Blackhawks’ U-11 Baseball Team Battles To Second-Place State Finish

Newtown’s U11 baseball team, the Blackhawks, showed great perseverance as it overcame a tough opening round loss to win five straight games and force a winner-take-all championship game in the season-ending state tournament recently. Newtown fell to defending state (and region) champion New Canaan 6-4 for a runner-up finish. The tournament summary is as follows:

West Norwalk 14, Newtown 13: In a wild affair, Newtown jumped out to an 8-0 lead after two innings, but was unable to hold off a determined West Norwalk squad. Things started off well enough for the Blackhawks in the first inning, as Michael Doyle singled in two runs and Griffin Davis connected on a three-run homer. In the second, David Matthews added a three-run homer of his own. West Norwalk cut into the lead with a five spot in the third, highlighted by the first of its four home runs. Newtown answered in the top of the fourth with another three runs on Jaret Devellis’ triple and RBI singles by Michael Parker and Matthews. Norwalk went ahead 13-11 on a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth. Newtown tied it in the top of the sixth on a two-run single by Matt Maturo. West Norwalk won it on a bases loaded single in the bottom of the sixth. Parker had three hits and scored four runs, and Matthews scored three times and drove in four runs.

Newtown 11, Bethwood 1 (4 innings): Zach Aumueller pitched three strong innings of three-hit ball, as the Blackhawks began their climb up the loser’s bracket. In the four-run first, three walks and an error were sandwiched between Devellis’ leadoff double and Davis’ two-run double. Parker doubled in a run in the second, with another scoring on Matthews’ single. The big hits in the five-run fourth were two-run doubles by both Tim Krapf and Jack Procaccini. In the game, Parker scored three times, and Doyle and Devellis twice. Luke Rustici pitched the final inning, striking out two.

Newtown 6, New Milford 1: In a tense battle, Matthews went the distance, scattering eight hits and striking out 10 as Newtown avenged a 2008 state tournament-ending loss to New Milford. The Blackhawk defense made several key plays to keep New Milford off the board. In the first, Krapf ran down a wild pitch and tossed to Matthews for the tag at home. Newtown took a 1-0 lead in the second as Procaccini doubled in Doyle. Krapf picked off a runner at first in the bottom of the second, and then hit a solo homer in the top of the third for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth and the score now 3-0, leftfielder Connor Miller gunned out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double. Newtown added three insurance runs in the sixth, on back-to-back homers by Parker (two-run) and Matthews (solo). Doyle went 3-for-3 with a double and Parker and Matthews each drove in two.

Newtown 10, Coventry 0 (5 innings): Parker (four innings of four-hit ball, seven strikeouts) and Rustici combined on the shutout as Newtown eliminated its third straight opponent. Newtown broke on top in the bottom of the third as Davis hit a long home run to left. Parker and Matthews added RBIs for a 3-0 lead. In the five-run fourth, the big hits were and RBI double by Aumueller and another home run (two-run) by Davis. Miller and Proccaccini added RBIs in the fifth to end the game in a mercy rule triumph. Alex Klang made a fine running catch in right center to preserve the shutout. For the game, Doyle, Davis (two home runs) and Aumueller (two doubles) each had two hits and scored two runs. Davis knocked in three and Parker drove in two.

Newtown 5, West Norwalk 4: In the losers bracket final, Newtown held on. West Norwalk threatened early, but the Newtown defense again proved formidable. In the first, infielder Doyle chased down a blooper on the right field line and threw out the runner at second. In the third, rightfielder Davis and Doyle completed a perfect relay to get the runner at home to keep Newtown from falling behind. With the score 1-1 entering the fourth, Newtown pushed across four runs with two outs to take the lead. Parker had a bases loaded two-run single to left and Matthews followed with a two-run single to center. Norwalk scored two in the bottom of the sixth to close the gap to one. With the two on, Aumueller struck out the next batters to keep the Blackhawk season alive. Matthews had another strong outing, scattering five hits over four frames and recording six stikeouts. Aumueller picked up the two inning save. Parker and Matthews each had two hits and two RBI. Krapf added an RBI double.

Newtown 8, New Canaan 5: In game one of the championship round, Newtown jumped out to an early 8-1 lead and handed New Canaan its first state tourney loss in two years. The teams traded unearned runs in the first. In the top of the second, Newtown exploded for seven runs. Parker had a two-run single, Krapf a three-run blast to center and Maturo a two-run homer to right. Matthews, Parker and Aumueller combined for the victory with Aumueller getting out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth. Krapf and Devellis each had two hits in the game, with Krapf knocking in four.

New Canaan 6, Newtown 4 (Championship): In a reversal of the first game, New Canaan jumped out to a 6-0 lead after four innings. In those first four innings, the only offense Newtown could muster against the New Canaan ace Zach Allen were walks by Miller and Matthews. However, Newtown continued to press and when New Canaan went to the bullpen in the fifth, the Blackhawks took advantage to get back into the game. Maturo started things off with a one-out double to the fence in right center. He scored on a ball hit to right by Aumueller. Procaccini walked and Aumueller came around to score on a single by Devellis. New Canaan brought back Allen to end the rally. In the sixth, New Canaan loaded the bases with one out, but Aumueller again displayed nerves of steel as he induced a pop up and comebacker to get out of the inning. Down to their last at bat, Newtown did not go quietly. New Canaan took no chances and stayed with Allen. With one out, Davis and Doyle reached base. Maturo’s single down the leftfield line drove in Davis, and Doyle scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Aumueller (only a great running catch by the centerfielder prevented the ball from dropping in for a single). Procaccini, representing the tying run, then had an epic 11-pitch at bat, battling back from an 0-2 count to get to 3-2 (at one point fouling off four straight pitches). However, in the end, Allen won the battle and New Canaan earned the victory and a trip to Jackson, Maine for the Regional Championship.

For the Tournament, Aumueller batted .500 and Doyle .471. Matthews had an on base percentage of .609. DeVellis, Parker and Doyle each had eight hits. Parker scored ten times, and Devellis and Doyle eight apiece. Matthews and Parker had ten RBI, with Krapf and Davis knocking in eight each. On the mound, Matthews picked up three wins, Aumueller one (and two saves), and Parker one. Matthews struck out 24 in 18 innings and Aumueller had a 2.78 ERA over ten innings. Newtown ended the season by winning three out of four tournaments and compiling a 16-3 record.