Thunder Continues To Rumble In Regional Tourney

Newtown’s Cal Ripken 50/70 11-year-old baseball team, the three-time state champion, is battling in New England Regional Tournament, in New Milford, this week. The Newtown Thunder has continued its winning ways. The Thunder first faced Upton, Mass. and rolled to an 8-1 triumph.

Connor Barrett, voted the Most Valuable Player in the state playoffs after his 9-for-19 performance, kept his hot bat going by opening the first inning with a sharp single to right center. Ryan Kost followed with a hit of his own. Jason Hebner belted in the first run of the tourney for Newtown. Ben Dieckman and Adam Bergeron each knocked in runs and the Thunder took a 3-0 lead after the first.

The Thunder added three more in the third inning as Lucas O’Brien doubled, Adam Bergeron singled, and Sam Grossano had the big hit to drive them both in with a double to the gap in left center.

Newtown’s pitching kept Upton guessing all day. O’Brien and Colby Olson split the duties and each only gave up two hits.

The final two runs for Newtown came in the fifth as Hebner walked and Adam Beckett hit a rocket over the left fielder’s head to score Hebner. Ben Harrison brought Beckett home with a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze.

The Thunder then took on the host of the tourney, the New Milford Power. Newtown played the Power twice in the regular season and was unable to defeat the team, losing once and playing to a tie in the other battle. This time, the Thunder rumbled to victory, earning a 7-2 win.

Hebner took the mound and, after walking the leadoff batter, retired the next three batters to keep New Milford off the board.

In the bottom of the inning successive singles by Kost and O’Brien, and a walk to Hebner loaded the bases. After the second out was recorded it looked as if New Milford would escape unscathed. Adam Bergeron had other plans. Although behind on the count 1-2, Bergeron ripped a line drive down the left field line for a double knocking in two runs.

New Milford threatened in the second inning. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, Thomas Dellafield hit a hard ground ball toward second. Barrett deflected the ball, snagged it with his bare hand, and threw to first for the out to help Newtown out of trouble.

The stage was now set for the Thunder to take control. In the third O’Brien and Hebner both walked and, on a double steal attempt, Bergeron hit a hard grounder to third and O’Brien avoided the tag to load the bases. Harrison then knocked in two more with a perfectly-placed hit over the second basemen’s head.

The Thunder defense took over from there as the team stopped two rallies with Harrison throwing out a runner at second and Dieckman picking off a runner off first. Newtown sealed the deal in the fifth inning by adding three runs on RBIs from Olson, Champagne and Will Huegi.

Newtown was scheduled to play in the winners bracket final against the team it defeated in the state title game, New Canaan, on Wednesday night (after The Bee sports section went to press).

Heading into Wednesday’s action, there were four teams still in contention for the New England title in this double elimination tournament. Three of them are Connecticut teams. The Thunder, New Canaan, and New Milford. Exeter New Hampshire was the fourth team still alive. The championship game is scheduled for Friday, August 12, at 3 pm.