Perhaps the Newtown Reds’ high-powered offense should be compared with the Cincinnati Reds’ legendary Big Red Machine of the 1970s. After all, the Newtown squad won its ninth straight game last Sunday, demolishing Southbury, 19-7, at Rochambeau Field in Southbury.

Mike Scharfenberg led the 15-hit Newtown onslaught with the first five-hit game of his career. Scharfenberg, who also knocked in three runs, is on a red-hot tear with eight hits and two walks in his last 10 at-bats.

Kyle Wilcox smacked three hits and Harrison Snellback, Jon Hull and Riley Wurtz each had two hits. One of Hull’s hits was a double over the left fielder’s head, driving in Wurtz with the first run during a nine-run first-inning explosion.

Ben Stoller knocked in three runs.

Reds pitchers John Lebinski, Ryan Daignault and Scharfenberg each threw a shutout inning. The trio, along with Hull and Wilcox, limited Southbury to four hits in six innings. The game was called after six innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

The Reds’ defense turned one double play when second baseman Wurtz grabbed a popup and threw to first baseman Stoller to catch a Southbury runner who strayed off first base.

The win boosted the Reds’ record to 11-3-1 … quite a feat for a team that started off the season at 2-3-1.