CHESHIRE – After winning a state championship and a New England championship, maybe it would have been asking too much for the Newtown U10 travel softball team to make it a clean sweep and claim a Central Valley Fastpitch League championship, as well.

Well, the Hawks are giving themselves something to shoot for next year because they finished second to the Stratford Breakers during the league tournament last weekend up in Cheshire. The Hawks fell, 6-5, in the final.

It looked, early, as if the Hawks would make it a clean sweep. They scored three runs in the first inning. Kate Bowen and Jenna Legros both earned walks, then executed a double steal. Nora Lynn Shimko (who batted .571 for the tournament) then singled both runners in.

After Joanna Barry was walked, Stacy Broughton grounded out and managed to score Shimko from third.

Stratford, though, put some offense together in the next few innings and went ahead, holding on to a 6-3 lead in the top of the sixth as Newtown tried to stage one final rally. Renee Solheim walked, Barry was struck by a pitch, and Broughton grounded out to score Solheim (who had stolen third). Melissa Fracker doubled in Barry to get Newtown to within one run, but after Nicole Alberico was walked the rally fizzled out.

Bowen was outstanding in the field, making a fine back-handed play to throw out a runner and registering five assists on the day. Fracker also made a nice catch in left field. Behind the plate, Shimko and Elissa Robertson both nailed runners attempting to steal while Solheim made a great backhanded play at shortstop.

Megan Sajovic and Legros shared the pitching duties, with Legros throwing five scoreless innings.

Newtown reached the final by pounding Cheshire, 14-6, in the semis. Legros, Shimko and Robertson all singled while Chelsea Fay made a nice catch in centerfield to shut down the Cheshire offense. Sajovic and Legros pitched two innings each.

In the first round of the single-elimination round of the tournament (on Sunday), Newtown battered Beacon Falls, 23-5. Legros pitched two innings and struck out all six batters and Bowen finished up the last two innings with three strikeouts. At the plate, Annie Hull was 2-for-2 with a home run while Robertson was 3-for-3 and Shimko was 3-for-4. Bowen collected a pair of hits while Fracker singled to complete the attack.

Alberico scored two runs.

During round robin play last Saturday, Newtown started off with a 25-6 win over Prospect. Sajovic and Legros shared the pitching duties and struck out eight batters along the way. Kelley Tenney was solid at first base while Legros led the offense, going 4-for-4. Shimko, meanwhile, belted a three-run homer while Solheim, Bowen, and Sajovic had two hits apiece. Fay, Barry and Broughton all singled.

The Hawks defeated Cheshire, 22-5, as Sajovic pitched a complete game. Marley Koschel was the defensive star, making two great catches in right field, while Barry collected a pair of hits to lead the offense.

The Hawks also defeated Beacon Falls, 26-5. Sajovic and Shimko shared the pitching duties and combed for 10 strikeouts (Sajovic had eight). Hull and Shimko both belted home runs while Fay and Robertson had two hits apiece. Tenney doubled and Fracker singled.

In pre-tournament regular season action recently, the Hawks defeated the Prospect Power, 7-5, as Shimko pitched three scoreless innings and struck out five. Legros pitched the final three innings and fanned nine batters. Robertson made outstanding plays behind the plate and at third to spark the defense. Alberico, Legros and Fracker combined on a nice defensive play to stop a Prospect runner from stretching a double into a triple. At the plate, Broughton doubled and Shimko tripled. Koschel and Tenney each laid down sacrifice bunts that resulted in three runs. Solheim, Hull, Barry and Legros all had hits.

The next time the two teams met, the Hawks cruised to a 20-0 win. Katie Serock (who was unable to play in the CVFL tournament) belted a three-run homer. Legros, Bowen and Sajovic had two hits apiece while Alberico, Fay, Hull and Robertson had one hit apiece. Sajovic, Legros and Shimko all shared time on the mound while Koschel, Robertson and Shimko all shared the catching duties.

The Hawks finished up their 2001 season with an impressive record of 24-3.

U12s Bow Out

This summer, the Newtown U12 travel softball team had become accustomed to games that are decided by just one or two runs . . . and the CVFL Tournament was no different. Despite going 1-5, the Hawks lost three games by just one run and one by just three runs.

