Heading into Wednesday's Class LL State Tournament second-round visit to Norwich Free Academy, a 1-0 loss, Newtown High School's softball team had already put together a postseason to remember.

The No 5 seed in the South-West Conference Tournament, Newtown was defeated 3-0 by No 2 Brookfield at Stratford's DeLuca Field on May 28. The SWC run featured a 1-0 upset of top seed New Milford behind Addy Cordova's no-hitter.

"For the five seed to get to a championship, it shows what these kids are built for," Newtown Coach Megan Goyda said.

The highlight of the championship game was Cordova reaching the 100-hit milestone. The Nighthawks had a pair of base runners in the opening inning but did not convert. Brookfield cashed in on a trio of first-inning walks and fielder's choice to get on the board in the bottom half of the first.

Newtown pitcher Cordova induced a 1-2-3 — pitcher to catcher Reagan Schenzer to first baseman Gabby Ansman — double play to escape further trouble. It remained 1-0 Bobcats until the late innings. The Nighthawks got the tying run to the plate in the seventh behind a Cordova hit and Olivia Doersch hit by pitch before Brookfield escaped.

NHS got back to its winning ways in the state playoffs. Patience at the plate — four walks in one inning — and a pair of bases-loaded, bases-clearing extra base hits lifted the Hawks to a 10-0 win over visiting East Hartford in the first round of the state bracket on June 1.

The No 10 Nighthawks advanced to visit No 7 Norwich Free Academy and — regardless of outcome — the seniors got to enjoy a winning finish to their career at Lindell Hertberg Softball Field.

"For them to go out with a win and each of them contributing in some way is special," Goyda said of Cordova, Doersch, Lila Accousti, Gillian Boughan, Ansman, and Elena Burdo.

No 23 East Hartford and the Nighthawks were scoreless until there were two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Doersch opened the home half of the frame with a double down the left field line. After an out, two walks loaded the bases. A force out at home plate had the Hornets on the verge of escaping a bases-loaded jam.

B.B. Diorio and Izzy Ligouri worked back-to-back walks to force in the first two runs of the game and extend the inning. Reagan Schenzer followed with a bases-emptying triple down the left-field line to open up a 5-0 Nighthawk lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, a hit batter and Accousti hit set up Ansman's sacrifice fly to deep center and Boughan grounded a single through the shortstop hole to drive in a run.

Another two-out rally produced some fireworks in the sixth. A trio of infield singles by Doersch, Accousti, and Ansman — all with two outs — set up Boughan's booming two-run double to right that, coupled with an error, brought all three runners for the final runs of the game.

All of this offense certainly was enough for pitcher Cordova, who allowed only two hits and struck out ten batters, including fanning the side in the fourth.

"They started to be disciplined," Goyda said of that game-turning fourth inning. Goyda added that it has been a challenging spring with a difficult schedule featuring some top-notch nonconference teams as well as an improved SWC.

"You're going to have your ups and downs. Even our downs didn't hurt us," said the NHS coach, alluding to the team bouncing back from losses to post a record of 14-6 in the regular slate. Among the more notable wins was the victory over 16-win Trumbull. Newtown beat seven teams that wound up with double-digit wins, then handed New Milford (the No 2 seed in the Class L bracket) only its second loss all spring to reach the conference's pinnacle game.

The season also featured not only Cordova's milestone hit, but also Cordova recording her 200th career strikeout and Ansman collecting her 100th hit.

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