Bristol Knights Split Muzzy Doubleheader on 7/28

Monday night at Muzzy… Game 1, Earl Oakes looked sharp to start the game. After giving up a run in the 1st, Earl mostly dominated the Panthers batters the next 3 innings, until they finally got to him in the 5^th, putting up a 5 spot on Earl. We brought in Rick Blais to finish the game, but we could never rally enough to make it close, losing 7-2. Rex Cone hit the ball very well, and we had a few chances to score that we didn’t capitalize on.

So it came to game 2, with our playoff seeding on the line… a loss and we were likely locked into starting in the elimination bracket, a win and still a chance to start the playoffs in the winners bracket.

With that loss, we were facing the Moodus Nationals. They also were throwing their Ace Adam Michaud… who we did find a way to beat in our only other meeting this year at Moodus. In that game, our longtime but former Bristol Knight, Kyle Gravlin, was home visiting his family on a vacation from his weatherman job in Nebraska. So we hit him up and he jumped at the opportunity to get a game in… and he came out and threw a gem for the win, with no sign of rust at all.

Michaud threw very well, striking out 5 and only allowing 3 runs to the Knights. Unfortunately for Moodus, our guy, Chris McGrath was just a little better. He went the full game, striking out 9 while only allowing 1 run (earned). It’s not that Moodus didn’t hit the ball well though. Chris did get some very solid and timely defense to back him up too. Our Outfielders Phil Dauria, Justin Tokarz, Nate Corrivea… and then later in the game Walter Klimczak and Julio Ortiz-Rivera all came up big making some nice running catches.

On the offensive side for the Knights, Eddie Dickman (in an unusual role at leadoff for him), simply raked. In his first 2 at bats, he laced 2 doubles to the wall in right center, scored one run and one RBI. Brian LaRochelle also had a nice double which led to an insurance run later in the game, and Rex Cone, Earl Oakes, Justin Tokarz, and Sean Shanley had hits, while Rick Barrett had a key RBI Sac Fly.

In an interesting side story to the games at Muzzy Field, the Knights had a family of umpires come and do the 2nd game. They asked special permission to run a game as a 3 umpire crew. In game 2, Nationals vs Knights, for the first time ever, the entire Forcier family of umpires will did the game together. Rit, along with his wife Paula, and their son Ryan worked a 3 umpire game. This is something they had never done on the field at the same time, and don’t often even get to do even with 2 of them, so this was a true treat for them and something they can cherish forever.