The Newtown U14 girls' traveling softball team - which bumped up a division after going 19-1 at the U12 level last year - has opened defense of its 1999 Central Valley Fast Pitch League championship by winning four of its first six games.
The Newtown U14 girlsâ traveling softball team â which bumped up a division after going 19-1 at the U12 level last year â has opened defense of its 1999 Central Valley Fast Pitch League championship by winning four of its first six games.
The team is in its third season together and many of the players honed their skills this past spring on the defeated Newtown Middle School softball team. On an unfortunate note, Trina Ramsdell has been lost to the team due to a season-ending injury.
Newtown opened the season with a 19-1 thumping of the Fairfield Seahawks. While pitcher Rebecca Narel was holding Fairfield down, Kate Fenton, Stacey Gordon and Megan LaFlamme collected two hits apiece to lead the offense. Sara Blomberg added a triple while Chrissy Glander and Krystal Ferris also hit the ball hard.
In an 11-8 win over Watertown, Ashley and Krystal Ferris had two hits apiece. Lauren Cascia, Erin Murdoch and LaFlamme also had hit (LaFlammeâs was a long triple).
In a 14-8 loss to Brookfield, LaFlamme had a pair of hits while Krystal Ferris, Murdoch, Nicole Mangarella, and Narel had one hit apiece. Murdoch led the defense by making nine flawless plays at third base.
Newtown bounced back in their fourth game with a 14-5 pounding of the Stratford Silver. Blomberg belted a pair of home runs and drove in six runs to fuel the offensive firepower. Ashley Ferris had a pair of hits, including a double, while Cascia, Fenton, LaFlamme and Mangarella had one hit apiece. Narel, the pitcher, ran her personal record to 3-1.
In the next game, however, Newtown fell, 10-6, as New Fairfield scored four runs in the final inning. Blomberg tripled in the game to lead the offense while Fenton, Glander and Gordon hit the ball well. Murdoch was again a defensive stalwart at third.
Newtown followed that up by playing its best game of the season, crushing New Milford, 13-4. Murdoch was 4-for-4 with a pair of triples. Narel chipped in with a pair of hits, including a triple, to help herself on the mound. Cascia was also a bomber at the plate, connecticut for a triple and a long home run.
Mangarella and Ashley Ferris had two hits apiece and Glander made some fine defensive plays at first.