Early Bristol surge leads to 10-2 Blue Sox loss
By Kate Endres
HOLYOKE– The Valley Blue Sox (6-3-1) took their third loss of the season in a 10-2 contest against the Bristol Blues (4-6) on Monday night. Mackenzie Stadium saw a barrage of Bristol hits, and the result snapped a six‑game losing streak for the Blues.
Both teams came out hot, but Bristol set the tone. The first three Blues to reach bases did so on a hit‑by‑pitch, a walk, and a single aided by an error. The only hit of the inning came from Scott Gell (Stony Brook), whose two‑run single scored Antonio Ducatelli (Central Connecticut) and Nick Flores (VCU). A groundout to shortstop Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) brought home another run, giving Bristol a quick 3-0 lead.
Bristol’s most explosive inning came in the second, when the Blues tallied six hits and sent ten batters to the plate. Flores doubled home a run, Christopher DiPrima (Yale) drove in another on a fielder’s choice, and Mason Breton (LIU Post) added a two‑run single to stretch the lead. By the end of the second inning, Bristol had already piled up seven runs on seven hits, leaving Valley to play from behind the rest of the night.
Still, Valley once again struck early. Two of the Blue Sox’s three runs came in the first inning, when the top three hitters in the lineup recorded singles to load the bases with no outs. Designated hitter Trevor Harmon (San Fransico) worked a full‑count walk against starter Kyle Peters (UConn), scoring Lucas Alberti (George Mason) for Valley’s first run. Chris Cancel (UConn) followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice, bringing Jack Myers (Georgia Southern) home and sending Harmon back to the dugout. Anthony Tirado (Penn State) then grounded into a double play, ending the inning and most of Valley’s offensive momentum for the night.
Valley managed to quiet the Blues for three innings, but Bristol’s lineup reignited in the fifth. With the bases loaded, DiPrima singled to right to score Evan Menzel (UConn). Two innings later, DiPrima grounded out to short to bring Menzel home again, and Nicholas Francuzenko (Towson) followed with a double to right that scored Ducatelli.
Valley used five pitchers, including newcomers Jacob Mulvehill (Lehigh), Michael Madigan (George Mason), and Jason Pinsonnault (Western New England). Head coach John Raiola said the goal was simply to get them on the mound.
“Those guys showed up today … and we threw them right into it,” Raiola said. “We wanted to get them out there and see what they can do.”
Mulvehill delivered the most stable outing of the night, allowing just one run over three innings. Madigan followed with two innings of two‑run ball, and Pinsonnault eked out a clean ninth.
“In a situation like that, down by seven, you need six outs regardless,” Raiola said.
Valley’s offense, meanwhile, stalled after the first inning. The Blue Sox managed just six hits, and the Bristol starter held them scoreless for five straight innings after the opening frame. Valley’s third and final run did not come until the ninth, when Trey Spees (Western Carolina) came home on a wild pitch after Alberti worked a walk.
“We talk all the time about competing every at‑bat,” Raiola said. “Sometimes it’s just one at‑bat where things click. You’ve got to continue to work, stay in your approach [and] simplify things.”
The Blue Sox head to Muzzy Field in Bristol to face the Blues once again on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 11:30 a.m., and the game can be streamed on NECBL+.