By Steve Bigham

Cathy Byrne’s incredible season reached a new level Monday afternoon when she held state-ranked Bethel hitless in a 2-0 victory at Treadwell Park. The Nighthawks’ sixth-straight victory propelled them back into the South-West Conference playoff picture with five games to go.

Byrne, a senior co-captain, struck out eight, but she also got some help from her teammates, particularly senior co-captain Kristen Bandura, who helped save the no-hitter when she snared a sinking line drive in the fifth inning in right field. Bandura also caught a fly ball for the final out of the game.

As coach Paul LaFrancesca pointed out, it was fitting that his two captains come up with big plays on the day Newtown beat Bethel, a team neither Byrne nor Bandura had defeated during their four-year careers. In fact, according to the coach, Monday’s win over the Wildcats may have been the first in 10 years.

“They’re getting it done, these girls. We took a big step Monday. I can now truly say I have confident, hungry players,” LaFrancesca said.

Newtown got all its runs in the second inning when Byrne and senior left fielder Andrea Rustine both opened with singles. Rustine’s rip came with two outs. With runners on first and second, Bethel pitcher Kerry Kopec threw a wild pitch. As Byrne and Rustine attempted to move up a base, all-state Wildcat catcher Heather Angell’s throw to third sailed into left. Byrne, who slid into the base, bounced up and scored easily. Rustine, in a full sprint to third, was waved home.

LaFrancesca has been singing the praises of Rustine of late.

“We couldn’t have won that game had it not been for her,” he said, pointing to Rustine’s new batting stance as reason for her recent success at the plate.

Meanwhile, Byrne continued to shut down the Bethel hitters, who have struggled of late. Picked to contend for the SWC title, the Wildcats have now lost three straight and, if the playoffs started today, would be the eighth and final seed for the playoffs.

Newtown, on the other hand, has moved itself into the seventh seed position as it upped its record to 7-4 in the SWC and 9-5 overall.

“These are the same girls who were 7-12 last year that are now knocking off ranked teams. It all has to do with confidence,” LaFrancesca said.

Newtown defeated state-ranked New Fairfield earlier in the year and split with Brookfield, another highly regarded squad. But the tough match ups don’t stop there. After playing Joel Barlow in Redding on Wednesday, Newtown will face the state’s number-one ranked team in Lauralton Hall on Saturday. The game will be played at Cheshire High at 11 am as part of the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Tournament. Despite being part of a tournament, the game will count toward the SWC standings.

The Nighthawks travel to Milford on Monday to face a strong Foran team, then host struggling Weston on Wednesday and the light-hitting Kolbe Cathedral on Friday. Newtown will need to win at least 10 league games in order to qualify for postseason play.

Newtown officially qualified for the state tournament last Friday with a 6-1 victory at Immaculate in Danbury. In that game, Byrne recorded 13 strikeouts and helped her cause with a pair of hits. Rustine ripped a double in her only at bat and Lauren McCusker scored two runs. Kate Bouteiller drove in three runs.

Newtown defeated Bunnell in Stratford, 10-2, on May 4 as Bandura and McCusker each stroked three hits. Jamie Lindquist also had a good game at the plate with two hits, a walk and a pair of runs. Byrne struck out eight.

At Notre Dame May 3, the Nighthawks got three hits from Kristin Caposella (including a triple) and two hits from Bouteiller (including a triple and two runs scored) for a 3-1 win. Byrne struck out 12 batters and picked up an RBI single. Also, Heather Morgan gunned out three more would-be base stealers. Heading into Wednesday’s game, the senior catcher had thrown out seven in a row.

Byrne has recorded 164 strikeouts for the season and has 558 for her career. Kit, as her coach calls her, is now only 41 K’s away from the school record currently held by her older sister, Samantha.