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Pomperaug High School junior pitcher Ashley Antonazzo delivers a pitch during the Lady Panthers’ regular season. (Ken Morse photo)
By Ken Morse Special to the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer
All season long, during each game, Pomperaug High School head coach Paul Masotto has waited for the other shoe to drop. He has anticipated that one inning when the Lady Panthers’ defense would stumble and open the door to a game-changing rally.
It didn’t happen often for the 18-4 No. 1 Lady Panthers, but it happened too often in games against Masuk, a team that hung 26 runs on the board in 13 innings against Pomperaug, aided by 16 errors. Masuk handed the Lady Panthers two resounding defeats, 12-9 and 14-9.
Wednesday, May 25, at Frank DeLuca Stadium in Stratford, Pomperaug had both shoes firmly laced as the team knocked off 18-5 No. 4 Masuk 8-1 in the South West Conference (SWC) semifinals. The defense played errorless ball, seven of the eight runs scored with two outs, and junior pitcher Ashley Antonazzo worked her knee-buckling change-up to lead the Panthers to their first SWC championship game appearance since 2011.
“The defense played extremely well,” said Masotto. “Yacavone made two outstanding plays in the outfield, and Pastorok made a couple of great plays in the infield. Every ball they hit, we fielded, and our catcher threw out one of their runners on base.”
It began when center fielder Annie Yacavone made a run-saving sliding catch in the first inning and it continued through the sixth inning, when second baseman Annabella Pastorok stole a hit away from Masuk, chasing one down in short right field.
“Ashley pitched a great game, keeping them off the bases, and the defense backed her up,” Masotto said.
In between, Antonazzo (seven innings, five hits, five strikeouts) was dropping her change-up in the strike zone, inducing a continuous stream of ground balls, and Masuk never found their hitting shoes. Rebecca Tillson and Rachel McGinnis both went two for three at the plate for Masuk but that was about all the offense they could muster.
After saving a run with her glove in the top of the first inning, Yacavone used her bat to put the Lady Panthers on top with a bunt single in the bottom of the frame. Masuk tied it up in the second when Erica Pullen drew a walk and scored on an RBI hit from McGinnis.
Antonazzo was lights out after that, not allowing another Masuk hit after the third inning until surrendering a two-out single in the seventh inning. The game was deadlocked at 1-1, and all the fireworks from the previous two engagements seemed lost in the moment.
“Everyone contributed,” said Masotto. “The girls were focused and relaxed and just played within themselves. It was by far the best game that Pomperaug has played in years.”
Yacavone (two for four, run, RBI) then got a rally started in the bottom of the fourth with a single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Sam Wisnefsky. Pomperaug took the lead when Emily Ostar (two for three, run, RBI) drove in the go-ahead run on a solid line-drive hit.
Once the door was open, the Panthers knocked it off the hinges. Masuk pitcher Samantha Schiebe lost the battle with Gillian Stiber and issued a two-out walk. Brooke Anderson reached base on an infield hit to load the bases. Laurel Williams (one for two, run, two RBIs) took care of business, delivering a two-run single to open up a 4-1 advantage.
Just in case Masuk didn’t get the memo, the Lady Panthers were at it again in the fifth inning, pushing two more runs across the dish. Wisnefsky got into one and drove a double to the gap. Pastorok drove in the run on an infield hit and came around to score on a Stiber single as the lead swelled to 6-1.
Pomperaug wasn’t through as they came across with two more tallies in the sixth on an RBI double from Kaitlyn Flood, who later scored to account for the 8-1 final. The No. 1 Panthers will now take on 19-3 No. 2 Newtown, the defending SWC champions, at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, May 26, at Frank DeLuca Stadium for the SWC championship.
The two teams split a pair of games during the season with Newtown defeating Pomperaug 7-1 early in the season and the Panthers returning the favor in a 7-3 win at Newtown later.
Antonazzo and Yacavone were named to the All-Conference team, and Wisnefsky, Flood and Williams werebnamed to the All-Division team.
“That is the most Pomperaug softball players recognized by the league in years,” said Masotto. “It just goes to show the kind of year these girls had.”
The Nighthawks escaped with an 8-6 win in the other SWC semifinal Wednesday, defeating the 12-10 No. 6 New Milford Green Wave.
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