Newtown High School’s baseball team defeated visiting New Fairfield 8-7 in a makeup game at Fairfield Hills on Sunday, May 18. It marked the second high-scoring victory for the Nighthawks over the Rebels this spring; the Hawks prevailed 11-7 on the road in the matchup that counts in the South-West Conference standings.

The rematch only counts toward state rankings but was one of Newtown’s more satisfying victories given the Hawks came back from a 5-0 deficit and trailed 7-4. They scored four runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings. Danny Leyva’s sacrifice fly broke the tie.

Jonathan Moseman had a double, two runs batted in, and run scored; Peter Eppers had a hit, two RBI, and run scored; Kieran Garrity singled and drove in a run; Lucian Place doubled, drove in a run, and scored a run; and Jack Carta singled, drove in a run, and scored a run. J.T. Walsh had a hit and run scored, and Luke Libero and Ayden Paulos each scored a run.

Jacob Bulkley earned the win pitching two-thirds of an inning and allowing one hit, and Leyva struck out three batters and allowed one hit in scoreless frame. Leyva escaped a bases-loaded jam to preserve the win.

In a 3-0 win at Stratford on May 14, Wes Keayes started and went six and a third innings, allowing just two hits and striking out 11. Leyva pitched two-thirds of an inning and struck out a batter. At the plate, Garrity had a hit and Newtown’s only RBI. Stratford committed two errors and issued a wild pitch; one of the runs was unearned.

Newtown earned another shutout victory, winning 6-0 at Weston on May 19. Keayes went six innings, allowing just two hits and fanning nine batters and Moseman pitched a frame, striking out two. Both pitchers also delivered extra-base hits; Moseman tripled and Keayes doubled. Moseman had three hits, drove in two runs, and scored twice; Leyva had two hits and a run batted in; and Walsh and Paulos both had a pair of hits.

Newtown hosted Nonnewaug in a nonconference game at Fairfield Hills on May 20, and again came back to win. Newtown trailed 3-1 before scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 5-3 win. Wes Keayes had two hits, two RBI, and a run scored; and Travis Rekos and Jamie Piccuillo also drove in runs. Rekos doubled. Walsh, Moseman, and Rekos all stole bases. Garrity pitched five innings, allowing three runs just one earned, and struck out nine. Moseman and Piccuillo each pitched a scoreless frame with Piccuillo recording all three outs via strikeouts. The four-run rally featured a Keayes two-run double, Rekos hit by a pitch to force in a run, and Piccuillo driving in an insurance run on a sacrifice bunt.

No. 7 Newtown will begin South-West Conference Tournament action in the quarterfinal round with a visit to No. 2 Bethel on Saturday, May 24 at 1 pm.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.