Babe Ruth 15-Year-Olds Finish Second in Jimmy Fund Tournament

RIDGEFIELD — The Newtown dugout was a mess — Advil wrappers, ice packs for the many sore arms and heavily edited scorecards and scorebooks littered the floor and bench after the locals lost the final game to Ridgefield 6-4 in yet another hard-fought final round game in the 15-year old Babe Ruth Jimmy Fund Tournament. The two teams played three epic games in the final round, which were decided by a combined total of only four runs, rewarding their exhausted fans with exciting, well-played baseball. Newtown earned a runner-up finish in the 12-team tournament.

In the final game, Ridgefield got off to a fast start and plated four runs in the first inning, but Newtown, also in typical fashion, answered with two of their own in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Matt Harrison, Johnny Fracker and Sean Kennedy all stroked singles to load the bases for Tory Deakin, who promptly drove a fastball over the head of the Ridgefield center fielder, driving in Harrison and Fracker, but Kennedy was out at home plate despite a determined head-first slide and collision with Ridgefield’s catcher.

Reliever Daniel Lynch shut down Ridgefield in the second and third innings and Newtown was able to push another run accross in the bottom of the third on a single by Lynch and doubles by Evan Barreto and Fracker, making the score 4-3.

Fracker relieved in the top of the fourth for the first of his four effective innings of work and until the seventh inning, Newtown and Ridgefield only managed a run each in their halves of the fifth and the score remained 5-4 going into the final frame. Ridgefield scratched out a run in the top of the seventh after loading the bases with one out and Newtown’s Kyle Packer was called on to put out the fire, which he did by inducing two flyouts to end the rally.

With his team now down 6-4, Newtown batter Mike Herring came through by stroking a single up the middle to lead off the bottom of the second. The deep and well-rested Ridgefield bullpen came through, however, and recorded three successive outs to end the game and the tournament.

Despite the disappointing loss, the Newtown team represented themselves and their town well, Head Coach Rob Schmidt said.

“Throughout a long season, this team never gave up despite sometimes overwhelming odds, tired arms and a roster often depleted by injuries and the busy lives of 15 year olds. I am as proud of this group of guys as any team I have coached,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt gave credit to coaches Bill Kennedy and George Herring for working well with the players and helping to patch together lineups to help the team win throughout the tournament.

Newtown won its first three games of the tourney by a combined score of 45-3, led by dominating pitching and strong offensive production throughout its batting order.

In the fourth game, Newtown faced Ridgefield’s U15 team for the first time and won the contest 6-5. After falling behind 4-0 after two innings, Newtown settled down in the field and on the mound, keeping Ridgefield scoreless until the final frame, but couldn’t get anything going at the plate until the late innings. Newtown had a rally killed in the bottom of the first when Ridgefield’s center fielder made a spectacular catch on a ball hit deep to left center after the bases were loaded on singles by Daniel Lynch and Ryan Schmidt and a walk to Sean Kennedy.

Lynch, Deakin and Packer pitched scoreless innings in the third, fourth and fifth for Newtown and Colby Brown came in to shut down an attempted rally by Ridgefield in the top of the sixth. With time running out, Newtown second baseman and offensive spark plug Barreto led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to right and when Colby Brown followed with another single, the Newtown dugout started to show signs of life. Kennedy, Newtown’s power hitting third baseman, unexpectedly laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving both runners into scoring position. Harrison promptly doubled to left center, scoring Barreto and Brown, making the score 4-2. Canaan Brown then battled through a tough at bat to draw a walk and center fielder Fracker did the same, loading the bases with one out. Herring was the next batter and after a first pitch strike, two Newtown runners scored on successive pitches (Harrison on a passed ball and Canaan Brown on a fielder’s choice). With the score now tied at four and two out, Lynch stroked a single to left center plating Fracker and Newtown had the lead 5-4.

Ridgefield was not done however and promptly tied the game in the top of the seventh. Appropriately, Barreto again led off for Newtown in the bottom of the final frame and again singled to get things started. Colby Brown worked a walk and Kennedy decided not to sacrifice with the fielder’s charging. He jabbed at a high pitch and sent the ball over the pitcher’s head for a base hit. With the bases full and no outs, Ridgefield was forced to pull in their infield and Harrison hit a hard grounder up the middle to score Barreto with the winning run.

Ridgefield emerged from the loser’s bracket needing to beat Newtown twice and got halfway there with a 3-2 win, forcing the winner-take-all final game. Deakin, Lynch and Packer were strong on the mound in this pitcher’s duel and Fracker and Barreto scored Newtown’s two runs.

The team had an off day before beginning its playoffs in the Pullan Summer League against New Milford this week.