The Ansonia High School softball team knocked off its second top team in five days Thursday in a 3 – 2 home win over Seymour to finish the regular season at 10 – 10.
The Chargers beat Naugatuck 3 – 1 at home last weekend.
Ansonia showed its tenacity Thursday by erasing a 2 – 0 deficit to win the game in extra innings.
“We came mentally ready to play today,” Chargers coach Lindsay Wheeler said. “For us, the mental aspect of the game is what makes us focus.”
“Because it was our Senior Day, the girls really, really wanted it and that made the difference,” Wheeler said.
Seymour took a 1 – 0 lead in the first inning with senior captain Amanda Willette (3 – 5) leading off with an infield hit.
Willette stole second and scored on sophomore Brianna Donnarummo’s groundout.
Juniors Kelly Mitchell (2 – 4) and Maggie Crocamo hit back-to-back singles in the second inning but Seymour didn’t score.
In the fourth, Seymour junior Emily Coyne and Mitchell led off with back-to-back singles and Coyne scored on Crocamo’s groundout to make the score 2 – 0.
After that, Charger senior tri-captain righty Maria Darling gave up two earned runs on 10 hits, walked none and struck out five.
“We played good defense and I tried to mix up the pitches to keep them off-balance,” Darling said.
Meanwhile, Wildcat freshman righty Carissa Wasikowski (2 – 4 at the plate) was going strong on the mound.
Wasikowski allowed only one hit through four innings and overall, allowed two runs, none earned, on five hits, walked two and struck out eight.
“I tried to pitch my best but I guess I didn’t pitch my best today,” Wasikowski said.
Ansonia cut it to 2 – 1 in the fifth inning.
Junior Catherine DeVellis led off with a single up the middle, senior captain Jessica O’Connor walked and freshman Tierney Lawlor reached on junior shortstop Kim Ferris’ error.
With two outs, DeVellis was caught in a rundown as she took a lead off of third and on the throw home, she scored with a stolen base as Crocamo dropped the ball.
The Wildcats had a chance in the seventh with Willette and Ferris hitting back-to-back infield, hits but failed to capitalize.
Lawlor (3 – 5) was a force at the plate and lined a one-out single to right field in the bottom of the seventh.
“I just listened to what my coach said and it worked,” Lawlor said.
She then moved to second on a passed ball and took third on a groundout. Sophomore Rachel Paskiewicz beat out an infield hit to drive in Lawlor to tie it 2 – 2.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ansonia senior tri-captain Kristin Mooney led off with a single up the middle and sophomore lefty Kelly Ferris relieved Wasikowski.
Ferris struck out four and allowed three hits and escaped the eighth inning unscathed.
However, Lawlor led off the ninth with a single up the middle.
“I knew we needed one more run and I needed to hit it hard to get on base,” Lawlor said.
After Ferris struck out a batter, she walked Paskiewicz and then induced a pop up for the second out.
This set the stage for Mooney, who lined the game-winning single to center field.
“It felt great beating them on Senior Day,” Mooney said. “No one gave up and everyone kept our heads up even when we were down.”
The loss for Seymour brings that team’s record to 14 – 5 Thursday.
The Wildcats close out the regular season Friday at Woodland.
“I’m very disappointed,” Seymour coach Ken Pereiras said. “We made five errors. Maria Darling pitched a great game. Ansonia played better than us and deserved to win.”