By Kim J. Harmon

A tough loss to Masuk (softball), an impressive win over Mercy (girls’ lacrosse), another win over Pomperaug (baseball) – oh, spring break at Newtown High School certainly had its moments (good and bad).

Yes, while the softball team fell to Masuk for the second time this year and dropped to 3-2, the now 3-1 girls’ lacrosse team was fashioning a strong win (possibly the first ever) over Mercy of Middletown and the baseball team was pushing its record to 4-4 and all of it – yes, all of it – was happening under sunny April skies.

Here it is:

Resourcefulness – sometimes that, more than pitching and more than hitting, is the key to winning in softball.

The Newtown High School softball team was resourceful in the first inning on Monday and took a 2-0 lead in its much-ballyhooed rematch with Masuk. And the Pantherettes were resourceful in the eighth inning and won the game.

The score was tied 2-2 and Newtown pitcher Lisa Morgan had – to that point – allowed just three hits while striking out 11 batters. But she was also having a little trouble with control, having walked six.

And a one-out walk in the top of the eighth proved her undoing.

Morgan issued a walk to Brittany Tartaglia, who soon stole second and moved to third on an infield single by Caulfield. Newtown second baseman Christina Wolf made a brilliant diving stop on the hit, preventing Tartaglia from scoring the go-ahead run.

But Tartaglia eventually scored on a wild pitch, which moved Caulfield to third. And when Brooke Larson bunted a ball back to Morgan, the pitcher attempted to get the runner leaning off third … except Caulfield was quick down the line and able to beat the throw home for the second Masuk run of the inning.

Morgan settled down and whiffed two batters to stop the threat.

But the damage had been done.

Trina Ramsdell singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Masuk pitcher Kelly Larson was able to set down Megan LaFlamme, Wolf and Ashley Ferris on infield grounders to win the game.

“Two bunts,” said head coach Jay Edward. “That’s what it came down to.”

After suffering a 1-0 loss to Masuk a week ago (losing in circumstances similar to what happened on Monday), the Lady Nighthawks were looking forward to a rematch and in the bottom of the first seemed prepared to take charge.

And it was all about resourcefulness. LaFlamme singled and moved to second on an infield single by Wolf. After the bases were loaded when Ferris was plunked with a pitch, LaFlamme – on an infield fly popout by Erin Murdoch that was lost in the sun – scored the first run of the game. Wolf moved to third and scored when the umpire had ruled Larson threw an illegal pitch.

That was about all the excitement the ‘Hawks could muster, though. They managed base runners in only four of the next seven innings and never more than one at a time. Meanwhile, the Pantherettes tied the game in the top of the third with the aid of a walk and the hardest hit – a triple by Tartaglia – that Morgan has allowed all season.

The loss dropped the ‘Hawks to 3-2 overall, 1-1 in the South-West Conference and came after a doubleheader shellacking of Weston on Saturday night at Treadwell Park.

The ‘Hawks rolled to 16-0 and 19-0 wins in which they collected a total of 27 hits. LaFlamme was 6-for-10 on the night with seven runs scored while Ramsdell was 4-for-7 with five runs scored. Ferris went 3-for-7 on the night with a double, triple and two runs scored and Wolf went 3-for-4 with a double, four walks, and four runs scored.

Annie Grills saw her first varsity action in the first win, going 3-for-3 with a double. Emily Blewett and Morgan also collected three hits apiece while Sammie Ciaccia and Stacey Gordon banged out a couple of hits apiece.

Morgan was, of course, razor sharp on the mound while allowed just three hits on the night. In the two games, she fanned 21 batters while walking only four.

The ‘Hawks took on Pomperaug on Wednesday (after press time) and will travel to Danbury on Friday to take on Immaculate. The girls will host Notre Dame on Monday under the lights at Treadwell Park (first pitch: 7 pm) before traveling to Milford on Wednesday to battle Lauralton Hall.

                                   R       H       E

Weston                       0        1       5

Newtown                 16      13       0

Batteries: Weston – Ava DiApice and Kate Meyer. Newtown – Lisa Morgan and Ashley Ferris. WP: Morgan (2-1); LP: DiApice. SO: Newtown – Morgan 12; Weston – DiApice 1. BB: Newtown – Morgan 1; Weston – DiApice 7. Extra Bases: Newtown – Annie Grills (2B), Ashley Ferris (3B).

