Lightning Baseball Highlights

In 13-year-old Summer Prep Baseball League action, the Newtown Lightning went 2-1 this past week.

Newtown Lightning 5 Brookfield 0: Lightning pitchers John Lebinski, Kyler Harmeling and Mike Scharfenberg combined for a four-hit shutout Sunday in the opening game of a doubleheader at Brookfield’s Huckleberry Field.

The Lightning opened the scoring in the second inning when Scharfenberg walked, moved to second base on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single up the middle by Tyler Gibney. The score remained 1-0 until the final inning. Collin Hall reached on an error, Ryan Daignault and Mike LoBosco singled, and Pat Thornberg crushed a long, two-RBI double over the left fielder’s head.

Center fielder Jack Champagne made a nice defensive play in the third inning. He charged a ball that was lined up the middle and fired a strike to first baseman Ben Stoller to nail a Brookfield batter. Short stop Nicky Sajovic also had a strong defensive game, assisting on numerous groundouts.

Newtown Lightning 12 Brookfield 7: The Lightning bats came alive in the second game of the doubleheader, scoring eight runs in the first two innings. During a three-run first inning, Mike LoBosco and Mike Scharfenberg stroked singles, Pat Thornberg and Kyler Harmeling reached on errors and John Lebinski slapped an RBI groundout. In the second inning, Mario Pizighelli, Nicky Sajovic and Dean Baye smacked consecutive singles. Collin Hall reached on an error, Ryan Daignault knocked in a run with a base hit and Thornberg drilled a two-RBI single. Thornberg knocked in two more runs in the fourth inning by crushing a double to left that scored Hall and Daignault, each of whom had singled. In the fifth inning, Scharfenberg rapped his second single of the game and later scored on an RBI groundout by Jack Champagne.

Lightning pitcher John Lebinski, who was credited with both wins in the doubleheader, threw two perfect innings. Daignault also pitched a shutout inning. Right fielder Baye held stop a late Brookfield rally when he raced in to field a ball in the seventh inning and throwing a strike to first baseman Ben Stoller to deny a hit.

Pomperaug 4 Newtown Lightning 3: Pomperaug scored four runs over the first two innings and then held on for the win Monday at Pomperaug High School. The Lightning tried to creep back into the game in the fifth inning when Jack Champagne, Tyler Gibney, Mario Pizighelli and Nicky Sajovic walked. Dean Baye ripped an RBI single up the middle to knock in a second run and break up a no-hitter.

In the next inning, Pat Thornberg banged a long double over the left fielder’s head to drive in Mike LoBosco, who had singled.

Dan Gustafson hurled four strong innings for the Lightning, yielding four runs but only one earned run. He struck out four batters. Reliever Kyler Harmeling threw two perfect innings, striking out four of six batters faced.

Despite the loss, the Lightning remains in first place with a 7-2 record. Pomperaug is in second place at 5-2.

The Lightning return home this weekend for two night games at Sandy Hook’s Walnut Tree Field, playing Southbury Saturday and Aspetuck Sunday. The games begin at 5:45 pm.