Blackhawks Win U11 Baseball Title

The Newtown Blackhawks’ U11 travel baseball team won the Southbury Memorial Day Tournament on May 25. The Blackhawks defeated a strong New Milford team 6-5 in eight innings.

Here is a summary of the tournament:

Newtown 10, Southbury 9: The Blackhawks plated 8 runs in the first 2 innings. Jaret DeVellis led off with a triple and scored on a single by Dave Matthews. Tim Krapf then hit a long home run to left for a 3-0 lead. In the second, Matthews drove in 2 with a deep double to left center. Matthews connected on a long home run of his own in the fourth to increase the lead to 9-2. In the sixth, Krapf singled, stole third, and scored on a wild pitch for a 10-4 lead. With the tying run on base, Michael Parker got a strike out to end the game.

Matthews, DeVellis, and Krapf each had three hits. Matthews knocked in 4 and Krapf 2. Matthews scored 3 times, and Krapf and DeVellis twice each. On the mound, Matthews picked up the win, allowing 2 runs on 1 hit in three innings (7 of the outs were via strikeout).

Newtown 10, Brookfield 8: Newtown gave up 4 in the first and trailed 8-1 before mounting a furious comeback with 6 runs in the bottom of the sixth for an improbable victory. Newtown started the sixth with consecutive hits by Luke Rustici, Zac Aumueller, Griffin Davis (RBI double to center), and Jack Proccaccini. Down by a run with two outs, Newtown came back as Matthews doubled off the centerfield fence to score Proccaccini with the tying run. Krapf then jumped on the first pitch for a two-run walk-off bomb to deep center. Not to be lost in the offensive fireworks is the fact that Aumueller (making his Blackhawk pitching debut) pitched a scoreless and hitless fifth and sixth innings.

Matthews had 3 hits and Conner Miller, Aumueller and Rustici had 2 apiece. Krapf and Proccaccini each had 2 RBI, and Aumueller and Rustici each scored twice.

New Milford 6, Newtown 4: With their position in the championship already secured, the Blackhawks were unable to overcome a 4-0 deficit in this rain delayed game. DeVellis (2 run double) and Matt Maturo had the only hits for Newtown. Parker and Aumueller each tossed a scoreless inning.

Newtown 6, New Milford 5 (8 innings): The story of this game was pitching and defense. Parker started the game and pitched four innings of five-hit ball, constantly changing speeds and location to keep the dangerous New Milford lineup off balance. Rustici ended the game with three masterful innings of his own, allowing only a run on 5 hits. The Newtown defense played errorless ball, made some spectacular diving stops, and turned three double plays to support the pitchers.

In the fourth with a runner at third, Maturo went horizontal to snag a low throw to first base and get the final out of the inning. With two on an no outs in the fifth, Miller made a running catch on a line drive to left and fired a strike to second to complete the double play. With two on and the winning run at third in the bottom of the sixth, Michael Doyle made a diving catch of a line drive at second and got the runner at first to end the inning. With one out in the seventh and the winning run at third, Rustici struck out the next two batters to keep Newtown in the game.

With two outs in the eighth, Doyle singled, moved to second on an error and scored the go-ahead run on a line drive single to center by Alex Klang. Proccaccini then singled in Miller for a two-run lead.

With the wind blowing and the sun in his eyes, Klang made a game saving catch as New Milford tried to complete a comeback. With the tying run on third, Rustici induced a grounder to short to end the game. Doyle and Matthews each had 3 hits, while Davis and DeVellis had 2. Aumueller knocked in 2 and DeVellis scored twice.

In the tourney, Newtown banged out 46 hits, with Matthews getting 9 (4 doubles and a homer) and DeVellis 6. Doyle, Krapf (2 homers), Miller, Davis, and Aumueller each had 4 hits. Klang batted .750, Matthews .600, Aumueller .571, and Davis .500. Matthews knocked in 6 and Krapf 5. DeVellis scored 5 runs and Matthews 4. Rustici, Aumueller, and Matthews all recorded victories on the mound.