A pair of two-run home runs sparked second-seeded Cover Two Sports Cafe to a 7-3 win over fourth-seeded Forest Construction in the Newtown Women’s Softball championship game, at Treadwell Park, on a beautiful August 9 evening.

A season ago, Cover Two claimed the title by virtue of being the top seed despite trailing second-seeded Black Swan 2-1 in the fifth inning when lightning and rain thwarted the contest. The finalists left the field not knowing officially who had won, and a unanimous vote by each of the league’s team managers was to default to the rule book’s stipulation that in the event of a tie the better seed wins.

“Last year, we won due the rain and the lightning and stuff, so this really feels good for all of us to play seven innings and win it outright,” said Cover Two outfielder Sandy Doski, who clinched the victory with a catch of a fly ball down the left field line.

Cover Two fell behind 2-0 in the second inning but tied the score in the bottom of that inning took the lead for good with a three-spot in the bottom of the third. Maranda Kimberly led off the third with a triple to center and scored the go-ahead run on Jill Waldron’s single to left for a 3-2 lead. Katie Burke’s homer to left center pushed the lead to 5-2.

Forest Construction, which had upset top-seeded Dental Associates in the semifinals to earn a spot in the pinnacle game, got a run back in the top of the fourth.

Christine Clark and Rose Pagett set the table with singles to begin the fourth. Kristen Brassard drove in a run but was denied a hit as Cover Two outfielder Kimberly hustled to field the hard-hit ball and get the force out on a base runner at second. That play helped limit Forest Construction to a run, leaving the score 5-3 as the game headed to the last of the fourth.

The scored remained 5-3 through the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, Kimberly blasted a home run to the gap in left center, extending the lead to four.

Kayla O’Grady pitched three hitless innings in relief of Lynn Baylis, who was solid in four frames to begin the night.

O’Grady pitched a one-two-three sixth with the help of Waldron’s snare of a line drive at second base. O’Grady pitched around an infield error in each the fifth and seventh innings.

Forest Construction, which piled up the runs in a 19-10 triumph in the semis, jumped out to the early lead on Cover Two with a pair in the second inning on three consecutive doubles. Kathy DeAngelis led off with a double and scored on Clark’s two-bagger, before Laura Nelson delivered an RBI extra-base hit of her own.

Cover Two answered in the bottom half of the second. Alli Modzelewski led off with a single to center and Cathy Hall walked. Laura Grant provided a run-scoring single to slice the lead in half, and Lorie Lindo’s sacrifice fly to right evened the score.

Forest Construction had a chance to reclaim the lead in the third but with two one and two out, outfielder Modzelewski made a running, shoestring catch on a dipping liner to shallow center to end the threat.

Both teams turned in some solid defense, with Chris Jannott turning in a nice running catch in left for Forest Construction, and Kimberly and Doski doing the same for Cover Two.