 

                                   R       H       E

Weston                       0        2       4

Newtown                 19      14       0

Batteries: Newtown – Morgan and Ferris; Weston – Laura Joseph and Meyer. WP: Morgan (3-1); LP: Joseph. SO: Newtown – Morgan 9; Weston – Joseph 2. BB: Newtown – Morgan 3; Weston – Joseph 9. Extra Bases: Newtown – Wolf (2B), Ferris (2B).

 

                                   R       H       E

Masuk                         4        4       2

Newtown                   2        5       1

Batteries: Masuk – Kelly Larson and Brooke Larson; Newtown – Lisa Morgan and Ashley Ferris. WP: Larson; LP: Morgan (3-2). SO: Masuk – Larson 5; Newtown – Morgan 13.. BB: Masuk – Larson  1, Morgan 7. Extra Bases: Masuk – Tartaglia (3B).

A fitful start to the 2004 season (a loss to the top team in the South-West Conference and then a rain out) did not prevent the Newtown High School girls’ tennis team from putting together a couple of impressive wins last week.

Easy 6-1 wins over Bunnell and New Fairfield last Thursday and Friday put the Lady Nighthawks at 2-1.

But as easy as it looked, the ‘Hawks learned a little something about perseverance. In the win over Bunnell, the ‘Hawks had to suffer through the wind, the shoddy court conditions, and a vocal Stratford crowd. In the win over New Fairfield, they had to suffer through the absences of some key players.

“We had a good match against Bunnell,” said head coach Jean Kunkel. “The wind was a definite factor, three out of four courts were either missing or had broken center straps on the nets, and a very vocal home town crowd made the atmosphere trying for the girls.”

Brittany Meier took the only loss on the afternoon (6-2, 6-2), but battled a top-notch opponent in Dina Cyfeku, who displayed a strong first serve and a punishing slice. Meier was in just about every point, but was unable to string enough winners together to get a set.

Lauren Nemeth and Tara Ryan took care of business at No. 2 and No. 3 singles and Michelle Serock finished things off at No. 4 singles.

Nemeth defeated Allison Faustini 6-1, 6-3. According to coach Kunkel, patience during some long rallies was a key for Nemeth, who really showcased her game. Ryan, who defeated Amanda Panitowski 6-1, 6-1, was consistent and limited her unforced errors. A tough serve and nice pace helped carry her through. And Serock battled through the toughest match of the afternoon, using some mental discipline to avoid distraction and defeat Vasilika Cyfeku 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

The duo of Kim Allen and Jill Tanner made short work (6-1, 6-0) of Allison Orpilla and Erica Lecount at No. 1 doubles while Emily Fields and Ashley Gabor persevered through a 6-3, 6-4 win over Kristin Gayda and Katie Petrella at No. 2 doubles.

“Our first two doubles teams are really coming into their own,” said coach Kunkel. “Both are very aggressive at the net and yield few second opportunities. I like the way these athletic teams cover the court and poach at the net. I expect great things from these two doubles teams.”

With the light waning and the overall match already decided, Sarah Salbu and Stephanie Corleto worked through a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over AnneMarie Kennedy and Amanda Greene to finish off the Lady Bulldogs.

A day later, with spring break staring them in the face, the ‘Hawks hosted New Fairfield without a few key players on the court. Serock moved up to No. 2 singles to take over for Nemeth, Sarah Salbu moved up to No. 3 singles to take over for Ryan, and Kristene Salbu moved up to No. 4 singles to take over for Serock.

All the juggling, though, didn’t stop the ‘Hawks from capturing the win.

Meier earned the 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles while Serock earned a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win over Angela Nastasia at No. 2 singles. Sarah and Kristene Salbu were easy winners over Steph Prager and Arienne Helik at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively.

“Michelle had a great match playing number two, with thrilling points,” said coach Kunkel. “And Sarah and Kristene were very promising in their singles debuts.”

The No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams of Tanner/Allen and Fields/Gabor once again dominated with straight set wins (6-1, 6-1 for Tanner/Allen and 6-1, 6-0 for Field/Gabor) while Christina Elsenhans and Corleto had to work through a 6-3, 1-6, 11-9 match for the win.

The ‘Hawks will return to the court on Monday against Notre Dame and then will face Weston at Doubleday Park in Westport on Wednesday and Stratford (in Stratford) on Thursday.

There used to be a time when that long trip to meet Mercy High School of Middletown was a no-win situation for the Newtown High School girls’ lacrosse team.

