A walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth lifted the host and No 16 Platt High School of Meriden Panthers to a 7-6 win over the No 17 Newtown High baseball team in the Class LL State Tournament's first round on June 1. The game featured lead changes throughout and late-game drama.

Newtown struck first in the opening inning when Kieran Garrity doubled home Travis Rekos, who had singled, to jump-start the offense. Platt responded in the bottom of the first with a single that brought in two runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Panthers added another run in the second on a double down the left field line to extend their advantage to 3-1.

The Nighthawks answered in the third inning, tying the game at 3-3. Garrity and Lucian Place drew walks, and Chris Moseman and Pete Eppers each delivered RBI singles to even the score.

Platt quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the third, pushing across a run to make it 4-3. Newtown then surged ahead in the fourth inning. Rekos singled and scored on an error, and another Panthers miscue allowed Luke Libero to come home, giving the Nighthawks a 5-4 lead.

The Panthers responded again in the bottom of the fourth, retaking the lead at 6-5 and holding it into the late innings.

Down to their final outs in the seventh, the Nighthawks mounted another comeback. Jack Carta doubled to right field and was replaced by pinch-runner JP Santacroce. Ryan Schmidt then executed a sacrifice bunt to move Santacroce to third, setting the stage. With two outs and the game on the line, Eppers came through again with a single to center that scored Santacroce and tied the game at 6-6.

Newtown’s defense delivered its biggest stand in the bottom of the seventh to keep a win within reach. After two walks and a bunt single loaded the bases with no outs, the Panthers threatened before pitcher Carta escaped. Libero recorded the first out on a fielder’s choice at home, throwing to catcher Schmidt for the force. Jamie Piccuillo then made two key defensive plays at first, snagging a line drive for the second out and fielding a ground ball cleanly to end the inning and strand the bases loaded and send the game into extra innings.

Piccuillo and the Platt runner collided on the final play of the inning but the players (and Nighthawks on the scoreboard) escaped unscathed. After a scoreless top of the eighth, Platt ended it in the bottom half.

Eppers led Newtown with two RBI and Moseman and Garrity each drove in a run. Eppers, Rekos, Carta, and Moseman all collected multiple hits for the Nighthawks in a strong offensive effort. On the mound, Garrity started and struck out three over two innings and Carta provided four innings of relief, with additional innings from Trevor Stott and Jake Buckley.

The Hawks were coming off a similar game in the conference tourney. It was a back-and-forth battle in the South-West Conference Championship game before No 2 New Fairfield got past the No 4 Nighthawks 8-5 at neutral site Bethel High on May 28. Libero had a two-out RBI single to plate Schmidt, who was hit by a pitch leading off the second inning. NHS left the bases loaded going to the bottom half of the frame. Bethel seized a 3-1 lead in the same inning.

NHS pulled to within a run on a Garrity two-out single in the fourth after Rekos and Libero reached on errors. Newtown tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth; Carta led off with a walk, (Oscar Nordt pinch ran), Schmidt sacrifice bunted to advance Nordt to second, Moseman singled, Eppers walked to load the bases, and JT Wash was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Rekos reached on a fielder's choice, knocking in the go-ahead run for a 4-3 Hawk lead. Newtown again stranded three runners.

After New Fairfield tied the game, Carta homered in the sixth for a 5-4 Nighthawk advantage. The Rebels, however, plated four in the bottom half of the sixth.

Newtown starting pitcher Piccuillo allowed three earned runs; five of New Fairfield's runs were unearned as a result of four NHS errors. Garrity relieved with the Hawks down 6-5 and two inherited runners scored. The Nighthawks had four earned runs; New Fairfield committed a pair of errors. NHS outhit New Fairfield 9-8.

Newtown had a memorable season, racking up 11 wins in the regular slate — including Piccuillo's no-hit performance against Pomperaug of Southbury.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.