By Kim J. Harmon

When Erin Murdoch stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning last week against Danbury, she knew – with two outs and Newtown down by four – that she had to get a hit just to keep her team’s fading hopes alive.

And with one swing of the bat, Murdoch jolted a pitch into deep right-centerfield, clearing the bases with a triple and – just like that – changing the entire outlook of the game. Now, with one simple hit, the game would be tied.

Well, unfortunately for the locals, the story doesn’t quite end like that. The next batter grounded out to end the threat and Newtown had to walk off the Newtown Middle School field saddled with a 7-6 loss.

But that is what U14 summer softball has been all about – a bigger challenge with some added thrills.

The Newtown U14 team is mostly made up of players who should be playing at the U13 level in 2000. But as U12s a year ago, Newtown rolled to a 19-1 record in the Central Valley Fastpitch Softball League and, this summer, decided to bump up an extra age group to get some stiffer competition.

And it has been stiff at times. Through the first 10 games of the season, Newtown – which draws only local players, unlike other teams which draw players from outside their town borders – has won six and dropped four and currently rests in third place in the 15-team U14 division.

It might seem like an unfair advantage, but the advantage Newtown has - and one that head coach Norm LaFlamme no doubt revels in - is that it has drawn most of its players this summer off the Newtown Middle School team . . . and all that team did in the spring was finish unbeaten.

Earlier this season, Newtown registered victories over Fairfield (19-1), Watertown (11-3), Stratford (14-5), New Milford (13-4) and Trumbull (4-3), while dropping games to New Fairfield (10-6), Brookfield (6-2), and the Stratford Breakers (7-1).

After the 7-6 loss to Danbury, which dropped the U14s to 5-4 on the season, they came back and defeated Beacon Falls, 12-7.

In that win, Newtown mixed in some strong offense (10 hits) with some stellar defense (two double plays). Krystal Ferris doubled and tripled as Megan LaFlamme singled and doubled. Lauren Cascia and Kate Fenton had two singles each.

Murdoch chipped in with a key two-run single and Nicole Mangarella added a single and a pair of runs scored.

The two double plays were started in the outfield – one by Ashley Ferris and the other by Cascia. While not involved in those plays, leftfielder Stacey Gordon continued her solid performance in the victory.

The pitching chores were equally shared by Sara Blomberg and Rebecca Narel.

One of the strengths of the U14s over the first half of the season has been the strong play of the infield. Murdoch has been a solid anchor at third base while Mangarella has developed into a sure-handed shortstop. Megan LaFlamme and Chrissie Glander have been unyielding on the right side and Narel has been outstanding on the mound, earning five of the team’s six wins.

Behind the plate, Krystal Ferris and Blomberg have shared the catching duties and each has performed well. In the outfield, Fenton, Cascia, Gordon and Ashley Ferris have been the defensive forces.

About the only downer on this team is the absence, on the field, of Trina Ramsdell, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the spring.

But otherwise, the team is locked and loaded and making another run at a CVFL championship in the summer of 2000.

The team - Sara Blomberg (pitcher/catcher), Lauren Cascia (rightfield), Ashley_Ferris (leftfield), Krystal Ferris (catcher/first base), Kaitlyn Fenton (centerfield), Chrissy Glander (first base), Stacey_Gordon (leftfield), Megan LaFlamme (second base), Nicole Mangarella (shortstop), Erin Murdoch (third base), and Rebecca Narel (pitcher/centerfield).

The U14s are coached by Norm LaFlamme, Ken Murdoch and Rich Narel.