Seymour 7, Torrington 1

Revenge always tastes sweet and the third-seeded Seymour softball team tasted it on Monday. 

Seymour, which suffered a surprising 3 – 2 home loss to Torrington on May 11, paid back the sixth-seeded Red Raiders with a 7 – 1 victory in the Naugatuck Valley League tournament quarterfinals on Monday. 

The Wildcats raised their record to 16 – 5 and will play second-seeded Wolcott in Wolcott at 5p.m. Tuesday. 

Torrington dropped to 12 – 9 and awaits its seeding for the Class L tournament, which will be released on Friday.

“The kids played well and hit well,” Seymour coach Ken Pereiras said. ​“It was a good team effort.”

Junior righty Emily Coyne, who normally starts at third base, pitched her first game since the summer.

Coyne pitched six innings and allowed one earned run on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

“I was excited to pitch and I did what I had to do,” Coyne said. ​“Once I was on the mound, I wasn’t nervous.”

The Wildcats had 10 hits and drove in three runs with two outs. 

Senior captain Amanda Willette got things started in the first inning with a bunt single. Willette moved over on junior Kim Ferris’ sacrifice bunt, stole third and with two outs, scored on freshman Carissa Wasikowski’s single.

“I was pretty focused and I felt today was a good day for me,” Wasikowski said.

Photo: Eliot SchicklerIn the second inning, junior Kelly Mitchell slammed a one-out triple over the center fielder’s head.

“I just concentrated really hard and I took my time with every pitch,” Mitchell said. ​“I put all my might into it.”

Mitchell was stranded at third on freshman Grace Nisbet’s bunt, but senior Gianna Alberti (2 – 2) drove her in with a triple over the center fielder’s head.

“I just swung and I was hoping for a big one,” Alberti said. ​“I felt my hitting was on and I wanted to do it in my first NVL game. I didn’t feel any pressure and I just wanted to get her in.”

Seymour broke it open with five runs in the third. 

Ferris walked and junior Stephanie Burt and Wasikowski followed with singles to load the bases. 

After junior Maggie Crocamo popped up, Coyne delivered a single to center to drive in Ferris.

“I reached out for it and got a hold of it,” Coyne said.

The next play was all base running. 

Mitchell hit a grounder to senior co-captain shortstop Kelly McDonnell, who overthrew the third baseman. 

Mitchell was credited with an RBI but not a hit. 

Torrington ended up with four errors on the play with overthrows to and from junior catcher Talia Zabarra, which allowed three runs to score and Mitchell ended up at third.

Nisbet struck out, but Alberti delivered the third, two-out run with a single to drive in Mitchell.

Torrington scored its run in the top of the sixth inning. The righty Burt is the team’s starting pitcher but hasn’t pitched in over a week because of an injury and pitched the seventh inning.
 
Ansonia falls

The seventh-seeded Ansonia softball team lost 3 – 1 to Wolcott in the nightcap. Ansonia dropped to 10 – 11 and will find out its seeding for the Class M tournament on Friday.

Photo: Eliot SchicklerCharger senior tri-captain Maria Darling allowed three runs on five hits, walked three and struck out five.

Ansonia scored its run in the top of the fourth with sophomore Ashley Bowns belting a two-out double to right field and scored on junior Catherine DeVellis’ single up the middle. 

Darling, senior tri-captain Jessica O’Connor and freshman Tierney Lawlor also had hits for the Chargers.

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