Not on Tuesday, though.

Meg Regnery scored five goals and Kelly Collier added three as the Lady Nighthawks rallied back from a 5-4 halftime deficit to capture a 10-6 win. That victory – coupled with a 20-5 shellacking of Lauralton Hall last week – helped the ‘Hawks improve to 3-1 overall, 2-0 in the South-West Conference.

“It’s a great win,” said head coach Sara Strait. “Everyone played hard and – since we’re down players because of vacation – playing in positions they don’t normally play in. They adjusted well and our attack started to play well.”

It was a long ride for the ‘Hawks, made even longer by the fact that I-84 was a parking lot. The girls didn’t not even arrive in Middletown until 4 pm, a half hour after the game was scheduled to start, and were only afforded a very short warm up.

But they made it work.

Heidi Ekstrom and Karli Beitel also scored in the win while Ekstrom, Kim Solheim and Lindsay Coyle all registered assists. Kerrie Canavan took over in the cage and made 11 saves to secure the win for the Nighthawks.

While that win had some excitement to it, the win over Lauralton Hall was a ho-hum affair. The ‘Hawks scored early and often last Thursday with Regnery scoring six goals, Beitel adding five, Ekstrom chipping in with four and Collier adding two. Coyle, Kate Fenton and Casey Frobey also scored.

The ‘Hawks unleashed 37 shots on the cage.

The ‘Hawks hosted Notre Dame on Thursday at Blue & Gold Stadium and now will visit Trumbull on Tuesday, April 27, for a 7 pm contest. The girls will return home on Thursday, April 29, to host New Milford at Blue & Gold Stadium.

                                    1        2       T

Newtown                   4        6     10

Mercy                         5        1       6

GOALS: Newtown – Meg Regnery 5, Kelly Collier 3, Heidi Ekstrom, Karli Beitel; Mercy – Lanaya Nelson 2, Jill Boyce, Michelle Mazzotta, Eileen Finn, Cassidy Barry. ASSISTS: Newtown – Kim Solheim, Lindsay Coyle, Ekstrom; Mercy – Nelson, Julia Guire. SAVES: Newtown – Kerrie Canavan 11; Mercy – Resler 6.

 

                                    1        2       T

Lauralton Hall            2        3       5

Newtown                 11        9     20

GOALS: Newtown – Meg  Regnery 6, Karli Beitel 5, Heidi Ekstrom 4, Kelly Collier 2, Lindsey Coyle 1, Kate Fenton 1, Casey Frobey 1;. Lauralton Hall – Tara  Brennan 2, Megan Hennesey 1, Rebecca Batey 1, Marissa Cingaro 1. ASSISTS: Newtown – Jessica  Budnick, Lindsay Coyle, Kate Fenton, Heidi Ekstrom 2. SHOTS: Newtown  37, Lauralton Hall 7. SAVES: Newtown - Carrie Kerrie Canavan (N) 1, and Jenny Urfer (N) 1; Lauralton Hall –. Kathleen  Flaherty (LH) 12.

The Newtown High School baseball team has been floating on some choppy seas early in the 2004 season – a couple of wins followed by a couple of losses followed by a win followed by a couple more losses followed by another win.

But at least the ship was at an even keel on Tuesday after the Nighthawks defeated Pomperaug, 10-4, to put them at 4-4 overall, 1-2 in the South-West Conference.

Sophomore pitcher Steve Marks recorded his first varsity win, a complete-game effort in which he scattered seven hits, walked three and struck out three. He helped his own cause, too, by stroking a double and driving in a run.

“Marks took charge,” said head coach Carl Strait. “He was economical, led us in between innings, and stepped up to help his cause with the stick. It was a nice first varsity win.”

Matt Myslewski paced the offense by going 3-for-5 with a pair of triples and two RBI. Mike Tibbetts broke out of a short slump with two hits in three trips to the plate, driving in a run. Nick Magoulas drove in a pair of runs while Pat McCarthy and Peter Oggeri drove in runs.

The ‘Hawks scored the opening salvo in the top of the first inning, with Tibbetts leading off with a free pass. Steve Vichiola sacrificed him to second and then Tibbetts scored on an RBI-single by McCarthy.

Pomperaug took the lead, though, in the bottom of the second inning. A single and two Newtown errors led to the first run. Another single and another error and all of a sudden the ‘Hawks were down by two.

