By Kim J. Harmon

BROOKFIELD – It is quite apparent that things are going pretty well when a team is allowed to rally back from a five-run deficit in the top of the seventh inning all thanks to a two-out, game-should-have-been-over error.

Down 7-2 with two outs, the Newtown High School baseball team was about to see its three-game winning streak come to an end when catcher Pete Oggeri tapped a ball back to the box and somehow – after Weston pitcher Matt Ritzzo threw the ball away – found himself on first base.

After the error opened the door, eight more players stepped to the plate and – in the end – the Nighthawks scored seven unearned runs to capture an improbable 9-7 win. Following the error Joe DeFeo, Mark Fracker and Nick Magoulas were walked. Pete Meisel and Ben Bagaglio then offered up the big blows in the rally, a pair of two-run singles.

Despite the win, though, it seemed as if the Nighthawks’ luck was starting to run on empty as the winning streak finally did come to an end on Monday afternoon with a 12-6 loss to Brookfield.

The ‘Hawks are now 4-8.

The winning streak began with a 4-2 win over St. Joseph’s of Trumbull last Tuesday and then began to build with wins over Joel Barlow (3-2) and Masuk (6-4) before culminating with the win over Weston.

In the win over Joel Barlow, Bagaglio and Ron Shimko each went 2-for-4. Bagaglio had a two-out, run-scoring single in the top of the first to give Newtown a 1-0 lead and Pat McCarthy had a two-out, run-scoring single in the top of the fourth to give Newtown a 2-1 lead. Oggeri then had the game-winning hit in the top of the seventh, a single that scored Ron Isler.

Meisel twirled a four-hitter, walking four and striking out three, to pick up the win.

Against Masuk (which had been 5-1 entering the game), the Nighthawks put together an 11-hit attack as all nine hitters collected at least one hit. Bagaglio was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI while Greg Britton was 2-for-3 with two RBI. The ‘Hawks scored four runs in the top of the third (taking advantage of two errors) to take a 5-0 lead, which turned out to be just enough cushion to be able to hold the Panthers off.

McCarthy, Alex Dolan and Isler combined for the win, scattering seven hits while striking out here batters.

But following that shocking win over Weston, the ‘Hawks were knocked around pretty well by Brookfield on Monday. Shimko was 2-for-4 with a double and Isler was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Meisel had the only other hit, a first-inning leadoff single.