Middletown loses 29th in a row

MIDDLETOWN >> The opponents change, the score varies, but the outcome remains the same.

Middletown High’s baseball team lost for the eighth time this season and for the 29th time in a row, this time to Central Connecticut Conference South Division foe Bristol Eastern, 10-0, at John DeNunzio Field Friday afternoon.

It was a still a competitive game into the sixth inning as Middletown starter Mike Gaboury pitched well, allowing three runs -- none of them earned. The Blue Dragons were still within sight after five, trailing 4-0 after reliever Noah Valeriano gave up a run in the fifth.

But the proverbial roof fell in in the sixth as the Lancers scored six times, taking advantage of three MHS errors.

“This was a typical game for us,” said Middletown coach Josh Cofield. “We play well for three, four innings, then there is one inning when we just don’t put

things together and the game gets away.

“Our pitcher did a pretty good job against a pretty good team, but we don’t hit. Fact is, we are very young, playing a lot of sophomores. Today we put the ball in play, but we didn’t find many holes.”

Eastern found holes, mainly in the Middletown defense. While the Lancers had 10 hits, Middletown made five errors and Eastern cashed them in.

Eastern took a 1-0 second inning lead on an infield error and an RBI double by Anthony Lozier. The winners scored twice in the fourth and both were unearned because of another error.

Eastern got a rarity - an earned run - in the fifth on a single by Cory Fredette, a steal and an RBI single by Jake Violette. At 4-0, it was still a game. Twenty minutes later it wasn’t.

Middletown made three errors in the sixth, including a dropped fly ball, a dropped pop-up and an infield boot. Eastern also smacked four hits in the rally, including a run-scoring single by Shawn Savior (2-for-4) and a run-scoring double by MacGregor Goulet (2-for-4).

Meanwhile. Eastern starter Zach Marquis was cruising. He went five innings, allowed just two hits, struck out two and did’t walk a batter. He kept the ball down which produced ground ball after ground ball. Second baseman Savior had a busy day, fielding eight ground balls through five innings as the Dragons hit into 14 ground ball outs.

“Marquis is our best,” said Eastern coach Mike Giovinazzo. “I pitched him today because he hasn’t pitched in two weeks since beating NFA at Dodd Stadium. He threw only 52 pitches. But overall it’s been hard because we haven’t played in nine days.

“We have a totally new pitching staff so that’s a work in progress, but our lineup is solid.”

Middletown will play Maloney in another CCC/ South game today at 1 p.m. in Meriden.