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| Cory Fradette had the game-winning hit for Bristol in a 1-0, 11-inning marathon victory over Avon on Tuesday night. (copyright Sports on CT-69, 2017 file) |
In an American Legion 19U baseball game that had just seven total hits, Cory Fradette provided the biggest one of them all.
Fradette’s single to left field in the bottom of the 11th inning drove in Noah Plantamuro with the game-winning run in a 1-0 Bristol Post 2 victory over Avon Post 201 on Tuesday night at Muzzy Field. Bristol improved to 9-3 in Zone 1 and put itself 1.5 games behind first place Avon (11-2). After losing two straight games, Post 2 has won four in a row.
Of the seven total hits, Bristol had four, and two came in the 11th inning. Plantamuro led off with a single the other way to right field. Jaeden Rasmus bunted and reached on an error, then Mike Lemke walked to load the bases. Avon got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, but Fradette ended the game with his hit.
Zach Marquis was nothing short of unbelievable on the mound for Post 2. He pitched the first 9.1 innings, gave up just two hits, struck out seven and walked two. Ben Mazzone threw the last 1.2 innings and picked up the victory in relief.
Marquis threw 76 of 106 pitches for strikes, and Mazzone was 22 of 38. Marquis threw a first-pitch strike to 24 of the 30 batters he faced, and Mazzone did the same on 4 of 6 hitters. Bristol didn’t make an error behind either one of its pitchers.
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| Zach Marquis threw 9.1 scoreless innings for Bristol. (copyright Sports on CT-69, 2016 file) |
Avon had the first runner in scoring position with two outs in the second inning, but Marquis got a grounder to Fradette at second to end the frame.
Bristol didn’t get its first hit until the fifth, when Jake Violette singled to left to lead off. Violette was advanced to second by a bunt, but Post 2 couldn’t get him in.
Post 201 had a one-out walk in the eighth and that runner reached second on a passed ball, but Marquis got a flyout to Jalen Benoit in center field to end the threat.
Bristol saw Anthony Lozier single to lead off the bottom of the eighth, but he was out at second on a sacrifice bunt attempt. After a flyout, Avon caught a Post 2 runner trying to steal second to end the inning.
Post 201 had a single to lead off the ninth, that was erased on a fielder’s choice. Catcher Chadd Richardson threw out the other runner trying to steal second, then Marquis got a flyout to the left fielder Rasmus to close the frame.
Lemke walked with one out in the bottom of the ninth, took second on a passed ball, then stole third base with two outs. A grounder to second kept the game tied 0-0.
Pitch count rules forced Marquis out of the game after one out in the 10th. Mazzone was greeted by a single, but Richardson threw out another baserunner. After back-to-back walks with two outs, Mazzone picked off a runner at second base to end the threat.
Lozier drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the 10th but was stranded at first.
Mazzone set Avon down 1-2-3 in the top of the 11th, then Bristol won it in the bottom of the inning.
