May 15, 2008
Wave Softball
Vegliante's crusher in eighth just what they needed
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Olivia Vegliante’s bat waited like a ticking time-bomb that no one could hear, all the way into extra innings.
“It was one of those games where we just couldn’t seem to get anything started,” said Darien softball coach Nick DeMaio of the Wave’s slow build-up to an explosive victory over the Rival Rams on Tuesday. “They had a one run lead up until the sixth when we tied it.”
Next came the seventh inning, then in tick-tocked the eighth. And that is when Vegliante ignited the diamond with a three-run triple to win it 4-1 at Waveny Park’s Orchard Field in New Canaan on May 13.
“We tied it up (1-1) and went into extra innings,” DeMaio said. “And finally, in the top of the eighth, Cristina Tarantino led us off with a double. Carly Dudzik followed up with a hit. A walk to Mallory Kahn loaded the bases. And Olivia Vegliante finally came through with a hit.
“We needed a hit all day like that.”
The biggest hit of the season rang in Darien’s 11th win of the year, keeping its FCIAC playoffs hopes alive.
“She hit a line-drive that just kept on going,” DeMaio said. “And got a triple out of it and brought those three runs home.”
Finishing with two hits, Dudzik knocked in a run to tie it 1-1 in the sixth, after the hosts went up 1-0 in the third.
“And then we got them out in the bottom of the eighth,” DeMaio said. “There was one hit, but she never got past first base.”
The Wave needed to contend with a strong effort from Rams losing pitcher Caitlin Duffy who struck out 12.
“We played well defensively,” DeMaio added. “A good pitching performance from Christina (DeMaio), she threw a four-hitter with one walk (for the win). So they didn’t do much off of her.”
New Canaan drops to 3-13 overall, 4-13 FCIAC while DHS climbs to 11-7, 9-7 with the win.
“A couple of good defensive plays in center field from Amanda Koslo,” DeMaio said. “She made a couple of nice grabs on balls that she had to go back for.”
Koslo caught a fly for the final out of the game.
“There were some good plays at first by Tarantino, she scooped one and then caught a couple of line drives,” DeMaio added.
The Wave had six hits and no errors.
“It was a big game for us because it improves our seeding for the state tournament first of all,” DeMaio said. “Gives us another win for the FCIAC — and we are figuring in as the No. 9 spot. So we’ve got to win the rest of our games and hope that either Stamford or Greenwich loses.”
Only the top eight get in.
“It’s going to go down to the last game (at Norwalk) on Thursday,” said DeMaio.
The bar for the FCIAC tournament is on stilts this year it seems.
“It’s unbelievable that we can win 11 games and — any other year that gets you in the FCIAC (tournament),” DeMaio lamented, understandably. “It’s never happened before.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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