By Kim J. Harmon

Compared to previous days, it was perfect weather on Monday for a South-West Conference baseball game between Newtown and New Fairfield. And compared to previous games, it was a perfect performance by the Nighthawks.

The ‘Hawks used some hot bats, some sharp defense, and a near flawless pitching performance from Gregg Burkhart to stymie the visiting Rebels, 11-0, in a game that ended on the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth . . . thanks to Nick Savino’s two-run triple.

Burkhart, generally a relief pitcher, came out like an ace, tossing a two-hitter while walking two batters and striking out seven to help the Nighthawks lift their record to 2-5 overall, 1-3 in the South-West Conference.

And while Burkhart was confounding the Rebels with his control and his off-speed repertoire, the Newtown bats were peppering the Newtown High School field with baseballs. Right-center seemed to be the preferred landing area as the ‘Hawks collected 11 hits (everyone had at least one and only Steve Bertè had more than one – how is that for balance?) with four doubles and a triple.

The triple – Savino’s triple – was to left-center, though, as he took a fastball up and out of the strike zone and drilled a bomb to the base of the hill leading up to the seldom used lacrosse field. There were men on second and third at the time – the 10th and 11th Newtown runs – and Savino, thanks to an errant throw to third base, actually scored on the play . . . but the game had stopped once he reached third.

Savino finished 1-for-4 with his triple. Bertè led the offense, though, going 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI (raising his average, second-best on the team, to .476). Burkhart, Matt McCarthy (with a team-leading .522 average), Les Russell, Dave Roodhuyzen, Pete Engel, John Fiscella, and Kevin Carolan all had hits. Carolan, Fiscella, and McCarthy all doubled. Roodhuyzen, Engel, Fiscella and Carolan drove in one run apiece.

It was, overall, a stunning performance for a team that, because of rain, had not played in seven days – not since suffering a dismal, 12-2, loss to Pomperaug at Community Field in Southbury. In that game, no one but McCarthy (2-for-2 with a pair of doubles) was hitting the ball, no one was fielding, and no one was pitching.

The ‘Hawks resumed their SWC schedule on Wednesday with a trip down to New Milford (pending the weather, of course). The ‘Hawks are slated to host Jonathan Law on Friday before traveling to Stratford on Saturday. On Monday, May 1, the ‘Hawks will butt heads with the Golden Eagles of Jonathan Law again – only this time, down in Milford. On Wednesday, the ‘Hawks will host Notre Dame in a 3:45 pm contest.