For the fourth time in the last six years, Avon has won the District 6 championship in Major Division baseball. Avon had four home runs in an 12-2 win over Simsbury Americans Sunday at Sperry Park.
Hard-hitting Avon hits four homers in 12-2 rout of SImsbury
AVON, July 19 – A little over a week ago, Simsbury American pitcher Jack LaVigne was able to handcuff the Avon Major Division (ages 11-12) baseball team on the second day of the District 6 tournament. LaVigne struck out 10 and allowed just two hits as Simsbury beat Avon in seven innings by one run, 2-1.
However in Sunday’s District 6 championship game, LaVigne and his teammates couldn’t hold back Avon, which had 12 hits including four towering home run blasts for a 12-2 victory at Sperry Park.
Stephen Griffin had a perfect game through four innings.
It was Avon’s fourth D6 championship in the last six years and qualifies Avon for the Section II state tournament beginning Friday in Manchester.
Avon has ridden the long ball throughout the tournament. Stephen Carrier had a homer in the first game of the tournament, a 17-2 rout over the Torrington Nationals. Connor Dunn had a three-run home run in a 15-0 win over Shepaug while Stephen Griffin and Patrick McKearney each had a pair of home runs in an 11-0 win over North Canaan.
In a 6-3 semifinal victory over Burlington, Chris Moss had a two-run homer as part of a four-run first inning to put Avon in command.
“We have a good hitting team,” Avon manager T.J. O’Connor said. “I think our strength is pitching and defense.” But he did add, “We do have some kids with power.”
Carrier had two home runs while McKearney and Moss each hit home runs. Each not only cleared the 200-foot fence but sailed high into the trees beyond the outfield fence.
Simsbury American coach Steve Kaplioff said his team is a solid defensive team. “But they hit them into the woods where we can’t catch them,” he said with a shrug. Kaplioff tipped his hat to the hard-hitting Avon team and praised LaVigne. “He’s a good pitcher and he isn’t hit like that very often,” Kaplioff said.
Patrick Albanesi runs the bases in Sunday’s D6 championship win
Avon was relentless from the start. Avon took a 3-0 lead thanks to a RBI double from McKearney and a pair of passed balls. They made it 5-0 in the second inning. With two outs, Patrick Albanesi doubled and Carrier blasted a two-run home run to centerfield.
In the third inning, Moss’ two-run home run to centerfield made it 7-0. Another run scored on a passed ball.
Simsbury American found life at the plate difficult thanks to Griffin, who had a perfect game through four innings with five strikeouts on his birthday. Simsbury’s Chris Pappa broke up the no-hit bid with one out in the fifth inning with a double to right field. He scored on a RBI single by Mike Amato.
Avon extended its lead in the sixth with a solo home run by Carrier to centerfield and a two-run shot by McKearney down the left field line high into the trees.
McKearney finished 4-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBI. Carrier was 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBI. Albanesi had a single and double for Avon.
Kaplioff praised his team, which won its first five games in the tournament, including a thrilling 4-3 win over Thomaston in the semifinals. The Americans grabbed a 4-0 lead early but used solid defense to hold off the charging Bears.
Jordan Whalen and J.T. Kaplioff pitched well for Simsbury and Whalen made an outstanding catch in left field to end the game. It put the Simsbury Americans in the D6 final for the first time since 2004.
While Avon won its fourth District 6 Major Division title, the core of this team has already won a pair of district titles. Eleven of the 13 players on the team won the D6 title in 2007 in the age 9-10 division, won the Section II championship and finished second in the state. A year ago in the Minor Division tournament (ages 11), Avon won the D6 title and fell in the Section II title game.
“It’s a great group of kids,” O’Connor said. “They work hard and they love playing baseball together.”
In the D6 semifinals against Burlington, Albanesi was outstanding on the mound, striking out 10 and allowing just two hits in a complete game performance. Griffin had a two-RBI single in the first inning. Carrier finished with three hits and had a pair of tremendous catches in centerfield.
Avon 12, Simsbury American 2
At Avon
Avon (5-1) 323 013 – 12-12-0
Simsbury Amer (5-1) 000 011 – 2- 2-4
Stephen Griffin, Chris Moss (6) and Ben Suski; Jack LaVigne, Mike Amato (4), Nate Medve (6), Michael Johnson (6) and J.T. Kaplioff; 2B: Chris Pappa (S), Patrick McKearney (A), Ben Suski (A): HR: Stephen Carrier (A) 2, McKearney (A), Moss (A)
’09 District 6 highlights
Avon 17,
Torrington National 2
P Chris Moss struck out 8
Stephen Carrier: HR, double, 3-for-5
Patrick McKearney: 3 hits
John Burdick: 3 hits
Simsbury American 2,
Avon 1 (7)
Luke Meaney: 2-for-3, 3B
Chris Moss: RBI single in 6th
P Patrick Albanesi: 10 strikeouts in 5 innings
Simsbury scores 2 unearned runs on 2 errors.
Avon 15, Shepaug 0 (4)
Connor Dunn: 3-run home run
Stephen Carrier: 2 hits
Stephen Griffin: 2 hits
Patrick McKearney: 2 hits
Avon 11, North Canaan 0
Stephen Griffin: 2-3, 2 home runs
Patrick McKearney: 3-3, 2 home runs
Patrick Albanesi: 3 hits
Avon 6, Burlington 3
Stephen Griffin: 2 RBI 1B in 1st
Chris Moss: 2-run HR in 1st
Stephen Carrier: 3 hits
P Patrick Alabenesi 10 strikeouts, 2 hits allowed
The players
AVON
Patrick Albanesi
Stephen Carrier
Stephen Griffin
Patrick McKearney
Chris Moss
Ben Suski
Connor Dunn
Jordan Levine
John Burdick
Kevin Rosato
Luke Meaney
Chris Dumais
Alex Zacchio
Manager: T.J. O’Connor
Coaches: Rick Griffin,
Ken Levine
SIMSBURY
J.B. Hayes
Jack LaVigne
Michael Johnson
Brian Gellman
Nate Medve
Zach Leone
Mike Amato
J.T. Kaplioff
Jordan Whaley
Jake Pohl
Kyle Robbins
Kyle Dougherty
Chris Pappa
Manager: Steve Kaplioff
Coaches: Chris Medve
Recent District 6 baseball champions
Major Division (ages 11-12)
2009: Avon 12, Simsbury Americans 2
2008: Burlington 7, Avon 5
2006: Simsbury National 4, Avon 3
2005: Avon 15, Simsbury Nationals 4 (4)
2004: Avon 8, Simsbury Amer. 2
2003: Simsbury American 12, Simsbury Nationals 2 (5)
2002: Simsbury Americans 1, Avon 0
2001: Burlington 8, Torrington Nationals 4
2000: Terryville 6, Torrington Nationals 1
1999: Tri-Town 7, Granby 6
1998: Simsbury Nationals 7, Tri-Town 6
1997: Simsbury Americans 8, Terryville 3
1996: Torrington Americans 10. Simsbury National 0
1995: Simsbury 10-9, Terryville 4-6 (best of 3 final)
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