The Canton High softball team celebrate with Lyla O’Connor (holding the sign), who got her 100th career hit in Friday’s game against Granby. (Photo courtesy Kristy Kehoss)
Canton High softball player Lyla O’Connor achieved a rare milestone on Friday with her 100th career high in an 18-4 loss to Granby.
A typical high school team in Connecticut might play 20 regular season games. Over four years, that is just 80 games and you need to be an exceptional player to play at the varsity level as a freshman and sophomore. Even if you get just one hit per game, that is just 80 hits.
O’Connor, a three-sport athlete at Canton, has had plenty of multi-hit contests in her career on the diamond with the Warriors. She had 16 hits in her freshman year (2022), 24 hits as a sophomore (2023) and 37 hits as a junior (2024).
This year, she is hitting .411 with 23 hits and eight home runs. When she isn’t playing shortstop, she is pitching and has a record of 9-5 with 12 complete games. She had a season-high 13 strikeouts in a game against Simsbury in April.
O’Connor hit home runs in five consecutive games this spring from May 7 through May 17. But that’s not a record. As a junior, she hit home runs in seven straight games for the Warriors from April 17 through May 1.
On Friday, Granby (16-3) snapped Canton’s three-game winning streak with an 18-4 win. The Warriors committed seven errors that led to 10 unearned runs.
O’Connor was 2-for-4 in the game with two RBI while Mackenzie Robinson was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
O’Connor is a three-sport athlete at Canton. She is an All-State goalie in field hockey and she threw the shot during the winter for the indoor track and field team. She finished second at the State Open in the shot, fourth in New England and 16th at a national championship meet. She will be attending Southern Connecticut State University in the fall to play field hockey for the Owls.
Avon wins a pair
The Avon High girls softball team won a pair of games on Friday. The Falcons scored two runs in the bottom of the 13th inning to beat Simsbury, 11-10, in the completion of a game that began on May 9 and was suspended in the ninth inning due to darkness.
After beating Simsbury, the Falcons (14-5, 6-2 CCC Central) got 17 hits and rolled to a 23-9 win over Farmington in five innings under the lights at Tunxis Meade Park.
On May 9, Simsbury (15-4, 5-3 CCC Central) built a 9-0 lead over the Falcons going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Avon got four runs in the sixth and tied the game with five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. A two-out double from Zoe Seay in the seventh tied the game at 9-9 and sent it into extra innings.
The game at Fisher Meadows was called in the bottom of the ninth due to darkness. It resumed on Friday.
Avon threatened in the bottom of the 12th inning when pitcher Jessica Mizia led off the inning with a triple. But Simsbury pitcher Emma Simon got three consecutive strikeouts to end the threat. Simon finished with 19 strikeouts in the game.
In the 13th inning, Simsbury’s Kate Gills reached on an error – a dropped fly ball. She moved to second base on a ground ball out. After a walk, Gills moved to third base on another ground ball out. She scored on single by Emma George to center field for a 10-9 lead.
Avon rallied once again in the 13th inning. Brianna Conellan led off with a walk. Pinch runner Juliana Reome moved to second base on a passed ball. Eve Beloin reached base on a fielder’s choice when Reome was thrown out trying to advance to third base.
Beloin moved to second base on a passed ball and Madison Jette moved to first after drawing a walk. Kayla Jette came to the plate and Beloin and Madison Jette both moved up a base on a passed ball.
Two pitchers later, Kayla Jette ripped a single to center field, driving two runs to win the game for Avon, 11-10. Kayla Jette went 3-for-5 in the game with two RBI while Seay was 1-for-5 with four RBI. Nicole Bittar was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and three RBI.
For Simsbury, Emma George was 4-for-7 with one run scored and two RBI.
It ended the longest game for Avon since 2019 when the Falcons dropped a 7-6 decision to Hall in 12 innings.
In the win over Farmington, catcher Anna Kelley was 3-for-4 with four runs scored, three RBI and two doubles for Avon while Beloin was 4-for-6 with four runs scored, two RBI and three triples.
Kayla Jette and Madison Jette both had two hits, drove in two runs and scored four runs in the win for Avon.
The Falcons, who have won four of their last five games, conclude the regular season on Wednesday with a visit to Canton.
Avon 11, Simsbury 10 (13)
At Avon
Simsbury (15-4) 203 211 000 000 1 — 10-14-1
Avon (13-5) 000 004 500 000 2 — 11-12-5
Emma Simon and Kate Gills; Jessica Mizia and Anna Kelley; WP: Mizia (11-5); LP: Simon; 2B: Eve Beloin (A), Zoe Seay (A), Claire Whitman (S), Emma George (S); 3B: Jessica Mizia (A); HR: Emma Simon (S) 2; NOTES: Simon (S) 12.1 IP, 12 hits, 5 walks, 19 strikeouts; Mizia (A) 13 IP, 14 hits, 8 walks, 9 strikeouts; Simsbury takes lead in 13th on a RBI single from George, scoring Gills, who reached on an error. In 13th, Avon had two runners on base thanks to walks. Each moved to second and third base on a wild pitch. Both scored on a two-run single to center by Kayla Kette. Simsbury led 9-0 before Avon scored 4 in the sixth and five in the seventh. A two-out double from Seay drove in two runs to tie the game 9-9. Game suspended on May 8 in bottom of ninth due to darkness. Kayla Jette (A) 3-5, 2 RBI, Seay (A) 1-5, 4 RBI, Noelle Bittar (A) 2-6, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Emma George (S) 4-7, 1 run, 2 RBI
Avon 23, Farmington 9 (5)
At Farmington
Avon (14-5) 462 74 — 23-17-4
Farmington (7-12) 007 20 — 9-4-1
Jessica Mizia, Zoe Seay (5) and Anna Kelley; Allyn Harper, Addison Mihalik (5) and Laila Quesada; WP: Mizia (12-5); LP: Harper; 2B: Kelley (A) 2, Kayla Jette (A), 3B: Eve Beloin (A) 3, Madison Jette (A) 2: Addison Mihalik (F); NOTE: Kelley (A) 3-4, 4 runs scored, 3 RBI, 2 doubles; Beloin (A) 4-6, 4 runs scored, 2 RBI, 3 triples; Madison Jette (A) 2-3, 4 runs scored, 2 RBI; Kayla Jette (A) 2-2, 4 runs, 2 RBI
Granby 18, Canton 4
At Canton
Granby (16-3) 705 006 — 18-9-2
Canton (9-8) 200 101 — 4-7-7
Mackenzie Robinson, Dylan Ward (4) and Reagan Grecula; Amanda Bristol and Rachel Ehrenwreth; WP: Bristol; LP: Robinson; 2B: Robinson (C) 2, Lyla O’Connor (C), Grecula (C); Simard (G), 3B: Vitelli (G), HR: Ashley Tetreault (G), Ellison Haury (G); NOTE: O’Connor 2-4, 1 run, 2 RBI, got her 100th career hit in the game; Robinson (C) 2-4, 2 doubles, RBI; Bristol (G) 3-4, 3 runs scored, 2 RBI; Simard 2-5, 3 runs scored, 4 RBI; Haury (G) 1-2, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI
