Newtown High School’s softball team capitalized as much on making contact, if not more than, the seven base hits it had en route to a 7-4 win over visiting Immaculate of Danbury, on April 29.

“We did not strike out, which is awesome,” Newtown Coach Joanna Closs said. “They made some errors which is the power of putting the ball in play.”

Immaculate committed six fielding miscues to be exact, and the Nighthawks capitalized by scoring six unearned runs. Although not an offensive explosion like the Nighthawks have had in a handful of (non) contests this spring — including a 21-0 rout of host Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport two days earlier — their ability to put pressure on Immaculate’s fielders paid off.

The Nighthawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead after an inning of play and added a run in the second before the Mustangs tied the score with three in the third. NHS went back in front with a run in the bottom half of the third and added one in the fourth. The Mustangs closed to within 5-4 in the fifth and Newtown pitcher Sydney Adolfson escaped further trouble, then worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth to keep Newtown in front by a run.

“She was getting hit so she definitely had to work. It was a gutsy game,” Closs said of Adolfson, who surrendered five hits and had to work around four errors. None of the runs Adolfson allowed were earned and she walked two and struck out ten.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Hawks plated a pair of insurance runs by cashing in on back-to-back two-out errors and Adolfson’s run-scoring double off the center field wall.

It wasn’t just contact that helped Newtown muster some runs, but patience as well. Opening-inning walks by Ashley Hubner (leading off), and Maddie Thoesen, and Adolfson (both of which forced in runs) helped spark the offense.

Adolfson had two hits, a walk, and drove in two runs; Morgan Melillo and Noelle Marrazzo both had hits and runs batted in; Bri Pellicone had an RBI and three runs scored; Thoesen had a hit, walk, and RBI; Rachel Casagrande and Berry both had a hit and run scored.

“I wish we could just put it all together — not make errors — but it’s nice to have the bats show up because that’s been our Achilles heel the whole time,” said Closs, referring to the offense against tough teams.

Newtown has feasted on opposing pitching in several of its games, including putting up some football-like numbers as it did against Kolbe in a mercy-rule, five-inning game. In that win, Adolfson and Pellicone homered; Caroline Gardner and Thoesen both had two triples, and Marrazzo also tripled; and Sarah Hubner doubled. Thoesen was 4-for-4 with five driven in; Casagrande was 5-for-5 with four runs scored; Gardner went 5-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored; Marrazzo finished with three hits, and RBI, and four runs scored; and Adolfson and Sarah Hubner both had two hits and three runs batted in. Gardner pitched and allowed just one hit while striking out ten.

A May 2 visit to Brookfield was rained out and moved to Friday, May 13, at 4 pm. Read about more game action, including a key May 5 matchup with New Milford under the lights in the May 13 print edition of The Bee.

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