With a 15-8 win over Easton to close out the Connecticut Summer Baseball League regular season, the 12-and-under Newtown Lightning was primed and ready for the opening round of the playoffs last weekend at Glander Field.

And in that opening round the Lightning – already guaranteed the best season in their three-year history – pounded regular season champ New Fairfield, 20-1, to improve to 15-4 overall.

The locals pounded out 15 hits in the first three innings before New Fairfield threw in the towel in the top of the fourth. Already ahead 4-0 and coming up to bat in the second inning, the Lightning sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs on 10 hits.

Key blows were two-run singles by Pat Thornberg, Alex Roche and Rob Andreotta and a ground-rule RBI double over the left field fence by Tyler Gibney. Troy Larsen and Kaleb Rowe also knocked in runs with singles and Mike Scharfenberg brought in another run on a fielder’s choice. And after laying down a perfect bunt down the third-base line to reach base, Ryan Daignault later scored on a passed ball.

The Lightning, which scored its four first-inning runs on four New Fairfield errors and an RBI single by John Lebinski, continued the onslaught in the third inning. Leadoff batter Ben Stoller tripled to left field and was driven in by a Sean Dardine double to left. Scharfenberg also had an RBI single and Andreotta slapped a single for his third RBI of the game. The hit scored Lebinski, who finished the game with three singles in three at-bats.

Stoller and Roche each scored three runs in the game. Teammate Nicky Sajovic scored twice and had a perfect day at the plate with a double, a single and a walk.

Daignault threw two shutout innings, yielding two hits and no walks. He saw his team-best earned run average drop to 1.53 on the season. Daignault, a control pitcher, has issued just five walks and two wild pitches in 18 innings of work this season.

Roche also threw a shutout inning, retiring three straight batters, including two on strikeouts.

In the win over Easton that closed out the regular season, Dardine did the most damage with a grand slam as the locals came from behind twice to earn the win at Staples Field in Easton.

Down 8-7 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Lightning loaded the bases on a bunt single by Larsen and walks to Gibney and Rowe. Dardine brought them all home with a vicious line drive clout over the left fielder’s head for an inside-the park grand slam on the fenceless field.

Stoller followed with a single, his second hit of the game, and Thornberg followed with a fielder’s choice. Lebinski reached on a hit by pitch and Sajovic moved Thornberg to third with a sacrifice fly.

Then with Scharfenberg batting and intentionally taking the first pitch, the Lightning successfully pulled its pickle play. Lebinski took off for second base and stopped midway, distracting the pitcher, who had received the ball back from the catcher. The pitcher ran off the mound toward Lebinski and Thornberg stole home.

Lebinski came home on an error and Larsen drove in Scharfenberg, who walked, and Daignault, who reached on the error, with a single to right field.

Lebinski threw three perfect innings to start the game, retiring nine consecutive Easton batters. He struck out four.

In an earlier 10-0 win over New Fairfield, the Lightning scored five fourth-inning runs and then coasted to victory in New Fairfield.

Stoller brought in the first two Lightning runs with a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single. Key fourth-inning hits were a single by Sajovic and RBI singles by Andreotta and Gibney. In the fifth inning, Scharfenberg crushed a two-run double down the left field line and Andreotta smacked another RBI single.

Pitchers Rowe and Daignault combined for the shutout. Rowe threw brilliantly, yielding just two hits and one walk in three inning. He struck out the side in the first inning and finished with six strikeouts.

In a 9-1 loss to Fairfield at Glander Field, the Lightning squandered a 1-0 third-inning lead as Fairfield pitchers held the Lightning to three singles by Gibney, Thornberg and Roche. Rowe retired the first eight Fairfield batters before Fairfield scored five runs in a two-out rally.

 

CSBL Standings

Final

Fairfield  12-2

Newtown Lightning               10-4

Redding   10-4

Southbury               8-6

New Milford           7-7

Newtown Nighthawks           6-8

New Fairfield         2-12

Easton     1-13

U15

Pete Wlasuk was 2-for-4 with a double and pitched three innings of one-hit baseball, with four strikeouts, to lead the Newtown 15-year-old travel team to an 8-3 win over Brookfield in the Bethel Jimmy Fund Tournament.

