Newtown High School's softball team had a four-run lead in the sixth before scoring four times on the way to a 9-1 win over visiting Pomperaug of Southbury on April 27. The Nighthawks were coming off a 10-2 loss at home to Cheshire, a team it has become familiar with both in the regular season and state playoffs in recent years, on April 24. The Nighthawks lost 5-0 at South-West Conference foe Brookfield on April 28.

In the win over Pomperaug, Gabby Ansman opened the scoring with an RBI double in the third inning; Ansman finished the game with two doubles and a pair of runs driven in. Pitcher Addy Cordova helped her own cause at the plate as the leadoff hitter collected two hits, including a double, and knocked in a run. Olivia Doersch had a hit and RBI, Lila Accousti collected two hits and batted in a run, Gillian Boughan had three singles and an RBI, B.B. Diorio tripled and drove in a run, and Elena Burdo had an RBI.

An error and RBI single by Cordova plated runs in the fourth and the Hawks added to their lead in the fifth on a passed ball and fielder's choice. In the sixth, after the Panthers got on the board, the Nighthawks pulled away behind singles from Accousti and Boughan, along with three walks and a couple of errors.

"We were making good contact in the beginning. It took us a while to find holes," said Newtown Coach Megan Goyda, whose team was held scoreless on one hit for two frames before getting the bats going; the Hawks ended up with 11 base hits.

Cordova allowed four hits, walked just one, and struck out seven batters.

"She was great — attacked the zone when she could but trusted her defense enough Pomperaug could put some balls in play, and defense executed pretty efficiently," Goyda said. Newtown committed just one error on 14 outs in the field.

In the Cheshire game, Ansman had a double and two RBI, and Diorio had Newtown's only other hit. Against Brookfield, Newtown was outhit 6-2; Accousti doubled and Reagan Schenzer singled. Cordova allowed four earned runs, walked three, and fanned four. Newtown posted a record of 7-3 through its first ten games.

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