It was a good old girls versus the boys battle for bragging rights on the softball field when the Newtown High School softball and baseball teams went head-to-head in a fundraiser to benefit the softball program, under the lights at Treadwell Park in mid May.

An enthusiastic crowd was on hand to support the cause and, in the end, everybody had fun — including the home plate umpire, NHS Baseball Coach Ian Thoesen, who rung up several of his baseball players on third strike calls — and close to $1,600 was raised for the softball program.

Oh, and the girls left no doubt who was better at softball. They won the game 7-1.

The softball players had some things working to their advantage, one of which was hitting actual softballs whereas the boys hit a softer ball for protection of the girls in the field. Not to mention the fact the boys were in uncharted territory facing underhand pitching (as well as throwing underhand when the girls were at bat) and facing pitches from much closer than they are accustomed to seeing. It is just 43 feet from the pitcher to home plate in softball compared to the 60-foot, 6-inch throw from the mound to plate on the baseball diamond. What’s more, in softball, pitchers throw from flat ground and in baseball the hurlers are elevated on the mound.

But regardless of the type of ball being used, the boys stood no chance against softball ace pitcher Sydney Adolfson, who struck out 11 of the 13 batters she faced in four innings of one-hit dominance. Maddie Thoesen, Caroline Gardner, and Brianna Pellicone combined for another five strikeouts in this eight-inning scrimmage.

At the plate, Thoesen hit a pair of home runs and Gardner also went deep. Sophia Caruso and Pellicone each delivered a double. Thoesen drove in three runs and Gardner and Pellicone both knocked in a pair.

Will Burns homered for the baseball side. Center fielder Dhilan Amin made a tremendous diving catch. A random group of boys took turns pitching, and getting a feel for the larger ball, underhand throw, and distance to the plate made for some laughs and a unique learning experience. There were only a trio of softball team walks, but no strikeouts.

There was plenty of good-natured jawing between the baseball players and Thoesen on called strikes the players thought might have missed the mark. Assistant Softball Coach Christina Wolf umpired in the field. An emphasis was put on safety with these players all still in the midst of their regular seasons at the time of this matchup.

“It’s definitely different,” said Reid Burns, who had one of the six hits the baseball lineup mustered in this matchup. “It’s a good time. We’ve got a pretty decent crowd out here and we’re all just having a good time.”

Nick Tetreault was one of the baseball players who tried underhand pitching for the first time and noted that it was not easy.

“It is definitely hard. It’s supposedly the more natural way of throwing. It’s definitely a little harder with the release point. The margin for error is a lot smaller,” Tetreault said.

Gardner, who led the organization of the event, anticipated the softball team having an easier time given their familiarity with the sport.

“Everything is different — from the pitch coming in to the type of ball. It’s a completely different type of game,” Gardner said.

When Maddie Thoesen was in the pitcher’s circle, the umpire (also her dad) came up for a rare daughter versus dad at bat. He put the ball in play with a grounder that arguably could have been beaten out for a hit but, perhaps recognizing the need for a home plate ump, he slowed on the way to first and was retired by a throw from the left side of the infield. The at bat was a hit for the fans and players alike anyway.

Whether or not this becomes an annual tradition remains to be seen, but if it does the baseball players may need to get some underhand pitch practice in around their hardball drills to make things more competitive. Given all of the circumstances, however, this was truly a winning experience for everybody involved.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.