There was no shortage of offense for Newtown High School's baseball team at the end of April. Coming off a 9-6 loss to Immaculate of Danbury on April 26, and a 10-6 victory over New Milford two days later, in a pair of home contests, the Nighthawks closed out the month by blanking host Joel Barlow of Redding 11-0 in a five-inning mercy-rule contest, on April 30.

The Nighthawks entered into May with an overall record of 8-4 and a 4-1 mark in South-West Conference play. They visited New Fairfield on May 1.

"We're getting a bunch of runs which is good. We have a potent offense," Newtown Coach Ian Thoesen said after the win over Barlow.

Thoesen said that, after his team's ten-run performance against New Milford, several Nighthawks took advantage of the earlier-afternoon game and sunshine to take some extra batting practice.

"They just want to get better and they're hungry," Thoesen said.

Against Immaculate, a team that began May with nine wins, Newtown compiled a dozen hits but was unraveled by four errors, ten walks, and a pair of hit batsmen which led to five unearned runs.

Todd Petersen and Luke Melillo both had three hits. Josh Taylor and Ben Harrison each collected two hits and two runs batted in. Petersen and Eugene Citrano added RBIs. Harrison, Melillo, and Petersen all doubled in the Immaculate game.

In the win over New Milford, the Nighthawks made use of patience and singles - eight walks and nine hits, all of which were singles - along with a pair of Green Wave errors, which led to three unearned runs.

Harrison, Citrano, and Rob Murray each had two hits. Melillo had a hit and three runs batted in, and Michael Cotton had a hit and two RBI.

Kyle Roche pitched 6-2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out eight. New Milford managed a trio of unearned runs as the Hawks had four errors. Orlando Swift pitched the final third of an inning, allowing a hit, and ending the game with a strikeout.

New Milford is one of the better teams, having posted an 8-3 mark in April.

"It was a nice win for the program; a nice win for the team," Thoesen said of the victory over the Green Wave.

In the 11-0 whitewashing of the Falcons, pitching was the bigger story. Newtown managed just six hits - albeit some timely knocks - and worked eight walks en route to the triumph.

Starting pitcher Swift allowed one hit and struck out eight batters in three innings of work, and Sam Smith also yielded just one hit, fanned three, and walked one in two innings on the hill. Thoesen noted that limiting Swift to just 40 pitches enables the hurler, due to pitch count regulations implemented to prevent injuries, to remain available this week. Because of makeup games necessitated by bad weather earlier in the season, the Barlow game was the first of four scheduled to be played in as many days this week.

Thoesen said both Swift and Smith were stellar in the roles against the Falcons. "That's what we needed," Thoesen said of Smith's solid relief effort following up Swift's superb start.

The offense was highlighted by a four spot in the opening frame and three runs each in the subsequent innings, along with a run in the fifth.

Murray and Petersen both had doubles. Citrano had a hit and two runs batted in. Harrison and Harry Eppers both had a hit and RBI, and Petersen, Harrison, and Melillo each scored a pair of runs.