By Kim J. Harmon
By Kim J. Harmon
The Lions started out the 2000 season pretty much the way they ended the 1999 season â winning.
Newtown Middle School crushed Schaghticoke Middle School of New Milford, 17-1, last week and came back early this week for a 12-7 win over Broadview Middle School of Danbury.
In the win over Schaghticoke, the Lions collected 23 hits with four doubles, two triples and a home run by Sara Blomberg. Kate Fenton (3-for-3) and Trina Ramsdell (3-for-4) had three hits apiece while Courtney Brunton (2-for-2), Krystal Ferris (2-for-2), Chrissy Glander (2-for-2), Lisa Morgan (2-for-3), Becca Narel (2-for-2) and Lauren Cascia (2-for-2) all had two hits.
Outstanding defensive plays by Erin Murdoch, Ramsdell, Ashley Ferris, catcher Krystal Ferris (threw out a runner after a dropped third strike), Megan LaFlamme and Glander stymied Schaghticoke while Morgan and Ramsdell combined on the mound for 14 strikeouts over seven innings.
As usual, the Lions have an incredible amount of depth. All 18 players saw playing time in this one â with 13 getting at least one hit.
The game against Broadview was considerably closer, but the Lions still held on for the 12-7 win. The girls banged out 14 hits, with Krystal Ferris going 3-for-4, Cascia and Fenton each going 2-for-2, and Stacey Gordon and Morgan each going 2-for-4.
Morgan and Ferris both tripled in this game while Cascia, Fenton and Glander all doubled.
The girls scored six runs in the first inning to grab a 6-1 lead and then scored four more in the bottom of the second inning to take a 10-1 lead. They did not score again until the bottom of the fifth inning, but Broadview had only trimmed their lead to 10-2.
In the bottom of the frame, Ashley Ferris (who singled) and Kari Frawley (who was walked) both scored to put the Lions ahead 12-2. In the sixth and seventh innings, Broadview plated five runs but could get no closer to the Lions.
Defensively, Krystal Ferris and Fenton pulled off a well-executed rundown between home plate and third base. Later, Krystal threw to her sister, Ashley, at third base to cut down a would-be base stealer.
Morgan, Frawley and Ramsdell all combined on the mound for the win, coming up with 12 strikeouts while walking just three batters and allowing 11 hits.
The Lions were scheduled to take on Rogers Park of Danbury at home on Thursday and then travel to Rochambeau on Friday.
There are no games scheduled next week because of an eighth-grade trip to Gettysburg. The Lions will return to the field on Monday, May 8, with an away game at Jockey_Hollow in Monroe.