TEAM OF THE WEEK: Hand softball stamps passport to postseason

NEW HAVEN — The math was pretty simple.

Entering this week, the Hand softball team stood at 4-1, halfway to the eight victories necessary to qualify for the state tournament.

With four games on the docket, the Tigers knew they controlled their own destiny.

 “We’ve been talking about it this past week and we knew we had the potential to qualify for the state tournament,” senior left fielder Kate Boudreau said. “It was discussed. We knew it was a possibility.”

The Tigers knocked off Foran, Branford, Guilford and then Hillhouse on Friday to clinch a return to the postseason after a one-year absence.

A week prior, Hand defeated Mercy and Law to earn Register Team of the Week honors.

Last season the Tigers finished at 7-13, falling just short of the playoffs.

“That was definitely something that was fueling us for this year,” Boudreau said. “It was one of the goals we set for ourselves, winning the eight games to qualify for the state tournament.”

Hand has started 8-1 with a team that has five freshmen on its roster, including three starters. 

Kate Boudreau scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead host Hand to a 2-1 SCC Hammonasset Division win over Foran Monday.

Boudreau singled to lead off the inning. Kate Omdahl then bunted and reached safely when Foran decided to try to force Boudreau out at second. The throw wasn't in time and Hand had runners on first and second with no outs. Mel Rennie then laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners over to second and third.

The next batter, Sam Pavano, then hit a slow roller to Foran pitcher Jess Harkness, whose throw to first was in time to get Pavano out at first. However, Omdahl took a big turn off second base and Foran tried to get Omdahl out at second but the throw wasn't in time and Boudreau scored from third.

Allie Buller tied the game at 1 with an RBI single in the fifth inning for the  Tigers (5-1, 2-0).

Dani Kemp scored on Fallon Bevino's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning for the Lions (3-2, 1-1).

Hand pitcher Annie Horton allowed just two hits and no walks. She struck out four.

CHESHIRE — After leading by four entering the top of the seventh inning Cheshire withstood a furious Mercy rally, with the game ending on a controversial call.

The visiting Tigers scored three times in the inning and had a runner on third base when catcher Tyler Keegan stepped to the plate.

Keegan’s sharp ground ball was fielded cleanly by shortstop Caroline Kushner, but the throw dragged first baseman Lauren Fountain off the bag. Fountain, though, appeared to have made the tag, but Keegan was ruled safe.

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ROUNDUP

Hand 4, Branford 0: Anne Horton tossed a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts for Hand in a SCC interdivision win at Branford.

Melanie Rennie had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers.

Haddam-Killingworth 7, Valley Regional 3: Casey Jackson and Ally McFee both had two hits and two RBIs for H-K (12-4, 11-3) in a Shoreline Conference victory.

Chloe MacNeil had two doubles for Valley (5-11, 5-8).


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Hand 5, West Haven 1: Annie Horton allowed four hits and struck out 10 for the host Tigers in this Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision win at Madison. Alyssa Ahern had two hits and two RBIs for Hand (3-6).

Haddam-Killingworth 18, Westbrook 0: Sam Waskowitz went 3-for-4 with a home, a triple, two runs and four RBIs for Haddam-Killingworth in a Shoreline Conference win at Higganum.

Casey Jackson also had three hits, including a homer, with two runs and six RBIs for the Cougars (5-3, 4-2). Kaitlin MacMillan had three hits for the White Knights (2-7).
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TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE
CSC
Platt Tech at Goodwin Tech, 4 p.m.
FCIAC
Danbury at St. Joseph, 4 p.m.
NVL
Crosby at Ansonia, 3:30 p.m.
Woodland at Naugatuck, 3;30 p.m.
Seymour at Holy Cross
Kennedy at Derby
Shoreline
Morgan at Portland
SCC Housatonic
Amity at Sheehan
SCC Oronoque
Wilbur Cross at North Haven
Branford at Career (East Shore);
SCC Hammonasset
Hillhouse at Foran, 4 p.m.
SCC interdivision
East Haven at Cheshire, 4 p.m.
SWC
Weston at Stratford (DeLuca Field), 4:15 p.m.
Barlow at Bunnell, 4:15 p.m.