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The most frustrating thing for The Woodstock Academy coach Jay Gerum right now is just how close to perfection his Centaurs softball team is right now.
“We are two plays and a bad game against Montville from being 6-0,” Gerum said. “Two plays against two teams (Waterford and Stonington) that are, generally, the top two (in the Eastern Connecticut Conference). So, I’m OK with 3-3 because we are in games. I always just have to take myself back to where we were just a few short years ago and the work we’ve put in to get where we are at now. The competitor in me still says, we’re a couple plays away from 6-0.”
Gerum said that after his Centaurs ran over Plainfield, 19-7, April 20 which came on the heels of a close, 7-6, loss to Stonington April 18. The Centaurs amassed 18 hits against the Panthers.
“We work hard on hitting. We definitely spend more time hitting than anything else.” said Gerum.
The Centaurs put three on the board in the first inning against Plainfield with Casidhe Hoyt slapping an RBI double.
The Panthers helped the Centaurs all game long. They allowed seven runs to score on errors, two of those in the first inning, and another on a passed ball.
Plainfield (4-4) rallied to take a 4-3 lead with four of their own in the bottom of the inning.
But Maia Corrado (3-for-4, 3 RBIs), one of the new additions to the lineup, tied the game with a home run over the center field fence, going about 220 feet, to lead off the third inning.
The Centaurs added three more runs which came home on errors and another on a passed ball to make it, 8-4.
The Panthers weren’t done yet.
They answered The Academy rally with one of their own and only trailed by a run, 8-7, going into the top of the fifth.
The Centaurs put six more on the board on an RBI double by Hannah Burgess, an RBI single by Camille Corrado, a Naomi Rivard sacrifice fly, two errors and a run scoring on a throw to make it 14-7.
The Centaurs added one in the sixth on another Rivard sacrifice fly and four in the seventh, one on a Ciri Miller solo homer to right field, to account for the final.
“Kids are stepping up. I think our lineup, one through nine, are all hitting for high averages and putting the ball in play,” said Gerum.
Heather Converse finished with a 5-for-5 performance at the plate while Burgess, Camille Corrado, Hannah Chubbuck and Hoyt added two hits each. The Centaurs left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.
Hoyt singled to lead off the seventh and scored on a Maia Corrado double. Maia Corrado went to third on an error on the play and Maria Scandalito came in to pinch run. One out later, she scored on an infield error which allowed Converse to reach base.
After a lineout, Camille Corrado had an infield single which pushed Converse to third. The Bears intentionally walked Burgess to load the bases and then got what they hoped for, a fly out to end the game.
Burgess was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Hoyt also had three singles and an RBI for the Centaurs in the loss.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director