Avon Junior Legion team gets final spot in state tournament as a wild card

Avon Junior Legion player Brayden Nemarich earned a wild card berth to snag one of the 32 berths to the Connecticut Junior Legion (ages 17 and under) state tournament.

AVON – Blaise Engle’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning helped Avon earn a 4-3 victory over Glastonbury over 12 days ago helped lift the Avon Junior American Legion baseball team into the state tournament.

Post 201 didn’t finish strong, dropping their final three games of the regular season to finish at 11-13 in the combined Zone 1 and Zone 7. One loss was a walkoff win by Glastonbury on July 19, 7-6. But that win over Glastonbury was enough to help Post 201 earn an invitation to the Junior American Legion tournament (ages 17 and under).

The top four teams in each zone qualify and Avon was fifth in Zone 1-7. But there was one opening in the Southern Division for the top team in the state that wasn’t among the top four in their respective zone. Avon (11-13) was the team and was added to the Southern Division’s Group G.

Each group has four teams and the winners of Group A, B, C and D go to the four-team Northern Regional finals while the winners of Group E, F, G and H go to the four-team Southern Regional finals.

Avon’s game on Monday against Bethel (23-1) was postponed until Tuesday due to poor weather. Bethel won the combined Zone 3 and Zone 5 title. The second round scheduled for Wednesday.

Connecticut American Legion state tournament

JUNIOR LEGION (Under 17)

Northern Division
Sunday July 22
Play-in Game
South Windsor 5, Niantic 4

Group A
Monday July 23
First round
Windsor at Bristol, ppd. to Tuesday, rain
Ledyard/Pawcatuck at Tri-County, ppd. to Tuesday, rain
Wednesday, July 25
Second round
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round

Group B
Monday July 23
First round
Cheshire 6, Glastonbury 2
Jewett City 8, East Hartford 5
Wednesday, July 25
Game 3: Glastonbury vs. East Hartford
Game 4: Cheshire vs. Jewett City
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round

Group C
Monday July 23
First round
Ellington 2, South Windsor 0
Manchester at West Hartford, ppd. to Tuesday, rain
Wednesday, July 25
Second round
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round

Group D
Monday July 23
First round
RCP at Middletown, ppd. to Tuesday, rain
Tolland at Tri-Town Red, ppd. to Tuesday, rain
Wednesday, July 25
Second round
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round

Southern Division
Group E
Monday July 23
First round
Hamden 2, Fairfield 1
Branford at Oakville, ppd. to Tuesday, rain
Wednesday, July 25
Second round
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round

Group F
Monday July 23
First round
Greenwich 5, Wolcott 4
Orange 3, Trumbull 0
Wednesday, July 25
Second round
Wolcott vs. Trumbull, loser eliminated
Greenwich vs. Orange
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round

Group G
Monday July 23
First round
East Haven 8, Wilton 1
Avon at Bethel, ppd. to Tuesday, rain, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 25
Second round
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round

Group H
Monday July 23
First round
Stamford 8, West Haven 0
North Haven 6, Greenwich Blue 0
Wednesday, July 25
Second round
West Haven vs. Greenwich Blue, loser eliminated
Stamford vs. North Haven
Friday, July 27
Elimination game
Sunday, July 29
Championship round