
Avon’s Justin Olson (2) safely slides into home past catcher J.W. Wilson in the seventh inning of Avon’s 4-2 win Saturday night in Simsbury.
SIMSBURY, July 2 – A few big plays made the difference in Saturday evening’s Zone 1 doubleheader at Simsbury’s Memorial Field.
The Simsbury American Legion baseball team kept their hopes alive for a Zone 1 championship by scoring three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Avon for the tenth straight time in the opener, 4-2.
In the nightcap, Avon bounced back, scoring three runs in with one out in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 victory over Post 84.
Avon remains in first place in Zone 1 with a 12-4 record with Bristol (9-4) in second place and Simsbury (12-6) in third place. Avon has eight games remaining in the Zone 1 campaign including back-to-back games with Bristol on July 11 and 12 at Muzzy Field.
Simsbury has just six games left including a doubleheader with Bristol on Friday, July 8. At Memorial Field, the two teams will complete a 3-3 game in the 10th inning that was suspended on Thursday night due to a curfew at Muzzy Field. Then, they will play the scheduled game.
Simsbury manager Thomas E. Vincent made sure his players were aware that if they swept Avon and won the following six games that Post 84 would win the Zone 1 championship for the third straight year.

Trying to steal second base, Avon’s Jeremy Zarwanski eludes the tag of Simsbury second baseman J.W. Wilson in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader in Simsbury.
Still, even with the split, Simsbury won the three-game season series with Avon, 2-1 and would prevail in a tiebreaker if the two teams finish tied at the end of the season. In 2014, Simsbury and Avon each went 18-6 in Zone 1 but Simsbury took home the championship by sweeping the season series from Post 201, 3-0.
“It’s always important to get a win against Simsbury,” Avon’s first-year manager Donny Annicelle said. “We needed that (second) game. We really needed that game. I’m proud of the kids for coming back. When they stand together, they’re a pretty good team.”
The opener was a pitching duel between the top pitchers on both squads – Avon’s Justin Olson and Simsbury’s Pete Myers. Olson allowed six hits and struck out nine while Myers allowed seven hits and fanned three.
Avon took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Kyle Emery singled, moved to second base on a successful sacrifice bunt from Joe Suski and scored on Sean Del Gallo’s RBI single to right field.
Post 201 extended its lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning. Olson led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second base on a single from catcher Jeremy Zarwanski. Both runners advanced one base on a wild pitch and Olson scored on a RBI single from Andrew Leduc. Later in the inning, Avon tried to extend their lead but Zarwanski was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Simsbury cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth inning on a RBI ground ball from Sam Collins, allowing Nate Orluk to score from third base.

Simsbury pitcher Peter Myers, who lives in Canton, went the distance on the mound for Post 84 in the opener.
In the sixth, Simsbury’s Jake Nichols led off with a single and moved to second when Olson hit J.W. Wilson. Nate Eberly reached on a fielder’s choice. With one out, Nichols tied the game, 2-2, after scoring on Carl Doucette’s RBI double to center field.
Eberly scored on a RBI single from Griffin Myslow for a 3-2 lead, leaving runners on first and third base. Caught leaning off first base, Myslow got into a rundown. Meanwhile, Doucette raced home from third base for a 4-2 lead.
“That was a huge win for us,” Myers said. “I didn’t have the strikeouts I usually have but I had my fastball and curveball going and our team played a great game behind me. If a ball is hit into the outfield, it’s going to be caught.” In center field, Eberly made five catches in the opener for Simsbury.
In the second game, Eberly chased down a fly ball, dove and caught it to end the fifth inning. If it had dropped, two runs would have scored. In the fourth inning, right fielder Nate Langmiere dove to catch a fly ball and threw to first base for a double play to end the inning.

Simsbury’s Griffin Myslow dives back to first base in game one Saturday as Avon’s Sean Del Gallo looks for the ball.
Avon took a 1-0 lead in game two when Will Thramann scored in the first inning on a wild pitch. Simsbury took a 2-1 lead in the third inning on a two-RBI single from Nichols. Eberly’s great defensive play in the fifth kept Simsbury in front.
But Avon broke through in the seventh. With one out, Thramann coaxed a walk and moved to third base on Olson’s double to left field. Zarwanski followed with a two-RBI single to left field to give Avon a 3-2 lead. He scored later in the inning on an infield error.
In the two games, Zarwanski was a combined 5-for-7 with a double and two RBI. “I was feeling good (at the plate),” he said afterwards. “I was just making good contact. I wasn’t swinging for the fences like I usually do.”
Olson, who pitched six innings in the opener, need just 15 pitches to earn the save by pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
“I had so much adrenalin after hitting that (seventh inning double),” he said. “I knew we would come back and take the lead. I just knew I wanted to pitch that final inning. It was a big win for us.” Olson was inspired to play after his brother’s three-year-old guide dog passed away earlier in the day.
NOTES: Avon’s win over Simsbury was the first since June 12, 2013. In that 10-game winning streak over Avon, Simsbury won three times in eight innings and once in 12 innings. … Avon’s Sean Del Gallo hit safely in both games Saturday to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. In the last 11 games, Del Gallo has 20 hits and 11 stolen bases.
Avon returns to the diamond on Tuesday for three straight games. They play at Southington on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. followed by a game at Winsted on Wednesday and host Torrington on Thursday at Buckingham Field. Simsbury has a long break and returns to the field next Thursday, July 7 when they host Unionville. They have the two games with Bristol the next evening, July 8.
Simsbury 4, Avon 2
At Simsbury
Avon (11-4) 001 100 0 – 2-7-1
Simsbury (12-5) 000 013 x – 4-6-1
Justin Olson and Jeremy Zarwanski; Pete Myers and Grant Duford; WP: Myers (3-1); LP: Olson (2-1); 2B: Carl Doucette (S); 3B: none; HR: none
Avon 4, Simsbury 2
At Simsbury
Avon (12-4) 100 000 3 – 4-6-0
Simsbury (12-6) 002 000 0 – 2-6-1
Connor Harris, Kyle Emery (6), Justin Olson (7) and Ryan Ollestad; Sam Collins, Gavin McConnell (4), Nate Langmiere (7) and J.W. Wilson; WP: Emery (3-1); LP: McConnell (0-2); Save: Olson (1); 2B: Griffin Myslow (S), Olson (A)
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 30 years.


High School
2025 NCCC Winter Tournaments

High School
2025 CCC Winter Tournaments

You must be logged in to post a comment Login