By Kim J. Harmon

Call ‘em the Cardiac Kids.

The Babe Ruth 15-year-old All Stars sure know how to take a game right to the final out . . . how to rally from a nine-run deficit in the sixth inning, how to let an 8-4 lead slip away in the sixth inning, how to let a win get away in extra innings, how to break open an 8-8 tie in the final inning.

But heart palpitations aside, the 15-year-olds reached the finals of the loser’s bracket of the District 4 Tournament with a 10-8 win over Bethel on Tuesday night at Newtown High School. A win over Brookfield on Thursday (5 pm at Walnut Tree) will put them in the finals against New Milford, needing two wins there to advance to the state tournament.

Newtown broke open an 8-8 tie with Bethel in the top of the seventh after Ryan Chapin opened with a double and Charlie Coates followed with a walk. Both later scored to give the 15s a 10-8 lead, which they held on to when Jeremy Graves shut the door in the bottom of the inning with a pair of strikeouts and groundout to third.

The 15s took an early 1-0 lead in this game after Tony Willie singled and later scored on an error. In the top of the third, they extended the lead to 3-0 after Jeff LaFlamme and Joe Gantert slapped back-to-back singles. Tim LaPak drove in the runs with a single of his own. In the fourth, the 15s put three more runs on the board in the fourth, extending the lead to 6-0, as Coates, Gantert and Willie all scored. Willie had the big blast in the inning, a triple.

It seemed like a pretty comfortable lead, but in the bottom of the fourth Bethel scored four runs to get right back into the game. Another run in the bottom of the fifth trimmed the Newtown lead to just 6-5.

In the top of the sixth, the 15s afforded themselves a little breathing room with singles by Willie and Jason Glander and a run-scoring single by Adam Fisher. But the 8-5 lead was short-lived as Bethel plated three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie everything up at 8-8.

Then Chapin got the rally going in the seventh with his lead-off double.

It has been an exciting tournament for Newtown, alright, starting back on Saturday with a 17-6 opening round win over Aspetuck. A 16-hit attack was fueled by a 3-for-5 effort from Willie and a 3-for-3 effort from Chapin. LaFlamme, Gantert, Graves, and Tim Barrett had two hits apiece. Willie had a triple and Glander belted a home run.

John Mascolo, Gantert and Graves all combined on the mound to hold off Aspetuck.

The offense was just as hot for the 15s on Sunday – but so was the offense of New Milford. With a one-out double and two-out triple in the bottom of the eighth inning, New Milford slipped past Newtown, 13-12.

Newtown actually led 8-1 after three innings in this game, taking advantage of seven walks (two of those were hit batsmen) and using singles by Graves, Mascolo, Chapin and Willie to jump-start the offense.

But as the 15s found out through the tournament, no lead is safe. New Milford scored eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings, combined, to take a surprising 9-8 lead. Six singles and a fourth-inning home run did the trick for New Milford.

In the top of the sixth, though, Newtown took the lead back with four runs of its own. Willie led off the frame with a single, stole second, and then waited as Graves was walked. Mascolo singled in a run and then Fisher cleared the bases with a home run, giving the 15s a 12-9 lead.

But New Milford scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the score at 12-12 and set the stage for its eighth-inning heroics.

The loss dropped the 15s into the loser’s bracket and in their first game there, against New Fairfield, it looked as if it was all over. Heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, New Fairfield held a commanding 10-1 lead with Newtown down to its final six outs.

Not to worry, though. LaFlamme led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and Willie followed with a one-out triple to score the first run. Graves singled Willie in. Back-to-back singles by Fisher and Barrett scored another run and then a couple of errors plated two more runs. Chapin finished off the six-run rally with a single.

Now only down 10-7, the 15s shut down New Fairfield in the top of the seventh to give themselves one last shot. Gantert led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple and – after a walk to Willie – scored on a single by Graves to get Newtown to within two runs.

But Fisher flew out to centerfield and Barrett grounded back to the pitcher, getting Newtown down to its final out. But LaPak, Pete Meisel and Chapin all followed with singles to scored the final three runs put the 15s on top, 11-10, and keep their state tournament hopes alive.

Then came the win over Bethel on Tuesday.

And now – on Thursday – the 15s have a date with Brookfield for a 5 pm game. The winner advances to the tournament finals on Friday against New Milford.