The Bristol Eastern softball team had a lead and saw it disappear, but they showed incredible grit in a 9-7 Class L quarterfinal road victory over East Haven.
The Lancers (13-10) are the No. 21 seed, and they are officially the Cinderella of the Class L state tournament. Eastern had knocked off No. 12 Brookfield (5-2) and No. 5 Jonathan Law-Milford before it took down No. 4 East Haven on Friday. Next up is the biggest test thus far in top-seeded Masuk-Monroe.
Ali Tellier erupted on offense against East Haven with two home runs and three RBI. Ashley Serafin launched a solo homer while Grace D’Amato tallied two doubles and two RBI. Alex Shorette’s two-run single in the top of the eighth inning gave Eastern the 9-7 lead.
The Lancers jumped on the Yellowjackets, scoring four times over the first three innings. Tellier hit both of her home runs while Serafin added a solo shot. East Haven scored twice in the third and fourth innings to tie the game, 4-4. Eastern tallied three runs in the top of the fifth inning, two of which came on D’Amato’s double.
The Yellowjackets responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. A two-run homer tied the game, 7-7, and the score remained that way until the top of the eighth inning. Shorette, no stranger to late-game heroics, drove in the go-ahead runs to give the Lancers the lead and eventually the win.
In the quarterfinal win over Law, it was Shorette’s solo home run in the top of the seventh inning that snapped a 4-4 tie. Tellier also went yard in the Law game, a two-run shot. Gracie Browne provided two runs scored.
Eastern’s run began with the win at Brookfield. Tellier fired a complete game and struck out five without a walk. On offense, Janessa Gonzalez provided a key two-run double while Shorette added two hits.
Eastern plays Masuk next Monday or Tuesday at a time and place to be determined. The Panthers are the three-time defending state champion in Class L and are led by CHSCA Softball Player of the Year, pitcher Kathryn Gallant. Gallant struck out 12 in the circle and provided the walk-off double in a 2-1 victory over No. 9 St. Joseph-Trumbull on Friday afternoon. The Panthers and Cadets met in last year’s Class L final.
Eastern and Masuk last met in the postseason in 2019 in a Class L quarterfinal the Panthers won, 5-3. The Lancers are making their first semifinal appearance since 2010. Eastern lost in the Class L final to Waterford that season.
PHOTO CAPTION: This group of smiling softball players is playing the role of Cinderella. Bristol Eastern has advanced to the semifinal round for the first time since 2010. (Credit: Bristol Eastern softball Twitter account)
