If you’re looking for good amateur baseball in Bristol this summer, you have a plethora of choices.
The Bristol Blues of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League have the “worst” record of all Mum City amateur squads, and they sit in second place at 13-8. Bristol is only two games behind the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks for the top spot in the FCBL. Former local standouts Peyton Stephens of Sacred Heart (CCSU) and Matt Bonvicini of Holy Cross (UConn) play for the Blues. Stephens is hitting .274 in 19 games and leads Bristol with 11 RBI while Bonvicini is at .268 with nine RBI, which is second behind Stephens.
Every other amateur team in Bristol leads their league. Here’s more about each team:
Bristol Junior Legion
The 17U Post 2 representative is a Zone 1-7-best 8-1 and 9-1 overall. Bristol lost the first game of Saturday’s Simsbury doubleheader 2-1 at Page Park, but came back for an 11-4 victory in the second game. Kyle Lauretti threw six innings for the win, and Carson Sassu pitched the seventh.
On Sunday, Bristol took down Winsted 1-0 at Riley Field. Joseph Maglio III tossed a complete game for Post 2.
Bristol Senior Legion
The top team in top-heavy Zone 1 is Bristol, which owns a 5-0-1 record. The tie is a suspended game against Simsbury from June 18 that needs to be completed. Post 2 also has a pair of non-zone wins for an overall record of 7-0-1.
In Bristol’s last game, Post 2 rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Torrington 4-3 at Muzzy Field on Friday. Jake Violette picked up his second win of the season, which tied him for the team lead with Stephen Warkoski. Kenny Knox, Jr., has a win and two saves to his credit while Cory Fradette and Zach Marquis each have one win. Ethan Ryan has also notched a save for Bristol.
Bristol features a strong lineup that can swing the bat and also play small ball. The first six in the batting order are Fradette, Noah Plantamuro, Mac Goulet, Ryan Greene, Marquis and Violette. That makes getting through the lineup once a royal pain, never mind an entire game.
Bristol Knights
This team is again in a familiar spot, on top of the Connecticut Twilight League standings. Bristol is 11-4-1, which is the best record in both the Central Division and overall in the CTL. The top seed in the CTL playoffs earns a first round bye, so the Knights would love to stay put in first place.
Bristol has won six straight games, including a 12-2 blasting of the expansion Singing Surgeons last Friday at Bristol Eastern High School. Georgie Santiago was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two doubles and two stolen bases to lead the offense. Neil Kozikowski, a former draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, struck out nine in four innings to pick up the win. Kozikowski struck out six in a 5-2 win over the Glastonbury Pirates on June 15.
Julio Ortiz-Rivera has been one of the hottest hitters for the Knights. He had two hits each in wins over the Wethersfield Dodgers on June 7, the Singing Surgeons on June 11, and the Glastonbury Pirates on June 15. Ortiz-Rivera had a homer and a double on June 15. Tommy Stagis and Nick Dzioba have also been big contributors during the recent win streak.
Bristol Greeners
This has been one of the Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League’s hottest teams.
Bristol has won five straight games, including a 2-1 victory over the Amenia Monarchs at Bristol Central High School. Ben Mazzone pitched seven-plus innings for the win, then Jerry LaPenta IV came on to close the game out. LaPenta came on with two on and nobody out in the top of the eighth inning, and with the help of a pickoff, got three outs on two pitches. He put together a shutdown inning in the ninth to finish the game.
At the plate, A.J. Lorenzetti had two hits and Jaeden Rasmus provided an RBI double. Lorenzetti has been red-hot for the Greeners. His two-hit performance against Amenia came on the heels of a six hit, seven RBI eruption against the Bethlehem Plowboys on June 16 at Bethlehem’s Gallop Field.
