Danbury, CT — On April 2, Ludlowe starting shortstop Elena Ohe registered her first plate appearance of the season, but it wasn’t until Tuesday she got her first at-bat. After being hit by a pitch and breaking her wrist in the top half of the first inning on opening day, Ohe marked the scheduled game against Danbury on her calendar as her goal return date. In her second at-bat, the Yale commit sparked her team with a solo home run in No. 1 Ludlowe’s 9-0 win over the No. 5 Hatters, who came into the highly anticipated showdown undefeated. “I’m pretty happy with my team, obviously,” Ludlowe coach Lou Bunosso said. “And we’re finally at full strength. We’ve been missing one of if not our best player on the team since the first game of the year, and she kick-started the game giving us the lead.” Ohe broke the scoreless game in the top of the third, depositing a 3-2 pitch into the grass beyond the center-field fence. “It feels great, it’s been a long time since I played in a game,” said Ohe, a junior. “It feels amazing to come back and be able to help contribute to the team and help spark our energy.” Ohe was not cleared to play late last week, but after a rainout Monday forced the game to Tuesday, the timing worked out perfectly. “I was so glad, it was right down to the minute at the doctor’s yesterday,” Ohe said. “The rainout yesterday really helped, and I’m just super excited to be back.” In her third at-bat, Ohe was hit in the arm by a pitch for the second time this season, seemingly undeterred by her injury as she comfortably crowded the plate. “I’m all guarded up,” Ohe said. “I’ve got the wrist and elbow guard so I’m just going to stay there.” Ohe’s home run ignited an offensive outburst as Rosanna Merturi drove in two with a single later in the inning for a 3-0 Ludlowe lead. The Falcons added three runs in the sixth, and three more in the seventh as the game snowballed for Danbury. Della Jackson had two hits, including a double, with four RBIs and two runs scored to complement Ohe’s performance. The pitching duo of Alex Lewey and Anna Gedacht combined for a shutout, with Lewey allowing one hit and five walks through four innings with six strikeouts. Gedacht pitched the final three frames to earn the save, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out two. “Today they didn’t have their best stuff but I stuck with the formula,” Bunosso said. “I wanted to go a little longer with Alex today but we had Anna ready to go. I could start either one and be completely satisfied.” Ludlowe improves to 18-1 with the win, its lone loss coming to an out-of-state team from New Jersey. Ludlowe will likely be the top seed in the FCIAC tournament. Danbury suffered its first loss of the season after the best start in program history, but still boasts a 17-1 record. “We have to learn from all the mistakes we made,” Danbury coach Erica Carboni said. “We need to jump on the opportunities we had, which we didn’t. We have four games this week and we just need to build off this loss.” Danbury will finish the regular season with games against Ridgefield on Wednesday and Bridgeport Central on Thursday, allowing for a regroup before the conference tournament begins. “A loss is a great learning experience,” Carboni said. “I’m sure we’re going to see them again, and we know what we need to do next time. I told them to use this as a fire, let’s go and show them what we’ve got. It’s just one loss, sleep on it and move on to the next one.” Ludlowe wraps up the regular season Wednesday against Staples, and with Ohe back in the lineup, the Falcons appear to be as dangerous as anyone in the state. “We’re so excited right now for the playoffs,” Ohe said. “And we’re running on some amazing momentum. We’re super pumped to keep going and make some statements down the line.” [email protected]; @AldamWill LUDLOWE 9, DANBURY 0 LUDLOWE 003 003 3 — 9 10 0 DANBURY 000 000 0— 0 3 1 Records: Ludlowe 18-1; Danbury 17-1 Batteries: D—Haley Pucci (L) and Sophia Fenaroli; F—Alex Lewey (W), Anna Gedacht (4, SV) and Allie Tournas. HR: F— Elena Ohe https://www.ctinsider.com/gametimect/softball/article/Ohe-s-return-sparks-No-1-Ludlowe-softball-s-17180215.php