Sports
Softball: Rough week for Warriors

May 8, 2008

Going into Monday’s game with Bridgeport Central, the Wilton High softball team had scored four runs in 43 innings.

The Warriors ended their offensive struggles with a 17-1 rout of Central, but the frustration of last week still lingered with head coach Bruce Cunningham, whose team lost three straight games — two in extra innings — in three days by identical 2-1 scores.

“It was a brutal, brutal three days,” said Cunningham. “But now we just have to move on from it.”

Monday’s win ended a five-game losing streak and clinched a state tournament berth for Wilton (8-7 overall, 6-7 FCIAC). With five games left, the Warriors are still in the hunt for a conference playoff spot as well.

Stephanie Fricke had two hits and drove in four runs, while Stephanie Boyles added two hits and three RBIs and Bray Deppen had two hits and two RBIs. Winning pitcher Kat Poulos held Central to one hit while striking out eight and walking one. Central’s one run was unearned.

Playing their third game in as many days, the Warriors fell to Ridgefield, 2-1, last Friday.

Wilton led 1-0 entering the bottom of the sixth. But Ridgefield’s Annie Wendel reached on an error and, with two outs, Tara Formisano crushed a pitch for a long two-run homer, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Ridgefield pitcher Ashley Higgins then got Wilton out in the top of the seventh to end the game.

Wilton scored its only run in the first as Stacy Pokora and Poulos singled and Fricke followed with an RBI single.

Poulos pitched a three-hitter, striking out seven and walking one. Both Ridgefield runs were unearned.

The day before, Poulos pitched a perfect game through seven innings, but Trinity Catholic eventually scored twice in the top of the 12th and held on to beat Wilton, 2-1.

Poulos finished with a four-hitter striking out a season-high 19 and walking none. But Trinity pitcher Megan Demetros was also sensational, as she allowed six hits, struck out 18 and walked three.

“It was a classic pitchers’ duel,” said Cunningham. “Kat was perfect through seven innings, but we couldn’t get her a run to win the game.”

Trinity broke the 0-0 tie with two runs in the top of the 12th. Wilton got one run back in the bottom of the inning on Pokora’s fielder’s choice with the bases loaded. But Demetros got the next batter to end the game.

On Wednesday, the Warriors lost 2-1 to St. Joseph in 10 innings. The Cadets scored the winning run on a safety squeeze after Christine DellaVecchia reached on a bunt single, stole second, and went to third on a bunt.

With the score 1-1, Wilton mounted a threat in the seventh inning. Pokora singled and went to second on a bunt. Poulos then hit a grounder past third that DellaVecchia, the Cadets’ shortstop, fielded in the hole. She flipped to third to get Pokora, who was initially called safe on the play. But the call was overruled by the home plate umpire, who said Pokora was out at third. Fricke then flied out to center, deep enough for Pokora to have scored the winning run had she still been on third.

St. Joseph took a 1-0 lead in the fifth, but the Warriors answered with a run in the sixth. Consecutive singles from Fricke, Deppen and Megan Colvin loaded the bases, and Boyles then drew a walk to force in a run.




© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers