Blackhawks Beat The Heat And Waterford, Win State Championship

By Andy Hutchison

TRUMBULL — The Newtown Blackhawks overcame 90-something-degree heat, high humidity, and, of course, an opponent to win the Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old State Tournament at Unity Park on July 24.

Newtown bounced back from a 12-1 loss to Waterford in the first game of the championship round to win 8-4 and clinch the double elimination tourney title. With the win, the Blackhawks advance to the New England Regional tourney in Winooski, Vt., at the end of July and early August.

With the score tied 3-3 in the top of the fourth inning, catcher Julian Dunn worked the count full before smacking a bases-loaded double to deep right field to bring in three runners and give Newtown a 6-3 lead. That capped a four-run inning that included pitcher Virgil Procaccini’s game-tying single after the Blackhawks trailed 3-2 entering the frame.

The Blackhawks took a 1-0 first inning lead after Patrick Rowley singled, stole second and later scored on a wild pitch. Waterford tied the game in the first and Newtown responded with a go-ahead run on Ryan Rosenberger’s bases-loaded walk in the third.

Dunn added to Newtown’s lead in the fifth with an RBI single, and Charlie Heugi added a run-scoring single in the same inning to make it 8-3.

Waterford plated a run in the last of the fifth and had two runners on with one out but couldn’t dig deeper into the deficit thanks, in part, to a nice bare-handed play by Newtown second baseman Troy Frangione.

Throughout the game, Newtown Manager Josh Hull wore a jacket — even while standing in the hot sun and serving as third base coach. Hull had told his team, during its run to the district title, that baseball is a summer game and that the Blackhawks are a no-excuses team that would have to play through the heat. He put on the jacket in an attempt to prove it wasn’t so hot and get into his player’s heads. Heugi had a game-winning double against Danbury in the district championship run, and the players, after falling to Waterford in the first game on July 24, got Hull his jacket in time for a bounce-back win in the decisive game.

“The whole season, from day one, was dedicated to hard work and picking up your teammates. The kids bought into it the first day of practice,” Hull said after the triumph. “The second game revealed character.”