U12

Blaze 9, West Norwalk 0

Blaze 8, Southbury 1

Blaze 7, New Canaan 2

Getting the bat on the ball and taking advantage of some sloppy fielding … that’s how the Newtown Blaze 12-year-old All Star team – for the fourth consecutive year – has found itself in the Connecticut Babe Ruth State Championship round.

Oh, sure, the Blaze boasts more than a few guys who can knock the ball out of the yard but right from the get go Tuesday in the state tournament semi-finals against New Canaan the locals were all about making contact.

And taking advantage of errors.

And with a 7-2 win, the Blaze finds itself one win away from a fourth consecutive trip to the New England Regionals (which, this year, will be held in Keene, New Hampshire). They await the winner of the West Norwalk-New Canaan game (slated for Wednesday, weather permitting).

The Blaze jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead as Ryan Tita reached on an error, Ryan Powers rapped a one-out single, Sean Ross singled in Tita and Curtis Droniak singled in Powers. In the bottom of the frame, Tita struck out the side on 12 pitches.

The locals added to their lead in the top of the second with a four-run explosion, taking advantage of five hits and two more errors. Will Arndt and Dominick Fedak both reached on errors and Jack Kneisel followed with an RBI single. Tita reached on a fielder’s choice and then the Oliver and Ryan Powers followed with back-to-back RBI singles. Sean Burson finished off the rally with an RBI single of his own and the Blaze had a 6-0 lead.

New Canaan got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a home run on a run-scoring double.

The Blaze did not add an insurance run until the top of the sixth as Ross reached on an error, Austin Bonadio executed a perfect sacrifice bunt, Burson singled Ross to third and Fedak singled in Ross to put the locals on top 7-2.

In the bottom of the frame, Tita closed out the complete-game four-hitter by setting down New Canaan in order.

The Blaze reached the semi-finals with a 9-0 opening-round win over West Norwalk and an 8-1 second-round win over Southbury.

Against Southbury, the Blaze banged out 13 hits, scoring six runs in the bottom of the third to snap a 1-1 tie. Southbury’s only run came on a two-out, first-inning home run off of Droniak, but the Blaze equaled it with a run-scoring double by Ross in the bottom of the second.

The locals broke the game open in the bottom of the third – starting when Droniak was hit by a pitch and ending when Droniak lofted a sacrifice fly to center. Other than that, it was a singles party as Oliver Powers, Ryan Powers, Fedak, Kneisel and Burson all collected RBI singles to put the Blaze ahead 7-1.

Newtown added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Arndt, scoring Colin Morris who had singled to open the frame. Droniak, Bonadio and Oliver Powers combined on the hill for the four-hitter.

The win against West Norwalk was a little bit closer than the 9-0 score would indicate as the Blaze waited until the top of the sixth to break the game open with a six-run explosion. In the top of the fourth, Ryan Powers opened with a double and scored on a single by Fedak to put the locals ahead, 1-0, and in the top of the fifth Tita and Oliver Powers smacked back-to-back home runs to put the locals ahead, 3-0.

But the real damage was done in the top of the sixth.

Kneisel and Droniak both walked and Ross singled, scoring Kneisel and Droniak. After Burson reached on a fielder’s choice, Morris and Tita singled to load the bags. Then Oliver Powers singled to left and an error helped clear the bases. Ryan Powers then flew out to center, but Oliver Powers advanced to second on the throw and came around the score on an error to put the Blaze ahead 9-0.

Tita fired five innings of three-hit ball to gain the win and Droniak finished things off in the sixth, striking out two.

U10

Big Blue 10, Southbury 0

Big Blue 5, Bethel 4

Big Blue 3, Danbury 2

Big Blue 6, Bethel 0

With some gutsy play and a couple of late rallies, the Newtown Big Blue 10-and-under travel team swept through the District 4 Tournament and into the state tournament.

The Big Blue defeated Southbury (10-0) and Bethel (6-0) easily, but had to rally in the last inning against Bethel (5-4) and Danbury (3-2).

Newtown opened with a 10-0 win over Southbury. While the strong pitching of Brandon Marks and Mike Davis held Southbury in check with one hit and eight strike outs, the offense was led by Patrick Mullins three hits, Bubba LeBlanc’s three runs scored and Greg Horne’s RBI.

Robert Linden and Matt Hoyt played well in the outfield.

The next day the locals had a chance to exact some revenge against a tough Bethel team that ousted Newtown in the Districts in 2005. Despite solid pitching from Marks and Davis and strong defense by Linden and Mills, the Big Blue found itself down 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

But Matt Hoyt led off with a walk, Justin DeVellis reached on an error and after LeBlanc singled, Hoyt was forced in by a walk to Garrison Buzzanca and with the bases loaded and no outs DeVellis scored to tie the game at 4-4 on a controversial infield fly call. And then with two outs, Davis delivered with a two-strike base hit up the middle to score Buzzanca with the winning run.

