DANBURY – After a spectacular few weeks in which the Newtown Babe Ruth 12-year-old All Stars ran through the District 4 tournament and captured their third consecutive Cal Ripken State Championship – all without losing a game – the 2001 summer season came to a sudden end in the New England Regionals.

Newtown dropped a surprising, 5-3, decision to host Danbury on Saturday – even after Newtown battered Danbury twice in the state tournament by counts of 12-1 and 10-0 (a four-inning decision in the tournament final) – to open the Regionals.

Danbury’s Craig Tarsi pitched four innings of two-hit baseball and Angelo Saba struck out the side in the fifth to completely flummox Newtown.

Danbury took a 2-0 lead in this game and then later added three more runs to extend the lead to 5-0. Newtown rallied in the sixth, though, as Steve Marks was plunked with a pitch, Mike Tibbetts singled, and Brian Cullinan belted a three-run homer over the right centerfield fence (his first homer of the season.

That was as close as Newtown would get, though. Despite two walks that put runners on second and third, Danbury persevered with reliever Chris Cerminara. Newtown rapped out just four hits on the night. Ryan McGrath had a first-inning double that almost started something.

The loss put Newtown into the loser’s bracket, where it faced Weymouth South of Massachusetts in a 1 pm contest on Sunday. And clinging to a 2-1 lead, Newtown allowed four runs in the top of the fifth and was eventually defeated, 6-4.

Just like that, the tournament was over.

Newtown collected seven hits. Marks had a pair of singles and Brian Shimko doubled. Joe Devellis, Cullinan and Tom Gaboriault all drove in runs. Marks, Brian Conroy, Sean Ryan and Tibbetts all combined on the mound.

Weymouth South scored two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead, but Newtown tied the score in the bottom of the frame when Gaboriault singled and Cullinan stole home. In the bottom of the fourth, Newtown plated a run when Cullinan was hit with a pitch while the bases were loaded.

Newtown lost its grip on the ball – and the game – in the top of the fifth. A couple of throwing errors, coupled with a double off the bat of Brian Walsh, all served to help Weymouth score four times and take a 6-3 lead.

Devellis drove in the last Newtown run in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly.