Pitching and base-running set the tone for the Seymour softball team on Friday in a 10 – 0 home victory over Derby.
Seymour raised its record to 11 – 3. Derby dropped to 5 – 9.
The Red Raiders can take solace in the fact that they played tough against the Wildcats.
The last time they met in Derby on April 14, Seymour won 16 – 2 and took advantage of many Red Raider errors.
“We are playing much better now and I hope we continue to do so and make less mistakes,” Derby coach Joe DiMartino said. ​“Seymour is a very good team and they are better than us.”
Wildcat sophomore lefty pitcher Kelly Ferris started for Seymour. She threw a no-hitter for four innings. Ferris walked one and struck out seven before allowing two hits in the fifth inning — a single to left by senior Carly Monaco and a single to the box by sophomore Alyssa Mandolpo.
“I just tried to throw my best and I knew I had a good defense behind me,” Ferris said.
After Monaco’s single, Wildcat junior righty Stephanie Burt, Seymour’s no. 1 pitcher, relieved Ferris.
Burt walked a batter, then got Seymour out of the inning unscathed. She finished the game pitching three innings, allowing no hits, one walk and eight strikeouts.
“I came in and threw strikes and did what I had to do,” Burt said.
Wildcat senior captain Amanda Willette kick-started Seymour’s offense. Willette (2 – 4) led off the game with an infield hit then stole second — and third — before crossing home on a Burt RBI groundout in the bottom of the first.
“Concentrating, using my speed to my advantage and running hard to the bag every time,” Willette said. ​“It definitely set the tone.”
Seymour coach Ken Pereiras said, ​“We like to get Willette on base because she makes things happen and when she gets on base, she can run,” Seymour coach Ken Pereiras said.
Wildcat junior Maggie Crocamo (2 – 3) was an offensive force, starting a two-out rally in the bottom of the second with a double to center field.
“I always like to hit,” Crocamo said. ​“She gave me a good pitch to hit.”
Sophomore Gianna Alberti (2 – 3) doubled in freshman courtesy runner Morgan Scinto with a shot to right. Alberti doubled home two runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it 4 – 0, plating freshman Carissa Wasikowski (single) and junior Kelly Mitchell (single).
Red Raider junior righty Jenna Olenoski pitched well with no walks and one strikeout and her statistics (10 runs, seven earned, on 15 hits) weren’t reflective of her performance.
Junior Kim Ferris slammed a one-out triple in the bottom of the fifth and showed great baserunning when she scored on Burt’s sacrifice fly popup to second base.
The Wildcats really broke it open with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. They were helped by three unearned runs when junior first baseman Jordyn DiMartino dropped Jenna Olenoski’s throw on a bunt.
Sophomore Brianna Donnarummo delivered a two-run single to right and Burt closed out the rally with an RBI single to left. Crocamo, junior Emily Coyne and Willette all had singles in the inning with the captain’s coming on a bunt.
“We have tendency of starting slow, but the second time around, we made contact,” Pereiras said. ​“We had trouble adjusting to her speed the first time around. As the game went on, we made contact, put it in play and got hits.”