Errors cost the Seymour softball team on Friday in its 1 – 0, 10-inning home loss to Woodland.
Seymour committed three errors in the top of the tenth, which enabled Woodland to score the only run of the game and raise its record to 8 – 0. The Wildcats dropped to 5 – 3 after suffering their second 1 – 0 loss of the season.
“No question about it, we lost focus,” Seymour coach Ken Pereiras said. “For nine innings, we played great Seymour softball and showed we can play with anyone. We faced one of the best pitchers in the state and we have to learn how to win these type of battles.”
Seymour senior tri-captain righty Kate Alfieri was unhittable, especially in the first four innings of the game in which she only allowed an infield single by senior captain Amanda Willette (2 – 4, one sacrifice).
Alfieri, who will be pitching for Quinnipiac University next year, allowed seven hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out eight.
Sophomore lefty Kelly Ferris pitched eight strong innings for the Wildcats. Ferris allowed four hits overall, two after eight innings with no walks and three strikeouts.
“Mainly, I was able to pitch well was because I have a great defense behind me and I was confident that if Woodland would hit to them, they will make the out, which they did,” Ferris said.
Pereiras said, “We had a great pitching performance from Kelly Ferris and she kept them off-balance.”
Ferris started in place of Seymour’s top pitcher, junior righty Stephanie Burt, who pitched eight innings the day before in a 4 – 3 victory over previous-undefeated Wolcott. Burt started at designated hitter.
Senior tri-captain Kelly Lembo hit a single up the middle for the only hit off of Ferris in the first seven innings. The Wildcats played great defense for the first nine innings and made only one error up to that point. Woodland junior Becca Norton (starting catcher has courtesy runner) hit an infield single in the eighth inning but freshman courtesy runner Brooke Leshin was doubled off of first on a line drive to third baseman Emily Coyne.
Seymour’s bats started to show some life in the bottom of the fifth inning when freshman Carissa Wasikowski (2 – 3) slammed a double over the center fielder’s head with one out. Wasikowski was stranded at third as Alfieri got the next two batters.
Junior Kim Ferris (Kelly’s sister) beat out an infield single in the bottom of the sixth but was caught stealing with Burt at the plate. Senior Kelly Mitchell hit a one-out single to left on a 1‑and‑2 count in the bottom of the second and took second on junior Maggie Crocamo’s sacrifice.
This set the stage for Wasikowski but Alfieri was careful and walked her. Alfieri then struck out the next batter.
The Wildcats had a chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth with Willette reaching on a bunt single with one out and then stealing second base with Burt up and two outs. Burt then lined a shot that looked like it was going into right-center for a hit and Willette would have scored on the play (she has speed and with two outs, she took off on the pitch), but Lady Hawk senior second baseman Emily Hutvagner bent over to make the catch and rob Burt.
“If only it went through,” Burt lamented. “[It was] bad luck and a good catch.”
Woodland started to hit in the ninth with Hutvagner leading off with a single up the middle and junior Lindsey Boland followed with a double to left to put runners on second and third with no outs. Burt then replaced Kelly Ferris on the mound and showed mastery in striking out freshman Taylor Borral looking on a 3‑and‑2 pitch, induced senior tri-captain Audrey Roulanitis to pop up to first baseman Gianna Alberti and struck out Alfieri swinging.
“It was easy to come in because I was fresh,” Burt said. “I tried to mix my pitches up and throw it by them.”
Seymour had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth. Mitchell was hit by a pitch with one out and after Crocamo flied out to right, Wasikowski singled to left, where junior Kara Hames bobbled the ball. Mitchell tried to go to third on the bobble but was thrown out by Hames with junior third baseman Amanda Gomez applying the tag for the out.
Everything fell apart for the Lady Wildcats in the top of the tenth with two outs.
Norton hit a one-out single but after Hames struck out swinging, Seymour appeared to be home free, until Gomez hit a routine grounder to Mitchell at second. Mitchell bobbled the ball for the error and should have thrown to first for the out but instead threw to second where Leshin beat out the throw. Hutvagner then hit a routine grounder to Coyne at third, who bobbled the ball, which enabled Leshin to make it to third on time. Bolland then reached on Burt’s error and Leshin scored.
“It was error after error,” Burt said. “It was a routine play and you get caught up in the game, too caught up in the moment.”
In the bottom of the tenth, Seymour had its chances after freshman Grace Nesbit beat out an infield single with one out. Willette then sacrificed her over to second was one second short of beating out the throw for an infield hit. Sophomore Stephanie Willette then pinch-ran for Nesbit at second and the Wildcats got a reprieve when Ferris was safe when Hutvagner’s throw from second was too high for Lembo to catch at first. Burt then grounded out to end the game.
“It’s OK, we’ll learn from it,” Kelly Ferris said.
