Simsbury’s Jayvian Morales is tagged out by Burlington/Harwinton catcher Adian Temple trying to score in Sunday’s D6 tournament game in Plymouth. More game photos
PLYMOUTH, July 10, 2022 – Pitchers Ethan Petersen and Jayvian Morales combined to strike out seven batters and throw a no-hitter as the Simsbury Major Division baseball team remained alive in the District 6 tournament Sunday with a 4-1 win over previously undefeated Burlington/Harwinton at Janser Field.
The win forces a one-game showdown for the District 6 championship on Monday night beginning at 8 p.m. at Janser Field with the winner taking home the D6 title and earning a berth into the Little League baseball state tournament.
Simsbury (6-2) beat Burlington/Harwinton for the first time in three tries this summer. Petersen went 4.2 innings, struck out six and walked five as he improved to 4-0 this summer. Morales pitched 1.1 of scoreless relief, fanning two batters.
“Ethan Petersen pitched an unbelievable game and Jayvain came in and they didn’t give up a hit,” Simsbury manager Tom Vincent said. “They kept them off balance that is a very good Burlington baseball team.”
Burlington/Harwinton (6-1) had seven hits against Simsbury in a 9-7 win in pool play and 12 hits in a 9-0 shutout win on Thursday.
Simsbury got the job done at the plate as well with eight hits. Morales was 2-for-2 with a double while teammates Thomas Seidl and Owen Trythall also had doubles.
“We’ve had contributions from all of guys – from top to bottom (of the lineup),” Vincent said. “t’s been 12 guys working hard.”
Simsbury pitcher Ethan Petersen earned his fourth win of the tournament Sunday. More game photos
Simsbury grabbed the lead immediately. Petersen led off the game with a single and raced to third base on Evan Gallagher’s successful bunt single. Petersen scored on Will Vincent’s infield ground ball for a 1-0 lead. Simsbury made it 2-0 when Gallagher scored on Seidel’s RBI double.
Simsbury extended the lead to 3-0 with an unearned run in the third inning. Seidl reached base on a two-out error and scored on Morales’ RBI double to left field.
Burlington/Harwinton tried to rally in the fourth inning. The first two hitters – Matthew Williams and Vinny Diorio – walked. Williams scored on a fielder’s choice play that also included two Simsbury errors to cut the lead to 3-1.
That left Burlington/Harwinton with runners on second and third base – Diorio and Carson Matthews, respectively, with no outs.
But Petersen got out the jam. Burlington/Harwinton’s Nate Gryniuk lined out on a hard line drive to Simsbury second baseman Will Vincent. Petersen got a strikeout and coaxed Nathan Morgan to ground out to shortstop to end the inning and the threat.
“To get out of that inning with (giving up) just one run was huge,” Tom Vincent said.
Simsbury added a fourth run in the top of the sixth inning on Trythall’s RBI double to center field with two outs.
Simsbury is in position to win their fourth straight D6 championship. Burlington/Harwinton is looking for their first championship as a combined league. Burlington was in the finals in 2019 and 2017, losing to Simsbury and Canton, respectively. Burlington’s most recent D6 title came in 2013.
Simsbury 4, Burlington/Harwinton 1
At Plymouth
Simsbury (6-2) 201 001 — 4-8-3
Burlington/Harwinton (6-1) 000 100 — 1-0-2
Ethan Petersen, Jayvian Morales (5) and Thomas Seidl; Luke Prespare and Adian Temple; WP: Petersen (4-0); LP: Prespare; 2B: Thomas Seidl (S), Jayvian Morales (S), Owen Trythall (S)
