AVON, July 12 – The Zone 1 championship may have slipped away but the Avon American Legion baseball team isn’t slowing down. After dropping a 1-0 decision to Simsbury in the completion of a suspended game, Post 201 rapped out nine hits in an 8-2 decision over Simsbury Tuesday night at Avon Old Farms.
The win leaves Avon with a 17-6 mark in Zone 1 with three games left to the play. Bristol is 20-4 with games remaining against Simsbury and Avon (Wednesday night at Muzzy Field). Simsbury is 18-6 but Avon won two of three games with Post 84 giving them the tiebreaker should the two teams finish tied. Avon has won six of its last eight games.
The opener was the completion of a game that began in June. The two teams played six innings of scoreless ball before it was postponed due to rain. They played another three innings Tuesday night. Simsbury pitcher Jason Byers pitched three innings of shutout relief, striking out one of Avon’s top hitters, Tyler D’Onofrio, with a runner on third base in the eighth inning.
Simsbury scored in the ninth after Byers walked. He scored on a two-out double from Andrew Girard. The win eliminated Avon from the Zone 1 title hunt.
In game two, Avon jumped all over Simsbury early, taking a 5-0 lead after one inning. Post 84 starter Alex Wichmann of Granby lasted just three batters and loaded the bases. Reliver Brian Magna of Canton gave up a two-RBI double to Chris Frask and a two-RBI single to Connor Doyle.
Frask had an excellent game in the nightcap, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI. Avon hurler Matt Jadovich went six innings and scattered three hits.
Simsbury remains alive for the Zone 1 title. They need to beat Bristol on Friday night and hope Avon wins on Wednesday. If that happened, both teams would be tied at 20-6 but Simsbury would have an edge with two wins in three games over Bristol.
Simsbury’s 1-0 win over Avon eliminated Post 201 from the title hunt. Even if Avon finishes tied with Bristol at 20-6, they can’t win the tiebreaker because Bristol has already won two of three games over Avon.
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