BASEBALL: Avon loses lead in seventh

AVON—Despite holding an 8-6 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Braves could not hold on, as the Cal-Mum Red Raiders scored five runs and held Avon in check in the bottom half Wednesday evening, defeating the Braves 11-8.

The Braves jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third and starting pitcher, Connor O’Donoghue, held strong until the top of the fifth, where he gave up the lead by allowing six runs.

The Braves offense responded quickly with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Zach Rizzolo’s second double of the game scored O’Donoghue and Danny Welch and tied the game at six. Rizzolo would score after a Chase Coyne single up the middle to give the Braves the lead, 7-6, heading into the sixth inning.

O’Donoghue shut down the Red Raider bats in the top of the sixth, as they did not get a runner on base. However, after Avon added on one more in the bottom of the sixth, the Red Raiders bats would come alive when they needed it most, scoring five runs in the top of the seventh.

“I thought Connor O’Donoghue pitched a good game,” Avon head coach Rob Fries said. “I thought we made some good plays until the end. We put pressure on ourselves and we didn’t make plays. I think we have enough talent, we are young, but when push comes to shove at times it seems we don’t want the ball hit to us, which needs to change.”

Avon is back at it tomorrow, on the road against Alexander.