State Champs! — Wolf Pack Claws To Title

The Newtown Wolf Pack 11-year-old baseball team recently captured the state championship in the 11/70 division by coming out of the loser’s bracket and beating the defending champion New Milford Thunder twice.

Outstanding team defense and dominant pitching by the Wolf Pack held New Milford two a total of eight runs in the two championship games. That was low enough for the Wolf Pack’s offense to overcome with 14 total runs, sparked by two home runs by Kyle Roche and Easton Ricks, and one by Luke Kirby.

After falling behind 5-3 in the eighth inning of the decisive final game, the Wolf Pack, clawed back to score three runs with two outs, for a 6-5 triumph. David Kohler tied the game and a walk-off single by Ricks capped the comeback.

The Wolf Pack traveled to Nashua, NH on August 4 to participate in the New England regional tournament as the top seed from Connecticut. The Wolf Pack got off to a slow start in part due to injures to pitchers, and lost game one. The Pack battled back and won the next three games, defeating Exeter NH, Milford Mass, and host Nashua. The games showcased outstanding play from game MVPs Cole Demirjian, Roche, and Kohler. With only teams from Connecticut remaining in the tournament, the Wolf Pack lost to their arch rivals from Southbury in a rain-delayed, defensive struggle and finished third in the tournament.