Simsbury’s Aidan Brower is thrown out at the plate trying to score on a passed ball in Sunday’s District 6 Major Division championship game in Plymouth. Avon’s Brandon Negaandhi makes the tag om a throw from catcher Tommy Schultz.
PLYMOUTH, July 7, 2024 – Simsbury’s Major Division (ages 11-12) Little League baseball team has been playing elimination games for most of the summer.
Simsbury dropped their first two games of the District 6 tournament and had to win their final two games to be one of the top four teams and earn a spot in the double-elimination tournament.
After losing to East Granby/Granby for the second time in the first game of the double-elimination portion of the D6 tournament, Simsbury was one loss away from their season coming to a close.
Three runs in the top of the sixth inning helped Simsbury beat Tri-Town, 6-5, to remain alive and Simsbury beat East Granby/Granby for the first time this summer to earn a spot in the D6 championship series against undefeated Avon.
Simsbury (5-3) won their fifth elimination game of the District 6 tournament Sunday night in convincing fashion. Simsbury rapped out a season-high 13 hits and took advantage of nine Avon errors to roll to an 18-0 win in three innings at Janser Field.
The two teams will meet again on Monday night in a winner-take-all-game beginning at 8 p.m. at Janser Field for District 6 title and the right to move on to the state tournament.
“I am proud of these kids. I am proud of this club,” Simsbury manager Chris Dalene said. “They play with great heart. To have a team that gets this far behind and is able to come back is just a real story. I am really excited.”
These two teams are familiar with each other. Many of these same players were in the U10 tournament in 2022 when Avon beat Simsbury for the District 6 title. A year ago, Simsbury beat Avon to win the D6 title in the U11 tournament and finished second in the U11 state tournament.
Earlier in this tournament, Avon erased a two-run deficit to beat Simsbury, 3-2. Avon (6-1) had won six straight games before Sunday night’s loss.
“This is a game we expected to be tight,” Dalene said. “Today, we finally found our bats. We’ve always been a good defensive team.”
Simsbury reliever Jackson Kosky pitched one inning of shutout baseball in Sunday’s 18-0 win over Avon in the District 6 championship series. He was 2-for-2 at the plate.
Simsbury’s first four batters of the game had singles. There wasn’t a lot of power for Simsbury, just a relentless stream of hits. Errors by Avon didn’t help their cause. Avon had a combined 11 errors in their first six games.
Simsbury’s Quinn Leonard, Aaron Espinoza each had RBI singles in the first inning while teammates Grady McGuire and Nate Minor drove in runs with bases-loaded walks. Simsbury led 8-0 after the first half inning thanks to five hits and two errors.
Simsbury turned a double play to help retire the side in order in the bottom of the first inning.
Simsbury sent 13 men to the plate in the second inning, scoring seven runs on four hits. Avon had six errors in the inning. Neil Sullivan and McGuire had RBI singles as Simsbury led 15-0 after two innings.
Sullivan was 3-of-3 with a double and one RBI with Jackson Kosky (2-2), Gavin Dalene (2-3) and Minor (2-2) each getting two hits. McGuire, Dalene and Minor each drove in two runs.
Sullivan and Kosky combined to throw a no-hitter. They faced just 10 hitters, striking out two and walking just one.
It’s the third time since District 6 began using a double-elimination tournament in 2011 to determine a champion that the second championship game is necessary. Burlington/Harwinton won game two to beat Simsbury for the D6 title in 2022. Avon beat Simsbury in game two in 2018 after losing the first game in eight innings.
Avon is looking for their first D6 title at the Major Division level since 2018. Simsbury, who has played in the last seven D6 Major Division finals, is the defending D6 champion.
Simsbury 18, Avon 0 (3)
At Plymouth
Simsbury (5-3) 873 — 18-13-1
Avon (6-1) 000 — 0-0-9
Neil Sullivan, Jackson Kosky (3) and Mason Dalene; Berkley Nemarich, Brandon Negandhi (1), Jackson Bialas (3) and Tommy Schultz; WP: Sullivan (2-1); LP: Nemarich (1-1); 2B: Sullivan (S)
2024 District 6 Major Division (ages 11-12) baseball tournament
June 22, 2024
Burlington 12, Thomaston 4
Avon 3, Simsbury 2
Canton 11, Torrington 0
June 23
Tri-Town 6, Canton 4
Avon 12, NW CT Steve Blass 2
East Granby/Granby 8, Simsbury 2
Thomaston 20, Torrington 8
June 25
Tri-Town 7, Thomaston 4
East Granby/Granby 15, NW CT Steve Blass 0
Simsbury 11, Canton 4
June 26
East Granby/Granby 15, Burlington 2
June 27
NW CT Steve Blass 10, Torrington 7
Avon 8, Burlington 2
Simsbury 7, Tri-Town 2
June 28
Tri-Town 6, NW CT Steve Blass 2
June 29
Canton 7, Burlington 4
Avon 13, Thomaston 1
East Granby/Granby 26, Torrington 1
Final pool play standings: Avon 4-0, East Granby/Granby 4-0, Tri-Town 3-1, Simsbury 2-2, Canton 2-2, Thomaston 1-3, Burlington 1-3, NW CT Steve Blass 1-3, Torrington 4-0
Double-elimination round
July 2
East Granby/Granby 7, Simsbury 1
Avon 14, Tri-Town 1
July 3
Avon 13, East Granby/Granby 3
Simsbury 6, Tri-Town 5
July 6
Simsbury 10, East Granby/Granby 8
July 7
Final: Simsbury 18, Avon o (3)
July 8
Final: Simsbury vs. Avon
Recent District 6 championship games
2023: Simsbury 2, East Granby/Granby 0
2022: Burlington/Harwinton 2, Simsbury 1
2021: Simsbury 3, East Granby/Granby 2
2020: Simsbury 8, Tri-Town 2
2019: Simsbury 7, Burlington 1
2018: Avon 10, Simsbury 4
2017: Canton 7, Burlington 0
2016: Avon 12, Simsbury 2
2015: Avon 14, Burlington 2 (4)
2014: Simsbury 10, Burlington 1
2013: Burlington 8, Avon 6
2012: Avon 16, Burlington 4
2011: Avon 11, Torrington Americans 7
2010: Simsbury Americans 9, Avon 7
2009: Avon 12, Simsbury American 2
2008: Burlington 7, Avon 5
2007: Avon 8, Thomaston 0
2006: Simsbury National 4, Avon 3
2005: Avon 15, Simsbury National 5 (4)
2004: Avon 8, Simsbury American 2
2003: Simsbury American 12, Simsbury National 2 (5)
2002: Simsbury American 1, Avon 0
2001: Burlington 8, Torrington National 4
2000: Terryville 6, Torrington National 1
1999: Tri-Town 7, Granby 6
1998: Simsbury National 7, Tri-Town 6
1997: Simsbury American 8, Terryville 3
1996: Torrington American 10, Simsbury National 0
1995: Simsbury 10-9, Terryville 4-6 (best of 3 final)
