SOUTH MERIDEN – Rain rain go away, come again . . . well, some other day.

The Newtown 11-year-old All Stars had their run towards a state championship help up this past week because of meandering weather system that has brought several inches of rain to Connecticut over the last seven days.

Newtown and South Meriden were set to go in the Cal Ripken State Tournament finals on Sunday at Habershon Field in South Meriden and actually got the first two innings in the first (and possibly only) game in before the umpires finally said enough was enough.

Weather permitting, the game – tied 3-3 after two innings – would be resumed on Wednesday at 6 pm. If weather was not permitting, the game would resume on Saturday morning at Habershon Field.

Newtown has to win just one game in the double-elimination tournament to claim a state championship.

South Meriden – beaten by Newtown, 6-4, in the second round of the tournament 10 days ago – has to win twice.

Newtown reached the finals with a 3-0 victory over Hebron in a game that was postponed twice because of rain and finally played last Friday. Newtown scored two runs in the first and another in the fifth to put the game away.

The win assured that Newtown and South Meriden – regardless of which team wins the state title – would be playing the New England Regional Tournament in Keene, New Hampshire, which starts on Friday, August 11.

In the semi-finals, Newtown got started with a Scott Suhoza single in the first inning. Suhoza stole second and third and then scored on an error. Joe DeVellis punched a drive to rightfield that was misplayed, allowing Suhoza to score and DeVellis to end up on third. DeVellis then scored on a passed ball.

Ryan McGrath and Brian Cullinan also had hits in the inning.

In the fifth inning, Brian Shimko reached on an infield error and then scored on a double by Stephen Marks.

Newtown only collected six hits in the game, with Aron Fay also singling in the second and Tucker Kass doubling in the fourth.

Hebron threatened in the fifth inning (it’s only real threat since Sean Ryan, McGrath and Marks combined on a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts) by loading the bases. With one out, DeVellis made a catch in centerfield and then fired a perfect throw to the plate to prevent the runner on third from advancing.

Oddly, it was the only outfield putout of the game.

Ryan started the game and pitched 12/3  innings, fanning three. McGrath came on and pitched 22/3  innings, with six strikeouts, giving way to the closer, Marks, in the fifth. Marks shut Hebron down with 12/3  innings of three strikeout ball.