Evenly-mixed Bristol softball is hitting the heck out of the ball
BRISTOL BORO – While Bristol lost five seniors to graduation last year including three starters, the Lady Warriors certainly haven’t lost any firepower.
In eight games thus far, unbeaten Bristol (8-0) has pounded out 92 runs. In six wins against Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) foes, the Warriors are currently averaging 12 runs per game.
The squad is neither laden with seniors, nor a bunch of newcomers to the game, though four players who didn’t play varsity ball are starting for the first time this year including junior outfielders Kendall Lewis and Gabbi Quici.
Lewis played mostly on the JV team last year and Quici is new to the program.
In a recent win over New Hope-Solebury, Lewis hit safely in all three at-bats with a pair of singles and a home run.
“Kendall has definitely stepped up as a player,” said catcher Tianna Brewington, who also is the team’s leadoff hitter. “She has completely come around and she works hard every single practice.
“She wants to be a starter and she wants to be that great girl in the lineup and she’s definitely becoming one of them.”
Quici went 1-for-2 in an 11-1 victory over New Hope.
“Gabbi is just great to be around, great to have in our dugout,” said Brewington. “She can come in and hit if we need her too. She works hard every single practice.
“This team is just good to be on; there’s a lot of good people on this team.”
Leading the pack offensively on most days is sophomore Hailey Sweeney, who is playing shortstop with junior Cara Fabiano taking the bulk of the pitching duties.
“Hailey is an incredible player,” said Brewington. “She has a lot of potential for a 10th-grader. I play with a lot of girls between travel and here and Hailey is an impressive player, to me.”
In the Warriors’ recent 10-0 win over BAL rival MaST Charter, Sweeney went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. Defensively, Fabiano struck out 10 batters and tossed a one-hitter.
In the team’s 16-1 three-inning triumph over Phil-Mont Christian Academy, she hit 3-for-3 including a triple, a pair of runs scored and three RBI. Fabiano hit 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and three RBI.
Stroking two RBIS each in the game for Bristol were Brewington, Kacie Pinelli and Destiny Brophy, a sophomore playing her first year on varsity.
“Destiny – she’s a good player. She’s young; it’s her first year playing for any school team including ours,” explained Brewington.
“She’s in 10th grade so she has a lot of work to do. But she’s going to help us throughout the year.
“Kacie is one of the better players out here, as well. She just always has a positive attitude.”
Youngsters like Brophy and Pinelli are bonding well with a veteran group that includes seniors Tiana Nelson, Bryanna Vearling and Alexis Mossbrook.
“We are a young team and there are some returning seniors,” explained Brewington. “But I think what we have is a team bond.
“We are bonding as a team and we work hard every single practice and I think that’s what’s helping us win these games.”
“The hitting one through nine is great.”
And then some.
In the Warriors’ recent win over New Hope, Lewis stroked what looked like a popup that didn’t come down until it hit the netting attached to the outfield fence.
“She hit it three-quarters of the way up the netting and I don’t think she got all of it,” said Bristol head coach Mike Lalli. “That’s the scary thing.
“I think if she hits that solid, that might go over that netting because she’s a strong girl.
“And we have a bunch of really strong hitters.
“Every one of these girls can put the ball out of the park and they swing very violently, which is nice to see.”
Unless you’re the opponent.
In addition to Lewis, Sweeney has a home run to her name this season as does Brophy. Pinelli has hit the ball out of the park twice on the season.
Stroking doubles for the Warriors in the Phil-Mont game were Nelson, Brewington, Vearling and Pinelli. Hitting triples in the contest were Fabiano, Sweeney and Mossbrook.
Defensively, Vearling recorded her first win of the season April 20 against Phil-Mont, limiting the Lady Falcons to two hits and three walks in three innings of work.
With the one-two punch in the circle of Vearling and Fabiano and some heavy hitters in the batting order, Bristol could be looking at a seventh consecutive District 1 softball championship come time for the postseason.
