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Freshmen help Avon softball team earn first opening day win in years

SIMSBURY, April 3 – For the first time in at least 18 years, the Avon High softball team won their season opening contest. Freshman pitcher Jackie Pengel struck out 15 batters and gave up just four hits to lead the Falcons to a 4-0 win over Simsbury at Memorial Field on Wednesday.

Pengel also got the job done at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Freshman Amanda Hasler was 2-for-2 with two doubles while freshman Elizabeth Jerger was 2-for-4 with one RBI.

Avon took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Pengel doubled, Jerger singled and Hasler reached on a single to load the bases. Pengel stole home for the first run and Jerger scored on a two-out single from senior Nicole Detora.

In the fourth inning, Avon scored another run with a two-out single from Jerger that drove in a run for a 3-0 lead. In the seventh, Avon had an additional two-out single from Kendra Hards that drove in the fourth run of the contest.

Avon returns to action on Friday when they travel to Glastonbury to take on the Tomahawks.

NOTES: Here at the Collinsville Press, we have year-by-year results for Avon softball dating back to 2002. From 2002-18, Avon went 0-16 in season opening contests. They didn’t field a team in 2008. … Head coach Bruce Michaels returns for a third season with the Falcons. … The last time that Avon earned a CIAC tournament berth in softball was 2001 although the Falcons came close in 2016 when they won seven games, falling one win shy of qualifying for the state tournament.

Avon 4, Simsbury 0
At Simsbury
Avon (1-0)                   002  100  1  — 4-10-0
Simsbury (0-1)           000  000  0  — 0-4-0
Jackie Pengel and Amanda Hasler; Brooke Witkin and unknown; WP: Pengel (1-0); LP: Witkin (0-1); 2B: Pengel (A) 2, Hasler (A); Alexa Ruzbatsky (S)

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 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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