Varsity Softball: Archives

10-0 W

5/20/2012

H vs Westminster School

6-5 (8 innings) W

Watertown, CT- Taft took on a strong Westminster team in the New England Championships on Taft's campus this past Sunday. Westminster got out to a quick lead, scoring two runs off of errors in the top of the first inning. Taft responded with a homerun by Cassie Ruscs '13, leaving the score at 2-1 going into the third inning.

Taft scored two more runs the following inning, as both Shelby Meckstroth '13 and Taylor McGee '12 were bit by pitches. Cassie Ruscz '13 hit a single to left, earning two runs for Taft and leaving the score at 3-1. Westminster retaliated in the top of the fifth with three more runs, thanks to a hit by Kate Pate that put Westminster ahead 5-3. Shelby Meckstroth '13 beat out a hit to third base, and Westminster walked Cassie Ruscz '13 to load the bases in the bottom of the fifth. A past ball allowed Meckstroth to cross home, leaving the game at 5-4.

Taft started off the bottom of the seventh with the top of their line-up, loading the bases with two outs. A hard-hit ground ball by Rhydian Glass '12 got past second base and earned Taft one run, leaving the scored tied at five even, forcing extra innings. This was the second time this season when Taft was down to Westminster going into the final inning, and the Big Red once again dug deep and managed to put another run on the board. Taft took advantage of another loaded bases situation in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the winning run of the game was walked in.

All in all, it was a tough game between two extremely talented teams. This win earned Taft the title of Founders League Champions and Western New England Champions. Taft will play its final game of the season against Hopkins on Wednesday on the Taft campus. Game time is set for 2pm.

5/19/2012

7-1 W

5/16/2012

6-3 W

Wallingford, CT- Taft took on a tough Choate team Wedensday in the final game of the regular season. Taft started off ready to go, putting up one run in the first inning thanks to some aggreesive base running by Shelby Meckstroth '13. Not to be outdone, Choate put up a run in the bottom of the third on an error, leaving the game tied 1-1 until the fifth inning. A lead-off double in the top of the fifth by Lizzi Pelletier '13 started off a Taft ralley that produced two runs, thanks to hits by Taylor McGee '12 and Cassie Ruscz '13, leaving the score at 3-1 going into the sixth. A lead-off double to left-center by Rhydian Glass '12, followed by a single by Caitlin Morton '12 produced another run, giving Taft good momentum going into the last inning. Taft posted two more runs in the top of the seventh, earning six runs on the day. Choate kept the pressure on, producing two hits that resulted in two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Their final hit to center field resulted in the perfect cut drill, as Katie McLaughlin threw a girl out at home, ending the game.

All in all, both teams put up a good fight. Taft will play Greenwich Academy in the first round of the New England Tournament this Saturday. Game time is set for 1pm on the Taft campus.

5/14/2012

5/12/2012

4-2 W

Greenwich, CT-- Taft took on a tough Greenwich Academy team Saturday in a game that went into extra innings. While Taft came out ready to go, putting up two runs in the top of the first inning, it was clear that the Big Red were going to have to battle all day against the Gators. Amy Feda '13 started things off with a triple to left field; she was then batted in by Taylor McGee '12, whose aggressive base-running eventually brought her across home plate as well. Never backing down, Greenwich took advantage of two errors made by Taft in the bottom of the second, putting up two runs to tie the score at 2-2 going into the third inning. Although Taft continued to work hard at the plate, they were unable to manufacture runs for the next five innings. Heading into the top of the eighth, a two-out walk by Taylor McGee '12, followed by a double to left-center by Cassie Ruscz '13 put Taft ahead. Hits by Rhydian Glass '12 and Audrey Quirk '14 secured the victory for Taft. Taft's continued focus and determination won them the game, as they prepare for the Western New England Championship on Saturday. If they win Saturday they will advance to the New England Championship game, which would be played at home on Sunday.

5/9/2012

20-0 W

Watertown, CT- The Big Red had a strong day offensively against Kent, as they came out victorious with a 20-0 win. Leading the charge was Taylor McGee '12, who went 2-3 with a double and 5 RBI's. Cassie Ruscz hit a 2-run homerun over the fence in the second inning, and Audrey Quirk '14 hit a triple in the fourth inning, as she earned 2 RBI's. Defensively, Katie McLaughlin '13 had a strong showing at short, and Rhydian Glass '12 gave up one hit in four innings, as she struck out three batters. All in all, Taft continues to work hard in preparation for New Englands. The Big Red will take on Greenwich Academy this Saturday. Gametime is set for 2:30pm.

