you are always going to make those plays.” 

Central added one last run in the seventh when Eastern brought Brooklynn Whitlock in to pitch against an aggressive lineup.

“I got some young kids into the game…to feel the pressure of the BE/BC rivalry under the lights,” said Caitlin. “The energy was great. Nobody showed any quit.”    

Nickerson dropped in a single, a passed ball eventually saw the speedster get to third base and scored on a wild pitch as the Rams wrapped up a big 10-2 victory from Muzzy Field to stay perfect on the campaign.

“It’s always a rubber match, it’s always evenly matched,” said Hayes of the Central/Eastern showdowns. “It’s [always] a tough game when we play each other.” 

Bristol City Series Softball

BRISTOL CENTRAL 10, BRISTOL EASTERN 2

from Page Park, Bristol

Bristol Central (11-0)            001 350 1 – 10 12 1

Bristol Eastern (5-5)             100 100 0 – 2 2 2

WP – Alex Sciarretto (Bristol Central); LP – Ashley Serafin (Bristol Eastern)

Bristol Central Hitting

2B – Kaley Laird, Sophia Torreso

3B – Alex Sciarretto

HR – None

Bristol Eastern Hitting

2B – Ashley Serafin

3B – None

HR – Emily Valentine

Records: Bristol Central 11-0 overall (4-0 CCC South); Bristol Eastern 5-5 (1-2)