#MIDDLEBURY #REGION15 #PHS
Pomperaug High School catcher Kaitlin Flood lays on the tag to nail Berlin’s Vanessa Reimer, who tried for an inside-the-park home run in the third inning of Wednesday’s Class L second-round game in Southbury. The Lady Panthers defeated Berlin 8-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in 19 years. (Ken Morse photo)
By Ken Morse Special to the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer
The Pomperaug High School softball team made the most of their postseason run, finishing as the South West Conference (SWC) runner-up and then reaching the state Class L quarterfinals. The Lady Panthers made it to the SWC championship game for the first time since 2011 and the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1998.
Pomperaug has managed to win a game in the state tournament only three times in the last 15 seasons, in 2011, 2007 and 2001, and the last time they made the quarterfinals was 19 years ago.
The Lady Panthers, 19-6 No. 5, started the Class L tournament earning a bye into the second round and then disposing of 14-6 No. 12 Berlin Wednesday by an 8-4 final in Southbury.
Thursday, the Lady Panthers traveled to 19-5 No. 4 Torrington for the quarterfinals. There, they ran into a buzz saw as junior Ali DuBois fired a no-hitter at Pomperaug, ending their season in a 3-0 loss. DuBois has not allowed a single hit in the tournament, throwing a perfect game at Brookfield in a 2-0 win Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals.
Pomperaug junior Ashley Antonazzo and DuBois were hooked up in a pitchers’ duel before Torrington plated two runs in the fourth inning on RBI hits from Carissa Carbone and Amanda Thiel. Antonazzo surrendered just five hits and struck out four, but Torrington managed an insurance run in the fifth on an RBI double from Lauren Jamieson.
DuBois allowed a first inning walk to Kaitlin Flood and a base runner in the second on an error, but that was it. Pomperaug didn’t get another base runner for the remainder of the game, and five of the last six batters struck out as DuBois struck out 13 batters in the game.
On Wednesday against the Berlin Redcoats, the Lady Panthers got their bat on the ball as they struck out only once, banging out 11 hits in an 8-4 victory. Antonazzo scattered seven hits, and the Pomperaug defense made only two miscues in the field.
Head coach Paul Masotto had a game plan, and the Lady Panthers executed it to perfection, manufacturing runs and then coming through with timely hits. Gillian Stiber (two hits, two runs) reached base on a one-out error in the second inning. Brooke Anderson executed a bunt up the third base side to move up the runner, but the throw to first base was dropped, and Pomperaug was in business.
Antonazzo got the run home when her flare to the middle of the infield was mishandled. Annie Yacavone loaded the bases on a bunt single, and Caley Ruggiero (two hits, two runs) dropped a bunt up the third base side as the run was cut down at the plate. The small ball proved to be a thorn in the side of the Berlin defense, leading to seven crucial errors in the game that played a key role in the final outcome.
“After that first inning, it was obvious what we needed to do,” said Masotto. “We needed to force them to make the plays, and they had a few errors that played in our favor. Our defense backed up Ashley. She gave up a few runs but was able to bear down and keep Berlin from taking over the game. All year long she has kept us in every game we’ve played.”
Berlin did manage to tie the game the next inning when Vanessa Reimer sent a run-scoring blast to the fence in right field. Reimer tried to give the Redcoats the lead as she rounded third and headed for the plate. The inside-the-park home run attempt fell short as Anderson worked a perfect relay to Flood, and the catcher put on the tag for the out to end the inning.
Berlin put two runs across the plate in the fourth on doubles from Jaclyn Arute and Grace Reimer to give the Redcoats a 3-1 lead. That didn’t last long, as in the bottom of the frame Yacavone and Ruggiero scored on an RBI single from Sam Wisnefsky (three for three) and an error off the bat of Emily Ostar to tie the game at 3-3.
Berlin scored for the third inning in a row on a pair of singles to take a 4-3 lead before Antonazzo slammed the door. The Panthers junior went on to retire six of the final eight Redcoat batters to keep Berlin off the scoreboard.
Pomperaug, seizing the chance to take over the game, busted loose with a five-run fifth inning. Stiber singled and stole second to get it started. Antonazzo singled, and pinch runner Brianna Mastroianni stole second base. With runners at second and third, Yacavone bunted a run home, and Ruggiero followed with a run-scoring double. Flood drew a walk, and Wisnefsky hit a run-scoring single past third base. Ostar and Annabella Pastorok added run-scoring hits to open up an 8-4 lead.
“I’m proud of these girls,” said Masotto. “They came out and fought for this game every inning and every at bat. This is a very good team when they play together like they did today. Now we have a real tough one up in Torrington, and no matter what happens we have had a lot of success this year.”
Pomperaug was led this year by just two seniors. Except for three juniors, the rest of the team members were freshmen and sophomores. This bodes well for the future of the Lady Panthers.
Senior Yacavone batted .405 on 30 hits with 21 runs scored and 21 runs driven in. Senior Pastorok batted .250 and was productive with 18 hits and 15 runs batted in.
Junior Lauren Williams batted .400 and led the team with 32 hits, scoring 25 runs and driving in 19. Junior Stiber hit .315 on 17 hits with 19 runs scored. Junior Antonazzo, in three years in the pitcher’s circle, has compiled a 37-17 record with 330 strikeouts in 341 innings.
The rest of the players are freshmen and sophomores, and the best may be yet to come for the young Lady Panthers. Sophomore Wisnefsky batted .346 on 27 hits, 17 runs scored and 18 runs batted in. Sophomore Ruggiero led the team in runs scored at 26 with a .313 average on 26 hits and 10 runs driven in. Freshman Flood led the team in RBIs with 23, batting .307 with 23 hits and 15 runs scored.
Stay tuned this fall when the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer will bring you live action from the sidelines of the Pomperaug Panthers football games.
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