Dragons doubled up by Smith

No. 3 Middletown falls to E.O. Smith for second time, eliminated from tournament

MIDDLETOWN » History will record it as a major upset, but maybe it wasn’t an upset at all.

The only game Middletown High’s softball team lost in the regular season was a 4-3 decision to E.O. Smith. But on Wednesday, Smith did it again, stunning No. 3 ranked Middletown 4-2 and knocking the Blue Dragons out of the Class LL tournament at Henry Hiller Field.

“No, you can’t call it an upset,” said Middletown High coach Sal Morello. “Their pitcher [Hailey Golembiewski] had our number, not once but twice. Both times she kept us off-balance.”

Golembiewski, who is only a sophomore, did more than keep the Dragons off-balance. She held the power-hitting Dragons to five hits, three going to the seventh inning. More than that, she struck out seven, including two in the last inning when MHS tried to mount a last-ditch rally. Her defense played errorless ball behind her.

“That last strikeout [with two on and two out] was clutch,” said E.O. Smith coach Nicole Cote. “Her seven strikeouts were all important and came at times we needed them, Her work ethic is phenomenal and the noise from the Middletown dugout only amped her up.

“She’s the kind of kid you want pitching for you.”

Besides not hitting well, the Middletown defense was shoddy. The Dragons committed three errors which led to three unearned runs. Morello also acknowledged that starting pitcher Sam Pizzonia didn’t have her best day.

“We haven’t played defense like that (all) year,” said Morello. “But even so, I would like to think we can score more than four runs. But like in baseball, good pitching shuts down good hitting. Pitching and defense wins.

“This loss was frustrating, gutwrenching.”

Pizzonia went the distance, allowed six hits, walked four and didn’t strike out anyone. But again, she gave up just one earned run.

Middletown (20-2) took a shortlived 1-0 lead in the second inning. Kelsey White (2-for-4) led the inning with a fly-ball triple over the right-fielder’s head. After a strikeout, Briana DiMartino got the run home with a ground ball to second base.

The lead lasted only until E.O. Smith came to bat.

With an out, Cassi Palmberg reached when second baseman Kayla Pieta and first baseman Carley Gessaro mis-communicated on a pop-up which Pieta dropped.

After Gabby Petrone walked, another defensive mix-up allowed Madi Shea to reach on an infield single, although it ap-

throw from Gessaro to Pieta beat Shea. Karley Haggan got a run home with a single to tie the game and Christine Guyette put the Panthers ahead to stay with a sacrifice fly.

Smith took a 4-1 lead in the fourth and again, bad defense and an umpire’s call fueled the tworun rally.

Keely Flanagan reached when White didn’t field her ground ball to third. Taylor Verhaven then bunted and appeared to be out, but was called safe.

“How does she [the base umpire] miss that?,” asked Morello after the game. “I’m not saying it meant the game in which there were 175 pitches, but it was crucial.”

Flanagan went to third and she scored on a passed ball. A walk and a bunt put two more runners on and a run scored when Dominique Highsmith booted Shea’s ground ball.

Middletown got a run back in the fourth on White’s two-out single and Rachel Thompson’s double up the gap in right center. But Golembiewski retired the next 10 batters before the Dragons got two on with two out in the seventh on singles by DiMartino and Highsmith.

But Golembiewski ended it with a flourish with a strikeout.

“I had a feeling coming in,” said Cote. “As I told the kids, they might be ranked No. 3 and we were ranked No. 14, but the seeding doesn’t matter because we were the only team to beat them.”

Make it twice.