Didn’t anyone tell you never to play with fire?

Going into the last game of Pool A play down 0-2, both the Davenport and the Newtown Little Leaguers knew their time competing at South Williamsport in 2005 was coming to an end.

But neither team knew it would end like this.

Newtown’s Blaise Lezynski lit up Davenport Monday night at Howard J. Lamade Stadium, going 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs and four RBI. Lezynski carried his team to a 15-0 mercy-rule win that ended after three and half innings.

“There was no pressure on us,” Lezynski said. “And sure enough, we left Little League with an A+.”

Davenport manager Jeff Mallonee, who was unavailable for comment after the game, gave pitcher Eric Weiman the nod to start his team’s last Series game. With a 0.00 ERA in one inning of work prior to Monday night’s 8 p.m. start, Weiman’s perfect ERA didn’t last long.

After being outscored 10-2 in their first two Series games, the Newtown sluggers decided it was time to heat up the batter’s box.

“It’s really about the journey for these guys,” Newtown manager Bill Hartley said. “And it seems like they saved it all for tonight.”

First baseman Greg Guers led off the bottom of the first with a homer that skirted just over the right field wall. The next batter, catcher Dave Pine, then drew the first of five Newtown walks to set up the first of three Lezynski homers.

Iowa gave up three walks and three home runs – to right, left and center – before Weiman was relieved by center fielder Chase Pfab.

Keith Terry, Pfab’s first batter, came to the plate in the same fashion as three of his teammates – swinging for the fences. Terry almost notched the fourth home run of the inning, but instead hit a deep fly out to right field.

Pfab hit the next two batters with pitches before returning to the top of Newtown’s order for the final two outs of the inning.

The bats continued to heat up in the second, when Lezynski ripped a double to lead off the inning. The third baseman stole third two batters later, putting a runner on the corner and two out for teammate Jimmy McDade. The shortstop’s double down the third-base line rocketed into the corner to easily score Lezynski.

“Me and Keith talked a little bit about it tonight,” said Hartley, “and we didn’t want to go 0-3.”

In an attempt to pick McDade off the bag at second, catcher Austin Smith then overthrew second baseman Spencer Mallonee, giving McDade third on the error. But it wouldn’t matter, because Terry took one look at Pfab and launched one over the left field fence.

Pfab got out of the three-run inning by striking out left fielder Darren Lauer, who had been hit by a Pfab pitch an inning earlier.

Hartley elected to put Terry, who started Game One, on the mound to pitch against the Midwest champions. Walks by both pitchers were plentiful through the third, as Terry walked four and struck out six.

Dave Pine’s RBI triple in the bottom of the third brought Michael Festa across the plate with one out. Now down 9-0, Pfab hurled one at the head of Lezynski, who lit up the pitcher for his second home run – the sixth of the game – on the very next pitch. Lezynski’s homer was stopped only by the chainlink fence in left center field.

“After the first two loses, we felt we hadn’t accomplished what we could,” said center fielder Ben Parker, who hit one of the game’s six home runs. “We did it how we wanted it to be [tonight].”

Terry returned to the mound up 16-0 to complete his four inning no-hitter in front of Lamade’s 10,300 spectators. The Newtown pitcher, who had a 10.50 ERA entering the game, fanned pinch hitter Luke Rodriguez before getting a ground out and a fly out from T.J. Meyer and Ryan Cartee, respectively to end the game.

“My arm felt good and I had my stuff tonight,” Terry said. “It just happened to be a no-hitter. It’s gonna be a really good memory for us, that we did good in out last Little League game.”

Game Photos