Bristol Post 2 American Legion baseball came up with a big 3-1 win over Southington Post 72 on Tuesday evening inside the friendly confines of Muzzy Field in Bristol. Bristol improved to 11-3 in Zone 1 with the win, and it took the season series from Southington, 2-1.
“If we win two out of three, we’re going to be where we want to be,” head coach Jerry LaPenta said.
Post 2 took one of two games on the road in Southington on Sunday, then claimed the rubber game on Tuesday behind a strong team effort. The team efforts have been there throughout the season.
“They’ve really bought in and are playing for each other,” LaPenta said. “That’s what you really need to have success, you need the kids to forget about the me stuff and all the stats and just worry about the wins, and that’s what they’re doing.”
The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Macgregor Goulet stepped to the plate. Goulet had made three errors in the field, but he came up big when Bristol needed it most, blasting a leadoff triple to left.
“The first thing I said when I got to the mound was I really praised Mac, because he had a tough game. He could have hung his head, and he didn’t, and he had a big triple,” LaPenta said.
After a strikeout, Joshua Nohilly singled into center field over the drawn-in Southington infield for a 2-1 lead. Evan Bouchard followed with a triple to score Nohilly and give Post 2 a 3-1 cushion.
“Evan, played in the futures game today, played 12 innings over at Central Connecticut State, then he rolls his ankle,” LaPenta said. “He comes up and gets a huge insurance run, because if we’re only a run there in that top of the seventh, it’s a totally different pressure.”
The game tied in the bottom of the sixth because reliever Cory Fradette escaped a jam in the top of the inning with a strikeout and pop-up to Bouchard at second.
“I brought Cory in when we needed the strikeout, he got the strikeout. He hasn’t pitched a ton, so he’s kind of getting back into it,” LaPenta said. “To have him come in there, get a strikeout and get a pop up to get of the inning and keep the game tied was huge.”
Fradette hit the first batter of the seventh and was pulled in favor of Noah Plantamuro. Plantamuro got a flyout to Nohilly in right, a called strike three, and a grounder to Goulet at third to end the game and pick up his third save.
“It’s probably our best team win of the year, even with the four errors,” LaPenta said.
Goulet made a diving stop toward the bag on the last play, and threw the ball with confidence to first base.
“That play right there was one tough play. He doesn’t make that play, down a run with a guy on, who knows what happens. He steals, a bloop hit could tie the game,” LaPenta said.
LaPenta said he will accept physical mistakes like errors and strikeouts, because those happen. It’s the mental aspect of how players respond to adversity that counts most.
LaPenta praised the efforts of starter Alex Balfour, who was the winning pitcher. Balfour went the first 5.1 innings and gave up one run on six hits.
“I thought Balfour did a great job. His changeup was really good, he got a ton of groundballs, and when he pitches, you’ve got to make plays,” LaPenta said. “We didn’t make some plays, we made some errors, we gave them their first run, but the guys hung in.”
Bristol scored first, getting a run in the bottom of the first on a Goulet sacrifice fly, which scored Plantamuro. Southington answered with a run in the top of the third to tie the game. It was Post 2, however, who had the final answer.
LaPenta said this year’s team reminds him of the 2015 squad, which compiled a 30-13 record and lost in the Northeast Regional final.
“Everybody was all on board, didn’t care about individual stuff, all they were worried about was getting wins,” LaPenta said.
This Post 2 squad is buying into winning as a team as well, and it has been so far, so good.
Top photo: Mac Goulet dives safely into third base on his leadoff triple in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
Middle photo: Alex Balfour delivers a pitch during Tuesday’s game. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
Bottom photo: Noah Plantamuro slides in for the first run of Tuesday’s game. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
Gallery
Here are my photos from Tuesday’s game.
