The Nighthawks accumulated three times as many hits as the Green Wave and pitcher Sara Kennedy tossed five perfect innings, but it wasn't enough as host New Milford High School edged Newtown High 2-1 in the South-West Conference softball tournament quarterfinals on May 20.

The Nighthawks, the sixth seed in the bracket, are the two-time conference champions; New Milford is seeded third.

The Green Wave scored its runs when Hannah Hayes hit a two-run double in the second inning, following a pair of singles. Those were the only three hits Kennedy allowed, but it was all the Wave needed thanks to the efforts of pitcher Victoria Pascento - that and some breaks that went New Milford's way.

Newtown scored its lone run in the fifth inning on Kamdynn Moroney's sacrifice fly; Moroney also had two singles. Mackenzie Macchiarulo scored after reaching on a bunt single, stealing second, and advancing to third on Kennedy's hard single through the left side of the infield; Kennedy alertly advanced to second base as the throw came in.

Erin Burns, who pinch ran for Kennedy, was nabbed at third when she tagged up on Moroney's fly out, and that ended the threat

It was a close play at third, as was a play at first base in the fourth inning. Jackie Moccio doubled and advanced to third on a ground out. With two outs, Tess Mubarek was called when she hit a ground ball and a throw pulled first baseman Hayes was pulled off the bag to catch the ball. Umpires ruled, despite an appeal from Newtown Coach Bob Guererra, that the call stood.

"We get that call it's a run, and we don't get that run," Guererra said.

In the top of the sixth, the Nighthawks came less than a foot from tying the score. Shannon Cheh crushed a pitch off the top of the right field fence and settled for a double.

"One foot and it's a tie game and the whole complexion would change," Guererra said.

The Hawks still had a chance to tie the game or take the lead after Cheh's long double. Moccio followed with a single to left center to put runners on the corners. Two outs later, Mubarek worked a walk after fouling off a two-strike offering, but the Hawks left the bases loaded.

In addition the nine Nighthawk hits, some of Newtown's outs were on hard-hit balls that went directly to New Milford's fielders.

"We hit a thousand balls hard all over the field. We couldn't get any to drop. They hit one ball hard and it results in two runs," Guererra said. "It's a very difficult loss."

Still, the Newtown coach credited the Wave for earning the victory.

"Their pitcher threw strikes, their defense played defense, and we couldn't get the key hit," Guererra said.

New Milford Coach Frank Bonacci, of Newtown, was pleased that his team rose to the occasion and prevailed. Bonacci had good things to say about the Nighthawks, who were a deceptive sixth seed given they struggled for half of the season when Kennedy was injured.

"Sara's a good pitcher and I firmly believe if she wasn't injured … the way the SWC shook out would have been a little different," said Bonacci, crediting Guererra for guiding the Hawks through that adversity for a winning season. "You've got to give them a lot of credit for that."

As in the Hawks would have earned a higher seed and not faced Bonacci's tough squad until later in the tourney, if at all.

Kennedy, who blanked Masuk of Monroe, the second seed, in the regular season finale, struck out four Green Wave batters.

"Coming into the game we were the higher seed but we were still the underdog team because they're the defending champs," Bonacci said.