They got a run back in the top of the third after Myslewski belted his first triple. In the top of the fourth, the ‘Hawks evened the score when Oggeri singled, stole second, advanced to third on an infield grounder by Joe DeVellis and scored on a Tibbetts RBI-single.

And then the ‘Hawks went ahead – for good.

Marks set down Pomperaug in the bottom of the fourth on just eight pitches and then, in the top of the fifth, McCarthy walked and stole second and advanced to third on a Pomperaug error which put Magoulas on first. Marks then smacked a double to put the ‘Hawks ahead, 4-3.

But it was white-knuckle time in the bottom of the fifth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs, but Marks battled his way, forcing two batters to pop out to short and the last to ground out to second.

The ‘Hawks put the game away in the top of the sixth, sending 11 men to the plate and scoring six runs on a two-run triple by Myslewski, and RBI-single by Marks, and a two-run single by Tibbetts. A Pomperaug error also helped.

The Panthers did reach Marks for a fourth run in the bottom of the sixth, with a single and a double, but the sophomore settled down and finished off the win.

In an 8-2 win over Brookfield last week, Alex Dolan fired a complete-game four-hitter, walking three and striking out 12. Oggeri doubled and drove in three runs while Myslewski doubled and Marks drove in a pair of runs. Tibbetts and Brian Shimko also contributed RBI hits.

Sandwiched between those two wins, though, were an 8-0 loss to Weston and a 7-3 loss to Masuk. The ‘Hawks collected just four hits in each game. The only real bright spot was Myslewski’s home run – his second of the year – in the loss to Masuk.

The ‘Hawks will visit Immaculate on Friday and Notre Dame on Monday before returning home next Wednesday for a non-league matchup with Joel Barlow.

                                   R       H       E

Newtown                 10      12       4

Pomperaug                 4        7       3

Batteries: Newtown – Steve Marks and Peter Oggeri; Pomperaug – Matt Mahony, Mike Caleca (5), Justin Mathews (6), Alex Larosa (6) and Ted Lavoie. WP: Marks (1-0). LP: Mahony (0-2). SO: Newtown – Marks 3; Pomperaug – Mahony 4. BB: Newtown – Marks 3; Pomperaug – Mahony 2, Caleca 1, Matthews 2. RBI: Newtown – Nick Magoulas 2, Myslewski 2, Mike Tibbetts, Marks, Oggeri; Pomperaug – Paul Mastrantuo 2, Melillo. Extra Bases: Newtown – Marks (2B), Myslewski (3B) 2; Pomperaug – Joe Melillo (2B).

 

                                   R       H       E

Newtown                   8      10       2

Brookfield                   2        4       2

Batteries: Newtown – Alex Dolan and Pete Oggeri; Brookfield – John Lally, Jack Mitten (4), Billy Thompson (6) and Mike Palo. WP: Dolan (1-0). LP: Lally (1-1). SO: Newtown – Dolan 12; Brookfield –  Lally 1, Mitten 1, Thompson 2. BB: Newtown – Dolan 3; Brookfield – Lally 1, Mitten 2, Thompson 1. HBP: Brookfield – Mitten 1, Thompson 1. Extra Bases: Newtown – Matt Myslewski (2B), Oggeri (2B). RBI: Newtown – Oggeri 3, Michael Tibbetts, Steve Marks 2, Brian Shimko; Brookfield – Mitten, Chris Val.

And the freshmen shall lead them.

With a 6-4, 6-4 win over Sal Aurelia and Evan Santoro, a couple of freshmen – Wes Boisvert and Ben Wicki, in their first complete match as a doubles duo – led the Newtown High School boys’ tennis team to a 5-2 win over Bunnell last week.

With the four singles matches split evenly, the Nighthawks looked to their doubles contingent to take care of business. Tyler Hull and Jim Wilkins registered a 7-5, 6-0 win over Emmett Garber and Matt Miller at No. 2 doubles to give the ‘Hawks a 3-2 lead, allowing Boisvert and Wicki to clinch the match at No. 3 doubles.

Max Margulies and Bruno Moura put the finishing touches on the win with a grueling 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) win over Matt Dinikanian and Brian Fielding at No. 1 doubles.

“Our doubles players came up big for us,” said coach Marty Margulies.

The win – coupled with a 7-0 sweep of New Fairfield on Friday – boosted the ‘Hawks to 3-1 on the year.

In the win over Bunnell, the doubles did come up big … but, then, so did Drew Adamek at No. 3 singles. He outlasted Dave Howard 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to secure a crucial win for the ‘Hawks.

