Inferno Second In Tourney

The Newtown Inferno baseball team earned second place in the 11 year old Jimmy Fund Tournament this past Sunday in Bethel.

The Inferno won the first two games of the tournament, 6-3 over Danbury and 15-0 over Oxford behind the outstanding pitching from Patrick Godino and CJ Shambelan. Godino was 2-0 and pitched 14 innings in the tournament, giving up only three earned runs and eight hits while striking out 18. Shambelan went eight innings, striking out nine and allowing ten hits.

The Inferno lost the winners bracket final to a tough West Norwalk team, 5-3, before beating Oxford again, 8-3, to advance to the championship game. In a three-hour, eight-inning affair, the home team, West Norwalk, ultimately prevailed 13-12.

Joe Palanzo led all players with two very long home runs in the tournament, and knocked in ten runs. He finished 8-for-18 at the plate, including a 4-for-5 performance in the final game. Henry Primavera batted .500, 8-for-16 with a pair of doubles. Shambelan was 6-for-12, helping out offensively as well as on the mound with strong pitching. Peter Debona went 7-for-15 with two doubles and five RBI. Eugene Citrano, Jacob Steinebrey, Owen McInerney, and Harry Eppers each hit .333, and Nick Venezia batted .294. Rob Lombardo pitched brilliantly in the extra frames of the championship game, giving up only one run in three innings. Ethan Aug played a great third base in the championship game.

Peter Debona was as steady as brick wall behind home plate, throwing out four runners and picking off one in the tournament. Jacob Steinebrey made a sharp play in the bottom of the seventh of the title game, knocking down a hard hit ground ball with the winning run on third and two outs, and got the out at first.