By Kim J. Harmon

SOUTH MERIDEN – Man, oh man, was it ever gut check time.

With the bases loaded and only one out in the top of the sixth, it seemed – even as Newtown clung to a one-run lead – that the dream of a second straight state championship might be in some jeopardy.

It wasn’t.

That’s because pitcher Steve Marks – who had walked a batter, knocked down a liner back to the box (without making a throw to first) and allowed a base hit to centerfield to load the bases – found an inner well of strength right when the Newtown 11-year-old All Stars needed it most.

A hard grounder back to the mound turns into a forceout at home.

A strikeout.

And just like that, Marks nailed down the Cal Ripken State Championship for Newtown in a 5-4 final over South Meriden.

It took four days to finally reach this end result – the game had started on Sunday, July 30, but was suspended after two innings with Newtown and South Meriden tied at 3-3. The game resumed last Wednesday at 6 pm at Habershon Field in South Meriden.

In the top of the first that Sunday, South Meriden took a quick 2-0 lead on a single, walk, double and steal of home.

But in the bottom of the frame, Newtown scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Scott Suhoza led off with a walk and Joey DeVellis followed with a walk, as well. The pair pulled off a double steal and then Suhoza scored on a Brian Shimko single. Shimko stole second and then he and DeVellis scored on a Marks single.

In the top of the second a walk and double helped South Meriden tie the score at 3-3.

Then the rains – which had been falling on Habershon Field anyway – came in earnest and the game had to be suspended. Monday and Tuesday and on into Wednesday of last week it continued to rain, but Newtown managed to get some practice time in to stay sharp.

About two hours before the game was set to start the sun finally banished the clouds, but exchanged them for some hot and humid air.

The game resumed, right on time, in the top of the third. Sean Ryan took to the mound in relief of Ryan McGrath and allowed a bloop single to right and then a double to right. A run would have scored on the double if not for a brilliant relay from Shimko to the infield to Suhoza at home plate for the out. Ryan ended the frame with back-to-back strikeouts.

In the bottom of the third, Shimko blooped the first pitch to the left-centerfield gap for a hit. Marks walked to put runners on first and second and then Tucker Kass roped a double, driving in Shimko with the go-ahead run. With runners on second and third, Brian Cullinan grounded out to second, but drove in Marks with the fifth run and Newtown had a 5-3 lead.

The top of the fourth was uneventful as Ryan got South Meriden out on a popout, a grounder to short, and a low line drive caught by DeVellis – dubbed “The Glove” – in centerfield. The bottom of the frame was equally uneventful for Newtown with two strikeouts and a groundout.

South Meriden inched close in the top of the fifth. Marks relieved Ryan and promptly allowed a sharp single to right. After a popout, a passed ball allowed the runner to reach second. A soft liner to Mike Tibbetts at short made it two outs, but an infield hit right up the middle, a double steal, and a throwing error allowed South Meriden to score, trimming the Newtown lead to 5-4.

Newtown couldn’t add any insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth as Shimko’s bad-hop single to short went by the boards. And so it came down to the top of the sixth inning . . . what was serious gut check time.

The inning started off well for Newtown, as a flyball to DeVellis in centerfield put Newtown one out closer to the state championship. But Marks issued a walk to put a runner on first and then, on a hard shot back to the box, Marks was only able to knock the ball down. Unable to make a play, there were now runners on first and second.

A base hit to centerfield loaded everything up.

It was a tense situation.

But Marks gloved another hard shot back to the mound and calmly lobbed the throw back to Suhoza at the plate for the forceout. Then, with the bases still loaded, Marks whiffed the next batter to hand Newtown its second consecutive state championship (as U10 and now U11).

It was a dangerous situation, to be sure, but Newtown did have sort of a safety net. Since South Meriden came out of the loser’s bracket (put there by Newtown in second-round action a couple of weeks ago), it had to defeat Newtown twice in order to win the state championship.

Newtown had to win just once.

And it did that in thrilling fashion.

Now, both Newtown and South Meriden are heading out today (Friday) for the New England Regionals in Keene, New Hampshire, possibly looking for yet another shot at each other – but this time on a much bigger stage.