By Kim J. Harmon

There was no mistaking it – after a 12-2 win over New Fairfield on Friday, April 20, and a 9-8 win over New Milford on Wednesday, April 25, the Newtown High School baseball team had won three of its last four games and was on the kind of roll that would help it try and overcome the terrible 1-5 start to the 2001 season.

But then Jonathan Law popped up on the schedule. And in a rare home-and-home series, the Nighthawks dropped a pair of games to the Lawmen, 6-1 and 22-16, to fall to 4-8 overall on the season, 3-4 in the South-West Conference.

On Friday in Milford, the ‘Hawks collected just three base hits (singles by Kevin Carolan, Nick Savino and Rob Weiss) and scored just one run (without benefit of a hit) and then on Monday at home, the ‘Hawks banged out 17 hits and scored 16 runs and still the Lawmen found a way to beat them.

With the two wins, Law raised its record to 10-3 overall.

Things started out okay for the ‘Hawks on Friday. Carolan opened the game with a single, but he ended up being stranded on third base after Ron Isler grounded out and Collin Anderson was struck out. Law scored two in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-0 lead and then extended that lead to 4-0 with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Weiss singled in the second inning and Savino singled in the third for the ‘Hawks, but nothing came from either hit. It wasn’t until the top of the fifth that the ‘Hawks got on the board and they did it without aid of a base hit.

Dan Murphy opened the frame by getting walked. Weiss was walked and the pair moved up to third and second base, respectively, on a double steal. Murphy then scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Arnold to trim the Law lead to 4-1.

But the Lawmen (who banged out just six hits themselves against Greg Burkhart and Carolan) scored once in the bottom of the fifth and once in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 6-1. The ‘Hawks were then set down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to close out the game.

It was a whole ‘nother kettle of fish of Monday.

Newtown and Jonathan Law banged out 32 hits between them in a three-hour slugfest, scoring a grand total of 38 runs. Kyle O’Neill had a monster effort for the Lawmen, going 5-for-6 while hitting for the cycle and driving in an amazing 10 runs. Will Cornwall doubled, Josh Himming tripled, and Colin Mauritis homered to also power the Law attack. For Newtown, Carolan was 4-for-6 while Isler was 3-for-3 with a single and a pair of doubles. Murphy belted a homer for the ‘Hawks.

Law opened the game by scoring two runs in the top of the first, but the ‘Hawks rallied right back by putting six up on the board in the bottom of the frame. The big hit was a two-out, three-run double by Isler that bounced high over the head of the Jonathan Law centerfielder, who had stopped short to play it off the bounce.

Law answered right back in the top of the second with five runs of its own to take a 7-6 lead. And with three runs in the top of the third and three more in the top of the fourth, the Lawmen had extended that lead to 13-7.

But the Newtown bats were still plenty hot.

In the bottom of the fourth, Weiss led off with a triple and scored on a two-out single by Dave Roodhuyzen. Murphy then smacked a two-run homer to get the ‘Hawks to within three of the Lawmen, 13-10.

Law, though, scored six more times in the top of the fifth to take a 19-10 lead. Not finished themselves, the ‘Hawks scored four times in the bottom of the frame on singles by Isler, Anderson and Murphy, three walks, and one error.

The two teams each scored a run in the sixth inning and Law added a solo run in the top of the seventh.

Seven different pitchers were used in this game. Among the 32 hits collected, there were four doubles, four triples (Matt McCarthy also had one for Newtown) and three home runs. Law scored at least one run in every inning while Newtown was blanked in the second and seventh innings.

The ‘Hawks took their blazing hot bats to Notre Dame on Wednesday for a battle with the Lancers and then will return home on Friday for a game against Immaculate. Next week, the ‘Hawks will be on Bethel on Monday and home on Wednesday for a game against Joel Barlow.

The CIAC Class LL tournament is still within their sights, but the ‘Nighthawks will have to put together at least a modest winning streak to make that tournament a reality.