Some hard hitting awaited the Joel Barlow high varsity softball team when it visited New Milford last week.
The host Green Wave was not shy about swinging the bat on April 26. The Falcons soon found themselves in a hole from which there was no escape, losing 19-1 in a game that was halted after four and a half innings due to the mercy rule.
New Milford set the tone in the bottom of the first inning, racking up the hits to take a 5-0 lead. Besides the Green Wave’s offense, the Falcons had to deal with some good pitching, as starter Lia Manka struck out three Falcon batters in the top of the second.
Another New Milford rally in the bottom of the second widened the gap. After Kylee Galella and Manka singled, Cienna McNamara belted a three-run homer over the fence. Batting through the order, the Green Wave came through with a triple by Galella to make it 12-0 before the side was retired.
Barlow threatened to score in the top of the third when Georgia Juhre reached base on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and reached third on an error but was left stranded. The bottom of the inning was another big one for the Green Wave, as McNamara led off with her second homer of the game. Six more hits brought in another five runs and an 18-0 lead.
Ending the shutout in the top of the fourth, the Falcons led off with a triple by Alisen McTague. Sophia Kelly hit into a fielder’s choice to bring her home for Barlow’s lone run.
The Falcons surrendered just one run in the bottom of the inning and had some help from New Milford, which had two runners called out for leaving the bases prematurely. Down to their last at bat, the Falcons again got a runner aboard when Olivia Masone reached base on an error with two outs before a fly out to center field ended things.
Barlow, now 4-11 overall, hosts New Fairfield on Thursday and is home to Kolber Cathedral on Monday. Both games are at 4:15 p.m.
