Valley upsets H-K

HADDAM >> Haddam-Killingworth’s softball team, one of the favorites to win the Shoreline Conference crown, has hit a speed bump.

After winning nine of their first 10, the Cougars dropped two in a row, the latest a 9-3 Shoreline Conference decision to Valley Regional at home Wednesday afternoon.

“We didn’t play well offensively or defensively and we didn’t pitch well,” said H-K coach Jeff Talbott. “On the other hand, Valley played very well and their pitcher was very good. It’s tough for us to play a game like this in the middle of the season. Just a rotten day.”

Valley led wire-to-wire. The Warriors put up a 3-spot in the first inning and didn’t look back.

“This was an important win, but they are all important,” said Valley coach Ken Wilson, who saw his team climb to within a game of clinching a tournament berth at 7-4. “We had a lot of positive energy from the first inning on both on the field and in the dugout.” Valley got a two-run triple from

Julia Jenkins (3-for-4) that highlighted the 3-run first and Jenkins followed that with an RBI double in the third and a run-scoring single in the sixth to finish with four RBI.

“I think Jenkins had her best game, both at bat and in the field at short,” said Wilson.

Valley’s pitcher, Addy Bullis, held H-K to five hits and struck out eight.

“She is only a freshman,” said Wilson. “She does it on the mound and at the plate. Addy threw very well today and hit her spots all game.”

Besides getting the complete-game win, Bullis was 2-for-3 and scored three runs.

H-K (9-3) got a run in the first on a double steal, and after Valley went up 4-1 in the top of the third, the Warriors got a leadoff inside-the-park home run from Faith Mauri (2-for-4) in the home third. But that was as close as the Cougars would get as Valley got two in the fifth and three in the sixth to win going away.

The Cougars final run was unearned and came in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Ari Masotti.

The losing pitcher was starter Faith Torello.

“It was only her third start as she had a concussion,” said Talbott. “She, too, is a freshman and I just wanted to see what she could do. But we didn’t field very well behind her and we gave up hits on 0-2 three times. And we didn’t hit well. Just not a good day for us.”

Rachel Senechal had two hits for H-K.

H-K plays at Coginchaug today. The game was moved up because of the bad weather expected Friday.