The Bristol Central softball team is looking to pull off an historic upset tonight (7 o’clock first pitch) at Stratford’s Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field.
The fifth-seeded Rams (26-4 overall) are a very good team, but they’re facing a two-time defending state champion and perennial juggernaut in second-seeded Southington (29-1 overall). The Lady Knights lost just once this season, 6-0, on May 10 against potential four-time Class L champion Masuk-Monroe. Masuk is really good, and so is Southington.
You can look at the first two games against Southington (8-0 regular season, 13-1 CCC semifinals) and say Central has no chance tonight. That would be a disservice to the Rams and head coach Monica Hayes, who have put together an absolutely tremendous season. Central has two talented junior pitchers in Sophia Torreso and Alex Sciarretto. Both are aces in their own right, and they give teams different looks. Either one of them, or both of them, could pitch in tonight’s game.
There’s also the element of a team that seems like it has nothing to lose. Southington is supposed to win. After all, the Lady Knights have 19 state championships and are going for No. 20 tonight. Central, with a state championship in 1985 to its credit, is the team with nothing to lose. The Rams have beaten the Lady Knights before. In 2005, Southington was the No. 3 seed, but lost, 1-0, to No. 7 Central. The Ram victory clinched their second straight Class LL state championship game appearance.
If Central has nothing to lose, then expect the Rams to play loose tonight.
PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Wininger, Bristol Central principal via Twitter
