The Danbury Westerners started their 2021 NECBL Summer Baseball season on the road with a bang by defeating the Bristol Blues 18-4.
The Westerners got out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second after second baseman Zach Selinger forced a walk with the bases loaded. Bristol would match the score at 1 when Brennen Dorighi scored on a throwing error from Westerners starter Kyle Roche in the bottom half of the inning.
“I was locating my fastball pretty well,” Roche said about his performance after the game, “My slider was working, not so much my splitter.”
The game would remain 1-1 until the top of the sixth inning, where the Westerners scored a single inning franchise-high 17 runs.
Zach Selinger and Banks Griffith each had a two-RBI single, Dylan Kim had an RBI double, and Jake Roper and Matt Zaffino had RBI singles. Five players scored for Danbury on walks alone, while four more scored off of plays scored as errors. Selinger also had an RBI groundout.
The Westerners totaled thirteen hits throughout the game. Seven Westerners tallied a minimum of one RBI, while eight scored at least once.
Kyle Roche earned the win after throwing five innings, giving up three hits and one run unearned while walking one Blue out and striking out seven.
The loss went to Bristol pitcher Hector Alejandro who gave up six runs [four earned] and two walks over zero total innings after relieving Bristol starter Jack Moore.
The Westerners will have their 2021 NECBL home opener this Saturday at Rogers Park against the Valley Blue Sox, where Angelo Tonas is scheduled to be the Westerners’ starting pitcher.
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