DANBURY – Giving up four runs in the top of the first inning (in a state championship game, no less) would have most baseball players nervously wiping the sweat from their brow.

Not the Newtown Babe Ruth 10-year-old All Stars; no, a 4-0 deficit in the bottom of the first inning against Woodbridge (which knocked the ball all over the Rogers Park yard) was no more troubling than a skinned knee or a bug bite.

All the Bombers did, after allowing four runs in the top of the first, was score EIGHT in the bottom of the first enroute to a thrilling, 14-12, win which sends the locals on to the New England Regionals this weekend in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Wow.

“We pride ourselves on playing tournament games dominated by pitching, stellar defense and timely hitting,” said manager Ron Schmidt, “and the formula held true to form through the first three games (of the state tournament). No one would have predicted we would then have to survive one of the highest scoring final round game in state tournament memory.”

But survive it, they did.

The hard-hitting Woodbridge team struck early and often in the first inning off Newtown starter Colton Sposta, but in the bottom of the frame Gary Braun started the eight-run rally with a triple that scored Dan Poeltl (who had doubled) and Nick Barreto (who had worked a one-out walk). Andrew Kelley and Dean Demers then hit back-to-back singles to score two more runs and tie the game at 4-4.

But the locals weren’t finished.

Jon Hull singled in Sposta and Reid Schmidt – up for the second time in the inning – worked a two-out walk before Poeltl singled in Hull. A bases-loaded walk to Braun scored Schmidt and the Bombers had taken an 8-4 lead.

Woodbridge got a run back in the top of the second and the damage could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for a brilliant 6-4-3 double played turned by Poeltl and David Gerics with no outs and the bases loaded.

The Bombers countered with a run in the bottom of the frame as Joe Davis was plunked by a pitch and eventually came around to score on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Schmidt.

Woodbridge would simply not quit, however, and scored five more runs in the top of the third to take a 10-9 lead and steal the momentum from the Bombers.

“We were feeling a bit of unease,” said Schmidt, “but we took it as a positive sign that the kids were not concerned at all. In fact, one of the kids said, ‘Coach, isn’t this a great game?’ That sums up the mental toughness of this team.”

The Bombers pushed three more runs across in the bottom of the third to re-take the lead, 12-10. Barreto led off with a walk and scored on a two-out double by Davis. Gerics then walked and Sposta stroked a clutch two-out single, scoring Davis and Gerics.

Poeltl was given the ball for the top of the fourth and responded with the first scoreless half-inning of the game … pretty much stunning the large crowd.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Bombers added a couple of insurance runs to take a 14-10 lead. Michael Allwein earned a two-out walk and went to third on a double by Braun. Kelley then lofted a towering fly ball to centerfield that seemed to leave the range of the lights and the sight of the Woodbridge centerfielder. When the ball dropped to the field, Allwein and Braun scored.

The runs were critical as Woodbridge responded with two of its own in the top of the fifth, making it a 14-12 ballgame.

After Newtown failed to score in the bottom of the fifth – despite a one-out double by Chad Magoulas – Poeltl once again took to the mound and calmly struck out the first two batters. After a two-out double by Woodbridge brought the tying run to the plate, Poeltl induced the next batter to bounce one weakly back to the box for the final out.

The Bombers’ state title run began with a well-played 8-2 win over a scrappy Greenwich team that held the Bombers to two runs through the first three innings. Sposta hurled two scoreless innings and Hull added a scoreless third, which allowed the locals to go up 2-0 on an RBI double by Braun in the first and an RBI single by Gerics in the third.

The floodgates opened in the fourth, however, and Newtown put the game out of reach by scoring six runs. Demers led off with a walk, Poeltl singled and Allwein doubled in Demers. Successive singles by Braun, Kelly and Davis drove in three more runs and the sixth run came in on a fielder’s choice by Gerics.

Greenwich scratched out runs in the fourth and fifth, but Hull and Poeltl persevered on the mound and preserved the win.