“Drew was impressive at third singles,” said coach Margulies, “hanging on to outlast a tough, tenacious opponent. I told him before the third set that the more focused and patient player would prevail, and that he should make sure it was he and not the other guy. He did. I was pleased, too, with the performance of the other singles players. Even the ones who lost put up a tenacious fight.”

Matt McFadden earned a 6-3, 6-1 straight set win over Frank Poniatowski at No. 1 singles for Newtown’s only other singles win. Jason Garbarino was topped 0-6, 7-5, 6-1 at No. 2 singles by Josh Holloman while Chris Meier was bested 6-3, 6-4 by Matt Lance at No. 4 singles.

The following day, the ‘Hawks were without their top two singles players, McFadden and Garbarino, who were off on a school band trip to Austria. But the ‘Hawks were bolstered with the return of junior Chris Martin, who stepped in at No. 1 singles and swept Nick Kalinka 6-4, 6-4 to lead the ‘Hawks towards a 7-0 win.

Adamek defeated John Librie 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles while Meier beat Jeff D’Angelo 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles. Margulies moved up to No. 4 singles and secured a 6-4, 6-3 win over Mansur Toukmoline.

“We were handicapped by the absences of our top two singles players,” said coach Margulies, “but we were bolstered by the return of junior Chris Martin, who – playing varsity singles for the first time – overcame a difficult opponent in a close, well-played match at the No. 1 spot. Max Margulies, normally a doubles player, also played his first-ever singles match and rose to the challenge by beating a patient and consistent player by being even more patient and consistent, which is exactly what I’ve been telling our guys to do.”

Coach Margulies had to do a little shuffling with his doubles teams and watched as Moura and Wilkins secured a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mark Sherman and Greg Joram at No. 1. Hull and Boisvert teamed to beat Andrew Altman and Keith Bevan 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles and Shane McCarthy and Dave Wilkins, in their varsity debut, defeated Jeff Jones and Kevin McNally 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) at No. 3 doubles.

The ‘Hawks will return to the court on Monday with a match against Notre Dame in Fairfield.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon, but the outlook was kind of gloomy for the Newtown High School boys’ lacrosse team.

Amity Regional High riddled the Nighthawks for seven first-period goals on Tuesday afternoon and cruised on its way toward a 14-5 win … dropping the beleaguered ‘Hawks to 1-3 on the season, 1-0 in the South-West Conference.

Just last week the ‘Hawks edged Notre Dame, 11-10, in overtime as Kyle Kirch scored seven goals – including the game-winner – but on Tuesday the offense was stymied, unable to even move the ball into the box until the 8:41 mark of the first period and limited to just 10 shots on the game.

Grant Speer scored three goals while Kirch and Brendan O’Connor scored one apiece. John Oliver had a pair of assists while Kirch and Jeff Bell had one apiece. Goaltender Chris Body was peppered with 47 shots and made 14 saves.

In the win over Notre Dame, Oliver chipped in with three goals while O’Connor had one. Oliver also dished off a pair of assists while Body made 15 saves. The ‘Hawks outshot the Lancers, 38-36, on the afternoon.

The ‘Hawks were slated to host Greenwich on Thursday afternoon and will host New Fairfield on Saturday at 1 pm. The locals will visit New Milford on Monday and host Brookfield on Tuesday and Joel Barlow on Thursday.

Newtown                 11

Notre Dame             10

GOALS: Newtown – Kyle Kirch 7, John Oliver 3, Brendan O’Connor; Notre Dame – Zack Dehm 4, Jack O’Malley 3, Garret Mendez 2, Jeff Valaka. ASSISTS: Newtown – Oliver 2; Notre Dame – Dehm 4. SAVES: Newtown – Chris Body 15; Notre Dame – Rich Stine 17.

Newtown                   5

Amity                        14

GOALS: Newtown – Grant Speer 3, Kyle Kirch, Brendan O’Connor; Amity – Ted Czepiga 4, Chris Deitte 3, Jason Strite, Jake Nudel, Colin Rosenberg, Mark Nastri, Brian Walsh. ASSISTS: Newtown – John Oliver, Kirch, Jeff Bell; Amity – Diette 2, Smith 2, Ricky Grenier 2, Czepiga, Cucurello, Adam Connitto. SAVES: Newtown – Chris Body 17; Amity – Brandon Pepe 2.