Hurricanes Blow Past Competition

The Newtown Hurricanes won the I-84 U13 West Championship by defeating Trumbull 4-3 in extra innings on July 29. The Hurricanes played their best baseball during the last two weeks of the regular season to secure the eighth and final spot for the playoffs, finishing the regular season with an 8-8-1 record.

Keeping their momentum going, the Hurricanes beat top-seeded Fairfield 5-4 in the first round of the playoffs behind strong pitching performances by Austin Kasbarian, Sean Ferris, and Owen Samson, and clutch RBI hits by Spencer Johnson, Matt Kretz, and Shawn Fulton. Matt Kuglur, Robert Katrinak, Thomas Cotton, and Austin Dignan contributed to the offense by collecting hits of their own. In the second round, the Hurricanes won by protest over fifth-seeded New Fairfield. Standout hitting performances were turned in by Kasbarian, who collected three hits, Brian Gallagher and Dignan with two hits apiece, and Kasbarian, Gallagher, and Johnson each knocking in two runs.

In the championship game, Newtown took on second-seeded Trumbull (14-4-1) and struck early, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning on three straight hits by Kasbarian, Dignan, and Kretz.  Newtown added a run in the fourth inning when Thomas Cotton laid down a sacrifice push bunt down the first base line to plate Brian Gallagher who had reached base earlier in the inning. Shawn Fulton came through in the top of the eighth inning by hitting a single to right field scoring Tucker Kistner to plate what would be the winning run. Austin Dignan powered the offense by going 3-for-4 on the day, including two doubles, Kasbarian had two hits, and Owen Samson, Cotton, and Johnson each collected a hit.

Defensively, the Hurricanes saved their best for the championship game, with stellar pitching and error free baseball. Sean Ferris, Owen Samson, and Johnson combined to pitch a one hitter over eight innings with Johnson closed out the game by pitching four scoreless no hit innings and striking out five. In the field, Shawn Fulton, while playing third base, stopped a Trumbull rally in the second inning by turning an unassisted double play and his solid fielding led to seven other putouts. Robert Katrinak and Tucker Kistner each turned in defensive gems of their own with Kistner catching the final out of the game.