The Bombers then faced a Danbury team that had won a thrilling, 1-0, seven-inning affair against Woodbridge the night before, but Danbury couldn’t keep Newtown off the scoreboard as the Bombers pushed across seven runs and won, 7-4.

Danbury fell behind, 3-0, in the bottom of the first as Poeltl scored on a wild pitch and Kelley knocked in two more with a double, scoring Barreto (who had singled) and Braun (who had walked). Sposta again worked two scoreless innings to start the game, striking out three, and was aided by a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch by Gerics in the top of the first.

Danbury closed the gap to 3-2 in the top of the third, but the Bombers answered quickly and plated three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Braun and Kelley both doubled leading off the inning, scoring the first run and Gerics drove in Braun with a double of his own. Sposta delivered the third run with an RBI grounder to second.

Danbury scored two more runs in the fourth making the score 6-4, but Newtown answered with an insurance run in the fifth as Gerics drove in Demers who had led off with a double.

Hull and Poeltl combined for a scoreless fifth and sixth, sealing the win for the Bombers, but needed a key play by Kelley in the fifth, who tracked down a long drive in right center for the first out of the inning.

Newtown then had to face a tough Brookfield team in the third game of the tournament and put together a workman-like 6-2 win. Sposta tossed three brilliant scoreless innings to start the game, holding onto a slim, 1-0 lead that resulted from an RBI double by Kelley in the first inning.

Brookfield scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead 2-1, but the Bombers came back quickly in their half of the fifth, plating three runs on an RBI single by Kelley and a two-run double by Davis.

After Poeltl hurled a scoreless bottom of the fifth, the locals added two insurance runs in the sixth. Schmidt singled to lead off and came home on an RBI single by Braun. After another single by Kelley (4-for-4 on the night), Davis picked up his third RBI by singling in Braun for the sixth run.

Poeltl pitched a scoreless sixth, aided by a nice play on a hard grounder to Hull at short, who made a strong throw to first that was short-hopped by Schmidt.

Newtown was then 3-0, setting the stage for the dramatic final game with Woodbridge.

The Bombers will move on to the New England Regionals in Marlborough, Massachusetts. After the opening ceremonies on Friday night, the locals will play a minimum of three games over the weekend and – if successful – could be vying for the crown on Tuesday, July 26.

Four-Peat

The Newtown Babe Ruth 12-year-old All Stars made it four consecutive championships when they defeated Southbury twice last Saturday in Hebron.

The 12s lost to Southbury last Wednesday to drop into the Loser’s Bracket, but renewed acquaintances with Southbury on Saturday and played flawless baseball for 12 innings.

Newtown will head to Winchester, Massachusetts, next weekend for the New England Regionals. A win there would put the locals in the World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland starting August 12.

The locals started off the travel season by claiming a tournament championship in Ossining, New York over Memorial Day weekend. In six games, Newtown outscored its opponents 76-2.

Then the locals reached the finals of the Bethel tournament without a loss after securing victories over West Norwalk, Brookfield, Southbury and New Canaan. The tournament was interrupted by the start of district play, with Newtown waiting to learn the identity of its final opponent, and it will be completed sometime before the summer is out.

Meanwhile, the 12s marched toward the District 4 final with wins over New Milford, Danbury and Southbury, which landed the team in the championship round.  Against New Milford, the team used strong pitching and balanced hitting to win 11-0. Eight different players hit safely with Sean Kennedy leading the way with two hits, two runs and two RBIs. Against Danbury, the locals secured a 9-5 victory which was never in doubt. RJ Roman and Ryan Schmidt led the way on offense with two hits each while Roman and Bryan Czel each had two RBIs.

Four Newtown pitchers held Danbury to four hits.

Newtown’s first major test was against Southbury, its nemesis over the past two years, and the locals passed with flying colors.  Newtown won 5-1 in a very workmanlike effort. Czel had three hits and drove in a run while Daniel Lynch and Johnny Fracker added two hits.  Brandon Rosenberger added a home run while he, along with Mikey Tobin and Roman, held Southbury to 5 hits.

