After the Newtown 13 Prep All Stars were beaten by New Fairfield in the first round of the District 4 Tournament on July 6, it seemed rather unlikely that they would be battling for a tournament title just nine days later.

Battling they were, though, for Newtown (which paid New Fairfield back in the loser’s bracket) was one win away from capturing the 13 Prep championship and earning a trip to East Hartford for the state tournament.

But Danbury held off Newtown, 4-3, scoring the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a bang-bang play at home.

So close.

It was not a very promising start to the summer season for the 13 Prep All Stars. The team suffered three consecutive losses in the Orange Tournament (by scores of 7-3, 6-5 and 4-3) despite showing some stingy pitching, sound infield play, gritty and steady catching, and spectacular outfield performances by Gary Mike Andrews and Dave Modzelewski.

That losing streak hit four when Newtown was dropped, 11-1, by New Fairfield in the opening round of the District 4 Tournament. Max Rojo had an RBI double and Alex Dolan bombed a shot to the base of the fence, but those were the only real Newtown highlights.

But, at 0-4, the local All Stars were not about to give up. Victories over Brookfield (12-1), New Fairfield (7-2) and Bethel (4-3) launched Newtown right into the District finals . . . against powerhouse Danbury.

In the win over Brookfield, Andrew Chimileski doubled, singled and drove in four runs. Pete Oggeri was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI while Andrews and Alex Meisel each drove in a pair of runs. Seth Hull, meanwhile, was 4-for-5 with three runs scored.

Dolan, Meisel, Modzelewski and Steve Vichiola limited Brookfield to just three hits.

In the win over New Fairfield, it was the pitching effort of Meisel (two hits allowed in three innings), Dolan, Modzelewski and Vichiola (fanned the final batter with two runners on) that made the difference. Chimileski was 2-for-4 at the plate.

Andrews caught a ball in center and fired home to catcher Matt Berquist for a double play in the fifth inning to spark the defense.

In the win over Bethel, it was Rojo’s two-out, RBI shot to the right centerfield wall that scored Modzelewski and propelled Newtown into the tournament finals. Modzelewski had singled and moved to second when Vichiola was walked.

Modzelewski finished 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI.

The magic seemed to be at an end for Newtown, however. In the first game of the championship series (Newtown had to defeat Danbury twice), Danbury pitchers Jesse Lynch and Jim Tatarzycki held Newtown hitless and scoreless through the first six innings.

But in the seventh, Newtown rallied.

And kept its title hopes alive.

Meisel walked, Berquist walked and Modzelewski singled to not only break up the no-hitter, but load the bases as well. Vichiola was then walked to bring in one run and Hull followed with a single that scored Berquist and then Oggeri followed with a bases-clearing shot to the right center gap that put Newtown ahead, 5-4. Bryan Fogelstrom tacked on an RBI single to give Newtown a 6-4 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Danbury loaded the bases on two hits and a walk. But Fogelstrom came up with a nice shoestring catch in rightfield for the second out of the inning and Vichiola snared a line drive back to the box to close out the game.

A title seemed possible when Newtown took a 3-0 lead in Game 2 of the championship series on singles by Modzelewski and Vichiola, a two-run double by Hull, and an RBI single by Oggeri. Meisel, meanwhile, pitched four innings of no hit ball. But Danbury scored three times in the fifth inning, taking advantage of a couple infield miscues to extend the inning and tie the game, 3-3.

In the seventh, Newtown managed to load the bases, but couldn’t score. In the bottom of the frame, Vichiola plunked a couple of batters but avoided disaster when he induced a fly ball out to centerfield.

Newtown was held scoreless in the top of the eighth and that’s when Danbury found its opportunity. A walk and an infield single set up an attempted steal of third. Oggeri, working behind the plate, fired the ball to third but the ball hit the runner’s foot and caromed out of play.

The runner was awarded home.

And the game was over.

But it was nevertheless a rousing effort for a Newtown team which had found itself in a hole right from the get-go. Oggeri led the team on offense, collecting seven hits and nine walks in six games. Also, Vichiola batted .520 in the leadoff spot.

Meisel and Vichiola carried most of the pitching duties, but Dolan and Modzlewski turned in some strong innings as well.

The 13 Prep All Stars are coached by Josh Hull, Gary Andrews, Paul Meisel and Jack Vichiola.