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04/16/2014 12:00 AMThe Morgan softball team went into North Branford on April 10 and came away with its second win of the 2014 season, beating the Thunderbirds 9-8.
The Huskies were trailing 8-4 going into the top of the seventh inning, but showed great resiliency by scoring five runs to take the lead and eventually win the game.
"We have about seven kids that played on the volleyball state championship team and seven who played in the state finals for basketball so they knew how to win," said skipper Sal Fiorillo. "They know how to compete and they understand that it's a seven-inning game. So we're never out of a game."
Fiorillo energized his group prior to the final inning, saying that he didn't want to lose to North Branford again.
"We've had a nemesis in North Branford. They beat us twice last year," he said. "At the beginning of the seventh inning I said, 'How bad do you want it? This team beat you two times last year, 10-9 and 7-6.' Scoring four runs in the seventh inning is just incredible."
Leadoff batter Jamie Fitzgerald started the seventh off with a triple to deep right field. She scored on a single by senior captain Lily Dawson and the Huskies got one more batter on base for sophomore Emily Popp. With two runners on base and the score 8-5, Popp drilled a ball to deep right field that went over the fielder's head and continued to roll. She recorded an inside-the-park home run to tie the game and swing all the game's momentum in the way of Morgan.
"I was nervous. But all through my head, I was telling myself that this is what I'm here to do so I needed to get it done," Popp said. "My thought when I was running the bases was get home, get home, get home. I didn't think I was going to get there, but I obviously did and it was a great feeling."
Tori Hopkins then reached base on an error, stole second, and scored the go-ahead run on a ball that was hit to center field by Angie Cook. Cook didn't start for the Huskies, but was ready when her name was called to enter the game late.
"I've been put in that situation a couple of times, but today it was very nerve-wracking," Cook said. "I've been here both years that we've lost and I just wanted to do this for my team today. Coach told me to be a hero and that's what I was today for my team."
The big seventh inning was almost all for nothing as North Branford didn't go away easy in the bottom half. The T-Birds had runners on first and second with two outs and star hitter Kayla Nowak at the dish. Nowak was caught off-guard by a changeup and hit a weak grounder back to Popp on the mound. She was called out on the throw to first, but the umpires needed to meet with each other to confirm that first baseman Angelina Taylor had her foot on the bag.
"We threw a change on that last pitch and we got her way out in front," Fiorillo said. "Maybe her foot was off the bag, but there were a lot of calls throughout the game that I thought could've gone our way, too."
Popp earned her second victory on the hill, despite not having her best stuff, according to Fiorillo. She allowed eight runs on 14 hits and struck out just two.
"It seemed like balls weren't hit hard, but they found holes. That's part of this game that's humbling," he said. "She didn't have her good stuff today, but she gritted it out to do what she had to do."
Morgan first got on the board in the second inning when North Branford starter Lindsay Golia lost command of the strike zone. Hopkins singled home Kelsey Donaldson, Popp scored when Ashley Chidsey walked with the bases loaded, and Hopkins scored on a sacrifice fly by Fitzgerald. Dawson scored in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Popp after getting hit by the first pitch of the inning.
"I'm extremely proud of these kids. They've had the best spring in my seven years here as a coach," Fiorillo said. "This is a signature win for the Morgan softball program."