The win put Newtown into the championship game where they once again squared off with Southbury. This time, Southbury prevailed 9-7, holding off Newtown’s furious last inning rally where it scored four runs in the bottom of sixth and had the go-ahead run at the plate before succumbing.

Tobin and Czel both doubled to drive in runs while Schmidt singled to drive in another run during the rally.

Southbury’s victory put the teams in a one-game showdown for the district title and in the final, Newtown prevailed 2-0 as Lynch and Mitch Udiskey scored on infield grounders by Czel and Rosenberger.

Meanwhile, Rosenberger and Roman held Southbury to three hits to preserve the shutout.

The locals then moved on to the state tournament in Hebron.  Their first test was against a very good West Norwalk team, which gave Newtown fits in the first three innings. However, in the fourth Newtown exploded for four runs and added three more in the fifth to coast to the win.

Czel and Roman homered to power the offense. Lynch, Czel and Kennedy had two hits each as Rosenberger added two RBIs. 

Newtown then faced Hebron and once again started sluggishly. But in the fifth inning Newtown hung 10 runs on the host team en route to a mercy rule win.  Lynch went 3-for-4, scored three runs and had two RBIs.  Rosenberger (4 RBIs), Schmidt and Czel added two hits each.

The locals then went very flat in an ugly 9-2 loss to Southbury (which received an at-large bid to the state tournament), forcing Newtown into the Losers’ Bracket.

Kennedy (2 hits) and Udiskey (run scored) were the only bright spots for the locals.

But Newtown got back on track against New Britain, winning 8-3 and setting up a final showdown with Southbury. Tobin broke out of a hitting slump with two hits as Schmidt and Lynch also collected two hits.

Roman homered and limited New Britain to one earned run over three innings.

On Saturday, Newtown smashed Southbury, 11-5, in the first of two. The locals scored in every inning except the second and left the bases full in three different innings.

Kennedy had the big hit, a three-run triple in the second inning. Tobin had three hits while Lynch, Fracker, Schmidt and Rosenberger all had two hits.

Alex Nordstrom singled and scored a run while Udiskey contributed a run-scoring single.  Erik Hoffman played his usual strong defense at second base, handling four chances flawlessly.

And in the final, the local bats continued to sizzle with two runs in the second inning and four more in the third.

Rosenberger’s home run started the third inning rally and Fracker and Brian Reed finished it off with run-scoring hits. Schmidt had three hits as Roman homered for the final run.

Southbury mounted one final rally in the fifth, but it was squelched when Reed threw out a Southbury runner trying to score on a perfect throw to catcher Ryan Schmidt from right field.

Lightning Strikes

The Newtown Lightning struck again this weekend, sweeping two games from Middlebury and Fairfield and upping its New Canaan Baseball League record to 7-1.

Tied 8-8 after two innings in Middlebury on Saturday, the Newtown 10-and-under travel team came alive on defense and – led by the solid play of shortstop Tyler Gibney – limited Middlebury to four runs the rest of the game.

Meanwhile, the offense pounded out 16 runs to take a 24-12 victory.

Ryan Daignault scored five runs for Newtown, and Wes Tardie, Chris Devaney, Pat Thornberg and Kyle Morrissey each had three. Rob Andreotta, Ben Stoller, Tardie, Thornberg and Morrissey each had two RBIs. Morrissey blasted the team’s first home run, and Andreotta, Stoller and Tardie stroked doubles.

Against a tough Fairfield team in Newtown on Sunday, the Lightning bounced back from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits by scoring five clutch fifth-inning runs to take a 7-4 victory. Troy Larsen and Morrissey each pitched three excellent innings, and Larsen struck out seven batters. Playing right field in the last inning, Larsen also threw a strike to catcher Thornberg to nail a Fairfield runner at the plate for the final out.

The Lightning offense was sparked by two runs scored by Gibney and Stoller, two RBIs by Morrissey and doubles by Morrissey and Stoller.

Daignault made a spectacular catch in right field to spear a deep fly ball, and Tardie and Stoller pulled off fielding gems at first and second base, respectively.