Lightning Fall To Torrington In Playoffs

The Newtown Lightning U18 Senior Babe Ruth Baseball team fell 5-3 to Torrington in its opening-round divisional playoff game at Newtown High School on July 19.

The Lightning could not break through against Torrington pitcher Spencer Cerruto, who plays for Torrington High School’s varsity team. Cerruto limited Newtown to three hits – Ben Stoller’s long double over the head of center fielder Craig Peterson, and two singles to right field by Scott Cunningham.

Torrington jumped out to a 1-0 first-inning lead off Newtown’s starting pitcher Colton Sposta. Peterson dropped a bunt single, alertly moved all the way to third on a groundout, and scored on a single by Nick Bryer.

Newtown, which is sponsored by VFW Post 308, tied the score in the third inning. Will Arndt reached base on an infield error and stole second. With Stoller batting, Cerruto uncorked a wild pitch and Arndt raced around third-base and narrowly avoided the pitcher’s tag for the tying run. Stoller walked but was erased on a run-and-hit, foul-popup double play.

Sposta blanked Torrington for three innings before the visitors scored two unearned runs in the fifth inning and two runs in the sixth inning for a 5-1 lead. Newtown fought back with two sixth-inning runs. Stoller blasted his double, stole third and, after Dan Milot walked, scored on a wild pitch. Tim Jorgensen hit a popup into short left field that was dropped by the shortstop, scoring Milot.

In the final inning, Cunningham led off with a line single to right but was left stranded. The loss sent Newtown, which won the regular-season division title, into the tournament’s loser’s bracket against Ridgefield, which lost to Danbury One in its first playoff game.