Sandy Hook, CT — Newtown High School’s softball team put up double-digit offensive performances for the third and fourth times this season with back-to-back lopsided victories, then used small ball to extend its winning streak to four. The Nighthawks blanked visiting New Fairfield 3-0 on April 25. Pitcher Sydney Adolfson allowed just four hits, all singles and two of which came on bunts in the sixth inning. She lifted the Nighthawks to their fourth shutout win of the season. Adolfson retired ten straight batters after a one-out single in the first inning and struck out ten batters, including fanning the side in the seventh inning to close out the game. Newtown used leadoff walks in the first, second, and sixth innings to set the table for all three runs. Ashley Hubner led off the game with a base on balls, was sacrificed to second base on a Julia Berry bunt, and came around to score on Bri Pellicone’s single. In the second, Morgan Melillo led off with a walk. A Caroline Gardner sac bunt moved pinch runner Hannah Galer to second, and Galer stole third and scored on a passed ball. Newtown Coach Joanna Closs added that Galer was a call-up to varsity due to her speed and baserunning prowess. “I’ve been watching her. I knew she had a great softball IQ and it paid off. She manufactured that run,” said Closs, adding that Galer’s instinct and hustle made the run possible. “We never would have scored that run if it weren’t for Hannah and her great base running,” Newtown’s coach added. “She had no hesitation at all.” The Nighthawks added on in the sixth. Madison Thoesen led off with a walk. Adolfson and Melillo followed with singles, with Melillo plating the third run. Closs noted that the bats came around with some hitting in the late innings, something she would like to see her team do earlier in games against tough squads. “We need to find that earlier because we’re coming up against some really good teams. We’re going to have to earn those wins,” said Closs, referring to upcoming tilts with Immaculate of Danbury, Brookfield, Notre Dame-Fairfield, and New Milford. Adolfson does not always need much run support, as was the case against New Fairfield. “Syd is Syd. I give her all the credit in the world,” Closs said of her pitcher, who does not throw heat but mixes and matches a backdoor curve, changeup and two-seam to keep hitters off balance. But Newtown’s coach noted that some run support would not hurt. “We’ve got to start taking some pressure off her by giving her some more runs,” Closs said. The Nighthawks had no trouble putting up crooked numbers in a 19-0 win over visiting Bethel on April 20 and a 24-3 victory at Joel Barlow of Redding in a makeup contest two days later. Against Bethel, Noelle Marrazzo went 4-for-4 and drove in three runs. Hubner and Pellicone also knocked in three. Adolfson struck out 10. In the Barlow game, Rachel Casagrande went 5-for-5, with a homer and five runs batted in. Pellicone went 3-for-4, also with a homer and five RBI. Thoesen went 3-for-5, with three batted in. Gardner pitched and got the win. NHS defeated host Kolbe Cathedral 21-0 on April 27. Read about that win in the May 6 print edition. The Hawks host Immaculate Friday, April 29, at 4 pm. Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at [email protected]. https://www.newtownbee.com/04292022/small-ball-walks-bunts-alert-baserunning-lifts-softball-team-over-new/