Softball Win Over Shelton a Long Time in Coming

Errors had a huge impact on Thursday afternoon’s Shelton-Amity softball game in Woodbridge.

Heading into the top of the seventh inning, Coach Bob Purcell’s Lady Spartans held a 1-0 lead. Amity pitcher Taylor Baker retired the first two Gaelettes she faced in that inning and picked up two strikes on Brittany Lampert. Only one strike away from hurling a four-hit shutout, Baker’s next pitch was blasted by Lambert into right center field for a triple. After Rachel Catardella was hit on the top of her batting helmet with a pitch, catcher Jenn Post attempted to pick Lambert off third base but ended hurling the ball down the left field foul line allowing Lambert to easily bring home the tying run.

According to Purcell, “With runners on first and third, we have four or five options. We did not want the girl on first to move into scoring position. It’s standard procedure for us. You never want to put the winning run into scoring position. We’ve done this play a million times, but it was the first time the catcher’s throw sailed into left field.”

Coming to bat in the bottom of the seventh and tied 1-1 with the Gaelettes, Amity’s Emily Fox drew a lead-off walk. Catardella, the Shelton shortstop scooped up Jacqui Ferraiolo’s slow hopper and flipped to second base, trying to force Fox—but her throw was later and both runners were safe on the fielder’s choice. Gaelette pitcher Samantha Rosetti gloved Dana Blydenberg’s high chop back to the box, but her throw to first base was high and sailed past first baseman Melissa Broulette. That throwing error by Rosetti enabled Fox to churn around third base and race home with the game-winning run.

Purcell added, “It’s nice to finally beat Shelton (2-1). Last year they knocked us out of the SCC tournament and also beat us earlier this spring when we played them up at their place. They’ve been a real pain in the neck so it’s nice to finally beat them. The girls are really excited to get this win. Today, we made the plays we had to make and got a nice win. To make it even better, it’s a (Housatonic) Division win.”

With the victory, the winners improved their overall record to 13-4 (5-3 in the Housy).

For 5  1/2 innings, Rosetti and Baker were locked in a scoreless pitchers’ duel. The Lady Spartans’ finally broke the ice in the bottom of the sixth. Baker helped her own cause by banging a  lead-off double into the  left-center field gap. Jessica Hoffer followed with a single up the middle. When the return throw from Lambert, the Gaelette center fielder, sailed beyond the reach of catcher Jenn Sicinslki, Baker scooted home with the game’s first run.

With her complete game 5-hit, 7-strike out, 2-walk victory, Baker improved her record to 4-0.

“Taylor threw the ball really well. She’s a hard-throwing, low ball pitcher who has a nice drop and curve. She got that 2-out, 2-strike pitch to Lambert up a little too much and she ripped it for a triple. That was something we did not expect, but all’s well that ends well,” Purcell said. “Taylor injured her shoulder during the pre-season and we just got her back two weeks ago.  She joins Corinna Zdrowski to give us two front-line, quality pitchers. Good pitching usually makes good batters look just average.”

Fox led the winners with three singles and also scored the game-winning run.

In addition to going the full seven innings and picking up the win, Baker also doubled and singled. Lambert tripled and scored the 10-7, 3-5 losers only run.

 Shelton had runners on base in every inning but the second but ended up leaving eight stranded. Amity had runners on base in every inning—two in each of the last three innings.

The Shelton Patch also has video of this game. Click .