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| Sarah Lawton delivers a pitch as shortstop Allie Brown defends her position during Tuesday’s 1-0 Holy Cross win over Torrington. |
The Holy Cross and Torrington softball teams met on Tuesday at Holy Cross High School in an anticipated game that had been postponed from earlier in the season.
It was worth the wait, and the game was what has come to be expected when the Crusaders and Raiders get together. Holy Cross won 1-0 and improved to 5-1 on the season.
Freshman Jenna Mowad brought in the game’s only run in the bottom of the fourth inning with a ground out to second base, which scored pinch runner Julia Joyce. Joyce was running for Alexandra Lombardo, who had pounded a double into the gap to lead off the inning.
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| Alexandra Lombardo stands at second base after her leadoff double in the 4th inning. |
Senior Sarah Lawton (CG, 0 runs, 2 hits, 12 Ks, BB) and the Holy Cross defense made sure the lead stood up. Lawton escaped a second and third, two-out jam in the third inning, then worked around a one-out single in the sixth.
“We were able to get out of those situations,” Crusader head coach Meg Dwyer said.
The teams combined for seven hits — 5-2 in favor of Holy Cross — as pitchers Lawton and Ali Dubois of Torrington were strong. Dwyer was anything but surprised.
“It’s the type of game you want to play all year,” Dwyer said. “A nice, competitive game. Two great pitchers, but each with a great team behind them.”
Dwyer credits senior leadership with getting Holy Cross off to a 5-1 start. The only loss was by a run to Seymour, which is undefeated.
Both teams threatened in the first three innings, but couldn’t score.
Holy Cross put together back-to-back, two-out singles by Lawton and Lombardo in the bottom of the first, but Dubois got a grounder to end the threat.
Torrington strung together a walk by Sidnee Kovall and a single by Alexis Tyrrell to create trouble in the top of the third. Kovall went to third on the single, and Tyrrell moved up to second. Lawton got out of the jam with a strikeout.
Holy Cross broke through in the bottom of the fourth. Lombardo fell behind in the count 0-2, but whacked a double leading off. Val Nobrega followed with a single to put runners at first and third. A Lizzy Diorio grounder moved Nobrega up to second with the pinch runner Joyce remaining at third. Mowad followed with a ground out to second, but this one brought in Joyce for a 1-0 lead.
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| Freshman Jenna Mowad drove in the lone run of the game. |
“It’s nice to have a lead, but I know they were going to try to come back,” Lawton said.
Torrington got Tyrrell on base with a one-out single, then Nina Julian moved her up to second base with a sacrifice bunt. C.C. Carbone also bunted, but Lawton pounced on the ball and threw it to Nobrega, who was covering first, for the final out.
“Defense is really what determines this game,” Dwyer said.
“We’ve been working really hard to win,” Lawton said.
Lawton got a ground out to shortstop to begin the seventh, then took care of the final two hitters herself with strikeouts. Lawton was able to get the best of her friend Dubois, who unfortunately has a back problem and could be out several games.
“It’s interesting [to pitch against her], I guess you could call it,” Lawton said.
Holy Cross continues a four-game, four-day stretch Wednesday at Naugatuck.
PHOTOS: Click here for action shots from the game.
