Pomperaug High School sophomore Samantha Wisnefsky charges around third base heading to home to score the tying run in the second inning of the team’s 8-1 win over Danbury Friday, April 8. (Ken Morse photo)
By KEN MORSE Special to the Middlebury Bee Intelligencer #MIDDLEBURY #REGION15
The spring season finally got under way in spite of Mother Nature’s attempt to curtail even more games after the season started with cancellations of a slew of them. The start was tough for the Pomperaug High School softball team, who dropped a 12-9 decision to Masuk Wednesday, April 6. Errors played a key role as Masuk came from behind, scoring five runs in the fifth inning and for good measure adding three more tallies in the sixth.
Those Masuk runs won the game for them as Pomperaug made one last-ditch effort, putting together a three-run rally in their final at bat but coming up on the short end of things.
Ashley Antonazzo surrendered 11 hits and walked six batters while striking out eight in a complete game performance. Samantha Wisnefsky kept the Panthers within striking distance, launching a three-run homer and driving in four runs on two hits.
Caley Ruggiero also got one to leave the yard, blasting a home run and scoring three runs to lead the Panthers at the plate. Kaitlin Flood, Annie Yacavone and Laurel Williams all contributed one run and one run batted in.
“We made seven errors in two innings,” said Pomperaug head coach Paul Masotto. “You are not going to win too many games doing that.
“I don’t know why it happened, but sometimes it happens. The hard part is coming back from something like that. But we had a nice team meeting, and we already have put that game behind us.”
Pomperaug came out refreshed and with a positive attitude Friday, April 8, and took it to the Danbury Hatters in an 8-1 victory. Antonazzo survived a little bump in the road during the first inning before striking out the side.
From that point on, the junior pitcher was lights out as she went on to fire a one-hitter, striking out 11 to pick up her first win of the season.
It was a raw, blustery day at Pomperaug field as Antonazzo walked the first batter, Shea McNamara, who came around to score on an infield single off the bat of Alyssa Timan.
That was the last hit the Hatters were able to muster as Antonazzo went on to strike out the side in the first, fourth and fifth innings.
“It was really cold out there, and that may have had something to do with the walks,” said Antonazzo, who walked five batters in the game. “Once my teammates put up a few runs I really began to focus and throw strikes. The defense did their job behind me, and we were able to get the win.”
Trailing 1-0, Wisnefsky (two hits, two runs, one RBI) led off the Panthers’ second inning with a solid single to right field. Annabella Pastorok wasted no time dropping a sacrifice bunt out in front of the plate to get the runner into scoring position.
Yacavone tied the game, slicing a single into the center field gap before the Danbury pitcher, Melissa Jakubowski, got out of the jam, preventing further damage.
“We got our bats on the ball,” said Masotto. “That was the key. We put the ball in play and all through the lineup we came up with timely hits.”
The Lady Panthers erupted for five runs in the third to take a commanding lead. Williams drew a lead-off walk, and Ruggiero reached base when her sacrifice bunt was thrown away by the Danbury third baseman.
With runners at the corner, Flood drove in the go-ahead run on a ground out. A wild pitch made it a 3-1 lead, and Wisnefsky started it up again with a single to center. Pastorok and Gillian Stiber hit infield singles, and a fielder’s choice by Yacavone brought home the fourth run.
Hailey Latta, who struck out in the second, made up for it by slamming a double over the outstretched reach of the center fielder for a two-run double. By the time Jakubowski put the final out of the inning in the books, Pomperaug was on top 6-1.
“It felt great to finally hit again,” said Latta. “It’s been a while. But after striking out the first time I just kept my head on it and just tried to put the ball in play.”
Armed with the lead, Antonazzo dialed it up and struck out the side over the next two innings.
Pomperaug finished off the Hatters, plating two more runs in the sixth. Williams led it off, crushing a double to center field, and run-scoring singles from Ruggiero and Wisnefsky accounted for the 8-1 final.
Williams, Ruggiero and Wisnefsky all scored two runs each with Yacavone and Latta coming up with timely hits driving in two runs each.
Pomperaug was back in action at Brookfield Monday, April 11. They needed to go extra innings after staging a furious comeback to defeat Brookfield 7-6. Pomperaug battled back from a 6-2 deficit, scoring four runs in the sixth inning with Williams (two hits, one run, two RBIs), tying the game on a single and sending it to extra innings.
Yacavone had three hits and two runs scored, and Wisnefsky had three hits and one run scored to lead the Panthers at the plate. Latta had one hit and one run, with Brooke Anderson adding one hit, one run and one RBI.
Flood drove in the game-winning run, scoring Emily Winfield as the Panthers improved to 2-1 on the season. Antonazzo scattered nine hits and struck out eight to pick up the win in the pitcher’s circle.
The team will host Bunnell Wednesday before finishing up the week Friday, April 15, at New Milford.
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