NEW BRITAIN – Joe Fedak capped an amazing comeback with a dramatic, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning, lifting the Newtown 10-year-old All Stars to a 9-8 win over Greenwich in the first round of the Babe Ruth State Tournament.

Greenwich scored seven runs in the first two innings and had pinned Newtown to an 8-2 deficit by the bottom of the fourth inning, but the resilient locals battled back to win on Fedak’s walk-off base hit.

Newtown scored twice in the bottom of the second. Fedak and Ralph Sergiovanni led off with back-to-back singles and then came home on an RBI-single by Tyler Edwards and an infield grounder by Keith McGrath.

The locals closed the gap a little further with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Fedak led off with a double and Sergiovanni followed with a single. McGrath then drove in both runners with a double, trimming the Greenwich lead to 8-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, Jeff Spencer doubled to the right centerfield fence, Sergiovanni walked and George Zaruba followed with an RBI single. Edwards then rapped a two-run double to cut the Greenwich lead to just one run, 8-7.

Setting the stage for the dramatic sixth inning.

Robbie Blanc and Jeff DiNicola both reached base to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. Kyle Kromberg then hit a short hopper to shortstop that appeared to be caught in the air, freezing both runners, and Greenwich easily turned a double play on the ball.

Newtown was down to its final out.

Spencer then roped a single and Fedak completed the rally with the game-winning double.

The Newtown pitching staff and defense held strong over the final four innings after a rocky start. Michael Coates and Spencer settled down and held Greenwich to just one run and one hit over those final four innings.

Unfortunately, the magic that kept the Newtown hopes alive in the first game of the State Tournament did not last. Newtown once again dug itself a deep, deep hole and in the second game of the State Tournament could not get out of it.

Newtown staked Danbury to nine runs over the first two innings and eventually lost a 12-10 decision.

Newtown did manage to tie the game at one point as Kromberg (walk), Fedak (double, RBI), Sergiovanni (single), Spencer (single, RBI), Zaruba (single), and DiNicola (double, two RBI) sparked a four-run offensive outburst.

After Danbury jumped out to a bigger lead, Newtown did close the gap to 12-9 in the fourth inning, riding a three-run single by Coates. Newtown then mounted its final rally in the fifth inning, but scored just one run on singles by Edwards, Kromberg and Fedak.

Coates and Spencer settled down again and held Danbury to only four hits and three runs in the final two innings.