4/30/2012

H vs Loomis Chaffee School

5-0 W

West Hartford, CT- The Big Red took on a strong Kingswood-Oxford team this past Wednesday on the K-O campus. Taft got off to a quick lead, putting up one run in the top of the second, thanks to hits by Lizzi Pelletier '13 and Audrey Quirk '14. Taft continued their hit parade the following inning, as Katie McLauglin '13 and Taylor McGee '12 had back to back hits and strong base running, as they were then hit in by Cassie Ruscz '13, who went 2-4 on the day with a double and a triple.

Defensively, Taft continued to work hard, only giving up one error on the field. Rhydian Glass '12 struck out 12 batters in six innings, only giving up 1 hit on the day. On the whole, Taft was pleased with their perfomance, and look forward to continuing working hard as they prepare for playoff season.

4/28/2012

18-0 W

Watertown, CT- Taft had their bats going, as they took on Loomis Chaffee this past Saturday. Offensively, all members of the varsity squad participated in this game. Lizzi Pelletier '13 had an outstanding day at the plate, going 4-4 with three hits up the middle. Taylor McGee '12 and Caitlin Morton '12 both went 3-4, as their put their hitting skills to use. On the mound, Rhydian Glass '12 struck out six batter in three innings, while Amy Feda '13 made her pitching debut, as she struck out one batter in two innings. All in all, a strong showing for the Big Red.

4/25/2012

10-2 W

Watertown, CT-The Big Red took on a good Westover team Wednesday afternoon on the Taft Campus. Taft got off to a quick lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to hits by Taylor McGee '12, Cassie Ruscz '13 and Audrey Quirk '14. Taft had another big inning in the bottom of the fourth, as Elena LoRusso '13, Colleen Marcik '13, Shelby Meckstroth '13 and Katie McLaughlin '13 all managed to get on base, and were then driven in by a homerun over the fence hit by Cassie Ruscz '13. Defensively, Rhydian Glass '12 had another strong showing on the mound, striking out 11 batters in seven innings. Katie McLaughlin '13 and Audrey Quirk '14 did a great job keeping the left side of the infield in check.

Taft will take on the Pelicans of Loomis Chaffe Saturday afternoon on the Taft campus. Game time is set for 2:30pm.

4/24/2012

5-1 W

Watertown, CT- The Taft Rhinos took on a tough Miss Porters team Tuesday afternoon on the Taft campus. This game was highly anticipated as the two teams were tied for first place in the league going into the game. Miss Porter's pitcher Victoria Cabral '12 pitched a solid game, as Taft was slow to get their bats going during the first two innings of the game. But Taft's offense came alive in the third frame, as Katie McLaughlin '13 (3-3) and Taylor McGee '12 (1-3) got on base, and scored on a hit to right field by Rhydian Glass '12 (1-3), earning her 2 RBI's and putting Taft ahead 2-0 going into the fourth inning. Taft broke the game open in the sixth inning, as a triple by Cassie Ruscz '13 (1-3) scored two more runs, and Ruscz stole home on a past ball, putting Taft up 5-0 after five innings of play. Miss Porters put up one run in the top of the sixth, thanks to two solid hits, but Taft managed to hold on to the lead, giving them the win for the day.

The Taft offense was lead by Rhydian Glass '12, who had nine strikeouts in seven innings of play. Key plays by outfielders Caitlin Morton '12 and Shelby Meckstroth '13 also contributed to the success of the Taft offense. The Big Red will take on Westover Wednesday afternoon on the Taft campus. Game time is set for 2:30pm.

4/21/2012

17-2 W

Watertown, CT-The Big Red took on the Deerfield Doors this past Satruday on the Taft campus. The Doors got off to a great start, as they scored one run thanks to strong hitting. Taft came back ready to win, putting up 17 runs on the day. Leading the charge was Katie McLaughlin '13, who went 4-5, while Cassie Ruscz '13 went 3-4, hitting three doubles and earning 5 RBIs. All in all, each member of the Taft team contributed offensively, earning over 20 hits in five innings. Rhydian Glass had another strong showing on the mound, as she earned 5 strikeouts in 5 innings.

Taft will take on the Fighting Daisies of Miss Porters this Tuesday in what will be on the the most anticipated games of the season, as the two teams are tied in first. Game time is set for 4:30pm on the Taft campus.

