Homers, Runs Pile Up In Wins And Wild 15-14 Setback
FAIRFIELD — Runs came in bunches for the Newtown High School softball team as the Nighthawks closed out April and began the month of May. Newtown beat visiting Brookfield 9-1 on April 28, lost a 15-14 slug (and error) fest at Notre Dame-Fairfield on April 30, pounded host New Fairfield 14-1 on May 3, and defeated host Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport 13-1 on May 4. The Nighthawks improved to 7-4.
Playing on Notre Dame-Fairfield’s lacrosse/soccer field, it was perhaps appropriate that the Nighthawks and Notre Dame-Fairfield Lancers effectively represented yet another sport as they put up a football-like score on April 30.
In the end, a pileup of errors overshadowed Newtown’s potent offense in a tough-to-swallow 15-14 setback in which pitcher Sydney Adolfson surrendered a baffling two earned runs.
An unlucky-for-Newtown 13 unearned runs resulted from dropped balls, off-line throws, and bobbles, and wiped out a late rally by the Nighthawks. Newtown carried a 14-10 lead to the bottom of the seventh before the Lancers scored five times to secure another final-at-bat win over the Nighthawks; they had edged Newtown 8-7 in extra innings on April 16.
With no outfield wall to stop the ball from rolling once past the outfielders, singles and doubles became homers. Bri Pellicone homered twice, and Adolfson and Katie Goyda each hit home runs.
Ashley Hubner had a two-run single and an RBI single. Pellicone had three extra base hits, including a double. Maddie Twitchell had two hits and a pair of runs scored. Gina Lewis had two hits, drove in a run, and scored.
Down 10-9 in the bottom of the sixth, the Nighthawks escaped seeing the Lancers add to their lead. Lewis flashed the leather in right field with a diving grab to save at least a run or two, a defensive highlight in a game that the Nighthawks would otherwise liked to have back in terms of play in the field.
“It’s just one you have to put behind you. The team on the field is not my team. I know who my team is. We have to put this behind us and move forward,” said Newtown Coach Joanna Closs.
The Nighthawks put up five runs in the top of the seventh. Pellicone’s three-run homer to center field made it 12-10 Nighthawks, and the Hawks tacked on two more.
Hits and fielding miscues in the bottom of the seventh added up to five Lancer runs to snare the win.
Closs was not a fan of the field with no wall, but certainly was not using that as an excuse for the setback.
“I’m not going to blame the field because both of us had to play on it. The wind was blowing; it’s a brutal place to play,” Closs said.
The Nighthawks notched a 9-1 victory over Brookfield on April 28. Lewis homered for the second game in a row, Hubner was 3-for-3, Sarah Kick went 2-for-4, and Twitchell drove in two runs. Nicole Fisher and Hubner both doubled. Adolfson struck out 13 batters.
In the win over New Fairfield, Newtown bounced back with errorless ball and got five solid innings in the pitching circle from Gardner, who worked with catcher Morgan Melillo for this mercy-rule, five-inning affair. The Hawks had some strong performances in the batter’s box. Adolfson drove in five runs, Hubner went 4-for-4. Hubner and Rachel Casagrande both drove in two runs. Goyda, Twitchell, and Adolfson all had extra-base hits.
Against Kolbe, Pellicone and Fisher each homered and knocked in two runs. Hubner tripled and collected three hits, raising her batting average to .608. Melillo went 3-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs. Alyssa Bova pitched five solid innings for another mercy-rule Nighthawk win.
Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.