Bristol Central Avoids Upset at Hand Of Redcoats

This article written and reported by Rick Volk

A four-run Bristol Central 10th inning outburst ended Berlin’s bid to upset the visiting Rams, the state’s second-ranked team in the Hartford Courant’s baseball rankings, with the Redcoats coming up on the short end of a 6-4 score. 

The Redcoats rallied late against Bristol Central ace, Matt Blandino, scoring twice in the sixth inning and pushing across a tying run in the seventh.

The Rams jumped off to a 3-0 lead, with two unearned runs providing the 3-2 lead the Redcoats eventually erased in the seventh.   

Turning the tables, Berlin’s seventh inning rally to tie was capped by misplayed groundball to short, scoring pinch-runner Matt Rocco. Dave Condon singled to begin the uprising. Berlin’s two-run 6th inning was punctuated by RBIs by Mitch Williams and Jeff Sylvester. 

Berlin starter Mike Veronesi matched Blandino through eight innings, yielding only one earned run, before giving way to reliever Jared Gallagher in the ninth.

Blandino, a potential Division I recruit reportedly heading to Central Connecticut, worked out of a jam in the ninth inning with the Redcoats’ potential winning run on third with one out. It was a busy week for the ace pitcher, who also recorded a two-out save on Monday to go with today’s victory.
 
The Redcoats, now 3-3,  host Stafford High Saturday, at 1 p.m., at Sage  Park.  Bristol Central remains undefeated at 5-0.  

* Daren Grabowski cf 5-1-1  
* Greg Konowski lf     5-0-1  
* Mitch Williams 3b    5-1-2  
* Kyle Naples ss        3-1-0  
* Jeff Sylvester eh      5-0-2   
* Dante Vasi 1b           5-1-1  
* Jordan Zima c         4-0-0  
* Dave Condon rf       4-0-2
* Alec Norton 2b        4-0-0  
* Matt Rocco pr          0-1-0  
* Anthony Sisti pr      0-0-0

* 2B: Grabowski 
* RBI: Sylvester 2, Williams   
* SB: Grabowski ,Matt Rocco

* Mike Veronesi 8.0  IP, 8 H , 3 R 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
* Jared Gallagher(L 0-2) 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1BB 1 K