Newtown U12 Hawks Softball Team Off to Fast Start

The Newtown U12 Hawks’ Babe Ruth Softball travel team has compiled a 5-1 record in the early going of the Fairfield County Fastpitch Softball League season. In the opener at New Canaan, Hawks’ pitchers Alena Ruscoe and Nadia El-Hag allowed only three hits over seven innings in leading the team to a 13-2 win over the Devils. Courtney Escoda led the offense with three hits. Key contributions were made by each batter and aggressive base running up and down the order helped the Hawks’ offensive outburst.

The next day, a strong Brookfield Blur team came to Dickinson Park and shut down the Hawks 15-3.

The Hawks bounced back three days later in a rematch with Brookfield. The Hawks prevailed 17-13 with the offensive punch provided by Melanie Rotante, Lillia McEnaney and Ruscoe. El-Hag came on in relief to quell a last-inning threat with help from second baseman Kayla O’Grady turned a double play.

The Hawks beat the Ridgefield Tigers 13-6. Ruscoe and El-Hag again combined for a gems behind an offense powered by Rotante’s two doubles. McEnaney and Shannon O’Gorman contributed two hits each and Emily Nacewicz launched a bases-clearing single. Rotante also had a big night behind and chased down two inning ending pop-ups.

The Hawks handed the Bethel Blast their first loss of the season with a 17-8 win. The win was costly as pitcher El-Hag was hit by an inside fastball in the first inning and suffered a broken thumb, ending her season. Ruscoe rallied the team by pitching a seven-inning complete game in which the Hawks combined for 18 hits. Nacewicz and Escoda led the charge with 4-for-5 performances, and Kayla O’Grady, Lillia McEnaney, and Georgia Contois each contributed multiple hits and runs batted in.

Playing their fourth game in five days, the Hawks came home for a rematch against the New Canaan Devils and held on to win 9-4. Stepping up to replace the injured El-Hag, Julia Frattaroli and Escoda provided three innings of strong relief pitching in support of Ruscoe in the win. Julia LeBlanc, who recently returned from an injury of her own, delivered a two-run hit to left and Escoda, Contois, Rotante and Nacewicz continued their hot hitting.

Strong defensive contributions from Emily Davis in the infield and Kayla O’Grady, who applied a lunging tag to nail a runner at the plate, kept the Devils from developing any momentum.

The Hawks now have their eyes set on the State Babe Ruth Tournament in Stamford during the Fourth of July weekend with hopes of advancing to Regional Tournament play.