Key hits help Meriden hand Avon Legion first loss of the season, 6-3

Avon American Legion’s Christian Boudreau (23) had two hits in Saturday’s 6-3 Zone 1 loss to Meriden, the first defeat of the season for Post 201.

AVON, June 19, 2021 – A key hit from Meriden’s Owen Papciak in the third inning and teammate Evan Cordero in the seventh inning helped lift the Meriden American Legion baseball team to a 6-3 Zone 1 win over Avon at steamy Buckingham Field Saturday morning.

Visiting Post 45 had a one-run lead going into the seventh before scoring three runs in the top of the inning to take command of the contest.

With a 3-2 lead, Meriden’s Andrew McCarthy reached with a one-out single and promptly stole second base. Avon pitcher Tyler Bonney hit Papciak to put two runners on before Cordero followed with a two-run double to extend the Post 45 lead to 5-2. Later in the inning, Cordero stole home to give Meriden a four-run lead, 6-2.

Avon (2-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Christian Boudreau singled to center field and moved to third base on an infield ground ball out. He scored on an error.

Meriden (2-2) grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third inning on Papciak’s two-out single, driving in teammates who reached base on a walk and after being hit by a pitch.

Avon cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning on Emmett Borenstein’s sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Max Raha from third base. Raha singled and moved to second base on an error in the outfield. He took third on an infield ground ball out.

Boudreau was 2-for-4 for Avon with one RBI. Luke Coppen had a double for Post 201. For Meriden, Cordero was 2-for-3 with two RBI while Ryan Kileeh and Andrew McCarthy were each 2-for-4.

Avon returns to the diamond on Tuesday when they host Naugatuck at 5:30 p.m. at Buckingham Field in the first-ever  game between the two programs. Naugatuck (2-1) played for years in Zone 5 and Zone 6 but moved to Zone 1 this year with the reduction of American Legion programs around the state.

Meriden 6, Avon 3
At Avon
Meriden (2-2)               002  001  3  — 6-8-4
Avon (2-1)                     100  010  1  — 3-6-2
Wes Deno and Ed Hantewski; Danny Bae, Ben Angus (2), Tyler Bonney (5) and Emmett Borenstein; WP: Deno (1-1); LP: Bonney (0-1); 2B: Luke Coppen (A), Evan Cordero (M)