The Newtown High School girls’ freshmen softball team had its best season in recent years, cruising to an 8-3-1 record. Among its wins were three late-inning come-from-behind victories.

“The girls showed a lot of character and really improved,” noted third-year coach Steve Dreger. “We really flexed our hitting muscles and had tons of fun.”

There were plenty of offensive stars on this team, including pitcher/infielder Liz Krohn, steady shortstop/catcher Christine Manfredonia and speedy shortstop/catcher Jessica Horvath. Erin Moulthrop knocked in a much-needed run in the bottom of the seventh inning of one contest to solidify Newtown’s only tie game. Stephanie Wiedemann chipped in as well with power at the plate, hitting a home run, two triples and several doubles.

Highlights in the field were marked by the consistent play of Stephanie Prorock and Megan “The Doctor” Kelly at third and second base, respectively. Shelly Solheim threw out two unsuspecting runners from left field with uncanny accuracy. Jessica Friedman saved certain extra bases in one game with a remarkable catch from her right field position, which she played sharply all season. Nicole Potucek’s versatility was demonstrated by her ability to play several different positions effectively. Julie Nietsch and Liz Krohn shared pitching duties. Nietsch amassed a season-high 32 strikeouts while Krohn was solid throughout the season.