NEWS

Photo Credit: Laura Bailey

 

Cal Parrillo (Rhode Island College) brought home the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the seventh inning to lead the Bristol Blues to a 4-2 victory and Final Four series sweep over the Sanford Mainers, marking their fourth straight playoff victory overall. 

 

Bristol is set to face the winner of Newport and Danbury in the 2023 NECBL Championship Series, with the winner receiving the Fay Vincent, Sr. Cup.

 

Bristol Blues 4 - Sanford Mainers 2

 

BRISTOL, Conn. - The Bristol Blues (4-1) completed a Final Four sweep with a 4-2 victory over the Sanford Mainers (2-2) in game two on Friday night at Muzzy Field.

 

The Mainers took an early 2-0 lead with solo home runs by Jack Toomey (Holy Cross) in the  third and fifth innings. With his two home runs in game two, Toomey led the Mainers in both home runs (2) and RBIs (4) during their playoff run.

 

The Blues cut the deficit in half with a Skye Selinsky (Columbia University) RBI single to center field which scored Tyler Fote (Central CT State) in the fifth inning.

 

Ian Battipaglia (Franklin Pierce University) hit a sacrifice fly to center field which allowed Joey Rios (Central Connecticut State University) to score in the sixth inning to tie the game at two.

 

Bristol regained the lead in the seventh inning with two straight singles by Gavin Noriega (Bryant) and Skye Selinsky (Columbia) to put runners on first and second with just one out. An RBI single by Cal Parrillo (Rhode Island College) brought home Noriega and an RBI groundout by Joey Rios (Central Connecticut State University) scored Selinsky to extend the lead to 4-2.

 

Gavin Noriega went 3-for-4 on the night with singles in the first, third and seventh innings to lead all hitters.

 

Chad Fedeli (Southern CT State) was credited with the win after striking out four across 1.2 scoreless relief innings in just his second game with the Blues. Brent Francisco (East Stroudsburg) retired the side in a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts to seal a 4-2 victory for the Blues.

 

Bristol will advance to the Championship Series and face the winner of Final Four Series between the Newport Gulls and the Danbury Westerners.