Avon’s Max Raha had two hits and stole three bases in Wednesday night’s CEBA season finale against Cheshire.
AVON, July 29, 2020 – They didn’t get a lot of wins this summer but Avon got to play.
It was a long, cold spring for players on the Avon Under 19 baseball team in the Connecticut Elite Baseball Association. The high school baseball season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic along with competition at the collegiate level.
American Legion cancelled their summer baseball programs, too. But a group of officials and managers were determined to try and give kids a taste of baseball if they could.
The Connecticut Elite Baseball Association was formed as a one-year bridge to offer some baseball competition in a time of pandemic. Many of the teams in the league were in the American Legion program a year ago and plan to return to Legion ball next year.
Avon completed their 2020 CEBA season on Wednesday with a final home game at Buckingham Field in a 11-1 loss in six innings to Cheshire. Avon finished 3-18 in the league but got 21 chances to hit the diamond this summer.
Max Raha, who graduated from Avon High in June, had the hot hand on Wednesday night. He was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and three stolen bases. He scored Avon’s only run in the third inning after he singled, stole second base, stole third base and scored on Tyler Mandeville’s RBI single.
Tyler Mandeville got the start on the mound in Wednesday’s CEBA season finale against Cheshire. Avon lost 11-1.
Jonah Feldman was 2-for-3 for Cheshire (12-8) while teammate Rob Riles was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Despite giving up seven walks, pitcher Matt Cahill got the win for Cheshire. Cahill gave up just two hits and fanned four in four innings of work.
Avon’s final win of the season came on Sunday in a tight doubleheader with Newington. Behind a complete game performance from pitcher Arjun Grover, Avon beat Newington in game one, 8-4. In his second complete game of the summer, Grover allowed five hits, one earned run and struck out five. He walked just two.
Avon got the job done at the plate with 10 hits – the second-most in a single game this summer for Avon. Raha was 2-for-4 with two RBI while Christian Boudreau was 2-for-4 with one RBI. Emmett Borenstein had two hits while Wyatt Lacombe, Mandeville, Matt Arciero and Daniel O’Brien had one hit each.
In game two, Newington had just three hits but took advantage of eight walks to earn a 5-4 decision. Justin Hasler had a triple for Avon while Boudreau was 3-for-4 with two RBI and three stolen bases. Raha had a single and two stolen bases. Nick Amatulli drove in a run for Avon.
Cheshire 11, Avon 1 (6)
At Avon
Cheshire (12-8) 230 600 – 11-10-0
Avon (3-18) 001 00x — 1-2-3
Matt Cahill, E.J. Quint (5) and unknown; Tyler Mandeville, Christian Boudreau (4), A. Couture (5) and unknown; WP: Cahill; LP: Mandeville (0-4)
Newington 5, Avon 4
At Newington
Avon (3-16) 100 120 0 – 4-7-3
Newington (9-10) 100 310 x — 5-3-1
Blaise Engle, Jackson Jobe (5) and unknown; Joseph Coleman, Nicholas Dicoccio (6) and unknown; 2B: none; 3B: Justin Hasler (A)
Avon 8, Newington 4
At Newington
Avon (3-15) 212 120 0 — 8-10-2
Newington (8-10) 130 000 0 — 4-5-4
Arjun Grover and unknown; Samuel Dionne, Dom Bukowski (2), Ryan Saidon (5), Nick Dicoccio (6) and unknown; WP: Grover (2-4); LP: Dionne; 2B: Max Raha (A), Joseph Coleman (N)
Connecticut Elite Baseball Association
Division I
| Team | Record |
| x-Berlin | 16-5 |
| y-Meriden | 15-6 |
| Cheshire | 12-8 |
| Bristol | 10-9 |
| West Hartford | 10-9 |
| Newington | 9-10 |
| Simsbury | 4-14 |
| Avon | 3-18 |
| x-won division title; y-clinched playoff berth | |
