VARINA, Virginia – Marley Koschel went 3-for-3 and Kate Bowen clubbed a pair of doubles and drove in three runs as the Newtown Hawks 14-and-under travel softball team drubbed host team Varina, 10-0, in the opener of the 2006 Babe Ruth 14U Softball National Invitational Tournament in Varina, Virginia.

The Hawks scored six runs in the first inning. Ally Modzelewski led off with a single and advanced to third on Bowen’s first double. Rachael Ruiz followed with an RBI single to score Modzelewski and Laura Newberry hit a hard  ball with resulted in a Varina error to push Bowen over the plate. Ashley Kuligowski and Koschel each singled to score Ruiz and Newberry while Christine Beck smoked an RBI single of her own to score Koschel.

In the sixth, Beck led off with a single and was moved to second on a hard hit ball by Emily Krewson, which resulted in another Varina error. Modzelewski then scored Beck on a hard hit  ground out to shortstop. Bowen doubled to score Krewson and was later hit in by consecutive hits by Ruiz and Newberry.

Beck and Ruiz collected two hits each to help power the offense. Bowen pitched four innings, holding Varina to just one hit and striking out nine batters. Modzelewski threw two perfect innings in relief.

The Hawks followed up with a game against Concord, New Hampshire, on Tuesday which was stopped due to heavy rain and resumed on Wednesday (after press time).