Losses keep piling up

Blue Dragons drop 26th straight game

MIDDLETOWN >> Another game, another loss.

Middletown High lost its 26th baseball game in a row, 15-1, to Bristol Central in a Central Connecticut Conference/South Division game played at John DeNunzio Field Wednesday afternoon.

Central (2-1) slammed 17 hits while its two pitchers, starter and winner Brock Clark and reliever Alec Balfour, held Middletown to four hits and one unearned run.

Middletown (0-3) committed seven errors.

“I try to encourage the kids as much as I can,” said Middletown coach Josh Cofield. “We are very young. We started seven sophomores today and we have only four seniors. I let the kids know that things will turn around. I tell them we will pull out some games and that we will upset somebody along the way. But the kids are literally learning the game and I’m teaching on the fly.”

Middletown starter A.J. Mallet was touched for three runs in the first inning on four hits and it was downhill from there.

“A.J. has good mechanics, but he didn’t have it today,” said Cofield. “The only pitch he could throw for strikes was his fastball and when you’re up against a good team like Central, that’s not enough.”

Central added two runs in the third and chased Mallet in the middle of a four-run fourth inning. Relievers Stephen Lombardo and Cameron Biro didn’t fare much better as Lombardo gave up five runs and Biro three.

Middletown’s defense didn’t help as six of the Rams’ runs were unearned.

“Clark is our No. 1 pitcher,” said Central coach Bunty Ray. “He’s been hurt all year so it was nice to get him out there. Today should help him build confidence. We’ve been scoring a lot of runs, but we pride ourselves on pitching and defense , so having him healthy and getting him back is great.

“We have hit up and down the lineup, but you know, offense comes and goes. Today we stung the ball when we needed to and we also executed very well on the bases.”

Clark went four and a third innings, gave up just two hits, walked five and struck out four.

Dathan Hickey had three hits including a triple plus two stolen bases, Jacob Santiago had three hits, including a double, good for two RBI and Jaylen Diaz was 4-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Rams’ attack.

Brandon Godwin had three of Middletown’s four hits. Noah Valeriano drove in Middletown’s run with a double in the sixth inning.

Middletown plays Northwest Catholic in West Hartford today.