The Woodstock Academy softball squad was just happy to be able to get out on the field.
 “It was great to play. We had way too much time off since the end of preseason. Missing the game (against Bacon Academy April 4 due to wet field conditions), not getting it in, we’re glad to be out here,” said Centaurs coach Jay Gerum said under sunny skies April 6 at Roseland Park.
Even if it did result in a losing effort.
The Centaurs fell to the Fitch Falcons, 7-6.
“It’s disappointing,” designated player Maia Corrado said of the loss. “I thought we were going to come back in the end. This is a good team that we usually lose to every year so I’m glad that we stuck with them.”
Corrado had a lot to do with that early.
The Falcons (1-2, 1-0 Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I) took the early 1-0 in the top of the first when Karly Morales (4-for-4, 2 runs scored, two doubles, two RBIs) ripped a two-out triple. The Fitch catcher scored when Allison Georgetti singled to right field.
But the Centaurs rallied quickly, taking the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Hannah Burgess, as is normal, got the ball rolling.
The Colgate University-bound senior’s first at-bat of the season resulted in a double to the opposite field, left, and was the first of her four hits in four trips to the plate.
“Typical Hannah,” Gerum said. “Hannah is doing what she always does. She is a machine.”
Burgess advanced to third one-out later on a single by Hannah Chubbuck and the two executed a double steal with Burgess scoring on the play to tie the game.
Corrado then stepped up and quickly broke the tie, taking Fitch pitcher Ellie Hohlfelder deep to right-center field for a two-run homer and a 3-1 Centaurs lead.
“I actually didn’t think it was going out, I didn’t think I hit it. I think I closed my eyes,” Corrado said with a laugh. “Usually I don’t hit the outside pitch, so when I got a hold of it, it felt good.”
Gerum wasn’t surprised by Corrado’s power.
“Maia swings the bat as good as anybody. She just has a great swing. That is her second or third (homer) this season, she had a couple in the preseason. That’s not unusual. She has a great bat and any time she makes contact with that swing, there is a good chance that it’s going out,” said the Woodstock Academy coach.
The Centaurs went up 5-1 in the fourth when Cami Corrado, a Burgess disciple, slapped a single to left. Burgess moved her up to third with her second double of the day and both would score on sacrifice flies by Julianna Nuttall and Chubbuck.
Fitch did reach Woodstock Academy starter Mackenzie Leveille in the fifth when Maddy Southers, the ninth batter, singled to right and stole second. One out later, Hohlfelder singled and Morales followed with an RBI double. Allison Georgetti also knocked in a run with a double but Leveille settled down and got an infield line out and ground out to end the threat.
It remained 5-3 until the top of the seventh and Gerum was concerned.
The Falcons had the top of the order up.
The Woodstock Academy coach’s worries were well warranted.
Hohlfelder, Morales and Georgetti, the Falcons’ 2-3-4 hitters, finished with nine hits in 12 trips to the plate against the Centaurs.
“The whole game was them,” Gerum said. “They’re great hitters, they all returned and we’ve been seeing them for years. I thought Mackenzie did a decent job as a sophomore, but those are big-time hitters that have been great players in their program,” Gerum said.
Lead-off hitter Casey Flax reached on an error to lead off the seventh, Hohlfelder singled and Morales made it in a one-run game with an RBI double to right.
Georgetti did ground back to Leveille who cut down Hohlfelder at the plate, but Olivia Carney followed with an RBI single to tie the game up.
Alyson Cabral singled to put Fitch ahead and Carney scored on a wild pitch to the Falcons up, 7-5.
The Centaurs looked like they were going to go meekly into the night after a pair of flyouts to open the bottom of the inning.
But Leveille singled and Megan Preston followed with a base hit. An error allowed the run to score and a wild pitch and a walk put runners on first and third.
Unfortunately for the Centaurs, a fly out ended the threat.
“We played a good softball game. We were up the whole game. We haven’t been able to say that in years against Fitch, maybe ever. We were right there, a 5-3 lead going into the seventh, and the tough thing was meeting the meat of their order. They came up again, did some damage, and that was the game,” Gerum said. “The kids played well (Saturday). This was a good softball game. We’re not happy we lost, but I’m really happy that the kids are working hard and we’re competing with good teams, quality teams in the ECC. We just have to keep on staying focused and growing.”
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy

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