Bombs Away ... Newtown Bombers Win Second Consecutive Babe Ruth District Title

Prior to the 2008 season, no Newtown team had won a Babe Ruth (age 13 and over) District Tournament championship until the locals accomplished that feat last year when they were 13.

And, obviously, no Newtown team had ever won consecutive Babe Ruth District championships – until now.

In an impressive display of hitting, pitching and fielding prowess, the Newtown Bombers steamrolled the competition by a combined score of 54-16 and won four straight games to capture the Babe Ruth District Four crown Monday night at Rogers Park in Danbury.

In the final game, the Bombers faced perennial powerhouse Danbury which was coming off an emotional one-run victory over Southbury to make it to the final round. The locals prevailed 16-6 in a mercy-rule shortened contest when Rich Sandler crushed a game-ending double to score the final two runs of the game. Austin Bonadio was the starting and winning pitcher and gave the Bombers 4 2/3 innings of strong work on the mound against a hard-hitting Danbury squad.

Sandler also relieved and pitched the final innings for Newtown, striking out the side during Danbury’s last at bat. Offensive stars for the Bombers were catcher Chris Tenney (3-for-3, double, four runs), Reid Schmidt (3-for-4, three runs), Sandler (3-for-5, two doubles) and Jon Hull (2-for-5, two runs). Stefan Hennessey also contributed an RBI single to the offensive onslaught.

Newtown faced Southbury in the third game of the tourney and with tall righty Kyle Wilcox on the mound, earned another mercy win, 13-1. Wilcox was dominating over four innings of work, allowing only one run while striking out three Southbury batters. Colton Sposta worked the final inning for Newtown, facing the minimum three batters in an efficient inning of relief. At the plate, the locals were led again by Schmidt (2-for-2, double, two walks), Hull (2-for-4, two runs), and Sandler (2-for-2, double), Bonadio (2-for-4), Michael Lengel (single, two walks, two runs) and David Gerics (long drive to center).

Bethel stood in the way of the locals in game two, but Schmidt spun a five-inning four-hitter, shutting out the Bethel squad 10-0. Dan Poeltl paced the offense by going 2-for-2 with a walk and three runs scored and Wilcox (2-for-4, double), Hull (2-for-4), Tenney (single, run) and Sposta (RBI single) also swung the bat well.

Ridgefield was Newtown’s opponent in a key game one matchup and starting pitcher Poeltl was up to the task, holding this strong-hitting team in check over three innings of work. Sandler provided four solid innings of relief and the pitching tandem gave the Newtown bats time to do their work, resulting in a 15-9 victory. Tenney led the offense with a 3-for-4 effort and also worked two walks and scored a pair of runs. Poeltl helped his own cause by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Wilcox went 2-for-5 with a double and Bonadio was 2-for-3 and scored twice.

The Bombers will represent District Four in the Babe Ruth State Tournament which begins Saturday in Norwalk. Newtown will face Naugatuck in game one at 1:30 at the Brien McMahon High School field.