Blue Sox fall to Bristol in 4-2 loss
By Mary Merensky
HOLYOKE – The Valley Blue Sox fell 4-2 to the Bristol Blues on Friday night, making it their second loss in a row after losing to Newport back on Wednesday. The game also marked the third time the Blue Sox have lost to Bristol this summer.
“There’s not a lot of time to sit and think about what went wrong,” said Coach Raiola. “You’re back at it the next day, and that’s what [the team] is here for.”
During the first and second innings, both teams made it on base but were unable to capitalize. The two teams remained scoreless until the third, where Bristol got the first run of the game off a bases-loaded opportunity.
To start the third frame, Valley’s starting pitcher, Kaden Kimble, walked Antonio Ducatelli, which was followed up by Christopher DiPrima and Nicholas Francuzenko hitting back-to-back singles. Ryan Maggy then grounded into a double play, allowing Ducatelli to score, giving Bristol a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Michael Madigan replaced Kimble on the mound, retiring the three batters in order. Bristol’s pitcher, Ty Davis, was able to do the same in the bottom of the frame, keeping Bristol’s lead intact.
Bristol began the fifth with DiPrima reaching first base on a fielder’s choice, and he quickly advanced to third after Francuzenko was walked and Madigan threw a wild pitch. Ryan Maggy helped his team add another run to the tally when he hit an RBI single that sent DiPrima home, extending Bristol’s lead to 2-0.
Valley pulled within one during the bottom of the frame when Bristol’s pitcher walked Chris Cancel and hit Matt Wolfe with a pitch, putting runners on first and second. Trey Spees got a run to score by hitting an RBI double to right field, making it 2-1 in favor of Bristol.
Though Valley made it a close game, Bristol started to pull away in the sixth, scoring two more runs. The Blues had men on first and second when Nick Flores doubled to left field, sending Sean Britt and Trent Rice home to make it 4-1.
The final run of the game came in the eighth inning, when Bristol walked Anthony Grabau. Grabau then stole second base and found himself scoring Valley’s second run after Chris Carson hit an RBI double.
“Win or lose, you wake up the next day, and you've got another game,” said Raiola. “That’s the beauty of it.”
This loss for Valley has caused them to fall to fifth place in the South Division, with Bristol surpassing them in the standings.
The Blue Sox will be back in action on Saturday, June 27, as they head to Danbury to play the Westerners at Rogers Park. The game is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on NECBL+.