Nine Year Olds Battle In State Tourney

The Newtown Lightning 9 year old baseball team played two hard-fought games in the Cal Ripken state tournament held in Bethel last weekend, but came up short both times.

In the first round, the Lightning faced Stratford and fell 9-8. Stratford scored four runs in the top of the first, but Newtown scored three in the bottom of the first and three in the second to take a 6-4 lead behind a two-RBI single from Tyler Fuori, a two-RBI double by Michael Cotton, and two RBIs on a pair of groundouts by Bryan Vander Have.

With the score tied 6-6, and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Luke Barrett had a well-hit a ball that went through the third baseman’s legs, scoring Jack Mulligan with the go-ahead run. A squeeze bunt single by Michael Cotton scored Barrett to make it 8-6, but Newtown’s defense could not hold when Stratford’s Jack Ryan hit a two-run double to give Stratford a 9-8 lead in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Aidan Moulder got hit by a pitch and moved all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Todd Petersen, but two strikeouts ended Newtown’s hopes.

Petersen finished 3-for-3, Cotton was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Barrett was 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

In the second game, the Lightning faced New Milford and fell 5-3. Newtown again spotted the opponent four runs in the first. Trailing 5-0 after two innings, Aidan Moulder came into to pitch and he held New Milford scoreless for the final four innings, allowing only three hits and tallying two strikeouts.

Newtown rallied for two runs in the bottom of the fourth when Todd Petersen hit a line shot that the centerfielder couldn’t handle, driving in Cotton and Moulder who had both walked. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Michael Cotton doubled with one out for Newtown’s first hit.

Bryan Vander Have reached on an infield single and Moulder reached on an error loading the bases.  Jack Mulligan singled one run in, but the Lightning could not muster that last hit, leaving the bases loaded, ending their season. The District 5 champs finished the season with a record of 12-10.

Team members are Bryan Vander Have, Shea Talbot, James Schumacher, Todd Petersen, Jack Mulligan, Aidan Moulder, Daniel Mason, Ayden Kasbarian, Patrick Hurley, Tyler Fuori, Michael Cotton, and Luke Barrett.