Hounds ride Marucci’s no-hitter to win

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WATERBURY — The Naugatuck softball team battled Sacred Heart—and fierce wind gusts—at Municipal Stadium on Monday, and came away with a 17-2 win, improving to 13-3 on the season.

Alexa Marucci threw her third no-hitter of the season, striking out eight, even as the Hearts crossed the plate twice on three walks and three errors.

Alexa Marucci delivers a pitch against Sacred Heart on Monday at Munipial Stadium in Waterbury on her way to the third no-hitter of the season
Alexa Marucci delivers a pitch against Sacred Heart on Monday at Munipial Stadium in Waterbury on her way to the third no-hitter of the season

The Hounds offense scored all the runs they needed during a six-run uprising in the first inning. Four Sacred Heart errors helped the Naugatuck cause as Julia Longo, Skye Stella and Liz Hufnagel had RBI hits for the Hounds.

It was a 6-2 lead in the third when Naugatuck struck for three more runs. Melissa Labonte drove in two runs with a double to left, swelling to 9-2. The Greyhounds put it away with a seven-run fourth inning led by an RBI hit from Daniella Stoehrer, run-scoring singles from Stella and Marucci, and a two-run double by Alexis Granahan. Sydney Cotto and Lianne Wallace came around to score, upping the margin to 16-2.

Granahan made it a mercy-rule win as she led off the sixth, crushing a pitch that glanced off the top of the centerfielder’s glove as the senior shortstop made it all the way around the bases for the 17-2 final score.