A resilient Castle Hill Chocolate squad battled back before Bethel-based Famous Pizza walked off with an exciting 8-7 victory in the Newtown-Bethel Women’s Softball League championship game, at Treadwell Park, on a hot and humid August 21 evening. The game was postponed a few days due to field conditions following the August 18 thunderstorms.

No. 4 seed Castle Hill had advanced to the finals with a 10-9 win over No. 5 NewSylum in a come-from-behind quarterfinal-round matchup, followed by a 5-3 win over top seed Forest Construction in the semis. Forest Construction had advanced with a 15-3 win over No. 8 Caraluzzi’s. In other playoff action, No. 2 Famous Pizza beat No. 7 Quality Gem 10-4 and No. 3 Dental Associates topped No. 6 Athlete’s Source 10-6 in the quarters, and Famous Pizza edged Dental Associates 9-8 in the semis.

Castle Hill fell behind 4-2 and came back for a 5-4 lead before Famous Pizza scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 7-5 advantage. Down to their final three outs, the Chocolate team rallied to tie the game before Famous Pizza’s Kelsey Burke delivered a hit to drive in the decisive run in the bottom of the seventh.

It was an exciting game loaded with clutch hits and sparkling defensive plays.

After Castle Hill scratched out a run in the top of the first inning, Famous Pizza knotted the score in the bottom half of the frame and threatened for more. Castle Hill left fielder Cassie Achenbach fielded a hit and got the ball in to shortstop Melina Cummings, who made a relay throw to catcher Nikki Fossum for a tag play to deny a second run and the game was tied 1-1 heading to the second.

Castle Hill went back in front, seizing a 2-1 edge when Achenbach singled, moved to second base on a hit by Jen Timpanelli, and scored on an error.

Famous Pizza plated three runs in the bottom of the second as the see-saw game continued. Center fielder Jess Halas made a nice running catch to help Castle Hill escape the third inning unscathed. The Chocolate squad cut the lead in half in the fourth when Kathryn Smith delivered an RBI single to center field after Danielle Sparks and Sienna Cummings singled.

Famous Pizza opened the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back hits but Molina Cummings made a running catch and threw to second baseman Izzy Satmary to double up a base runner and end the threat.

Castle Hill came up with two runs in the top of the fifth. Beth Savinelli, Molina Cummings, and Satmary all had hits to load the bases with no outs, and Fossom hit a blooper that dropped into shallow center to drive in a run. Famous Pizza did get a key force out at second base on the play but the game was knotted at 4-4 and Castle Hill’s threat continued with runners on the corners. Castle Hill pitcher Skylar Kneski helped her own cause by driving in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to left.

In the bottom of fifth, Famous Pizza answered back with two runs scoring on a bases-loaded single and a third run coming home on an error to make it 7-5. After Castle Hill went down in order in the sixth, the Chocolate group worked around a hit, with help from third baseman Timpanelli snaring a low liner, to keep it a two-run deficit heading to the seventh.

Achenbach led off the seventh with an infield single to deep short, Smith singled down the left field line, and Timpanelli walked to load the bases with one out. Savinelli worked the count full before walking to force in a run and make it 7-6, and Satmary was robbed of a hit but delivered the tying run on a sac fly to left.

A one-out walk and single set the stage for Famous Pizza’s game-deciding hit in the bottom of the seventh.

This was the second year since the Newtown and Bethel softball leagues merged. The teams played games at fields in both towns, including at Dickinson Park, throughout the summer.

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