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| Wolcott pitcher Nicole Antonowicz winds up as shortstop Marissa Morales gets ready behind her during Wednesday’s NVL quarterfinal against Oxford. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69) |
Fourth-seeded Wolcott softball took advantage of fifth-seeded Oxford’s miscues in the first inning, then held on in the final frame for a 3-2 NVL quarterfinal win on Wednesday at Wolcott High School.
The Eagles play top-seeded Seymour today at 6 p.m. at Naugatuck High School in one NVL semifinal. The other is between St. Paul and Watertown and starts at 4 p.m., also at NHS.
Oxford, which had to play its regular season finale earlier in the afternoon on Wednesday, had the tying run on first base with two outs. Wolcott starter Nicole Antonowicz got a fly out to leftfielder Jayda Cavanaugh to end the game.
Antonowicz threw a complete game. She gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits, struck out eight and walked three.
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| Josie Cammarata had two hits for the Eagles. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69) |
The Eagles gave Antonowicz a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Marissa Morales led off with a single, then Madison Rotella bunted her to second. Josie Cammarata laid down another bunt, which turned into a single and runners on first and third. Cammarata took second base with Alexis Boyce at the plate. Morales scored and Cammarata moved to third on a passed ball during Boyce’s at bat. After a strikeout, Antonowicz grounded to short but the throw went wild, Cammarata scored and Wolcott had a 2-0 lead.
Oxford stirred up trouble in several innings, including the second. A walk, single and sacrifice bunt put Wolverine runners on second and third with one out, but Antonowicz got back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
Molly Sastram doubled home Kaylee Dolan with Oxford’s first run in the top of the third inning, but Wolcott got it right back in the bottom frame. Rotella walked to lead off, then advanced to second on a passed ball. A single by Cammarata made it first and third. Cammarata allowed herself to get caught in a rundown between first and second with Boyce at the plate. Rotella raced home well before the throw, Cammarata got back to first, and the Eagles led 3-1. After some good baserunning, Wolcott ran into a double play on a sacrifice bunt and the inning ended.
In the top of the sixth, Sam Kostek blasted a triple the other way to right field with no outs. Pitcher Sage Borkowski walked, but Antonowicz got a pop-up to Boyce for the first out. Jenna Myers did the job for Oxford, however, with a sacrifice fly to center to score Kostek and make the score 3-2. Borkowski, who took second earlier in the Myers at bat, stayed put on the fly ball. Antonowicz reached back and got a called third strike to escape further damage.
Dolan reached on a bloop infield single between the circle and second base with two outs in the seventh, but the Wolverines couldn’t get the tying run across and the Eagles moved on to the semifinal round.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Wednesday’s game.
