Warwick Continental Little League’s 12-year-old all-stars were quiet for their first two innings against Narragansett on Monday. They got a lot louder over the final two frames.

Continental exploded for seven runs in the third inning and tacked on four more with a grand slam in the fourth to defeat Narragansett, 11-0, and advance in the Major Division winners’ bracket.

“It was a nail-biter for a little while there,” Continental manager Al Mann said. “They got the first hit and we couldn’t get on the board. But we went to playing some small-ball in the third and it worked out.”

It wasn’t entirely small-ball. Jimmy Meizoso came up with a two-run double to break the game open and pitcher Max Lupovitz seemed to put it out of reach with a three-run blast later in the third. Lupovitz held Narragansett scoreless in the fourth and, when Continental’s offense came up again, Warwick finished the job as Tyler Ekroft crushed a walk-off grand slam.

“We really came alive in the third and fourth innings,” Mann said. “We played small-ball for a while and then our bats took over. This is a different type of team than we’ve had in the past. We have speed and we play good defense, but we don’t have the same power. We did today though.”

Lupovitz picked up the shutout victory for Continental and it just the tip of the team’s pitching iceberg. Mann has five players he expects to get significant work on the mound including Ekroft, Meizoso, Tyler Davey and closer Ryan Rotondo. And, of the five, Lupovitz was the one Mann was least sure about heading into the all-star season.

“I was a little apprehensive about Lupovitz because I had him during the regular season and he was a little wild,” Mann said. “But he pitched a great game for us. He only needed 47 pitches to get through four innings and he fielded his position well. He was right on.”

The team will feature Rotondo at shortstop, E.J. Nygren in center, Joe DeGiulio behind the plate, Ekroft in left, Meizoso at third, Davey at first, Zach Bacon at second and Jack Sullivan in right. Nate Duffney, David Cusack, Zack Azeredo and Joe Christensen will all play in reserve roles.

“Defense and speed are our strengths, but it’s all going to come down to execution,” Mann said. “We have to execute. We have to play like we practice. We have a deep pitching staff and a lot of potential.”

Mann compared this year’s team to Continental’s 2004 club, which advanced to the state championship through the winners’ bracket. Continental is also coming a District 3 Championship in 2008 and, while none of this year’s players were on that squad, they are still the team to beat.

“It’s going to be a tough road and there are a lot of good teams,” Mann said. “And we’re defending champs, so everyone will be coming after us. That’s why it was so good to get this win. It sets the tone. You could see them loosen up once we took the lead and they got more confident as the game went on. We need to keep that up.”

Continental will travel to Warwick West Side tonight at 5:30 p.m. for an intra-city rivalry game. West Side won its tournament opener, 5-2, over South Kingstown American.