The Southington Aftershock have won four straight games and are climbing up the Connectcticut Twilight League standings.
Victories over the Enfield Patriots, New Britain Rock Cats, Connecticut Orioles and Elmer’s Angels have improved Southington’s record to 10-6-1, and its playoff position up to fourth. The Aftershock are in the winner’s bracket with that fourth seed, but sneaking into the top three would earn them a bye. Southington has been hot for more than half the season, earning victories in eight of its past 10 games.
The current four-game win streak began with a 3-1 win over Enfield on July 15. Former Bristol Eastern player Jacobi Bouchard threw five innings and struck out six while former Bristol Central player Ronnie St. Dennis contributed two hits and two RBI.
St. Dennis had a hit and RBI in a 2-0 win over New Britain on July 19. Jon Blais led the Aftershock with two hits. Jared Gallagher (four innings) and Nick Dzioba (three innings) combined for the shutout.
Blais led Southington with two more hits in a 4-3 victory over Connecticut. St. Dennis tallied an RBI while Shane Fusco added a walk and RBI.
St. Dennis was a rock on the mound for the Aftershock in their 6-1 win over Elmer’s on July 25. He went six innings, allowed just one run and struck out five. Southington put the game away with two runs in the sixth and one more run in the seventh. On offense, Kyle Lentini had three hits while Fusco and Blais added two apiece. Lentini drove in two runs while Fusco and Derek Veenema added one apiece.
Southington entered the CTL in 2019 as an expansion team after playing in a National Adult Baseball Association Sunday league. Four former Bristol Knights – Dzioba, Lentini, Blais and Tommy Stagis – brought the Aftershock into the CTL in 2019. Lentini was league MVP in 2017 for Bristol.
Southington is in its fourth season in the CTL, its 11th as a team. The Aftershock sit behind the first place Terryville Black Sox (15-2), second place Elmer’s (13-2-2) and third place Rocky Hill Rockies (11-5).
PHOTO CAPTION: Two of the league’s top four teams saw each other in passing during the Connecticut Twilight League’s annual Summer Classic earlier this month at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford. The Southington Aftershock, foreground, have won four straight games and eight of their last 10. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