And twice, the Hawks simply ran out of time as the game ran past the allotted 90 minutes.

The Hawks – hampered by the loss of one of their top pitchers, Jenna Van Waalwijk – opened the CVFL Tournament with an 11-0 loss to Norwalk. What followed was a 10-7 loss to the Stratford Seahawks in which Annie Grills was 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. Valerie Nezvesky and Karli Beitel both banged out hits in that game.

The Hawks then dropped an 11-10 decision to New Fairfield despite collecting 10 hits on the game. Grills (two doubles) and Beitel had three hits apiece while Lisa Alberico, Nezvesky, Ally Kirk and Rachel Nicolosi had one hit each.

The Hawks dropped a 6-5 decision to Cheshire to finish up round robin play on Saturday. Despite falling into a 6-0 hole, the Hawks chipped away at the deficit. Meredith Palo was 2-for-3 while Sam Ciaccia, Nezvesky and Alberico all collected hits.

In the single-elimination part of the tournament on Sunday, the Hawks opened with a thrilling, 14-12, win over Brookfield. Down 7-0 after one inning, Kayla Koschel came on in relief and held Brookfield down as the Hawks rallied back. Nezvesky was 4-for-4 with a double while Kyla Miles was 2-for-3 with a couple of doubles. Jaclyn Van Waalwijk, Grills and Beitel all had hits.

Ciaccia came up with the defensive play of the game – one that ended it. She made a diving catch in short center, got up and fired to Nicolosi at second, who turned and relayed to Grills at home to cut down a runner trying to score from third.

Even while riding the high off that game, the Hawks fell to Stratford, 6-5. Down 3-0, the Hawks once again scratched their way into the game only to see the rally fall short at the end. It was a tough pill to swallow in the top of the sixth when Alberico was called out – erroneously, many felt – while attempting to steal second base.

U14s Win Four

It wasn’t a championship, but the Newtown U14 travel softball team still had a good CVFL Tournament by going 4-1.

The Hawks opened the round robin portion of the tournament with a 6-0 win over the Beacon Falls Bullets. Krystal Ferris, Lauren Cascia and Emily Nezvesky all had key hits as the Hawks scored five runs in the first inning.

Becca Narel was named the game MVP (voted by the other team).

Later on, the Hawks smashed the Waterbury Town Plot Thunder, 16-5, as Ferris belted a pair of home runs – her second, a three-run shot, ended the game (because of the mercy rule). Jessica Nicolosi singled and Amie Walston pitched well.

The Hawks then defeated Fairfield, 7-1, as Christie Caruso (MVP) collected a pair of hits and played well at shortstop. Emily Nezvesky scored three runs while Stacey Gordon singled and doubled. Cat Williams also had two hits.

In the single-elimination round on Sunday, the Hawks opened with an 11-7 win over the Watertown Spirit. Walston clubbed a three-run homer while Kate Fenton reached base four times. Fenton, Ashley Ferris, Sarah Holroyd and Lauren Cascia each scored two runs. Emily Blewett pitched well in relief.

Their tournament run came to an end, however, with a 5-4 loss to the New Milford Blue Devils (who ended up losing to the Stratford Breakers in the finals). Fenton belted a three-run homer and Caruso collected a run-scoring single as the Hawks took a 4-1 lead in the game.

The Hawks finished the 2001 season at 18-5.

“It was an outstanding season,” said coach Lin Hertberg, “with a first-place finish in the New Milford Tournament plus a second-place finish in the Babe Ruth State Tournament. The girls combined excellent hitting, strong defense, aggressive base running and terrific pitching.”

Becca Narel was the Hawks’ top hurler, going 13-3 on the season. Walston was 4-2 and Blewett was 1-0.

“I have to thank assistant coach Rich Narel for his substantial input and positive relationship, and influence on, all the players,” said coach Hertberg. “It was a great pleasure working with the girls and I also have to thank them for their season-long enthusiasm, cooperation, focus, sustained high level of interest, and strong desire to always do their best.”

The Hawks will lose five players, but coach Hertberg feels a strong returning nucleus will help the 2002 version of the U14 Hawks continue to be successful and perform at a high level.