By Kim J. Harmon

It was a daunting task indeed – that is, the task of not only winning a semi-final game against Brookfield but also defeating New Milford twice just to reach the state tournament – and one that eventually wore down the Newtown 15-year-old All Stars in the District 4 Tournament.

Newtown fell to Brookfield, 8-7, last Thursday and was bounced from the double-elimination tournament.

But the All Stars did not go without a fight and certainly did not go without adding some heart-stopping thrills at the end.

Even though Newtown was down by two runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, a comeback was certainly not out of the question. Earlier in the game, Brookfield had erupted with a five-run third inning to take a 6-2 lead, only to see Newtown storm back with four runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the score right back up.

So what’s two runs?

With Brookfield ahead, 8-6, Adam Fisher led off the bottom of the seventh with a groundout. That made everyone a bit more jittery on the Newtown bench, until John Mascolo roped a single to centerfield and then jaunted on into third after a misplay in the outfield.

Ryan Chapin followed with an infield groundout that scored Mascolo and trimmed the Brookfield lead to 8-7.

Down to their final out, the All Stars still had some fight. Charlie Coates beat out a high-hop infield grounder for a basehit and then moved on to second on a Jeff LaFlamme single to right-center. Then Joe Gantert walked to load the bases and send the small crowd behind the backstop into a frenzy.

Up to the plate went Tony Willie, who had had some big blasts for Newtown earlier in the tournament. But with the bases loaded and a single almost surely handing the All Stars the improbable win, Willie took a pitch on the inside of the plate and grounded out to second to end the threat and Newtown’s tournament hopes.

Nevertheless, it was a thoroughly exciting finish in a thoroughly exciting game. Brookfield took the first lead with a run in the top of the second, but Newtown took the lead back, 2-1, in the bottom of the frame on a fielder’s choice grounder by LaFlamme and a bloop single by Joe Gantert.

In the top of the third, Brookfield exploded for five runs – the big blow a two-run home run to left field. A couple more hits and a two-run double to right-center put Brookfield head 5-2 and then two more singles increased that lead to 6-2.

In the bottom of the frame, though, Newtown roared right back. Tim LaPak singled, Fisher blooped a single and then – after a line out and pop out – Coates waited on a hanging curve and singled in LaPak. LaFlamme followed with a sharp liner over the first baseman’s head and chugged on into third as the ball curled over the line and to the very edge of the woods. That hit drove home two runs and trimmed the Brookfield lead to 6-5.

Gantert then smashed a curve ball to left to score LaFlamme and tie the score, 6-6.

In the top of the fourth inning, however, Brookfield belted another two-run homer – almost in the same spot – to take an 8-6 lead. That homer chased LaPak, who had relieved Mascolo in the third, off the mound.

In came Jeremy Graves and all he did was throw smoke and shut down Brookfield for the next three innings. That gave Newtown a chance to try and come back, but the All Stars just managed one hit into the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Jason Glander pinch hit a hard single to left (just moments after sending a towering foul bomb over the tree in left field). But that was all the All Stars could manage.

That set the stage for the final rally in the seventh.

And even though it didn’t end the way Newtown would have wanted it, it was a terrific finish to an exciting game.