The Newtown Hawks 10U Blue team, host of the Cal Ripken Baseball State Tournament at Glander Fields Complex, is off to a winning start in early-round action as it vies for a championship this Sunday, July 12. Having won their first two games, the Hawks have positioned themselves well for a deep run as the double-elimination tourney unfolds this week. Win or lose, however, this group is enjoying the ride.

"We have such a cohesive, unselfish team," Head Coach Matt Memoli said after a 4-0 win over Oxford on July 5, one day after opening the tourney with a 13-0 mercy-rule triumph over the New Fairfield Rebels.

The Hawks have been putting in hard work since February with hundreds of reps swinging the bat and throwing pitches. Memoli, a former collegiate player and coach, as well as the former coach at Newtown High School, said he runs practices as he did at those higher levels and sees the hard work pay off.

"We're all good fielders and we're a solid-hitting team," first baseman Benji Scholz said.

As seriously as the team takes playing baseball, Memoli keeps an eye on the future possibilities for these young athletes. In regular-season games and practices, he rotates them through each position on the field so every participant gets playing time around the infield, on the mound, behind plate, and in the outfield.

"I have confidence in all 12 of these kids to pitch," Memoli said. "They all learn how to catch, they all learn how to pitch — and play infield and outfield."

Once tournaments roll around players have designated positions, but they are comfortable being moved around if necessary. The advantage of rotating players throughout most of the games is to give them experience that may pay off once they get to high school if, for instance, a handful of players try out for first base but there are more openings at other positions, Memoli said.

The Hawks avenged an extra-inning loss to Oxford in an earlier-season tourney. That first matchup was scoreless heading into extras before Oxford prevailed. The rematch was deadlocked with no score until the bottom of the fourth inning. Ethan Deming grounded into a fielder's choice and Scholz singled to left field, each scoring one run. Newtown got two insurance runs on three consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the fifth.

Chris Tortora got the rally started with a single, DJ Macaluso followed with a single of his own, and Bryce Memoli smacked a two-run double to right-center field. The approach at the plate was to not try to do too much, go with the pitches, and deliver up the middle or to the opposite field. "Two-out hitting was huge," Coach Memoli said. "That's what we work on in practice, off the machine all day — hitting oppo and up the middle."

Deming started on the mound and went the first five innings. Sawyer Matta closed things out in the sixth.

"Ethan is a horse. He's an absolute stud," the Hawk coach said of his starter, who allowed three hits, striking out four and walking three.

The Hawks were sharp in the field; they turned two double plays in the game. Shortstop Santiago Peubla threw to second baseman Tortora, who relayed to Scholz at first for one DP, and third baseman Ryan Stott fielded and threw to Tortora, who completed the double play with a toss to Scholz. The Hawks played errorless ball, with Stott making good on all five of his chances to lead the way.

Newtown got off to a winning start against New Fairfield behind a ten-run second inning. Stott singled to drive in a run; Macaluso singled to plate two more; Memoli followed with an RBI single; Deming tripled to drive in a pair; Drew Van Scotter had an RBI single; Puebla doubled to drive in a run; Anderson Sterner singled home a run; and Connor Plunkett drove in a run on a ground out.

The Hawks scored three runs in the opening inning to jump out to an early lead. Nick Strong doubled to drive in a pair, and Van Scotter hit a sacrifice fly.

Scholz started and surrendered one hit over two innings, striking out one and walking one. Puebla tossed two innings of scoreless ball in relief; the pitcher surrendered two hits, striking out one and walking none.

Newtown collected 12 hits. Deming, Memoli, and Anderson each collected two hits. Deming, Strong, and Van Scotter each drove in two runs. Connor Plunkett and Macaluso each stole multiple bases among the team's nine swipes in the matchup. Newtown played errorless ball and turned a double play.

The Hawks, with a win over Weston on Thursday, July 9 at Glander starting at 5:30 pm, earn a spot in the championship round or, with a loss, would have to work their way into the championship round with another win (the losing team in this game plays Saturday, July 11 at 11 am for the right to get to the championship round). Tournament games were postponed earlier in the week due to rain, pushing things back a couple of days. The first championship game is set for 1 pm with a second game, if necessary, to follow at 3:30 pm.

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