Late rally boosts Simsbury into state tournament, sends Avon home

written by Gerry deSimas, Jr., Collinsville Press | May 26, 2022

AVON, May 25, 2022 – The Simsbury High baseball team scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to hand Avon a one-run loss, 6-5, on Wednesday at Buckingham Field. It’s a loss that will keep the Falcons out of the CIAC tournament next week.

The Falcons (7-13) needed to win to secure a tournament spot. Two Farmington pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter to beat Civic Leadership from Enfield, 14-0 and grab a spot in the 32-team Class L tournament.

The victory helped Simsbury (7-13) secure one of the 32 spots in the Class LL tournament. Teams need to win at least 40 percent of their games, generally eight games, to earn a CIAC tournament berth. In Simsbury’s case, there were just 29 teams with a 40 percent win percentage so to fill out the bracket, three additional teams earned invitations.

Simsbury rallied from a 4-2 deficit to earn the win. The Trojans scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a two-run lead, 6-4.

Simsbury’s Evan Odegard reached base with a one-out single and moved to third base after a double from Jacob Williams. A walk loaded the bases before Mitchell Waldman’s sacrifice fly drove in one run to cut the lead to 4-3.

With two outs, Nolan Conderino had a RBI single to left field that tied the game. Jacob Crouteau’s two-run single to left field gave Simsbury a 6-4 lead.

Avon put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh when two hitters were hit by a pitch. Tabor Engle’s single drive in a run but Simsbury reliever Joe Guglielmino got the final two batters to end the game and season for the Falcons.

Avon took a 4-2 lead with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to a RBI double from Connor Lavore, a RBI double from Jacob Wirth and a RBI single from Theo Benson.

The Falcons went 1-4 in one-run decisions this spring, including a tough 5-4 loss to Farmington on Monday.

Williams was 2-for-3 at the plate for Simsbury while Conderino was 2-for-4 with one RBI for Simsbury.

Simsbury 6, Avon 5
At Avon
Simsbury (7-13)      011  000  4  — 6-8-2
Avon (7-13)             000  013  1  — 5-6-2
Evan Odegard, Joe Guglielmino (7) and Patrick Matyczyk; Luke Coppen, Parker Jobes (6), Harry Engle (7) and Emmett Borestein; WP: Odegard; LP: Engle (2-6); Save: Guglicimino; 2B: Chase Beloin (A), Connor Lavore (A), Jacob Wirth (A), Jacob Williams (S), HR: Joe Guglielmino (S)

Windsor 7, East Granby 2
WINDSOR, May 25, 2022 – Ben Lakomy was 2-for-3 with one RBI while Liam Flanagan had a double but the Crusaders dropped a 7-2 decision to Windsor on Wednesday to end the regular season at 10-10.

Farmington 14, Civic Leadership 0
FARMINGTON, May 25, 2022 – Garrett Synder and Kyle Frank combined to pitch a no-hitter and help the Farmington High baseball qualify for the Class L tournament with a 14-0 win over Civic Leadership-Enfield in five innings on Wednesday night at Tunxis Meade Park.

Snyder and Frank combined to strike out eight and walk one for the River Hawks (8-12). Farmington’s E.J. Sanchez was 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI.