On-the-field training

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Woodland’s Ivy Geloso catches a fly ball April 8 versus Joel Barlow in Beacon Falls. Joel Barlow won the game, 29-0. –ELIO GUGLIOTTI

BEACON FALLS — The Woodland softball team is learning early on that the season has its ups and downs.

The Hawks have felt the spoils of victory and the sting of defeat.

Woodland had to replace an awful lot of offensive production due to players graduating but got off to a quick start with a 21-2 win over Ansonia on April 3.

Jen Triana threw four innings and Ivy Geloso went three innings in the pitcher’s circle against the Chargers. Triana also contributed at the plate with a home run, three singles and three RBI. Geloso also smacked a home run, a triple and two singles. She drove in three runs and scored three times.

Emily Brouillette hit the third Woodland homer of the game to go along with four singles. She scored four runs and drove in two. Rita Plante hit a triple and two singles and drove in two runs to account for the Hawks’ heavy offensive display.

In a 16-3 win over Sacred Heart last Friday, Geloso went the distance scattering five hits and striking out 15 in seven innings of work 15. Triana had a triple, two singles a RBI and scored two runs.

Liz Triana had two hits, two runs and two RBI, with Merrie Dyckman adding two hits, two RBI and two runs scored.

“The first couple of games we had our full squad there,” Woodland head coach Loren Luddy said. “We had quite a few seniors playing the leadership role. We were taking good swings at bat and making solid contact. We hit with runners on base.”

But the Hawks are young and have a lot of players in the lineup with little or no varsity experience. The learning curve caught up to Woodland over the weekend.

The Hawks were in a struggle right from the start against Joel Barlow of Easton on Saturday.

Barlow, which soundly defeated unbeaten Pomperaug by a score of 16-3, jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the third inning. A couple of errors opened the door and extended the Falcons fourth inning as the Hawks ended up falling, 29-0.

“We had a lot of new girls out there learning what it’s like to play varsity softball,” Luddy said. “Saturday was a chance for the younger girls to step in and get some experience. We had some seniors who weren’t there, and some of these younger girls are going to need to fill some roles from time to time.”

Emily Caruso in right field, Brianna Vallejo at third base, Isabel Golia at first base and Katelyn Donovan in left field were all making their first varsity starts.

Woodland’s Jennifer Triana delivers a pitch April 8 versus Joel Barlow in Beacon Falls. Joel Barlow won the game, 29-0. –ELIO GUGLIOTTI

“I’m really proud of how these younger players have stepped up and tried to fill in,” Luddy said. “It was a little frustrating since they really didn’t have a lot of practice time on the field thanks to the weather, and to have to come out there and jump right into it against a solid team like Joel Barlow is not an easy task.”

Steph Krebbs banged out a pair of hits for the Hawks with Liz Triana and Geloso also adding hits for Woodland.

On Monday, the Hawks fell to St. Paul, 15-0. Krebbs and Geloso got the only hits for Woodland.

“Really proud of our sophomore Steph Krebbs,” Luddy said. “She has been real solid in the field and has come through with some solid hits. It’s a learning curve to play varsity softball and some of our younger players are going through that.”

Woodland dropped games to Watertown, 6-3, on Wednesday and to Wolcott, 13-1, on Thursday to fall to 2-4 on the year.

Lindsey Gabianelli three hits against Watertown, and Geloso struck out five Indians. Jen Triana drove in the Hawks’ lone run versus Wolcott.

The Hawks will visit Torrington on Monday.

This story has been updated from the version that appears in the April 14 print edition of the Citizen’s News to include results from games played through April 13.