Sports

Baseball Team Wins Sixth Straight Behind Piccuillo's 15 Ks

Published: May 15, 2026 7:00 am

Dominant pitching by ace Jamie Piccuillo lifted the Newtown High School baseball team to an 8-1 victory over host Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport on Monday.

Piccuillo was nearly untouchable on the mound, striking out 15 batters over a complete game, seven-inning performance. The right-hander surrendered just one hit — a fifth-inning single — while allowing one unearned run and walking only one batter.

Newtown wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first inning. Travis Rekos sparked the offense with a leadoff triple to the left-center field gap and later scored on a wild pitch. Chris Moseman followed with a walk before Lucian Place singled to put runners on the corners. After Jack Carta drew a walk to load the bases, Pete Eppers worked another free pass to force in a run and give the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead.

The Nighthawks added two more runs in the second inning with aggressive baserunning and pressure on the defense. Luke Libero walked to lead off the frame and promptly stole both second and third base on consecutive pitches. He came home when Kolbe Cathedral’s catcher threw the ball into left field attempting to catch him at third. Later in the inning, Place reached on a dropped third strike and eventually scored on a wild pitch after stealing third base, extending the lead to 4-0.

Newtown broke the game open in the third inning with four more runs. Cam Kullgren and JT Walsh each drew walks before Libero moved both runners over with a groundout. Kullgren scored on a wild pitch, and Rekos followed with an RBI single to plate Walsh. Rekos then stole second and scored on an RBI single by Moseman. Place capped the inning with an RBI double, scoring Moseman and pushing the advantage to 8-0.

Place and Rekos each collected two hits to lead the Nighthawks. Place, Eppers, Rekos, and Moseman each drove in a run. Libero swiped two bases as Newtown totaled five stolen bases in the game. The disciplined NHS batters also showed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks.

Newtown improved to 10-5 overall and extended its winning streak to six games.

Jamie Piccuillo delivers a pitch this spring. Piccuillo tossed a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts in an 8-1 win at Kolbe Cathedral on May 11. —Bee Photo, Hutchison

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

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I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

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Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

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Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Baseball Team Wins Sixth Straight Behind Piccuillo's 15 Ks

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