Avon tops Conard for tenth win

written by Gerry deSimas, Jr., Collinsville Press | May 13, 2022

Catcher Amanda Hasler hit her seventh home run of the season on Wednesday against Simsbury.

AVON, May 12, 2022 – Pitcher Jackie Pengel hit her seventh home run of the season and had a season-high 18 strikeouts as the Avon High softball team beat Conard. 4-1, in a CCC West contest Thursday at Fisher Meadows.

Avon (10-4) took command in the third inning when Michalina Centofanti had a double and scored on an RBI single from Amanda Hasler. Pengel had a two-run home run from Pengel for a 3-0 lead.

Centofanti and Hasler each had two hits for the Falcons. It’s just the second time since 2001 that Avon has won at least 10 games in a single season. Avon went 12-8 in the regular season in 2019. The team record for most regular season wins is 15 set  in 1978 when the Falcons went 15-1.

On Thursday night, the Falcons split a doubleheader with Simsbury. In game one, Hasler hit her seventh home run of the season in a 6-1 victory. Pengel pitched four innings and struck out 11 to earn the win. Pengal and Centofanti combined to throw a one-hitter. Kayla Jette also tripled for Avon.

In game two, Zia Sirianni’s three-run triple in the fifth inning was the difference as Simsbury beat the Falcons, 4-3. Pengel struck out 12 in four innings of work. At the plate, she was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI.

The Falcons return to action on Wednesday when they travel to New Britain for a 7 p.m. start at Martha Hart Park.

Avon 4, Conard 1
At Avon
Conard (7-10)         000  100  0  — 1-4-2
Avon (10-4)             003  100  x  — 4-9-3
Dafil and Rodriguez; Jackie Pengel and Amanda Hasler; WP: Pengel (8-3); LP: Dafil; 2B: Santiago (C), Amanda Hasler (A), Michalina Centofanti (A); HR: Jackie Pengel

Simsbury 4, Avon 3 (5)
At Simsbury
Simsbury (9-6)          010  03  — 4-4-0
Avon (9-4)                 201  00  — 3-6-1
Mikaela Martinez and Jenna Gomez Nieto; Jackie Pengal, Michalina Centofanti (5) and Amanda Hasler, Kayla Jette (5); WP: Martinez; LP: Centofanti (2-1); 2B: Pengel (A), Centofanti (A), Gomez-Nieto (S); 3B: Zia Sirianni (S)

Avon 6, Simsbury 1 (5)
At Simsbury
Avon (9-3)                 420  00  — 6-6-0
Simsbury (8-6)          000  01  — 1-2-1
Jackie Pengel, Michalina Centofanti (5) and Amanda Hasler; Callista Adorno and Jenna Gomez Nieto; WP: Pengel (7-3), LP: Adorno; 3B: Kayla Jette (A), HR: Amanda Hasler (A)