ABERDEEN, Maryland – The Newtown Blaze 12-year-old All Stars salvaged a little bit of respect last week at the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland, but their dreams of a championship still ended too soon.

After losing to Bryant, Arkansas (2-1), and Hilo, Hawaii (10-3), the Blaze needed a virtual miracle to advance to semifinals. They battled to the end, but their World Series run ended with a 14-3 win over St. Mary’s, Maryland, and a 9-7 loss to Kennewick, Washington.

Hilo would go on to win the World Series with a win over Mexico.

After that disappointing loss to Hilo on the second day of competition – in which the locals made six errors – the Blaze showed no mercy to St. Mary’s. They broke open a 0-0 tie with seven runs in the bottom of the second and never looked back.

It all started when Jack Kneisel walked to lead off the frame. Colin Morris reached on an error and advanced to second, sending Kneisel to third. Sean Ross doubled in both runners and scored on a single by Ryan Powers. Powers advanced to second on the throw home and then advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a passed ball to put Newtown ahead 4-0.

Austin Bonadio singled and Ryan Tita followed with a two-run homer – the first of three homers on the day for Tita – and the Blaze went up 6-0. But they were hardly finished as Curtis Droniak singled, Chris Tenney reached on an error, Kneisel walked to load the bases and Morris singled in Droniak with the seventh run.

Maryland got three of those runs back in the top of the third off Droniak, in relief of Oliver Powers who pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. The Blaze answered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame on a two-run Tita homer.

Bonadio pitched a scoreless fourth and the Blaze tacked on another run in the bottom of the frame when Morris’ sacrifice fly plated Tenney and put the locals on top 10-3. After Bonadio pitched another solid inning, the Blaze finished the game off with four runs in the bottom of the fifth on a run-scoring single by Bonadio (plating William Arndt) and a three-run homer by Tita.

Tita finished 3-for-4 with three home runs and seven RBI while Bonadio was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Morris and Ross both drove in a pair of runs. Eleven of the 12 players either collected a hit or scored a run.

The offense was still pretty hot the next day against Kennewick, Washington, and the Blaze were clinging to a 7-5 lead heading into the final inning. But Kennewick scored four times in the top of the sixth off Tita and the locals couldn’t answer in the bottom of the frame as they dropped a 9-7 decision and concluded the Cal Ripken tournament at 1-3.

Kennewick scored once in the top of the first on a steal of home plate and the Blaze answered back with a run on Tita’s leadoff homer (his fourth homer of the tournament). In the top of the second, though, Kennewick scored three times thanks to a double by Dallas Jones, a run-scoring single by Trek Stemp, a wild pitch and a run-scoring single by Mathew Mendenhall.

The locals answered right back in the bottom of the second, scoring five times – virtually all of that on a grand slam homer by Ryan Powers – to take a 6-4 lead. Kneisel walked, Morris singled and Tita walked to load the bases. Then Oliver Powers was offered a free pass, scoring Kneisel, before Ryan Powers belted his grannie.

Tita struck out the side – after allowing back-to-back singles – in the top of the third and the Blaze went scoreless in the bottom of the frame despite a walk to Dom Fedak and a single by Morris. In the top of the fourth, though, Kennewick inched closer on a run-scoring single by Drew Loftus. In the bottom of the frame, Tita singled, advanced to second on a passed ball, to third on a single by Ryan Powers, and then scored on another passed ball to put Newtown ahead 7-5.

Tita struck out the side in the top of the fifth on just 10 pitches but the Blaze could do little to add to their lead in the bottom of the frame and in the top of the sixth the game – and the World Series tournament – came to an end with a four-run rally by Kennewick.

A walk for Dallas Jones and singles by Loftus, Mendenhall, Ty Jackson and Bryce Jackson put Kennewick ahead, 9-7. And in the bottom of the frame, Tita was walked, Oliver Powers was fanned, and Ryan Powers hit into a 1-4-3 double play.

Kennewick finished pool play at 3-1, but because of their runs-allowed they failed to advance to the semifinals.