BETHEL - There is a bulls eye on their backs.
BETHEL â There is a bulls eye on their backs.
Oh yeah, with two state championships already in their pockets and a third in their sights, the Newtown Babe Ruth 12-year-old All Stars have found out that just about EVERYONE wants to take a crack at beating them.
Like New Canaan.
The second round of the Bethel Tournament last Saturday pitted Newtown against New Canaan and New Canaan went into the game thinking it had the goods â like an ace pitcher â to finally knock off Newtown.
But the locals had other plans.
In the first inning, Joe Devellis and Ryan McGrath singled and Steve Marks followed with a three-run homer into the next field. That was just the first steps Newtown took, though, enroute to a convincing, 10-0 win.
Newtown added three more runs in the second inning on singles by Mike Tibbetts, Devellis, Marks and Brian Cullinan. In the third, Tucker Kass singled and Tibbetts followed with a two-run homer to stake Newtown to an 8-0 lead.
In the fourth, McGrath doubled and Marks singled him in for the ninth run and, in the sixth inning, Billy Spencer and Tom Gaboriault singled and Kevin Cahalane drove in Cullinan with a sacrifice fly for the 10th run.
Marks finished 3-for-3 with five RBI while Devellis, McGrath and Cullinan each went 2-for-4.
And while the Newtown offense knocked the New Canaan ace out of the box, it was the locals who put together five innings of no-hit baseball.
Marks pitched the first three innings and Spencer finished up the final two innings, with the two combining for seven strikeouts while allowing just two base runners (one on a walk and the other on an error).
Newtown moved on to face South Meriden in a rematch of last yearâs 11-year-old state championship finalists.
The result was little different this time, as Newtown defeated South Meriden, 9-3.
Pitching carried Newtown through the first four innings. Marks struck out five batters and allowed no hits in the first two innings then Brian Conroy struck out four batters and allowed just one hit in his two innings.
The bats finally broke out in the fourth inning. Tibbetts singled and was advanced by Gaboriault. Shimko drove in a run with a fielderâs choice.
In the fifth, Joe Bowen walked,_Devellis reached on a fielderâs choice, and McGrath belted a two-run homer.
Spencer held the lead in the fifth by striking out the side and gave the offense the chance to put the game away in the sixth.
Singles by Joe Rahtelli, Gaboriault, Spencer, Scott Suhoza, McGrath, and Kevin Cahalane broke the game open.
Sean Ryan collected the save in the sixth inning closing out the game.
Newtown now awaits the winner of a New Canaan versus South Meriden game to begin the championship round of this double elimination tournament.