Junior righty pitcher Stephanie Burt tossed a two-hitter with no walks and nine strikeouts during an 8 – 0 victory at home Wednesday over Ansonia.
“I have a lot of off-speed stuff and I mixed it up,” Burt said. “I threw a rise ball and it helped keep them off-balance. It’s always good to beat a team from the Valley.”
The Wildcats raised their record to 6 – 3 and were perfect in the field with zero errors.
Ansonia dropped to 5 – 4.
“Stephanie Burt pitched well and the defense played well,” Seymour coach Ken Pereiras said. “We have to continue to play this well.”
Burt also lifted the Wildcats at the plate by going 3 – 4 with two singles and a double and an RBI.
“It’s a lot about timing and keeping your weight back,” Burt said. “It’s different from last week, when we faced pitchers who threw 60 miles per hour.”
Chargers senior Maria Darling got the first hit off of Burt with a leadoff single up the middle in the top of the second inning.
“I kept my weight back and I swung,” Darling said.
Following Darling’s hit, Burt retired 16 straight batters before Ansonia’s Kristin Mooney hit a one-single to center field in the top of the seventh inning. Burt bounced back to get next two outs to end the game.
“Next time, we have to focus on our hitting,” Darling said.
“Today was a tough day for us. You can score if you don’t put the ball in play. We need base runners,” Chargers coach Lindsay Wheeler said.
Seymour didn’t have trouble putting people on base and set the tone in the bottom of the first inning when senior captain Amanda Willette (2 – 3) led off with a bunt single.
“Mostly, it’s about timing and concentration,” Willette said.
In the bottom of the second, the Wildcats did all the damage with two outs, starting with Darling hitting Willette with a pitch and walking Seymour junior Kim Ferris (2 – 3).
Burt then plated Willette with a single to right and freshman Carissa Wasikowski (2 – 3) singled to left-center to drive in Ferris. Junior Emily Coyne (2 – 4) hit the ball well all day and broke it open to give Seymour a 5 – 0 lead with a two-run double to left-center.
“I knew I had to hit it and I did it,” Coyne said.
Willette started things off in the sixth with a bunt single and Ferris followed with a single to left. Burt then pounded a one-run double to center and might have had a triple or inside the park home run if the ball didn’t go under the fence.
After Darling struck out Wasikowski, Coyne belted a one-run double to center. One out later, junior Maggie Crocamo singled in the final run of the game.
“First off the bat, we hit the ball,” Pereiras said. “Amanda made things happen and Burt had some big hits from the left side of the plate. We moved Wasikowski to the fourth spot of the lineup and she had some big hits for us as well.”
Willette said, “It will help boost our confidence and set the tone for the week,” Willette said.