Newtown High School’s baseball team played three games decided by just one run in its first four of the campaign. The Nighthawks had a pair of one-run contests to begin play this spring. The Nighthawks fell 5-4 at Staples of Westport in its season opener, on April 8, then edged visiting Fairfield Ludlowe 6-5 the next day. The team fell 5-1 at Notre Dame-Fairfield 5-1 on April 13, then won in walk-off fashion, pulling out an 8-7 victory in the bottom of the ninth inning against Masuk of Monroe on April 15.

Against Staples, Newtown got off to a quick start with four runs in the top of the first inning before the Wreckers came back. Julian Dunn and Jake Oliger both had two hits and an RBI and run scored, and Jaret DeVellis had two hits and scored a run for Newtown.

In the win over Ludlowe, Sam Czel was 2-for-3, with a double and a home run, and drove in three runs, and Charlie Huegi was also 2-for-3. Oliger had a double and knocked in two runs, and David Matthews had a hit and an RBI.

“That was a great team win because we came from behind,” said Newtown Coach Matt Memoli, whose team fell behind 3-0 before rallying.

Memoli noted that pitchers Andrew Ross, Austin Kasbarian, and Jason Hebner all threw well off the mound in the season’s first victory.

Newtown may have lost by four runs to Notre Dame, but that game was closer than the final score indicates. Newtown outhit the Lancers 6-5, but didn’t take advantage of chances. “A lot of guys had good at bats,” said Memoli, adding that several players lined out in key spots. “We had our chances; we didn’t capitalize offensively.”

Jack Procaccini had two hits and drove in Newtown’s lone run, and Nick Lotrecchiano also picked up a couple of hits.

Memoli is confident his young team will continue to improve as the season unfolds. “We have an athletic group of kids; we have good hitters,” he said.

The hitters came through for their best performance of the season — a 12-hit attack — in the win over Masuk. Matthews was 4-for-5; DeVellis went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs batted in, and three runs scored; Julian Dunn had two hits, including a double, two RBI, and a run scored. The Hawks overcame four fielding errors and Masuk plating three seventh-inning runs to force extra innings. Huegi had two of Newtown’s four stolen bases.

Beginning with the Masuk contest, Newtown plays almost exclusively all South-West Conference rivals the rest of the way; the one exception is a makeup contest with Berlin at noon on May 9.

The Nighthawks are slated to play always tough Pomperaug of Southbury twice in as many days. The teams were originally supposed to play a home-and-home series but both contests have been moved to Southbury — Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18. The Friday game is on the road at 4:15 pm, and the rematch has a first pitch time of 2 pm. The schedule doesn’t stand to be all that forgiving throughout the campaign.

“Our conference this year is really tough,” Memoli said.