BY KEN MORSE
CITIZEN’S NEWS
Coaches tend to lean on the same rhetoric after a successful season.
“This is a new year, we need to forget about the past and move forward.”
Nice sentiments, but it’s kind of hard to ignore the fact that you are the three-time NVL champions and come in sporting a 27-game winning streak after being crowned Class M state champions.
You can turn the page all you want, but you will still have those accolades peeking over your shoulder. The Woodland girls softball team has no choice but to look a little different from the past few seasons after graduating a quintet of four-year starters.
All eyes were on the Hawks when they opened the season, with many questions as to how they will respond, with an entirely new lineup after graduating over half of their starters.
“We lost a lot of production from the lineup,” said Woodland coach Loren Luddy. “We lost our two, three, four, five and six hitters but I was pleased with the way the team responded, scoring runs in five out of seven innings. That was encouraging. We played like a confident team today. We just need to take this one game at a time.”
Luddy was talking about Woodland’s convincing 10-2 win over Torrington in the season opener on April 3. It took exactly one pitch for Woodland to answer a whole lot of those preseason questions when sophomore catcher Julia Rowley sent her bat through the zone and deposited the pitch well over the head of the Torrington left fielder for a home run.
Rowley wasn’t through with answering a few more lingering questions, blasting her second home run in the fourth inning as Woodland rolled to the win over Torrington.
“I just went up there looking for a pitch to hit,” said Rowley. “Yes, we graduated a lot from our lineup, but we have a lot of younger players ready to step into those roles.”
Senior Samantha Sosnovich retired the last nine batters she faced – eight on strikeouts – to complete her day in the pitchers’ circle. Sosnovich gave up a single hit over five innings and struck out 13.
“To be honest, yes there’s a little bit of pressure,” said Sosnovich, “but I think in the long run that will make us a better team and keep us focused.”
Sophomore Ella VanAlstyne finished up the pitching duties, surrendering one hit while striking out three. She also had a day at the plate, going 3-for- 3 with a home run and three runs scored.
Woodland didn’t need to be concerned with a lack of leadership as senior Peyton Filippone made sure her presence was felt, going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.
Breanna Thurston belted a drive that glanced off the center fielder’s glove for two runs in the third inning. Thurston wound up on third and later scored to extend the Hawk advantage to 5-0.
Woodland faced off against Oxford on April 5 in a rematch of last year’s NVL and state championship, and the Hawks showed they are looking to defend their title, earning a convincing 11-3 win.
Sosnovich fired a two-hitter and struck out 10. VanAlstyne belted out three hits, including a double, and scored four runs. Paige Chiaramonte added three hits, including two doubles, scored twice and drove in a run.
Woodland finished out the first week of the season on April 6 with a 3-2 home win over Watertown.
The Hawks were scheduled to play Wilby and Ansonia early in the week before hosting Pomperaug on Saturday at 11 a.m.
