There has been a little of everything, except for maybe a late comeback or walk-off win, for the Newtown High School softball team in its first week-plus of the season. The Nighthawks, in the early going, appear like they may not have too many nail-biters to worry about as the spring slate unfolds.

Newtown followed a season-opening 7-2 road win over St Joseph of Trumbull on April 3, with a 4-0 blanking of visiting Fairfield Warde two days later, then crushed Darien 12-3 at home on April 6, and clobbered Bunnell of Stratford 23-0 in a five-inning, mercy-rule no contest at home on April 10.

With almost everybody back from last year’s 16-win (in the regular season) team, Coach Joanna Closs had every reason to expect her team to be good, but the Nighthawks got an unexpected spark from freshman Gabby Ansman who hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead, three-run home run on the second pitch she saw at the varsity level, in the victory over perennial FCIAC and state powerhouse St Joes. Ansman went on to lead the Nighthawks in every offensive category, while hitting in the middle to bottom third of this potent lineup, through the first three games.

“She was a big surprise I did not see coming,” Closs said. “I definitely think it gives the rest of the team confidence seeing a freshman come in and do that.”

Maddie Thoesen, a standout as a freshman last year, has only gotten better as expected; Thoesen put a couple games’ worth of batting success on display in only four innings when she hit for the cycle in the win over Bunnell. Pitcher Sydney Adolfson no-hit Bunnell — actually threw an abbreviated perfect game with 13 strikeouts — after blanking Warde. The pitcher-catcher battery of Adolfson and Bri Pellicone has been top notch, Closs said. “Their energy level is outstanding.”

And the whole lineup, from leadoff of batter Julia Berry all the way through the bottom of the order, has clicked. “All of our people are hitting,” Closs noted.

In the win over Warde, Adolfson struck out 15, allowed only three hits, and did not walk a batter. Pellicone doubled, Caroline Gardner homered, and both players drove in two runs to account for the offense.

Against Darien, in a game shortened an inning by rain, Thoesen pitched and allowed three runs on four hits, fanned 11 batters, and walked three. In six innings, NHS compiled a dozen runs behind the bats of Ansman, Adolfson, and Pellicone. Ansman had two hits and four runs batted in, Adolfson knocked in three, and Pellicone batted in two and scored three times.

In the Bunnell game, Newtown banged out 23 hits. The Hawks jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and scored ten runs in the second to seize control. Thoesen and Adolfson ripped triples and Thoesen cleared the left field fence with a three-run shot in that high-scoring frame. Adi Cordova, a freshman who has made a big impact early on, banged an RBI double off the right field wall in the third inning. In the fourth, Thoesen lined out in her first bid to finish off the cycle, but Newtown’s offense batted around and Thoesen took advantage of her second opportunity with a double to complete the cycle. When all was said and done, Thoesen went 4-for-5 with five runs batted in; Pellicone had four hits, including a double, and two RBI; and Adolfson had three hits.

In addition to Cordova and Ansman, Lila Accousti is a freshman who has contributed right out of the gate.

It may be early, but this success — and given the team’s makeup — has the Nighthawks thinking about the possibility of making a run at the South-West Conference championship, which would mean dethroning five-time winner Masuk of Monroe.

“We have a pretty solid team,” Maddie Thoesen said. “Our team’s going to be good. I think we’ve got a solid shot at SWCs.”

The Nighthawks still have some big tests ahead, including what might be one of those few and far between nail-biters when they visit Masuk late in the slate, on May 15. There are 16 more games before the playoffs, but the start is certainly a promising one for this group of Nighthawks.

After visiting Weston on Wednesday, April 12, Newtown goes to Waterford for a nonconference clash on Saturday, April 15 at noon. NHS returns home to entertain Pomperaug of Southbury on Monday, April 17; first pitch is 4:15 pm (see the April 21 print edition of The Bee for coverage).

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