By Kim J. Harmon

ABERDEEN, Maryland – The linescores were virtually identical. The only difference, a 3-2 fastball down the chute.

The Newtown Blaze 12-year-old All Star team did not open the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland, the way they had been hoping to after losses to Bryant, Arkansas, and Hilo, Hawaii, but they had a shot to extract the two-game split manager Bill Kneisel was looking for if not for a fastball that was just a little too tasty.

That fastball – served up in the bottom of the second inning – led to a two-run double and a 2-1 win for Arkansas. Less than 24 hours later, the Blaze then suffered a 10-3 loss to Hawaii and dropped to 0-2 in pool play, putting a serious crimp in their effort to reach the pool semifinals on Friday.

“We had to come out in these first two games and get a split,” said Kneisel. “Losing this one really hurt our chances of playing on Friday and now we have to convince the kids to come out and play hard to pride’s sake.”

Blake Davidson of Arkansas had the hard-hitting Blaze back on their heels all afternoon on Sunday, mixing in a smattering of curves and other off speed pitches with a sizzling fastball in the mid-70s. He scattered just five hits, struck out nine batters (all swinging) and held the locals scoreless until the top of the sixth inning when Oliver Powers blasted a one-out homer over the right-centerfield fence.

Arkansas started challenged the Blaze right there in the bottom of the first, putting two runners on – one as far as third – but some nifty fielding helped Newtown pitcher Curtis Droniak work out of the jam.

Much like the first inning, the Blaze went quietly in the top of the second inning (thanks in large part to room-service 1-6-3 double play) and in the bottom of the frame Arkansas scored the only runs it would need.

It started with a one-out single, a subsequent walk and a two-out single that loaded the bases. Droniak worked a full count on Jordan Taylor, but Taylor caught up to Droniak’s 3-2 fastball and drilled a double that scored two runs and gave Arkansas a 2-0 lead.

“We didn’t deserve to win,” Kneisel said on Monday, “but we could have won. Arkansas deserved to win that game. We played well and only made a few mistakes in pitch placement – which is really nitpicking. Think about that.”

The Blaze made a little noise in the top of the third when Tita and Powers collected back-to-back singles on the hard-packed infield of Fenway Field. But a groundball to first base ended that threat while in the top of the fourth another double play all but ended the threat posed by a Sean Ross leadoff single.

Droniak left after walking the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third and Powers stepped in, striking out the first batter he faced and then inducing two ground balls to close out the frame. Powers pitched the next two innings, allowing just one hit while striking out four and then accounted for the only Newtown run when he belted a one-out solo homer in the top of the sixth.

It was a solid effort, but one that failed to result in a win.

Things got worse the next day as the Blaze dropped a 10-3 decision to the Pacific Southwest Regional champions from Hilo, Hawaii. A six-run third inning for Hilo – fueled by five Newtown errors and a wild pitch – was ruinous

Signs were actually very good at the start as Tita smacked a hard bouncer past the Hawaii third baseman to leadoff the frame, advanced to second on a passed ball and then to third when the catcher’s pickoff throw sailed into the outfield. Tita then scored the initial run off Sean Ross’ grounder to short.

The 1-0 Newtown lead was short lived, however, as Hawaii plated three runs in the bottom of the frame thanks to a hard double inside the third base bag and a couple of Texas league grounders up the middle off Tita.

Momentum quickly shifted, though, in the top of the second. After Droniak reached on an infield error and advanced to second on Chris Tenney’s well-placed bunt, third baseman Will Arndt drilled a 3-2 fastball 235 feet over the right centerfield fence for a two-run homer that tied the score, 3-3.

Dominick Fedak followed with a deep fly ball to the same spot, but his ball – which would have been out on a standard Babe Ruth field – fell just short of the fence.

In the bottom of the third it all unraveled for the Blaze.

Two straight errors put runners on first and second and another error allowed both runners to score. All told, there were five errors and a wild pitch in the frame and a long home run by Big Ekolu Martins (who won the Home Run Derby during opening ceremonies last Saturday) that put Hawaii ahead 9-3.

It could have been worse, too, if not for Tita’s spectacular defensive play in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third and no outs, Tita snared a hard smash just inside the bag, tagged the runner trying to scramble back, and then fired over to Jack Kneisel at first for the double play.

It was the last shining moment for the Blaze, who attempted to salvage something on Wednesday (after press time) against Maryland state champion St. Mary’s (on Cal Sr. Yard) and Pacific Northwest champion Kennewick, Washington on Thursday.

NOTES: Ryan Tita broke his (aluminum) bat in the first inning of Newtown’s game with Bryant, Arkansas, after fouling off three pitches hard … standard Babe Ruth fields are 200 feet all the way around the outfield fence, but the Fenway Park replica field was 220 down the left field line and 265 to straightaway center … on a small artificial turf field, there was a pretty cool Quickball tournament going on which used plastic bats and balls and a standard baseball hitting drill … Hilo, Hawaii presented several bags of goodies to Newtown prior to the start of their game on Monday … Oliver Powers and Will Arndt earned the Ron Tellefson Player of the Game awards for Newtown’s first two matches … Powers’ home run against Arkansas was only the second ever hit on the Fenway Park field; the first was by Kawika Pruett of Hilo, Hawaii …