Dan Milot added a pair of hits and two RBI as Joe Fedak pitched four solid innings in earning the win.

Adam Schankman scored three times for Newtown.

In a 14-0 win over New Fairfield last Sunday, Jack List (Player of the Game Award) and Adam Schankman combined on a no-hitter, allowing only three batters to reach base. (error, fielders choice. strikeout, passed ball).

List was also 3-for-3 at the plate with five RBI and Schankman was 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI.

Tyler Edwards (3-for-4, 3 runs) and Nick Neves (2-for-3, 2 RBI) paced the offense.

Fedak made three outstanding plays at third base.

Newtown and Amity, both 2-0 in the tournament, were slated to meet on Wednesday night at Bethel with the winner  advancing to the top spot in the “winner’s bracket” in the field of seven teams.

 

U11

There may have been no district or state championship, but with a 13-4 record and titles in the Southbury and New Milford tournaments it was still a pretty successful summer for the Newtown Big Blue 11-year-old travel team.

The Big Blue won three games in the district tournament, but suffered two close losses to Danbury and Brookfield.

Big Blue showed great heart and pride a week later by winning the New Milford Tournament and beating Brookfield, 12-0, and then Danbury, 17-1, in the championship. The team was led all season by pitchers Brandon Marks, Mike Davis and Patrick Mullins. Defensively the team was sparked by Garrison Buzzanca, Justin DeVellis, Gregory Horne, Matthew Hoyt and Austin Raftery.

At the plate, Big Blue was led by Patrick Mullins, Bubba LeBlanc, Cooper Gold, Matthew Mossbarger and Conner Noonan.

Big Blue will be back in action next year and ready to get back to the State Tournament.

U11

SILVER

Dan Harrison collected two hits and pitched four solid innings to lead the Newtown Silver 11-year-old travel team to a 17-6 win over New Castle, New York.

A five-run rally was fueled by hits from Miles Lobuglio, Brock Chimileski and Dean Lindquist. In the end Colin Dutt, Lindquist and Harrison all had two hits. Jacob Moore and Brennan Merrick both contributed singles.

In a 10-2 win over Weston, Patrick Pierce and Tom Floros pitched three strong innings each, combining for 10 strikeouts. Offensively, Jacob Moore, Pierce, Chimileski and Max Lopez were all 2-for-2. Lopez hit his first home run over the left field fence at Liberty Field.

Wesley Morlock, LoBuglio and Max Temple all contributed singles. The two defensive stand-outs of the game were Michael Daubert and Mikey Burton (Daubert made a diving catch in center field and Burton played a great second base).

U9

The Newtown Fire 9-and-under travel team suffered its first loss in the Brookfield (Wooden Bat) Tournament last week, a 5-3 decision to Brookfield.

The Fire scored once in the first inning when Dave Matthews scorched a double to drive in lead off hitter Michael Parker, who was at second. Brookfield would answer in the second inning, plating three, and then put up two more runs in the fourth.

The Fire attempted a sixth inning rally, scoring two runs off of hits by Parker and Matthews, but eventually would come up short in this close game. Sam Czel was 2-for-3 with two singles and a stolen base to pace the offense. Michael Doyle had a sharp game behind the dish, stopping some errant throws from his pitchers to prevent additional runs from scoring.

In a 7-3 win over Southbury, the locals scored multiple runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take the lead and eventually win. Curt Williamson was 2-for-3 with two singles, a stolen base and two runs scored as Declan Sullivan and Devin Luzietti both singled, stole two bases and scored. Nick Samuelson singled, walked twice, stole two bases and scored a run.

Jack Procaccini showed off a great glove and rocket arm while playing at second and short. CJ Dunn had three putouts at second.

In a 3-0 win over Danbury, Mathews doubled in a run in the first while Doyle singled in a run in the fourth. The story, though, was the consistent pitching as Luke Rustici (3 Ks over two innings of work), Matthews (4 Ks over two innings) and Parker (3 Ks over two innings, retiring the side twice) combined to blank Danbury.

The combo allowed only two hits and four walks over six innings and recorded the Fire’s first shutout of the summer season.