Bristol continues to pound the ball in win over New Hope-Solebury

BRISTOL – While the Bristol softball team is a mixed bag – the Lady Warriors are a combination of seasoned veterans and inexperienced newcomers to the varsity game – the group certainly came together in Wednesday’s lopsided win over Bicentennial Athletic League (BAL) rival New Hope-Solebury (3-6).

Junior Kendall Lewis led an 11-hit attack, helping unbeaten Bristol (6-0) to an 11-1 victory, its fourth BAL triumph of the season April 19 at home.

“Our veterans are solid and we knew they’d be solid coming in,” said Warriors long-time head coach Mike Lalli.

“The new girls, I’m real happy with what I’m seeing in Destiny Brophy and Kacie Pinelli.

“They are coming through and Kendall Lewis has been a complete surprise to us as far as what she’s been able to do.”

Lewis was able to hit safely in all three of her at-bats including a home run over the centerfield fence that led off the bottom of the third inning.

“She hit that three-quarters of the way up the netting,” said Lalli. “And I don’t think she got all of it. That’s the scary thing about that. She kind of got under it just a little bit. I think if she hits that solid that might go over that netting.

She’s a strong girl and we have a bunch of really strong hitters.

That much was on full display in this game with four players including winning pitcher Cara Fabiano hitting for extra bases.

Players hitting home runs thus far this season for Bristol include sophomore Destiny Brophy, senior Bryanna Vearling, sophomore Hailey Sweeney and Kacie Pinelli, a freshman infielder with two homers on the year.

“Going all the way down the lineup, every one of these girls can put the ball out of the park,” said Lally. “And they swing very violently, which is nice to see.”

The Warriors outpaced their first two foes on the season by a combined 28-1 score. After a 5-2 win over Class 6A rival CB West, Bristol has won its last three games by a 33-5 margin.

In the first inning against the Lions, the Warriors pushed five runs across the plate with Pinelli and Lewis accounting for RBIS in the frame.

A double by Fabiano with a runner on first added another run in the second inning and Pinelli slapped a single to right field, pushing the score to 7-0.

The home run by Lewis made it 8-0 in the third inning and Brophy’s double-play ball with the sacks jammed plated the Warriors ninth run of the contest.

Bristol went up 10-0 on a walk drawn by Vearling, Lewis’ third hit and an error. Lewis scored the 11 run on a pinch-hit double freshman Emily Marchese.

Fabiano has carried all of the pitching duties for the Warriors thus far and she didin’t disappoint in this game, fanning eight Batters for New Hope.

TOP PHOTO: Bristol shortstop Hailey Sweeney rounds third base in the first inning.

Bristol 11, New Hope-Solebury 1

(April 19 at Bristol)

NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 000 10 – 1 1 4

BRISTOL 522 2X – 11 11 1

WP — Cara Fabiano 5IP, 1R, 1H, 0BB, 8SO.

LP — Sarah Wilson 2IP, 7R, 6H, 2BB, 1SO.

MULTIPLE HITS: B — Kacie Pinelli 2-for-2, Kendall Lewis 3-for-3, NH-S — none.

EXTRA-BASE HITS: B — Fabiano 2B, Pinelli 2B, Lewis HR, Emily Marchese 2B.

RBI: B — Destiny Brophy, Fabiano, Pinelli 2, Lewis 2, Alexis Mossbrook, Marchese.