Date: Thu 13-Jul-1995

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Full Text:

Diamond Invitational tournament 95

BY T.WYATT

After splitting the first two games of its own tournament, the Newtown

11-year-old all-stars found themselves in a must-win situation on Sunday, July

9, at the Diamond Inviational at Fairfield Hills, when they matched up against

Prospect. The winner of the ballgame would be back the following weekend for

the tournament semifinals, while the loser would go home.

In the well-played and low-scoring contest that ensued, Newtown got all the

offense it would need in the first inning and held tight for a 3-1 victory.

Following an exciting pre-game ceremony in which Major League Baseball great

Bobby Thomson threw out the first pitch, the Newtown bats went right to work.

Greg Taylor and Torrence Lamb each stroked singles in the top of the first

inning. Gregg Burkhart then followed Lamb with an RBI single and Mark DeFeo

and Pete Engle lifted sacrifice flies to make it 3-0.

Engle would later collect the only other Newtown hit of the game, in the top

of the last inning, but the local stars didn't need any more offense because

pitchers Keith Neidig and Burkhart were on top of their games.

Neidig fired the first three innings for Newtown allowing only a pair of

second-inning singles.

Burkhart fanned six hitters in his three-inning stint, allowing Prospect its

only run on an infield error in the fifth.

Prospect threatened in the bottom of the sixth, but a pair of K's and a big

defensive play by Nate Gaines at third base ended the affair.

Newtown also got strong defensive performances from Ryan Walker and Matt

Pachniuk. The victory set up a Blue Division semifinal between Newtown (2-1)

and Shelton National (3-0) to be played on Thursday, July 13.

Shelton National had dealt Newtown its only loss on Friday, July 7, in what

Newtown coach Bill Taylor called a defensive breakdown by his squad.

Newtown allowed its opponent seven unearned runs by comitting six costly

errors, and fell 13-6.

After staking Shelton to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, Newtown answered

back with two runs in the bottom.

Taylor and Lamb led off with singles, advanced on a passed ball, and scored on

a two-run single by Pachniuk.

Shelton increased its lead to 5-2 in the next inning, but Newtown responded

with two more when Brian Rodden led of the second with a single, Taylor worked

out a two-out walk and both scored on a Shelton error.

The visitors went up 9-4 by adding two runs in the third and two more in the

fourth, and then pulled away with a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth as

well. Newtown got only three more runs, all in the bottom of the fourth inning

on consecutive singles by Lamb, Burkhart, DeFeo, and Pachniuk.

Taylor, Lamb, DeFeo, Pachniuk, and Tommy Ramsdell all had two hits in the game

for Newtown who actually outhit its opponent 12-10.

Shelton got three-hit ballgames from Craig Chapman and Rey Arriaga.

Other DIT Action

In other action from the Diamond Invitational, Shelton National defeated

Water/Oak 18-7 to complete its three-game set undefeated. Prospect also

defeated Water/Oak, 5-1.

In the Gold Division, Trumbull American and Trumbull National each finished at

2-1 to set up a tough semifinal clash on July 13.

In their head-to-head contest on Sunday, July 9, Trumbull National came out on

top 5-2.

Union City also finished at 2-1 in the Gold Division, but lost out on a

tie-breaker by virtue of run differential. Union City had defeated Trumbull

National 9-5, but lost to the Americans 5-2.

The Diamond Invitational Tournament semifinals will be played at 5 pm on

Thursday night, July 13, with Newtown facing Shelton on Field A and the two

Trumbull squads meeting on Field B.

The semifinal winners will meet on Saturday to decide this year's tournament

champion. The final is slated to begin at 10 am.