It was a story familiar to Bristol Central softball and many other teams around the state this week.
Show up to play a game, have it get postponed, come back and play the next day. To make it even more interesting, Central and Cheshire played just over three innings of their Class LL second round game at Casey Field on Thursday before torrential downpours suspended it. On Friday morning, Central and Cheshire resumed the game in the top of the fourth inning. Fifth-seeded Central claimed a 3-1 win and a spot in the quarterfinal round Saturday against No. 13 Trumbull. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Bristol Central High School.
“It’s just a testament to these girls, their mental toughness, physical toughness, and to all the parents who did all the laundry, because we had to wash uniforms two days in a row,” said Central coach Monica Hayes.
For Hayes, the message in the postgame huddle was simple…survive and advance.
“It doesn’t matter how you get it done, as long as you get it done,” Hayes said.
Leah Sklenka went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Sophia Torreso contributed a double, sacrifice fly and RBI while Kaley Laird added an RBI single. Sam Sklenka, Lorelei Stancavage and Adrianna Lubrico each scored a run.
Torreso did most of her work in the circle. She pitched five innings of no-hit ball, though she did walk six batters and hit another. Torreso gave up one run, struck out six and was the winning pitcher. When one top pitcher (Torreso) was struggling in the top of the sixth inning, Hayes went to her other top pitcher (Alex Sciarretto). Sciarretto gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three over two innings of work on the way to a save.
“They do a great job, they help each other out, and it’s a good problem to have, as a lot of coaches would say in my place,” Hayes said. “It’s a tough decision to take them out in certain scenarios, but it’s worked out when we do it, so we’re just going to keep riding the two of them until we can’t anymore.”
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Friday’s game.
PHOTO CAPTION: Leah Sklenka went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Bristol Central softball in its 3-1 win over Cheshire in a Class LL second round matchup at Casey Field. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
