Avon beats Suffield in extra innings to win season opener, 7-6

Avon’s Justin Olson went four innings in Saturday’s season-opening win over Suffield.

SUFFIELD, April 9 – The Suffield High baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the Saturday’s non-league contest into extra innings. But in the eighth inning, Kyle Emery’s two-out RBI single to right field scored Ian McDonald from first base to lift Avon to a 7-6 win over Suffield in the season-opening contest for both schools.

Suffield (0-1) took a 4-1 lead in the second inning on a two-RBI single to right field from Dan Bahl and a wild pitch from Falcon starter Justin Olson. But Avon (1-0) came right back in the third with three runs to tie the game at 4-4 thanks to a single from Jeremy Zarwanski, a sacrifice fly from Emery and two Suffield errors.

Avon took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a RBI single from Zarawanski that scored Olson from first base. The Falcons extended the lead to two runs, 6-4 in the sixth inning when Andrew LeDuc scored on a RBI single from Matt Boone.

In the bottom of the seventh, Suffield loaded the bases with one out thanks to two walks and a hit batter off pitcher Ian McDonald. An RBI single from Suffield’s Mike Clark and Aaron Marquis tied the game and sent it into extra innings.

McDonald singled with two outs in the seventh to set up Emery for the game-winning hit.

Suffield had two men on base with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning but McDonald struck out Suffield’s Alan Eheander to end the contest.

McDonald (2-5, 2 RBI, triple), Zarwanski (2-4, RBI, double), Olson (2-5), Brendan Dryer (2-4) and LeDuc (2-4, double) each had two hits for Avon, which had 12 hits in the game.

Olson started the game on the mound for Avon and struck out five in four innings of work. He allowed three hits and walked five. Connor Harris allowed just one hit in two innings of relief work and struck out one. McDonald blew the save in the seventh but earned the win in the eighth.

Suffield’s Mike McDermott allowed nine hits in six innings and fanned two. Only four of the six runs he allowed were earned.

It will be a busy week ahead for Avon, which had two games postponed due to rain and snow this week. The Falcons will play four home games in five days starting with hosting Simsbury in their Central Connecticut Conference debut on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. at Buckingham Field. Avon hosts the Bulkeley/Weaver co-op team on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

On Friday, April 15, Avon hosts Southington at 3:45 p.m. at Buckingham and hosts Windsor on Saturday, April 16 at 3 p.m.

Avon 7, Suffield 6 (8)
At Suffield
Avon (1-0)               013  011  01  — 7-12-2
Suffield (0-1)           040  000  20  — 6-8-5
Justin Olson, Conner Harris (5), Ian McDonald (7) and Jeremy Zarwanski; Mike McDermott, Nate Roy (7) and xxxxx; WP: McDonald; LP: Roy; 2B: Andrew LeDuc (A); 3B: Ian McDonald (A), Jeremy Zarwanski (A)