BETHEL – The Newtown Babe Ruth Baseball 11-year-old All Star team made a pretty strong statement back on July 5 when it crushed defending state champion Danbury 12-0 to capture the Bethel Tournament championship.

And it made an even stronger statement by staking a 3-1 lead in of a best-of-seven in the District 5 championship playoffs against Southbury.

With all the subtlety of a jackhammer, the Newtown offense pounded out 19-9, 6-0, and 13-2 wins over a strong Southbury team in the District 5 playoffs. The locals collected 36 hits in the first three games, with each of the 12 players reaching base at least three times.

Kyle Kromberg (6-for-6, three walks, two RBI), Nick Nazer (5-for-6, six RBI), Keith McGrath (4-for-7, four walks, four RBI), Joe Fedak (4-for-9, five RBI), George Zaruba (3-for-7, three walks, three RBI), Michael Coates (3-for-7, four RBI), Ralph Sergiovanni (four hits, four RBI), Jeff DiNicola (three hits, two RBI, four runs scored), Tyler Edwards (three hits, one RBI), and Anthony Gruce (two runs scored, one RBI) have fired up the offense.

Meanwhile, the pitching staff has allowed just 11 hits and four earned runs in 16 innings of work.

The locals lost Game 4 on Tuesday night and were looking to close out the series on Wednesday (barring inclement weather).

In the Bethel Tournament, Newtown blanked Brookfield, 11-0, to advance to the final and then pounded out 12 hits (three of those home runs) to earn the title.

Newtown cracked the game open in the top of the first when Fedak reached on a fielder’s choice and Sergiovanni nailed a two-run homer over the right centerfield fence. Newtown came back in the second when Kromberg hit a single up the middle, Edwards walked and stole second, and DiNicola (2-for-3, two RBI) drove in Kromberg. Zaruba (3-for-3, two homers, five RBI) then hit the first of two homeruns on the day.

Newtown led 6-0.

The locals then scored five more in the third when McGrath and Robbie Blanc both walked. Nazer singled up the middle to load the bases. Edwards (1-for-1, walk, two RBI) singled up the middle, scoring McGrath and Blanc. DiNicola drove in his second run of the game with a single to left field. Zaruba then cleared the bases with his second homer of the game.

Newtown ended it’s scoring in the fourth when Gruce singled up the middle, stole second base, and came home on Blanc’s RBI single. Sergiovanni pitched two scoreless innings, giving up no hits with four strikeouts. Coates closed the game out pitching two scoreless innings allowing just one hit with two strikeouts.

In the win over Brookfield, Newtown came out slow and was held scoreless for the first two innings. But the bats erupted in the top of the third when DiNicola (2-for-2, RBI) roped a single and Kromberg reached base on a fielder’s choice. Zaruba reached on an error by the shortstop and Nazer loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Kromberg then stole home on a wild pitch before Sergiovanni reached on an error. McGrath (3-for-3, four RBI) cleared the bases with a shot to right center. Coates followed with a RBI single and Blanc (2-for-3, three RBI) drove in a run with a single of his own. DiNicola (2-for-2, RBI) ended the scoring for the inning driving home the seventh run with a single.

Newtown batted around again in the fourth inning, scoring four runs to take an 11-0 lead. Zaruba lined a single to left, and Kyle O’Connor nailed a towering two-run homer to the top of the batting cage in left field. Singles by Sergiovanni and McGrath set up a two run single by Blanc. The game ended in the bottom of the fourth because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Sergiovanni and Coates combined on the mound to hold Brookfield to only three hits with four strikeouts on the day.

In a 5-3 win over Southbury, the locals scored three runs in the bottom of the first when Kromberg and Zaruba (2-for-2, walk) each hit singles. Sergiovanni (2-for-3, two RBI) cleared the bases with a triple. McGrath drove him home with grounder through the second base side.

Southbury tied it at three in the top of the third. Newtown came right back in the bottom of the frame, though, scoring two runs to take the lead for good. Nazer reached base on a fielder’s choice and Sergiovanni advanced him with his second hit of the game. McGrath then came up with the big hit, a double to right center, driving in two runs.