The Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern softball teams will each play in a state tournament semifinal game this afternoon. The fifth-seeded Rams take on top-seeded Danbury in Class LL at Stratford’s Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field while the No. 21 Lancers go up against top-seeded Masuk in Class L at West Haven High School’s Frank Biondi Field. Both games are scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch.
Going back through the CIAC softball archives (full brackets from 1980-present), these are the track records for Central and Eastern against No. 1 seeds in the state tournament. The opponent is listed first, followed by the year, the class and the round the game was played in. After that, the final score is listed, along with what the seeds were for that game in parentheses. The first seed listed belongs to Central or Eastern, depending on which list you’re looking at.
BRISTOL CENTRAL (4-3)
- Westhill in 2011 ‘LL’ semifinal = 2-8 (4 vs. 1)
- Amity in 2005 ‘LL’ final = 0-2 (7 vs. 1)
- Amity in 2004 ‘LL’ quarterfinal = 2-0 (8 vs. 1)
- Southington in 2003 ‘LL’ quarterfinal = 3-6 (8 vs. 1)
- Windham in 1985 ‘L’ final = 3-2 (W1 vs. E1)
- South Windsor in 1981 ‘L’ Region I final = 1-0 (2 vs. 1)
- Platt in 1980 ‘L’ Region I semifinal = 7-2 (4 vs. 1)
BRISTOL EASTERN (0-3)
- Waterford in 2010 ‘L’ final = 2-3 (6 vs. 1)
- Southington in 2003 ‘LL’ second round = 2-6 (17 vs. 1)
- Southington in 1982 ‘LL’ Region I semifinal = 0-2 (4 vs. 1)
In 2003, Eastern and Central both played top-seeded Southington in Class LL. The Lancers fell to the Lady Knights, 6-2, in their second round matchup. The Rams were defeated, 6-3, in their quarterfinal game. Southington lost to Amity, 3-0, in the Class LL final that year.
Central had the unenviable task of facing Class LL’s top team in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Rams lost to Southington in a 2003 quarterfinal as a No. 8 seed, defeated Amity in a 2004 quarterfinal as a No. 8 seed (2-0) and lost to Amity in the 2005 final as a No. 7 seed (2-0). The 2004 edition of Central made it to the final, where it lost to, you guessed it, Southington, 2-0.
SEMIFINAL HISTORY
And here’s a quick look at what Central and Eastern have done in state semifinal games:
BRISTOL CENTRAL (8-6)
- lost to Mercy, 9-2, in 2013 Class LL
- lost to Westhill, 8-2, in 2011 in Class LL
- beat Southington, 1-0, in 2005 Class LL
- beat Westhill, 7-2, in 2004 Class LL
- lost to Amity, 3-1, in 11 innings in 2002 Class LL
- beat Hamden, 3-2, in 17 innings in 2001 Class LL
- lost to Southington, 3-0, in 1988 Class LL
- beat Windsor, 6-0, in 1985 Class L (won states)
- beat Notre Dame, 5-0, in 1982 Class L
- beat South Windsor, 15-0, in 1982 Class L Region I (playdowns)
- beat Hartford Public, 16-2, in 1981 Class L Region I (playdowns)
- lost to Daniel Hand-Madison, 1-0, in 1981 Class L
- lost to Cheshire, 10-0, in 1980 Class L
- beat Platt, 7-2, in 1980 Class L Region I (playdowns)
BRISTOL EASTERN (5-2)
- beat Brookfield, 3-2, in 2010 Class L
- beat North Haven, 9-1, in 2007 Class L (won states)
- beat Maloney, 2-1, in 2006 Class L
- beat East Lyme, 1-0, in 1997 Class L (won states)
- beat Lauralton Hall-Milford, 8-3, in 1996 Class L
- lost to Southington, 2-0, in 1982 Class LL Region I (playdowns)
- lost to Daniel Hand-Madison, 15-4, in 1980 Class L Region I (playdowns)
