Printer Friendly Version - North Haven Softball Claims Victory in First Three Games

Senior Carly Brown homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the North Haven softball squad a 2-0 win over Coginchaug in its first game of the year. The Indians went on to get two more victories and are 3-0 to begin the campaign. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier

On the heels of a historic 2018 season, the North Haven softball team started off 2019 by earning a trio of home wins during the opening week of the campaign. It was a dramatic week that featured a pair of walk-off victories for the Indians, who enter the season as the defending conference champions after having claimed their first SCC Tournament title in program history last spring. In the first week of the new year, North Haven notched a 2-0, nine-inning win over Coginchaug, posted an 8-0 shutout against Norwalk, and then defeated Amity by a 2-1 score in 11 innings to get going on a positive note.

North Haven hosted Coginchaug for its season opener on March 30 and notched a 2-0 win over the Blue Devils in a non-conference contest. The Indians won the game in walk-off fashion when senior Carly Brown hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Senior Lauren Card pitched a four-hitter to get the win on the mound for North Haven.

On April 1, the Indians were back at North Haven Athletic Complex, where they recorded an 8-0 victory over Norwalk in another non-conference matchup. North Haven scored two runs in the first inning, three runs in the fourth, and three more in the fifth to finish with the convincing win. Card had a big day by tossing a five-hitter with 11 strikeouts to go with two hits and three RBI at the dish. Senior Peyton Davis went 3-for-3 with two RBI, while Brown was 2-for-3 and scored three runs in the victory. Junior Eryn Sheeley went 2-for-4 with a double, and senior Olivia Petersen added an RBI for Head Coach Karen Castagnola’s club.

Two days later, North Haven finished off its exciting week by posting a 2-1, 11-inning home victory against Amity in a rematch of last year’s SCC Tournament final. Sophomore Alexa Ferriouolo singled home senior Sarah Lombardi with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning for the Indians’ second walk-off win of the week. North Haven had taken a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Gigi Russo in the fourth inning. Amity tied the game by scoring a run in the fifth. Card earned her third win of the year by pitching a complete game with nine strikeouts for North Haven. Davis added a double in the victory.

Last season, North Haven posted a record of 19-5 and won its first SCC championship. The Indians finished with a mark of 16-4 for the regular season, including a 7-1 record in the Oronoque Division to take the title for the second year in a row. In the SCC Tournament, North Haven notched a 10-6 win versus Lyman Hall in the quarterfinals, claimed a 5-0 victory over East Haven in the semis, and recorded a 12-8 victory against Amity in the final. After winning SCCs, North Haven entered the Class L State Tournament as the No. 4 seed and dropped a 4-2 decision against Law in a second-round contest.

Senior Lauren Card picked up three victories on the hill as the Indians defeated Coginchaug, Norwalk, and Amity during the opening week of the 2019 season. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier

Sophomore Alexa Ferriouolo singled home the winning run in the 11th inning to give the North Haven softball team its second-walk off victory of the week with a 2-1 win versus Amity on April 3. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier