Stunning win by Enfield ends season for Avon Legion squad

Avon pitcher Mac Crispino.

AVON, July 23 – This wasn’t the way it was supposed to end.

It was the Avon American Legion baseball team that was supposed to come up with the key hit, the big throw or key defensive play to ensure a victory in the state tournament.

However on Tuesday, visiting Enfield made the big plays, got the key hits and stunned Zone 1 champion Avon, 3-2 to advance to the four-team, double elimination round of the Northern Sectional. It is Enfield’s first appearance in the double elimination portion of the state tournament since 1975.

Avon (20-5) knew that its path in the state tournament wouldn’t be easy. Enfield won 19 games to finish second in Zone 8 and beat Waterford on Monday, 7-1, with pitcher Greg Kraucunas allowing just three hits.

Enfield (20-6) put pressure on Avon from the start. They put the leadoff hitter on base in seven of nine innings. Outfielder Charley Smith had three successful sacrifices to advance Enfield base runners.

“We were under pressure all game long. We had our B game today,” Avon coach Brian Doyle said. “We didn’t play poorly but it wasn’t our A game.”

Avon’s three pitchers – Mac Crispino, Mike Castellani and Noah Hahn – limited Enfield to seven hits but they combined to walk nine batters.

Enfield took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Josh LaJoie, who was the most outstanding player of this spring’s team at Avon Old Farms, led off the game with a double. He moved to second on a sacrifice by Smith and scored two batters later on a two-out single by Jon Cerrato.

In the third, Enfield extended the lead to 2-0. LaJoie led off the inning by coaxing a walk from Crispino. Again, Smith sacrificed LaJoie to second base. LaJoie took third on a single by Kraucunas and scored on a RBI single from Cerrato.

“We didn’t know much about them at all,” Enfield coach Fran Slattery said. “We knew we couldn’t run on their catcher (Cody Doyle) so we sacrificed (four times) and it worked.”

LaJoie played with Doyle and Castellani this spring at Avon Old Farms.

Avon cut the lead to 2-1 in the third. Connor Dunn singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Ben Suski and took third on a balk. Dunn scored on a two-out single from centerfielder Liam O’Connor.

Enfield took a 3-1 lead in the sixth. Taylor Griffin walked, moved to second on a single from Dan Brunetti and took third on a sacrifice from Chris Lapointe. Griffin was caught off third base and got into a rundown. But he scored when Avon catcher Cody Doyle’s throw was too high and went into left field.

Avon cut the lead to 3-2 with a two-out rally in the sixth. Hahn and Ben Lombard singled and Matt Williamson walked to load the bases. Dunn’s RBI single scored Hahn from third. But Cerrato was able to get Suski to fly out to first base to end the threat.

Avon had chances. They left 10 runners on base. “We couldn’t get that timely hit,” Avon manager Brian Doyle said. “That’s baseball.”

Post 201 also had a runner thrown out trying to steal second base in the eighth and had another thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.

Defensively, Avon made some nice plays to keep the game tight. Enfield had five runners stranded on second and third base. But in the end, it wasn’t enough for Avon. 

Enfield 3, Avon 2
At Avon
Enfield (20-6)                     101  001  000 – 3-7-1
Avon (20-5)                        001  001  000 – 2-9-1
Jon Cerrato, Charley Smith (7) and Dan Brunetti; Mac Crispino, Mike Castellani (5), Noah Hahn (8) and Cody Doyle; WP: Cerrato; LP: Castellani; Sv – Smith; 2B: Josh Lajoie (E)

2013 Connecticut American Legion state tournament

Northern Sectional
Saturday, July 20
Round 1
Danielson 10, Tolland 0
Ellington 1, Tri-County 0
South Windsor 7, Unionville 3
Ledyard/Pawcatuck 12, Bristol 0

Sunday, July 21
Round 2
Danielson 6, West Hartford 4
Ellington 15, Simsbury 6
Willimantic 2, South Windsor 0
Waterford 4, Ledyard/Pawcatuck 2

Monday, July 22
Round 3
New London 6, Danielson 0
Newington 6, Ellington 5
Southington 14, Willimantic 3
Enfield 7, Waterford 1

Tuesday, July 23
Round 4
Game 13: New London 4, Windsor Locks 0
Game 14: Newington (16-6) at Montville (25-2), rain
Game 15: Southington (20-5) at RCP (Cromwell) (19-2), rain
Game 16: Enfield 3, Avon 2
Winners of games 13, 14, 15 and 16 qualify for double elimination portion of Northern Section beginning July 27 at Fuessenich Park in Torrington.

Wednesday, July 24
Game 14: Montville 8, Newington 3
Game 15: Southington 7, RCP 6

Northern Sectional
At Fuessenich Park, Torrington
Montville (26-2), Southington (21-5), New London (20-8), Enfield (20-6)

Saturday, July 27
Game 1: New London vs. Southington, noon
Game 2: Enfield vs. Montville, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 28
Game 3: Loser game 1 vs. loser game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Winner game 1 vs. winner game 2, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, July 29
Game 5: Winner game 3 vs. loser game 4, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 30
Final: Winner game 4 vs. winner game 5, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 31
Final: If necessary, 6:30 p.m.

Southern Sectional
Saturday, July 20
Round 1
East Haddam 2, Ridgefield 1
Guilford 10, Danbury 4
WIlton 4, Shelton 3
Meriden 9, West Haven 6

Sunday, July 21
Round 2
East Haddam 6, Trumbull 3
East Haven 12, Guilford 1
Bethel 10, Wilton 6
Norwalk 10, Meriden 0

Monday, July 22
Round 3
Middletown 3, East Haddam 2
Oakville 6, East Haven 5
Greenwich 7, Bethel 3
Orange 5, Norwalk 4 (15)

Tuesday, July 23
Round 4
Game 13: Middletown (18-7) at Branford (26-1), ppd. rain
Game 14: Cheshire leads Oakville, 1-0 (game suspended in 2nd inning)
Game 15: Waterbury 6, Greenwich 2
Game 16: Orange leads Stamford, 3-0 (game suspended in 6th inning)

Wednesday, July 24
Game 13: Branford 1, Middletown 0
Game 14: Cheshire 9, Oakville 0
Game 16: Orange 3, Stamford 0
Winners of games 13, 14, 15 and 16 qualify for double elimination portion of Southern Section beginning July 27 in Stamford

Southern Sectional
At Stamford
Branford (27-1), Cheshire (23-2), Orange (24-5), Waterbury (24-4)

Saturday, July 27
Game 1: Orange vs. Cheshire, noon
Game 2: Waterbury vs. Branford, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 28
Game 3: Loser game 1 vs. loser game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Winner game 1 vs. winner game 2, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, July 29
Game 5: Winner game 3 vs. loser game 4, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 30
Final: Winner game 4 vs. winner game 5, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 31
Final: If necessary, 6:30 p.m.

State championship (Best of 3)
Northern Sectional champion vs. Southern Sectional champion
TBA