The Jr American Legion Bethel Admirals' baseball team fought back out of the 17U state tournament's loser's bracket to win three straight games - including two against the Stratford team that had put the Admirals' backs against a wall with an early-round win - to earn a trip to the quarterfinals in Meriden.

The Admirals, who had beaten No. 10 Darien/New Canaan to stay alive in the double-elimination round, avenged an extra-inning loss to Stratford with a 4-2 win, in Stratford, on July 23, then toppled Stratford 7-1 at home, Bethel High School's Hunt Field, the next afternoon.

"It is a great feeling," said Tom Harrison, coach of the Admirals. "We knew we had a chance of coming back and winning two."

Comprising mostly Newtown residents this year, the Bethel-based team is seeded second in the bracket's Southern Division having won the Zone 5 regular-season title; Stratford, runner-up in Zone 2, was the No. 7 squad.

Pitcher Mike Liberante tossed a complete game, striking out five, and turning in some nice defensive plays, including snaring a comebacker and turning it into a double play.

"He was outstanding all day long," Harrison said of his hurler, who threw 124 pitches to get the job done.

The Admirals flashed the leather in the outfield as well, highlighted by right fielder Ken Malin's diving catch to end it after Stratford had pushed across a run and loaded the bases looking for more.

It didn't take long for the Admirals to take the lead. They scored twice in the first, three more times in the third, and twice more in the fifth. Hit batsmen and errors, along with some timely hitting, led to the runs.

After Will Huegi singled and Stephen Spinella was hit by a pitch, Orlando Swift plated the first two runs with a single. In the third, Sam Grossano singled, Spinella was hit by a pitch, and Ryan Kost singled home the third run. Joe Caruso reached on an error, allowing two more runs to score. In the fifth, Kost doubled and Caruso and Harry Eppers walked, setting the stage for two more runs to score when Huegi reached on a Stratford fielding miscue.

The day before, the Admirals won in come-from-behind fashion, 4-2, sparked by a four-run sixth inning. Four walks and a wild pitch knotted the score, and Liberate hit a two-run double to give the Admirals the lead.