STRATFORD — The Newtown High School softball team, the No. 2 seed in the South-West Conference Tournament, fell 1-0 to No. 3 Brookfield in the semifinals at DeLuca Field on May 24.

Brookfield pitcher Jillian Mitchell not only dealt the Nighthawks their first shutout defeat of the season, but she was also responsible for the only offense of the game with a two-out homerun to left field in the top of the seventh inning.

Mitchell escaped a bases-loaded jam in the last of the sixth and worked around a one-out walk in the seventh, finishing things by snaring Julia Berry’s rocket of a line drive. Earlier in the game, Madison Thoesen was denied a hit when Mitchell knocked down her scorcher and threw to first.

“We hit some balls really hard. We just hit them at her,” said Newtown Coach Joanna Closs, whose team managed four hits and three walks, and struck out eight times.

Newtown pitcher Sydney Adolfson was as dominant as her counterpart until the homer, allowing just three hits, walking one, and fanning ten batters.

Brookfield advanced to face top-seed Masuk of Monroe, which had beaten Newtown 8-4 late in the regular slate.

“We wanted another shot — we definitely did,” Closs said.

But winning as many games as they did, for an overall young squad that battled several injuries during the course of the season, exceeded the coach’s expectations.

“I did not expect 16-4 at all. That was very surprising. I’m very proud of them,” Closs said. “I think we can make a really good run in states.”

The Class LL State Tournament gets going Tuesday, May 31. The Nighthawks are one of four teams with the same record but ended up with the No. 9 seed behind each of the other three based off tiebreakers.

If Newtown plays as well as it did in the SWC quarterfinals, Closs may be right about her squad having some success.

The Nighthawks showcased their pitching, hitting, and base running, and even with all but two of the 15 outs via strikeouts, some fielding in the playoff opener. The Nighthawks did a bulk of their offensive damage in a seven-run second inning of a 12-0, five-inning, run-rule victory over visiting and seventh-seeded New Fairfield, at Treadwell Park, on May 21.

Adolfson was lights out under the lights for this night contest, throwing a perfect game with those 13 Ks.

Noelle Marrazzo hit a two-run triple to left for a 3-0 lead, and Berry and Thoesen hit two-run homers to left and left-center field, respectively, in the second frame.

With Marrazzo at third and Rachel Casagrande on first, and Newtown leading 3-0, Closs called for a double steal. When Casagrande broke for second, drawing the throw from New Fairfield’s catcher, Marrazzo ran home and scored easily. Those were two of five stolen bases in the game as Caroline Gardner swiped two bags and Ashley Hubner stole another.

Berry, Hubner, and Gardner all had two hits, and Berry, Hubner, Thoesen, and Marrazzo all drove in a pair of runs in a power display that shows how far Newtown’s bats have come since a 3-0 win over New Fairfield on April 25.

While Newtown did not strike out a single time, keeping pressure on the New Fairfield infield and outfield, the Nighthawk fielders were virtual spectators thanks to Adolfson’s dominance. Catcher Morgan Melillo smartly let a ball that was popped just in front of home plate roll foul rather than attempt to field and make a tough play at first. Right fielder Berry had a catch, and the last out of the game came on a rare ball in play. Shortstop Thoesen fielded a grounder and threw to first to nip a speedy New Fairfield player with a nice stretch at first base by Gardner.

Newtown fell 8-4 to visiting Masuk on May 18. Berry had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored; Rachel Casagrande had two hits and an RBI; and Maddy Twitchell and Thoesen each knocked home runs.

The Nighthawks closed out the regular season with an 8-3 win at Amity of Woodbridge on May 20. Twitchell slugged a homer in the triumph.