AVON, July 11, 2009 – The Avon American Legion baseball program continues to break down barriers. Post 201 has shattered the franchise record for most wins in a season, won the season series from Southington for the first time and winning streaks of six and eight games, respectively.
Post 201 is also on the cusp of doing something no Avon team has ever achieved – earning a berth in the Connecticut American Legion state tournament. Avon (15-7, 13-6 Zone 1) needs to win one of its final six Zone 1 contests to earn a spot in the state tournament.
“I couldn’t ask for more,” Legion coach Brian Doyle said. “It’s a great group of kids.”
It’s a dedicated group of ballplayers. There are just 14 active players on the roster and one player, Scott Mancini, has been injured all season with a broken finger. A few players from Avon’s Junior American Legion team (ages 17 and under) are available to assist but it has primarily been 13 players. Post 201, a Senior Legion program, plays in the 19 and under age group.
Avon hadn’t fielded an American Legion since 2000 although they did have a team for eight years in the 1990s. They fielded a team with Canton and Farmington for three years and had a team on their own for five years. Any other year, if an Avon player wanted to play American Legion, they had to tryout for Simsbury Post 84.
In recent years, Avon players have played on teams in the Jaycee-TD Banknorth league and did well. But the challenge and opportunity to test yourself against the best baseball talent at the Legion remained.
So Doyle and assistant coaches Chris Moore and John Papa helped organize the Legion team. “It’s a big commitment,” Doyle said. “It’s 30 games in about 35 days.”
“Our pitching has been outstanding,” he said. “That is our strength. We play pretty good defense and our hitting may be our weakest link with the wood bats. But we’ve won a lot of close games, which is a testament to the kids. They’re a gutsy group. They don’t get nervous.”
Avon has earned four one-run victories, including a 2-1 win over rival Unionville on June 29, a 2-1 win over Torrington on June 21 and a 1-0 win over Wolcott on June 14. Four other wins have come by two or three runs or less.
“The win over Unionville may have been the most emotional,” Doyle said. “Russ Martens had pitched all spring but he was game and turned in a gutsy effort. We turned four doubles plays in the game.”
Martens was a freshman infielder/pitcher at Itacha College this spring. He played in 14 games but didn’t throw a pitch. In his first start of the year, he pitched six strong innings for Post 201. Sean Lanahan relieved Martens after Unionville scored a run to pull within one, 2-1. With runners on second and third with no out, Lanahan helped start a pitch out that led to an out and had a key strikeout to preserve the win.
Lanahan didn’t pitch with the Avon High squad in the spring but has developed into a key reliever for Post 201 with a team-leading four saves and a 2-1 mark in 13 innings work.
Tyler Grouten, who will pitch at Roanoke College in Virginia next spring, is the top hurler on the staff with a 3-2 record and a 1.68 ERA. In 29 innings, he has fanned 33 and allowed 15 hits. David Lavoie (3-2, 2 saves, 1.14 ERA) has pitched well with 18 strikeouts in 30 innings. Brendan Telfer, who will be a junior at Avon High in the fall, is 3-1 with a 1.22 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 29 innings.
“Every time they pitch, they give us a chance to win,” Doyle said. “Those three have shouldered the load for us.”
Everyone is making contributions. In the 2-1 win over Torrington on June 21, Connor Doyle and John Ponziani each had RBI singles. In a 4-1 win over Terryville on June 22, Lavoie picked up his second two-inning save in two days as Martens went 3-for-3 with three RBI.
Centerfielder Mike D’Onofrio has been outstanding with a team-high 21 hits, 17 runs scored and 10 stolen bases and six RBI. He is hitting .323. Utility player John Ponziani leads the team with a .342 batting average, 12 hits and eight RBI. Jason Moore is hitting .327 with 19 hits and eight stolen bases.
T.J. Stolzenberg is hitting .307 but has a team-high 11 RBI, seven doubles, six sacrifice flies and the lone home run of the season. “He’s probably our best hitter,” Brian Doyle said. “He can drive the ball which a lot of guys can’t do with the wooden bat. And he has played everywhere for us – pitcher, second base, third base and outfield.”
Bristol has already clinched the Zone 1 championship and a bye in the final 16-team bracket of the tournament. With another win, Avon will participate in the play-in portion of the tournament with teams finishing at .500 in their respective zone playing for eight spots in the final round of the state tournament.
The play-in portion of the tournament begins July 21. The final 16 portion of the state tournament will be July 25-29 in Middletown and Bristol.
Additional updates
Monday, July 13: Avon (16-10, 14-9) beats Winsted, 6-1, to earn first-ever state tournament berth. Brendan Telfer with 2 hits, 2 RBI. Jason Moore and Connor Doyle with 2 hits each. P Sean Lanahan allows just 1 hit over final 3 innings.
Sunday, July 12: Tyler Grouten pitches 10 strong innings but Simsbury prevails with 2 runs in the 11th inning of a 3-1 victory.
Sunday, July 12: Mike D’Onofrio, Tyler Grouten and T.J. Stolzenberg named Zone 1 All-Stars by zone coaches.
2009 results
July 13: Avon 6, Winsted 1
July 12: Simsbury 3, Avon 1 (11)
July 12: Simsbury 17, Avon 1
July 9: Avon 14, Burlington 1
July 8: Southington 3, Avon 0
July 7: Torrington 7, Avon 2
July 6: Avon 12, Burlington 5
July 5: Avon 6-7, Terryville 4-4
June 29: Avon 2, Unionville 1
June 28: Avon 3-7, Southington 1-0
June 27: Torrington 1, Avon 0
June 25: Simsbury 11, Avon 2
June 22: Avon 4, Terryville 1
June 21: Avon 2, Torrington 1
June 20: Avon 8, West Hartford 3**
June 17: Avon 9, Burlington 2
June 16: Avon 5, Winsted 1
June 14: Avon 4-1, Wolcott 0-0
June 12: Avon 6, Unionville 5**
June 12: Unionville 2, Avon 1
June 11: Bristol 3, Avon 0
June 8: West Hartford 13, Avon 3**
**Non-zone games
Of note
- All games are played with wooden bats. It’s an adjustment for high school and college players who play with aluminum bats.
- Post 201 has players from several different schools — Avon High, Avon Old Farms, Westminister School, Northwest Catholic and Itacha College
- Avon swept the season series from Southington for the first time ever winning two of three games. Avon’s 3-0 win over Southington on June 28 snapped a 12-game losing streak dating back to 1997.
- Avon’s last win over Simsbury came in 1997. They have lost 11 in a row.
- Scott Mancini and T.J. Stolzenberg were All-State baseball players at Avon this spring. Mike D’Onofrio was a two-time All-State football player.
The players
Mike D’Onofrio, Avon High
Connor Doyle, Avon Old Farms
Tyler Grouten, Avon High
Taylor Lackey, Avon High
Sean Lanahan, Avon High
David Lavoie, Avon High
Andrew Livingstone, AHS
Scott Mancini, Avon High
Russell Martens, Itacha College
Jason Moore, N.W. Catholic
Tyler Papa, Westminister
John Ponziani, Avon High
T.J. Stolzenberg, Avon High
Brendan Telfer, Avon High
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