Softball Team Rolling

The softball team won its 11th straight game in a 6-0 blanking of New Fairfield under the lights on at Treadwell Park on Senior Night on May 13. Newtown then lost its first game since mid-April in a 1-0 setback at Bunnell on May 15 but the Nighthawks beat Bunnell in a rematch, at Newtown High, 6-2 on Monday afternoon. Newtown then hosted Danbury under the lights at Treadwell and pulled out a two-out, final inning comeback to force extra innings en route to a dramatic 4-3 win.

The Nighthawks carried a 14-4 overall record (13-2 in the South-West Conference) into Wednesday’s season finale against Masuk (after The Bee sports section went to press).

In the win over New Fairfield, pitcher Jenna Legros struck out 14 batters and allowed only two hits. Christine Beck doubled home two runs and drove in another on a sacrifice fly. Ally Modzelewski and Rachel Ruiz both had two hits and Megan Gibbons had an RBI triple.

In the loss to Bunnell, a nonconference battle, the Bulldogs broke a scoreless tie with a run in the seventh inning to pull out the win despite a three-hit, nine-strikeout performance by Legros.

On Monday, Newtown began the day by exacting some revenge on Bunnell. The Hawks did so against the same pitcher, Rachel Babineau, who had shut them out only a few days earlier. Legros had 10 strikeouts and allowed two hits for the win. Gibbons broke a 2-2 tie with a bases loaded, bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the sixth. Nora Lynn Shimko also had a run-scoring triple in the win.

Against Danbury, Newtown trailed 3-1 heading into the last of the seventh but struck for two runs to extend the game. Shimko and Gibbons both singled and stood on second and third, respectively, with two outs when Natalie Dunn came up to bat. Dunn, down to her final strike with two outs, lined a clutch single to center to score both runners. Ashley Kuligowski smacked a one-out, walk-off bases-loaded single in the eighth after Modzelewski singled and was sacrificed to second by Ruiz and Shimko and Gibbons were intentionally walked.

Shimko has a .347 batting average and .464 on base percentage, Gibbons is hitting .340 and leads the team with 16 runs batted in, Modzelewski leads the team with nine runs scored and is batting .310 and Ruiz has a .321 batting average and a .446 on base percentage. Gibbons and Modzelewski both have 18 hits to lead the team. Legros has 175 strikeouts in 108 innings pitched and has an earned run average of .84.

Rosenberger Hits Homers

The baseball team was dealt a nail-biting extra-inning loss under the lights at Fairfield Hills on May 13. Newtown fell 8-7 to New Fairfield in a game that featured a pair of home runs by Newtown catcher Brandon Rosenberger (his second and third long balls of the season), an impressive Newtown comeback and the return of Kyle Kromberg to the batter’s box after missing seven games following a head injury cause by collision when he dove for a ball.

Newtown came back from a 6-2 deficit to tie the score behind the strength of Rosenberger’s homers — one a two-run shot.

Center fielder Jake DeVellis made a diving catch in center but Newtown’s infield had a tough time on a pair of eighth-inning grounders, which aided New Fairfield’s winning rally. This marked the fifth one-run loss of the season for Newtown.

“It’s a tough loss,” outfielder Anthony Lucia said. “Things aren’t falling our way at times. We’ve just got to keep trying to make it happen.”

“It’s a tough loss but we’ll get over it. We’ve just got to put it behind us,” said Kromberg, adding that he was happy to back.

The Nighthawks successfully put this loss in the rear view mirror the day of their next game, although it was not in the next game. Newtown lost the first of a day-night double header with Bunnell on May 16, falling 10-4 on the road before winning 6-5 that night at Fairfield Hills. NHS then topped Platt Tech 5-3 on Monday to carry an 11-8 overall record into Wednesday’s finale with Masuk.

Laxwomen Continue To Dominate

The girls’ lacrosse team toppled Immaculate 17-6 on Monday and held a 13-2 overall record and 13-0 conference record heading into the last regular season game, at Joel Barlow, on Wednesday.

The Nighthawks got five goals and three assists from Betsy Vendel and four goals and one helper from Lisa Vendel. Kaitlin Brophy had three goals and Meghan Bridges, Jackie Isabella, Emma Kingsley, Katie Canavan and Meghan Carney all registered goals. Marine Thompson stopped 11 shots for the Hawks, who will begin SWC Tournament action on Friday.

Seven Straight For Girls Tennis

The girls’ tennis team won seven straight matches before finally falling in the regular-season finale, 6-1 at Joel Barlow on Tuesday. The No. 1 doubles team of Kristen Tanner and Meghan Loose was Newtown’s lone winner in the match. The duo prevailed 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 over Barlow’s Sarah Fleischer and Taryn Colonese. Newtown ended the campaign with a 9-6 overall record following a 2-5 start.

The Nighthawks, on May 15, defeated Immaculate 6-1 in an eight-game pro set format match since visiting Immaculate had to make up a match against Brookfield the same evening. No. 1 singles player Christina Ciamarra defeated Steph Pietras 8-1, No. 2 Caitlin O’Mahoney topped Christina Foley 8-2 and No. 3 Ashley Cech defeated Gen Pietras 8-1. In doubles play, Tanner and Loose beat Candace Cross and Rachelle O’Hara 8-0, No. 2 Kristen Tassinari and Ale Fuentes defeated Alex Salame and Annette Mitko 8-1 and No. 3 Sara Benson and Kristen Carino blanked Lindsay Anderson and Lauren Castellano 8-0.

Golf Team Wins

The golf team defeated Bunnell High 171-205 at Oronoque Country Club on May 19 to improve to 8-4 this season. Kevin O’Connell earned medalist honors by shooting a 39, Paul Michaud shot a 41, Chris McCann  a 44 and Tony Vacaro and Christian Gregoire both shot a 47