By Kim J. Harmon

Even though they had breathed outside air for just a couple of days, even though they got displaced from their natural home field, and even though the grounds crew inadvertently lined the wrong pitching rubber on their new home field, the Lady Nighthawks were not troubled at all.

So when the 2003 softball season opened – finally! – on Monday afternoon at Dickinson Park, they hit.

And hit.

And hit some more in a 12-0 win over Weston.

Okay, the ‘Hawks did not collect a bunch of hits – just eight all told – but the hits they did collect were timely. Brittany Hutchison had a pair of run-scoring singles, freshman Ashley Ferris had a run-scoring triple, Erin Murdoch had a run-scoring double and Christina Wolf – in her first at bat – lashed a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Wow.

The only unfortunate thing about the offensive outburst was the way it overshadowed a pretty commanding performance by pitcher Lisa Morgan, who allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out eight batters.

After the ‘Hawks set down the Lady Trojans in order in the top of the first, they wasted little time in putting a run on the board. Trina Ramsdell earned a walk to lead off the inning and moved to second on a ground out by Megan LaFlamme. After Murdoch popped out and Ferris walked, Hutchison cracked a single to drive Ramsdell home.

There was little damage done in the second by either team (unless one counts the two-out, two-strike double by Weston in the top of the frame), but in the bottom of the third the Lady Nighthawks did quite a bit of damage.

Ramsdell earned another leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by LaFlamme. Murdoch then cracked a double to score Ramsdell and subsequently scored on a triple by Ferris. Hutchison singled in another run, Nicole Mangarella walked, and Morgan drove in a run on an infield ground out.

The ‘Hawks led 5-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, with Murdoch on first and Ramsdell on third, the ‘Hawks pulled off a delayed steal with Murdoch drawing the throw at second and Ramsdell scampering home with the sixth run of the game.

Then in the bottom of the fifth, the ‘Hawks put the game away.

Hutchison walked and advanced to second on a single by Mangarella. Hutchison then stole third (using an unorthodox slide and taking advantage of a bad tag) but the ‘Hawks loaded the bases when Jaclyn Van Waalwijk earned a walk in her first plate appearance. Stacy Gordon and Ramsdell both earned RBI walks and then Wolf – in her first plate appearance – cleared the bases with a double.

The ‘Hawks added a run in the bottom of the sixth to put the finishing touches on the first win of the season.

Newtown hosted New Milford on Wednesday (after press time) and was scheduled to travel to Milford on Thursday to battle Jonathan Law. Next week, the ‘Hawks will host Lauralton Hall on Monday and travel to Fairfield to battle Notre Dame on Wednesday.