On Sunday, Newtown was matched against a Danbury team that defeated it in the states a year ago, but this year the locals avenged that loss. Marks and Davis combined on a four-hit effort and the defense stayed strong too led by Linden and Hoyt. Big Blue found itself behind again in the sixth inning 2-1 with three outs to go, but Marks led off the inning with a single, followed by a double off of the bat of Davis and a sharp single to right by Mullins that tied the score at 2-2.

Then with runners on second and third, Raftery singled to score Davis with the winning run.

Three days later in the tournament championship, Big Blue renewed its rivalry with Bethel, but the locals scored three runs in the second inning coasted to the win.

Marks led off the rally with a single (he had three hits on the day). Davis (two hits on the day) singled, Austin Raftery banged out an RBI double, and Eric Laaksonen belted a two-run single to center to put Big Blue ahead 3-0.

Newtown scored three more times in the third inning as LeBlanc (two hits on the day), Buzzanca, Marks, Davis, Raftery, Laaksonen and Linden all collected hits. Then the pitching and defense – led by Greg Horne and Matt Sabia – made sure that there would be no come back by Bethel.

U14

Newtown 10, New Fairfield 3

New Milford over Newtown

Pete Wlasuk drove in three runs and Anthony Gruce collected three hits to lead Newtown past New Fairfield in the opening of 14-and-under District 4 Tournament.

Trailing 2-1 in the third, Gruce led off with a long double to centerfield. Tyler Edwards followed with a single to score Gruce. Nick Neves reached on an error and Wlasuk knocked both runners home with a sharp single to left.

Newtown added three more runs in the fifth with Wlasuk’s double being the key hit. Jeff Spencer was the winning pitcher with great relief from Edwards and Michael Coates.

Newtown lost to New Milford in the second round and was set to play the winner of the Brookfield-Bethel game.

U11

Lightning 21, Southbury 7

Redding 5, Lightning 0

Easton 2, Lightning 1

Lightning 5, Woodbury 10s 4

 

Ben Stoller collected four hits, including a triple, scored four runs and drove in four more as Dan Gustafson banged out three hits, including a double, and drove in five runs to lead the Newtown Lightning 11-and-under travel team to a 21-7 shellacking of Southbury.

The locals added another win and a pair of losses in a busy week.

In the win over Southbury, Stoller smashed a first-inning triple to score Nicky Sajovic and Tyler Gibney. Gustafson singled home Stoller and Ryan Daignault slashed a two-RBI single to give the locals an early 5-0 lead.

Kaleb Rowe smashed a double to right center, driving in two runs as the Lightning tallied six in the fourth inning.

Sajovic and Gibney each scored three runs apiece in the game.

Troy Larsen pitched five shutout innings, yielding five hits and zero walks, the first time in his travel career he didn’t issue a base on balls. Catcher Alex Roche played an outstanding defensive game and hauled in a wicked smash for the final out while playing left field in the last inning. Shortstop Gibney played flawlessly, picking up six assists, and second baseman Stoller made a diving stop to rob a Southbury hitter of a smash single to right.

The lopsided win was a sharp contrast to the previous night in Redding, when the Lightning couldn’t muster a hit and lost, 5-0. Sajovic and Rob Andreotta drew walks for the only Lightning base runners. The Lightning, who were missing three of their most potent hitters, were particularly shackled by two perfect innings pitched by Redding phenom Max Arroyo, who threw fastballs at about 70 miles an hour. In an earlier game this year, Arroyo couldn’t find the plate, and the Lightning pounded out 13 hits to beat Redding, 8-5.

During last week’s loss, Gustafson, the Lightning starter, pitched well and yielded just two earned runs while scattering seven hits in five innings. He was backed by two excellent catches by right fielder Daignault and one by center fielder Sajovic. Third baseman Andreotta speared a blistering line drive.

A day before the Redding game, the Lightning dropped a 2-1 extra-inning road game to Easton. The Lightning’s only run was driven in by a long sacrifice fly to right by Stoller that scored Gibney. Sajovic made a diving catch in centerfield with two outs and the bases loaded in the second inning to preserve Rowe’s two shutout innings. Sajovic pitched well in the final five innings, yielding just two hits and striking out four.

The extra-inning loss was the opposite of the prior night when the Lightning scored an extra-inning run to beat Woodbury’s 10-year-old district team, 5-4. Stoller led off the seventh inning with a line single and was driven home by Gustafson’s game-winning double. Sajovic hit three singles and pitched two hitless innings without yielding an earned run.

Reliever Mike Scharfenberg picked up the win, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the final inning.