Sports
First victories go to Barlow
May 1, 2008

by Rocco Paul Valluzzo
Pilot Sports Editor
rocco@thereddingpilot.com

Since the start of the season the Joel Barlow High varsity softball team was still waiting to get hits at key times despite playing several opponents to some close games.

That would change when the Falcons hosted Danbury last week. As in their previous games they trailed at one point. This time they got the offense they needed to erase the deficit and hang onto a 3-2 win, their first of the season, on Tuesday, April 22.

“It’s all coming together now,” said Barlow head coach Lori Estes, also noting an improvement in her team’s defense. “The offense had been coming around.”

In several games the Falcons received solid pitching from senior Stephanie Letkowski, only to not get the defense or hitting they needed.

Barlow did commit a few errors early against Danbury, which took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but settled down the rest of the way. It did not take the Falcons long to bounce back, scoring one run when Letkowski drove in Maddy Brown with an RBI single in third.

The turning point was the fifth, however. Allee Beatty singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Dale Rurbury. Letkowski then helped her cause with a two-run homer to put the Falcons in the lead.

She also came through in the circle, giving up only six hits while striking out four and walking only two batters.

Visiting Lauralton Hall the next day the Falcons needed more than just a few runs. The two they did get put them far short of catching the Crusaders in a 10-2 loss.

A four-run second inning helped the hosts, who later led 5-0 after three frames. Barlow got one run back in the top of the fourth on Letkowski’s RBI single but only plated one more, coming in the fifth with Beatty’s RBI, before the Crusaders widened the gap.

Things did not start well for the Falcons when they hosted New Milford last Friday. But they would have plenty of time to erase an early deficit, which they did in a 4-3 win.

Although the Green Wave scored three runs in the top of the first with the help of a two-run homer by Vanessa Maloney, they did not score again. The Falcons, on the other hand, began to chip away at the lead, scoring once in the fourth and twice in their next turn to tie it up.

Barlow came through in its last turn when Beatty walked and advanced to second on Rurbury’s ground out. The former reached third on a passed ball and Brown’s single drove her in for the winning run.

Brown had two of Barlow’s four hits. Colleen Gilbert had a triple and Carly Hererra drove in two runs.

Letkowski got her second win of the season, striking out 10 while walking just two and scattering four hits.

Barlow, now 2-10, visits Pomperaug today (Thursday), is at Notre Dame of Fairfield on Friday, hosts Bethel on Monday and goes to Weston on Wednesday.

© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers