Inferno Too Hot, Wins Cal Ripken State Tournament

The Newtown Inferno 11 year old Cal Ripken 46/60 tournament team won the State tournament

in Danbury this past weekend by defeating a tough West Norwalk team twice. West Norwalk had taken the Jimmy Fund tournament championship in June by defeating the Inferno 13-12 in extra innings. But this time around the boys from Newtown caught fire, defeating West Norwalk 10-6 in the winner’s bracket final and then 8-7 in the championship game, scoring three in the bottom of the sixth to burn their arch rivals.

In the first game, Eugene Citrano doubled home Joe Palanzo in the first inning to help stake Newtown to an early 2-0 lead. West Norwalk quickly tied it up in their half of the first frame before Patrick Godino got the last two batters swinging to get out of a bases-loaded jam.

In the fourth inning, Jacob Steinebrey led off with a perfect bunt single and came around to score on a pinch-hit, full-count single by Harry Eppers giving Newtown a 5-2 lead.

West Norwalk rallied for one run in the bottom of the fourth and again left the bases loaded when Owen McInerney came on in relief of Godino and struck out two batters to end the inning and preserve a two-run lead.

The Inferno bats caught fire in the sixth, as the team scored four runs and extended the lead to 10-3. Ethan Aug led off the inning with a walk and, after a bunt sacrifice by Nick Venezia, scored on a pinch-hit single to right by Rob Lombardo. Henry Primavera was hit by pitch and Joe Palanzo plated both runners with a two-run double to right, and later scored on an RBI groundout by Peter Debona.

West Norwalk would not go down easily and rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth before McInerney induced a tough grounder to third that was fielded nicely by Aug who fired to Palanzo to get the runner by half-step for the final out.

In the championship game, Newtown took a 1-0 first-inning lead when Henry Primavera hit a one-out triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Palanzo. With two outs and the bases loaded the game was halted due to rain. McInerney had to wait 24 hours for his chance to extend Newtown’s lead. When play resumed the next day, he laced a 1-1 offering into left center for a two-run double. Rob Lombardo was nailed at the plate trying to score from first base, to end the inning.

A third inning RBI-double by Debona gave the Inferno a 4-0 lead. Newtown’s starting pitcher, CJ Shambelan hit his first career homerun, a solo shot with two out in the fourth to help himself to an insurance run. He was cruising along with a no-hitter as he took the hill in the top of the fifth inning. After a lead off walk and an RBI-double, and with the heart of Norwalk’s order coming up, Godino was called upon to get the last two outs of the inning to preserve a 5-3 lead.

West Norwalk rallied for four more runs in the top of the sixth to take a 7-5 lead before Citrano made a great catch in center field on a line drive shot that ended the inning with two runners on.

That set the stage for the Inferno’s sixth-inning rally. Lombardo led off with a walk and McInerney also walked. One out later, Aug knocked in Lombardo on an infield single making the score 7-6. After Shambelan flied to center, Primavera hit another infield single and McInerney scored the tying run from second base when the throw from the shortstop sailed over the first baseman’s head. Palanzo was intentionally walked to load the bases for Peter Debona who hit a long hit to the centerfield wall on a 1-2 pitch to win the game, and  give Newtown a berth in the 2011 46/60 Cal Ripken New England Regional Tournament this weekend in Marlboro, Mass.