The Newtown Thunder rolled off a remarkable string of victories in a three-day period at Hawley School Field to win the Cal Ripken Summer Extreme 9B League playoffs. The Thunder had dropped a game early in the playoffs, resulting in a playoff run with no room for error the rest of the way. And the team showed its resiliency in its quest for the title, capping off the winning streak with a victory over the Newtown Nighthawks.

 It began on Thursday with the Thunder facing elimination for the second straight game. The Danbury Cianflone team, which had handed the Thunder their loss in the playoffs, proved a formidable opponent for a second time. After a see-saw battle, the Thunder earned a 14-13 victory. The final inning featured two Danbury runners being tagged out at home to preserve the victory. The win put the Thunder in the championship game.

The Thunder needed two victories to earn the title against the Newtown Nighthawks as the other Newtown team had suffered no setbacks in the playoffs. The first game lived up to the billing as a large crowd watched Friday night as the two teams battled to a 6-6 tie entering the sixth inning. Will Connor of the Thunder lead off with a single, stole two bases, and sped home on a RBI fielder’s choice by Fred Hubbard. The Thunder held the Nighthawks scoreless in the bottom of the sixth to secure the 7-6 win.

On Sunday, the pitching of Cody Meier, Patrick Mahoney, and Ben Carley was called upon for the second game in a row to keep the Knight Hawk hitters in check. Each pitched two innings en route to a 10-2 victory. Ben Carley, Cody Meier, Calvin Lucas, Katie Teixeira, and Ryder Wilson all contributed key hits during the contest.