By Kim J. Harmon

BETHEL – There was no mistaking it, the Newtown Babe Ruth 12-Year-Old All Stars seemed really anxious to get going in the first round of the District 4 Tournament in Bethel on Saturday. And maybe that’s because they were really anxious to get another crack at a state championship.

Newtown captured state championships as 10-year-olds and as 11-year-olds.

But first things were first – getting through the District. And with a 7-2 win over New Milford last Saturday and a lucky, 2-1 win over Bethel on Monday, Newtown was heading into the finals on Wednesday (after press time) needing to win just one to advance to the state tournament . . . which begins this weekend in Salem.

Last Saturday, Newtown exploded for four runs in the top of the first inning and coasted to the finish. One-out singles by Tucker Kass, Ryan McGrath and Steve Marks (his drove in two runs) started things off. Then Brian Cullinan was hit by a pitch, Tommy Gaboriault reached on a fielder’s choice, and Brian Conroy roped a two-run single to give Newtown the initial 4-0 lead.

It was all Newtown would really need because the tandem of Marks and Conroy was virtually unhittable through the first four innings. The pair allowed just two hits and whiffed eight batters along the way. They made it quite a bit easier for Billy Spencer and Mike Tibbetts to close out the game in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the second inning, Newtown extended its lead to 5-0 when Kevin Cahalane reached on an error, Kass was plunked with a pitch, and McGrath rapped a run-scoring single. In the top of the fourth, the All Stars extended that lead even further, to 7-0. Joe Bowen walked and Cahalane drilled a bullet off the right-centerfield fence for a double. An infielder grounder by Kass scored Bowen and McGrath followed with a single that scored Cahalane.

New Milford made a little noise in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a couple of runs off Spencer with the aid of a walk, error and single. Spencer settled down, though, and struck out the side and wasn’t charged with any earned runs.

Tibbetts finished New Milford off in the sixth, setting down the team in order.

So, Cahalane, Kass, Marks, Gaboriault, Conroy and Joe Rahtelli all finished with hits while McGrath scored three times and Cahalane scored twice. McGrath, Marks and Conroy finished with two RBI apiece.

The win allowed Newtown to head on into the second round – where things got considerably tougher. The All Stars gathered just five hits and survived a 2-1 decision over Bethel to advance to the finals.

Newtown scored one run in the first inning when Joey DeVellis reached on an error, took second on a wild pitch, and then scored on a single by Marks. Bethel tied the game in the third without the benefit of a hit.

The All Stars earned the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Bowen was issued a bases-loaded walk. Marks had singled to lead off the frame before Cahalane followed with a one-out single. Tibbetts was then given a free pass to first base to load up the bags and set up the situation for the winning run.

Newtown survived a modest offensive showing because Marks, Conroy and Tibbetts pitched two innings apiece and allowed just two hits (one in the fourth and one in the sixth) while combining for 12 strikeouts.

To spark the offense, though, Marks and Cahalane finished with two hits apiece in the game. Brian Shimko had the only other Newtown hit, a fifth-inning single.