The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Oxford’s offense too much for Torrington
TORRINGTON — Oxford’s softball team could do no wrong — especially at bat — in a 14-0 fiveinning mercy-rule pounding against Torrington at Torrington High School Saturday morning.
The Wolverines belted out 16 hits, led by perfect or nearperfect performances from the top and bottom of their batting order. Two-time All-State centerfielder Rose Renmeyer went 4-for-4 with a double, two RBI and four runs scored in the leadoff spot.
Siena Lucas followed — 3-for-3 with a double, walk, two runs scored and four RBI.
At No. 8, Racheal Abed was 2-for-3 with a double, 2 runs scored and an RBI.
Scarlett Fornetz finished off 2-for-2 with a walk, RBI and three runs scored by her pinch runner in the ninth spot.
“Oxford has a team of bats,” marveled Torrington coach Sarah Arburr. “They found all our gaps.”
“Our hitters go up there with a plan,” said Wolverine coach Jim Husar. “They pick out their zone and they pick out their pitch.”
The plan staked Oxford to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Renmeyer and Lucas turned their opening hits into runs on a sacrifice bunt and a Torrington error.
Two more came home in the second. After two quick outs, Fornetz started her day with a walk. Renmeyer and Lucas followed with back-to-back RBI doubles.
“I got more comfortable,” grinned Shay Webb, Oxford’s sophomore pitcher.
Webb did her part, holding the Raiders to two hits over the first three innings.
In the fourth, Oxford batters turned Webb’s comfort into euphoria with an 11-hit 10-run outburst heading the game toward the NVL’s 12-run-gap mercy rule after
five innings.
Down 14-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Raiders did their best to stave it off. Following a leadoff strikeout for Webb, Lilah Boulli, Amelia Boulli and Aubrie Jones stroked three straight hits, hustling two of them out on infield drop-ins.
That's when Webb earned her part of the perfect Wolverine picture. Bases loaded, one out, she struck out the next batter, then fielded a comebacker to the mound to end the threat.
Oxford rose to 7-2 (6-2 NVL), with losses to the league's top two teams, Woodland and Seymour.
Torrington finished a brutal week 5-3 (4-3 NVL) after a promising start with a nice win at Naugatuck Monday, a disappointing loss at Watertown Wednesday, then Saturday's game leaving the Raiders looking for a comeback next week.
“We struggled to make contact at Watertown,” said Coach Arburr. “Today wasn't quite as bad as it seemed because we made contact.”