Bristol softball on verge of 26th BAL championship
BRISTOL – The Bristol High School softball team’s Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) dynasty just rolls on and on.
Although the Lady Warriors did not officially clinch a staggering 26th BAL championship with an 8-3 win over Christopher Dock on Monday, May 9, it would take an extremely bizarre set of circumstances for it not to happen.
Namely, Bristol would have to lose to a Lower Moreland team it has already beaten, 11-1, and then fall to Morrisville as well. It would then have to lose to Christopher Dock in a special tiebreaker for the title.
The lone undefeated team remaining in the area, the Warriors (13-0) initially looked like they might have their hands full with a Dock team they beat last year in a tiebreaker for the BAL title. Instead, after spotting Dock a 2-0 lead, Bristol pulled away as the game went along to open a two-game lead over the Lansdale club.
“We did not come out at the start and play a strong game, especially defensively,” said Bristol coach Mike Lalli. “We gave away a couple of runs, but the bottom of our order came through. Then the top of the order did, too. If we can get that, we will be in good shape (for districts and states).”
Two outfield errors helped Dock score in the first and third innings. As is usually the case, standout Dock junior shortstop Jill Bolton was the big gun in her team’s lineup.
In the first, Bolton walked and then flew around the bases when Lanae Hunsbeger’s single was misplayed in the outfield. Bolton also singled in the third inning after her team scored on a sac-fly by Theresa Beck.
For good measure, Bolton blasted an RBI double in the fifth against Brianna Vearling, who worked the first six innings and struck out three for the win.
Christopher Dock’s very big problem was its catcher had trouble catching the ball. The result was a myriad of passed balls. Although it got thrown out once, Bristol was also able to steal pretty much at will. Throw in eight hits and it was more than enough for the Warriors to win comfortably at the end.
Bristol took a 3-2 lead in the third when a single by No. 7 batter Maya Alicea and a walk to Katelyn Santana led to a two-run single by Desiree Franchitti, and another run scoring on a passed ball.
Bristol scored a run in the fourth on a single by Santana and two more in a fifth inning that started with a single by No. 9 batter Alexis Mossbrook, a single by Tianna Brewington and a pretty bunt single by Franchitti, the only Warrior to have more than one hit.
From there, Bristol scored when Mossbrook raced home from third when Dock threw to first following a dropped strike three and Vearling stroked an RBI single.
Two more runs followed in the sixth, including speedster Tiana Nelson beating out a pinch-hit infield single and eventually racing home on a fielder’s choice by Brewington.
Contact By Rick Fortenbaugh at rfortenbaugh@trentonian.com OR @RickFort7 on Twitter.
Bristol 8, Christopher Dock 3
(May 9 at Bristol)
Christopher Dock 101 010 0 – 3 7 2
Bristol (13-0) 003 122 x – 8 8 1
WP-Vearling. LP-Groarke. 2B-Bolton (CD). 3B-Hunsberger (CD), RBIs: CD-Beck, Bolton. B-Brewington 2, Franchitti 2, Vearling, Santana.
