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Sports

Deadly Sixth Inning Sends Avon Legion to Losers' Bracket

Fielding mistakes and questionable calls propel host Middletown to 3-1 victory in state tournament opener.

MIDDLETOWN – Saturday evening was going almost too smoothly for Avon.

Through five innings, the local American Legion squad enjoying the program’s finest hour held the slimmest of leads. Only two frames remained, but an ominous feeling hung in the heavy night air at Palmer Field.

Along came the sixth inning, and it's one coach Brian Doyle and company won’t soon forget.

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A series of fielding mishaps and two questionable calls enabled homestanding Middletown Post 75 to parlay two scratch singles and some aggressive baserunning into a rally that sank Avon, 3-1, in the state tournament’s Round of 16.

Avon (21-8) drops into the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament to face defending state champion and top seed Branford Sunday. The game will be played about 40 minutes after the end of the 9:30 a.m. contest between West Hartford and Bethel.

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The inning of Avon’s unfortunate destiny began when Jason Sinagra hit a bouncer to shortstop Andrew Livingstone off reliever Chris Frask that was slow enough for an infield single.

Sinagra went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Middletown’s leadoff hitter Yuri Morin grounded to first baseman Matt Jadovich, who had just finished a scoreless five-inning stint on the mound. Jadovich tried to nail Sinagra at third, and the ball arrived in plenty of time, but the runner was ruled safe.

“The third baseman said he slid right into his glove but [Jadovich’s] play was obviously to step on the base,” Coach Doyle said. “I’ll take responsibility for that. I pulled him in because I thought [Morin] might bunt. I said to play even with the base so when [Morin] hit a hot shot to him, he’s probably figuring that’s why the coach pulled me in.

“Jadovich has been awesome. He’s been a Gold Glover at first base. He should have stepped on first, no question about it, but he also had him at third. We didn’t get the call we should have gotten.”

Middletown tied the game on a chopper to short by Greg Marino. Livingstone went for the force at second but the ball squirted from the grasp of second baseman Connor Doyle. Again the call went against Avon when it was ruled that the ball was dropped when it appeared Doyle lost it as he tried a relay to first.

“He was transferring the ball and the umpire thought he dropped it,” Doyle said.

Avon again failed to record an out on a fielder’s choice grounder to second by James Aronne. Connor Doyle’s throw was off line and Jadovich went to the ground trying to make the play. Morin just kept on running to give Middletown the lead.

An RBI single by Kyle Krajewski added an insurance tally.

Middletown starter Colin Sledzik, who yielded six hits in the route-going effort, retired Avon without incident in the seventh to seal the victory.

The fateful sixth occurred after Coach Doyle made four defensive changes. Jadovich, who baffled the Middletown hitters on four hits, moved from the mound to first. Frask, Avon’s closer, moved to the hill from third base.

Brendan Telfer, the starting first baseman, moved to left field and Brandon Moss went from left to third. The changes did not bode well. Frask suffered the loss.

“Jadovich pitched great but it was hot,” Coach Doyle said. “I figured if we won he’d come back and pitch on Monday or Tuesday. Chris Frask has been our closer all year long and has come in in situations worse than that. For whatever reason, we made some mistakes behind him.”

Avon batters hit in hard luck throughout the game. Two plays that stood out were a deep drive by Connor Doyle that left fielder Tyler Cardi hauled in near the warning track to start the fourth inning. Livingstone began the fifth with a low liner that shortstop Sinagra snatched at the end of a full dive.

“We hit it on the screws a couple times but right at people,” Coach Doyle said. “When [Sledzik] got behind in the count, we took some pretty good swings on him but when he was able to get ahead, he was tough.”

Avon’s lone tally came in the second inning.

Connor Doyle reached on a bunt single, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Livingstone’s single. Cody Doyle followed with an infield hit but Sledzik retired Brandon Moss for the final out.

Avon threatened in the top of the sixth on two-out singles by Telfer and Jadovich but Livingstone went down swinging.

Middletown 3, Avon 1

American Legion State Tournament

(At Palmer Field, Middletown)

 

Avon                                        Middletown

                        ab  r  h  bi                               ab  r  h  bi

O’Connor cf        4  0  1  0        Morin rf              3  1  2  0

D’Onofrio rf        4  0  0  0        Marino 2b           3  0  0  1

Frask 3b-p         3  0  0  0        Aronne 3b           3  1  2  1

ConDoyle 2b      3  1  1  0        Krajewski dh        3  0  1  1

Telfer 1b-lf         3  0  1  0        Sledzik p             0  0  0  0

Jadovich p-1b     3  0  1  0       Hewitt 1b             3  0  0  0

Livingstone ss     3  0  1  1       Cardi lf                2  0  0  0

CodyDoyle c       3  0  1  0       Kovach c              2  0  0  0

Moss lf-3b          3  0  1  0       Sinagra ss            2  1  1  0

                                             Milardo cf             1  0  0  0

 

Totals               29  1  7  1       Totals                 22  3  6  3

 

Avon                  010 000 0 – 1  7  1

Middletown         000 003 x – 3  6  2

 

E – Connor Doyle, Hewitt, Morin. DP – Avon 2. LOB – Avon 7, Middletown 2. 2B – Morin. S – Milardo. SB – Aronne, Connor Doyle, O’Connor.

 

Avon

                               ip   h   r  er  bb  so

Jadovich                   5   4   0   0   0   2

Frask L                     1   2   3   0   0   0

 

Middletown

Sledzik  W                7    7   1   1   0   8

 

PB – Kovach. T – 1:30. Records – Avon 21-8; Middletown 22-6.

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