BETHEL – No one should underestimate the power of the lucky dugout.

The Newtown 9-year-old All Stars realize that after the lucky dugout – and, truthfully, all those hits they banged out in the final two wins – propelled them to the Bethel Al Leonard Memorial Tournament championship.

Coming out of the loser’s bracket, Newtown defeated Bethel, 10-4, in the first of two possible championship round games, setting the stage for the winner-take-all finale on Monday, June 24. And with it being so plainly obvious that the winner of the previous two meetings between the teams had sat along the first base side, some Newtown parents hustled to the game three hours before to stake claim to the lucky dugout.

It worked.

Newtown defeated Bethel, 11-7, to win the tournament title.

Oh, sure, some will point to Ryan Schmidt (2-for-3, 3 RBI), Brandon Rosenberger (3-for-3, 2 runs scored), Sean Maher (2-for-3, 2 RBI), Mikey Tobin (single, 2 runs scored) and then Bryan Czel, Daniel Lynch and Johnny Fracker (fine defensive plays) as the real reason that Newtown won.

But it had to be the dugout.

After an opening round win over Danbury (8-0) in which Rosenberger, Roman and Lynch combined on a six-hit shutout and Fracker (two RBI), Lynch and Tobin (4 SB, 2 runs scored) sparked the offense, Newtown dropped a 6-0 decision to Bethel. The locals managed just three hits – coming from Lynch, Hoffman and Tobin.

Newtown rebounded, though.

First came a 12-2 win over Beth-Wood. Hoffman (2-for-2, 4 RBI), Roman (2-for-2, 2 RBI), Rosenberger (2-for-2, 2 RBI), Lynch (2-for-2, 3 runs scored) and Sean Kennedy (triple, run scored) led the Newtown offense. Lynch also turned in an outstanding defensive play with a diving stop at shortstop – after Beth-Wood had loaded the bases in the third inning – and saved at least two runs.

Next came an 8-3 win over New Fairfield. Kennedy led the attack with a single, double and 2 RBI and Lynch and Roman each went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Krewson and Alex Nordstrom each added a base hit and an RBI and Schmidt doubled and scored to help seal the win. The defense was again led by Lynch, who made a diving catch of a line drive to kill another potential rally.

And the game that vaulted Newtown into the championship round was a tough, 4-1, win over Southbury. Timely hitting by Czel (single, 2 RBI), Nordstrom (single, run scored) and Krewson (single, run scored) highlighted the day for Newtown. The pitching duties were split between Lynch, Roman and Rosenberger and the three combined for seven strikeouts.

At press time, Newtown was setting it sights on the District 4 Tournament championship and then will be hosting the Babe Ruth State Tournament (starting Saturday, July 13) at Glander Field on the Fairfield Hills campus.