Hartford’s Merlyn Herrera (45) celebrates after Hartford eliminated Avon. 3-2 Sunday in the American Legion state tournament. Right, Avon’s Ben Suski (3) can’t believe the game is over.
AVON, July 20 – It’s been a tough week for the Avon American Legion baseball team.
In its past four games, Avon scored one earned run and won just once. Simsbury swept three games from Avon to claim the Zone 1 championship and had two pitchers combine to throw a no-hitter against Post 201 in one of the three victories.
Avon tried to snap out of its offensive funk Sunday in the opening round of the 2014 American Legion state tournament against Hartford. Post 201 had 10 hits but struggled to get a timely hit, stranding 15 runners in a 3-2 loss at Avon Old Farms.
Hartford led 3-0 going into the ninth inning when Avon tried to rally. Post 201 had the bases loaded with no outs and pushed two runs across.
With the bases still loaded and with one out, Hartford reliever Merlyn Herrera coaxed Avon’s Connor McCutcheon into hitting a deep fly ball to right field and Connor Dunn hitting a ground ball back to the pitcher to give Hartford its first state tournament in decades.
No one at the ballpark was quite sure when Hartford last played in the state tournament or won a tournament game. That didn’t matter to the Hartford players who celebrated with joy after the final out. Hartford (12-10) advances to play at Enfield on Monday for the right to play Zone 1 champion Simsbury (18-6) in a best-of-3 series to advance to the Northern Sectional finals.
Avon goes home with a 18-7 record and an opening round loss in the tournament for the second straight season. Catcher Cody Doyle was 5-for-5 while Matt Williamson was 3-for-3 with a RBI but it wasn’t enough.
“We’ve arrived,” Hartford’s fourth-year coach Glynn Baron said. “Our goal was to get up early. We play a National League-style, small ball game. We push runs across any time we can. Everything is borne out of pitching and defense for us.”
Avon pitcher Matt Boone beats Hartford runner Glynn Baron III (10) to the base for an out Sunday.
Hartford, which is made up of players from six city high schools and two players from West Hartford, took charge immediately. Elvin Gonzalez led of the game with a single, stole second base and moved to third on a single from Merlyn Herrera. Gonzalez scored on a ground ball to shortstop for a 1-0 lead.
Hartford extended its lead to 2-0 in the third inning. Neify Delacruz led off with a single down the left field line, moved to third on a successful sacrifice bunt from Gonzalez and scored on a sacrifice fly from Herrera.
The visitors made it 3-0 in the fourth inning when catcher Ed Rosado singled with one out. He moved to second base on a ground ball back to the pitcher. Rosado scored on a two-out RBI double by Olvey Mercedes down the left field line.
“This is who we are,” Baron said. “We pitch and play defense very well. We’ve matured and learned how to hang on and win close games.”
In the fifth inning, Avon manager Brian Doyle replaced starter Matt Boone with Michael Castellani, who struck out six and allowed just two hits. First baseman Sean DelGallo made two nice catches in foul territory but the challenge was left to the offense to get back into this game.
Hartford starting pitcher Angel Moreno didn’t have overpowering stuff. It was enough to disrupt the timing of the Avon hitters who sent a multitude of fly balls into the outfield. It was enough to strand dozens of runners.
Avon had runners on first and second base with one out in the first inning but Moreno got a strikeout and fly ball to right field to douse the threat. With runners on first and second base and one out in the third inning, Moreno got Ben Suski to fly out to the catcher and DelGallo to ground out to shortstop.
Avon had runners on second and third with no outs in the eighth inning. DelGallo was hit by a pitch and Jeremy Zarwansky drew a walk. Both runners moved up a base on a balk.
But Herrera moved from shortstop to take over on the mound for Moreno, who scattered seven hits and walked one. Herrera struck out McCutcheon and Connor Dunn before Justin Olson drove a deep fly ball to centerfield that was caught to end the rally.
In the ninth, Avon didn’t go down without a fight. Ben Lombardo singled down the right field line and moved to second on a wild pitch. Facing an 0-2 count (two strikes, no balls), Doyle ripped a single into right field., moving Lombardo to third base.
Williamson’s single to right field scored Lombardo, cutting the Hartford lead to 3-1. Williamson and Doyle each moved to second and third base, respectively, on a wild pitch. A walk to Suski loaded the bases.
A one-out walk to Andrew Leduc trimmed the Hartford lead to 3-2, still leaving the bases loaded. But Herrea retired the final two batters to secure the win.
Players from Hartford celebrate their first American Legion state tournament win in decades.
“I’m proud of them,” Avon manager Brian Doyle said. “At the beginning of the year, we worried that we wouldn’t have enough players. We essentially did this with 12 guys and they were totally committed. I told them they would have fun and get better and I think they did.”
Avon won 11 of their first 12 games. They were 17-3 before Simsbury helped deflate their offense in the final week of the season.
“For us to be competing at the highest level in the state is pretty good,” Doyle said.
Hartford 3, Avon 2
At Avon
Hartford (12-10) 101 100 000 – 3-7-2
Avon (18-7) 000 000 002 – 2-10-1
Angel Moreno, Merlyn Herrera and Ed Rosado; Matt Boone, Mike Castellani and Cody Doyle; WP: Moreno; LP: Boone; 2B: Herrera (H), Oley Merceder (H), Neify Delacruz (H)
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