Newtown Warriors Win I-84 League Championship

 The Newtown Warriors (15u), who motored into the single-elimination playoffs with six consecutive victories, capped an improbable run in the I-84 Travel League with back-to-back road wins over two of the league's elite teams to win both division and league titles.

It was the first time in the league's three year history that a Newtown team was crowned champion.

Newtown grabbed the West Division championship with a come-from-behind 7-5 win over first-place Stamford on July 30 and then the following morning, capped its memorable season with a 2-0 upset over New Milford to win the league crown.

"We didn't really know what to expect, but we knew that we had a good team and we knew that we had good competition, and we just needed to stick together," said pitcher Colton Sposta, who tossed three complete games in the season's final two weeks. "We ended up winning the championship, so that was a great feeling."

Considering the uneasiness that surrounded the program just months ago, the unprecedented achievement was a sweet reward for Newtown (18-9-1). Warriors coach Warren Spencer, who is also commissioner of the league's 15u division, said that before the season, many players left to play for independent teams.

"When we started the season, we weren't sure that we would be able to put together a competitive team that could really compete at a high level," he said. "But the chemistry and camaraderie of the team just came together."

Newtown was a mediocre 9-9-1 after 19 games, but coaches and players circled a 6-5 loss in extra innings at Stamford on July 10, as the day the season turned for the better.

The Warriors rallied back against the division's top team, sending the back-and-forth affair into the ninth inning. But then, as Newtown catcher Brock Chimileski slid into home with what appeared to be the go-ahead run on a single by John Lebinski, the umpire called Chimileski out. Stamford later plated the winning run in the bottom of the inning.

"That Stamford game, we really bonded as a team," said coach Gary Stoller. "We were sure we scored, we thought the ump missed the call and the kids were really down, but they just really came together in that Stamford loss. It was a totally different team after that loss."

Over the season's final nine games, in which the team went undefeated, the players entered the games "with a feeling like they couldn't lose," said Spencer.

The team repeatedly rallied back from deficits and the entire roster contributed.

"Every single game, there was one or another kid (who) would be the hero," Spencer said. "There were 12 kids active and in any given game in that last nine, one of those 12 had a major role. It really was a true team effort."

The Warriors were resilient, which they proved with late-inning heroics during the playoffs.

Down to their final strike and on the brink of elimination in the West Division Championship game against Stamford, Spencer remained confident that his team had another dramatic comeback in its repertoire.

"I still felt like something could happen to turn around the game," Spencer said. "I never really felt that this team was out at any point in time."

Newtown trailed 2-0 to the I-84 League juggernaut, but as one of the team's leading hitters, Austin Ekstrom (.314 batting average), faced a 3-2 count with the bases empty, words of encouragement echoed from a few feet away.

"Everyone was literally standing outside the dugout, almost on the field, screaming for our batter," said first baseman Ben Stoller, who led the team with 23 RBI during the year.

And just as it had done time and again during its winning streak, Newtown, with its "refuse to lose" mantra, quickly fought back.

Ekstrom drew a walk to keep Newtown's slim hopes alive, and as Sposta, who represented the game's tying run, stepped to the plate next, the Warriors got just the break they needed.

Sposta hit a ground ball to the third baseman, which was fielded cleanly but thrown wide of first base. As both runners raced around the bases, the next throw sailed out of play over the catcher's head, enabling Sposta to walk home with the tying run.

The next inning, Newtown's Alex Romeo drew a leadoff walk and later scored the decisive winning run on a wild pitch.

Sposta helped Newtown complete the memorable weekend less than 24 hours later, as he pitched a complete game in a 2-0 victory over New Milford.

Immediately after the final out was recorded, the players dumped a bucket of water over Gary Stoller's head and congratulated each other on the field, before taking pictures in front of the scoreboard at New Milford's Volunteer Field.

"I think it's a lifetime memory they created," said Stoller. "I think it's going to mean a lot more to them when they're 30 or 35 (years old), looking back and saying, 'Hey, remember that summer of 2010, we won the championship.' I think it will mean a lot to them."

Warriors Team Leaders:

Batting Average: Brandon Cooper .403 

Hits: Eric Sutton 29

Doubles: Lebinski 6

Triples: Stoller 2, Sutton 2

Home runs: Lebinski 1

Runs scored: Stoller 28

RBI: Stoller 23

On-base percentage: Cooper .553

Walks: Cooper 20

Stolen Bases: Stoller 42

Innings pitched: Sposta 49.33

Earned run average: Sposta 3.28

Fewest Walks: Sposta 22

Strikeouts: Ekstrom 54