Lightning Win Three Of Four

The Newtown Lightning 13-year-old baseball team won three of four games in Summer Prep League play this past week.

Lightning 15, Aspetuck 2: Ryan Daignault threw a no-hitter for 41/3  innings Sunday night at Sandy Hook’s Walnut Tree Field, leading the Lightning to their tenth victory in 13 games. Daignault shut out Aspetuck over the first four innings, striking out two batters. He allowed only two balls hit to the outfield, and both were caught by left fielders Kyler Harmeling and Chris Robinson.

Harmeling crushed a long RBI double that bounced off the left field fence in the fifth inning and knocked in another run with a single in the first inning. Mike LoBosco also smacked a long double to left center and drove in three runs. Playing his first game after breaking his nose in a spring league game, John Hampford played a gritty game, knocking in three runs with two singles, stole a base, and scored two runs.

First baseman Ben Stoller converted a few wild throws into outs, drove in a run and pitched two no-hit innings. Stoller tagged an Aspetuck runner at home for the final out after catcher Mike Scharfenberg caught the runner napping between third base and home plate and threw behind the runner at third. The ball skipped off the third baseman’s glove but hustling short stop LoBosco backed up the play, snagged the ball and made a perfect throw to Stoller. Earlier in the inning, Jack Champagne made a nice play to save a hit.

Scharfenberg, John Lebinski, and Tyler Gibney reached base nine times in 14 plate appearances. Scharfenberg had two RBI, and Lebinski and Gibney one each.

Southbury 15, Lightning 7: The Lightning jumped out to a 3-1 lead but surrendered eight second-inning runs and couldn’t get back in the game Saturday night at Walnut Tree Field.

In the first inning, Scharfenberg and Stoller drove in runs with singles, and Gibney walked with the bases loaded. But the Lightning pitchers gave up ten hits and ten walks, and the team made five errors, to hand the game to Southbury.

Gibney reached based during all four plate appearances and knocked in a run.

Lightning 6, Danbury 3: The Lightning played their strongest game of the season, beating a powerful Danbury team in an exhibition game last Friday at Walnut Tree Field. The Lightning defense made just one error on a rundown play, and Stefan Hennessey pitched a great game, scattering seven hits over 51/3   innings and striking out five batters.

Pat Thornberg led the offense, ripping two singles, driving in a run, and scoring a run. Down 2-1 in the third inning, LoBosco laced a double to left field to score Chris Robinson from first base, before Thornberg drove in LoBosco to give Newtown the lead for good.

In the fourth inning, the Lightning got insurance runs after Hennessey doubled over third base and Scharfenberg reached on an error. Stoller bunted for the first time in his career, moving both runners over. Lebinski drove Hennessey home with an RBI groundout, and Harmeling slapped an RBI single.

Second baseman Gibney made the defensive gem of the game in the first inning, reaching over his head to make a circus catch on a bloop to right field. First baseman Stoller turned a few errant throws into outs, and right fielder Robinson turned an apparent single into a force out by nailing a runner at second base.

Lightning 12, New Milford 2: Trailing 2-1 after four innings, the Lightning erupted for eight fifth-inning runs and cruised to victory at New Milford High School Field. The Lightning capitalized on five walks in the fifth inning. Gibney and Daignault also singled in the inning, and the key hit was a bases-loaded, two-RBI line-drive single to right center by Nicky Sajovic. Slugger Thornberg finished the damage by launching a two-RBI double over the head of the New Milford left fielder.

Lebinski pitched four strong innings for the Lightning, yielding two runs and four hits. He was aided by strong defensive play by his teammates. Right fielder Thornberg dove to make a catch in foul territory for the final out in the first inning. In the second inning, catcher LoBosco threw out a base runner attempting to steal second, and center fielder Jack Champagne prevented a single by throwing a runner out at second base for a force play. In the fourth inning, second baseman Gibney leaped to catch a line drive and threw to short stop Sajovic for a double play.

Relief pitcher Scharfenberg pitched two shutout innings and also received solid defensive support. He caught a comebacker in the fifth inning and threw to second Sajovic, who fired to Stoller at first to complete a double play. In the sixth inning, right fielder Dean Baye back-pedaled on a high fly ball and made a nice catch. In the next inning, Baye charged in and threw a strike to Stoller at first base to steal a hit from a New Milford batter and get the final out.