Thunder Strike — Team Maintains Winning Ways In World Series

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown’s U12 baseball team, the Thunder, springboarded off its local success by rumbling through state and New England tournaments. The team got off to a solid start in the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Md., this past week.

The Thunder team members traded in their blue and yellow Newtown uniforms for red New England shirts since they are representing the region. New color, same success — the Thunder players continued their winning formula of outslugging opponents and playing flawless defense in the first two games of the series.

On August 11, the Thunder got things started by defeating Southwest representative Little Rock, Ark., 8-5, prevailing in a back-and-forth battle that featured five lead changes.

In the fourth inning, Lucas O’Brien delivered a single that scored Sam Grossano and Ryan Kost. Adam Bergeron led the Thunder’s offense, getting on base three times, including a double. Pitcher Jason Hebner went the distance and was backed by crisp defensive play as the Thunder played errorless ball.

The World Series continued the next day with the Thunder outlasting Pacific Southwest (Mililani, Hawaii) 11-8 in another error-free performance.

The Thunder cut early 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to a run, with O’Brien smacking the team’s first homerun of the World Series to make it a 3-2 game in the top of the third inning. Newtown’s players got the lead in the fourth when they broke loose for six runs. After Southwest climbed to within a run in the bottom half of the fourth, the Thunder added to its lead on the strength of another O’Brien homer in the sixth, and the team never looked back.

In a sign of sportsmanship and showing this experience is more than just about baseball, the Pacific Southwest team members gave all of the New England players and coaches goodie bags with gifts from Hawaii.

After a day off on August 13, Newtown’s sluggers attempted to get back at it the next day, but found that Thunder and rain don’t always go well together when the team’s game with Maryland was washed out. They got back at it on Wednesday morning. Newtown suffered its first World Series loss in a 6-0 setback as Maryland pitcher Jake Heskett allowed just five hits in his six innings of work.

The Thunder was scheduled to face Longview of Washington as pool play continued on Wednesday (after The Bee sports section went to press). With a win, Newtown would play in the US semifinals on Friday with the hopes of reaching the US finals and, eventually, the overall championship against the international bracket winner. With a loss, Newtown would play an international team in a consolation game on Thursday.

The tourney features 16 teams — ten American squads split into two pools, and an international bracket.

The site of the World Series features miniature versions of popular Major League ballparks such as Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Wrigley Field, and Fenway Park.

Having competed in tournaments at the Aberdeen fields before, Newtown’s players arefamiliar with the complex.

“I’m extremely proud of the kids for continuing to fight and focus, and make sure they play their game. They’re never intimidated,” Newtown Coach Tom Harrison said.

This group of Newtown sluggers reached the World Series, in Florida, as 10-year-olds a couple of years ago. They were 0-4 in 2010 and have accomplished the goal of winning at least one game in this year’s Series. After a 2-0 start, Newtown’s players began to set sights on a top-two playoff seeding, Harrison said.