By Steve Bigham

SOUTHBURY – The Nighthawks failed to get a runner past first base against Pomperaug at Community Field in Southbury Tuesday afternoon   . . . and yet they found themselves in the game as the eighth inning rolled around.

That’s because Newtown pitcher Cathy Byrne was once again throwing heat, mowing down one Pomperaug player after another. She was indeed living up to her new nickname, “Doctor K,” given to her by assistant coach Lin Hertberg.

But even the best pitchers can’t manufacture runs for their team and after making little noise for eight innings, the Nighthawks finally got burnt in the bottom of the inning. Pomperaug leadoff hitter Jenna Adams reached first base on a bunt, then, after being sacrificed to second, came home on Erica Leonetti’s single to right field.

Game over.

After opening the season with non-league wins over Brookfield and Pomperaug, Newtown has now dropped three in a row. Its league record stands at 0-2.

Coach Paul LaFrancesca lamented Monday’s loss a few hours later, making note of the fact that his team went 0-for-4 at the plate in bunting situations.

“We don’t have a team that can hit the ball into the gap, so we’ve got to manufacture runs,” LaFrancesca said. “Cathy Byrne keeps you in games, but we’ve got to execute.”

Byrne fired 11 strikeouts (with zero walks) Tuesday to give her 57 for the year.

Lauren McCusker led off the game for Newtown with a single, but Newtown would go hitless for more than an hour. Kristin Caposella finally singled with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. However, LaFrancesca replaced her with a pinch runner, who was promptly picked off the bag.

Pitcher Sue Masotto picked up the win for Pomperaug, which improved to 4-0 in the South-West Conference, 4-2 overall.

The Newtown coach is a firm believer in the Baseball Gods, who look down on mental errors - like the ones Newtown committed in the eighth - and unleash punishment on the teams who commit them. On Tuesday, it was Newtown who felt their wrath.

The Gods must have also looked down at Newtown in disgust during a 5-4 loss at Staples in Westport April 13. Poor outfield play led to a 5-0 Staples lead through three innings. However, the locals rallied late. Caposella led off the fifth inning with a triple to deep right center field. Lindsay Blomberg walked and Heather Morgan followed with a single down the left field line. The hit drove in Caposella, but Bolmberg was thrown at third on the play. McCusker followed with a walk and Kate Bouteiller delivered an RBI single.

In the seventh, Morgan picked up her second hit of the game. With two out, Lauren Blomberg reached on an error and Bouteiller reached on an infield hit which drove in pinch runner Ashley Christopher. Byrne then singled home Blomberg to cut the deficit to one.

Newtown’s hottest hitter – Kristin Bandura – strolled to the plate having already collected two hits on the day. However, her hit to center was caught to end the game.