4/18/2012

5-4 W

Simsbury, CT- The Big Red took on defending league champion Westminster in a tough-fought match on the Westminster campus Wednesday afternoon. The Martlets got out to a quick lead in the first inning, with two hits up the middle by Kate Pate and Brooke Wolejko, giving them a 1-0 lead going into the second inning. Westminster struck again in the bottom of the 4th, as the Taft defense committed four errors in the field, allowing the Martlets to go up 4-0. Taft came back with one run the following inning, as Shelby Meckstroth '13 beat out a hit to the pitcher, and then followed up with a stolen base. A hit to right field by Katie Mclaughlin '13 brought in one run, putting Taft on the board. It was not until the sixth inning that Taft got a ralley going, as back to back hits by Cassie Ruscz '13 and Rhydian Glass '12 put runners in scoring position. Audrey Quirk '14 earned 2 RBIs with a hit to left field, leaving the score at 4-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth. With the game on the line, Taft's offense came alive in the top of the seventh. A lead-off walk by Shelby Meckstroth '13 was followed by a sacrifice bunt from Katie McLaughlin '13, putting a runner in scoring position. Taylor McGee '12 walked to put two runners on base, and Cassie Ruscz '13 hit a rocket to center field, scoring two runs and putting Taft ahead 5-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh. Westminster continued to put up a strong fight, as their lead off batter, Jordan Gowdy, got on base with a hit up the middle. The following bunt to Cassie Ruscz '13 not only got the batter out but caught the runner going to third with a stellar play, as left fielder Caitlin Morton '12 ran in to cover third base. Rhydian Glass sealed the deal by striking out the final batter of the game, earning 13 strike-outs on the day. This was a great game between two very strong teams.

On Saturday Taft will face Deerfield at home. Game time is set for 2:00pm.

4/14/2012

H vs Canterbury School

7-0 W

The Rhinos continued to play tough softball this past Saturday on the Taft campus as they took on the Saints of Canterbury. Taft got off to a one-run lead in the bottom of the first inning, as back-to-back hits up the middle by Taylor McGee '12 and Cassie Ruscz '13 started a two-out rally, which ended with Rhydian Glass '12 earning her first RBI of the day with a hit to right field. Taft's offense came alive again as Lizzi Pelletier '13 started off the third inning with the first of two doubles to left field. Taylor McGee '12 and Cassie Ruscz '13 both earned RBI's, followed by a hit to right field by Rhydian Glass '12 and a hit to center by Audrey Quirk '14. Amy Feda '13 ended the inning with a double to left field, earning her 2 RBI's for the day and putting the Big Red ahead 6-0 heading into the top of the fourth. Not to be outdone, Lizzi Pelletier '13 hit another double to right field in the bottom of the fourth, and then thanks to some aggressive base-running, she was able to steal home and seal a 7-0 score for the remainder of the game.

Defensively, Katie McLaughlin '13 continued to put up an iron curtain at short, while Rhydian Glass '12 struck out nine batters and only gave up one hit in seven innings. The Big Red will take on defending league champions Westminster this Wednesday in Simsbury. Game time is 2:30pm.

4/11/2012

H vs Watertown High School

14-1 W

Sheffield, MA-The Taft Rhinos took on Berkshire today, defeating the Bears 14-1. It was a great day for Taft's offense, as the bats were alive from the start. Rhydian Glass '12 got the Big Red going with a hit up the middle, earning her 2 RBI's and putting Taft ahead 3-0 after the first inning. The bats came alive again in the top of the fourth, as Shelby Meckstroth '13 and Kano Kotaka '12 both bunted for hits, loading the bases with no outs. Hits up the middle by Taylor McGee '12 and Cassie Ruscz '13 earned each player an RBI, followed by a hit down the third base line by Rhydian Glass '12, which brought in 2 more runs and put Taft ahead 7-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Taft had their biggest inning during the top of the fifth, as a lead off hit up the middle by Lizzi Pelletier '13 set the stage for the following batters. Amy Feda '13 and Shelby Meckstroth '13 had hard hits that loaded the bases, followed up by the aggressive offense of Katie McLaughlin '13, Taylor McGee '12 and Cassie Ruscz '13, as they brought in 5 runs during the inning. Cassie Ruscz closed up the game in the top of the seventh with a triple to left field, bringing in 2 more runs and earning her 3 RBI's for the day.

Defensively, Taft continued to work hard, with key plays by Katie McLaughlin '13 at short-stop and Lizzi Pelletier '13 at second base. Rhydian Glass '12 had a stellar performane on the mound, striking out 9 batters and giving up two hits. The Rhinos have two days of hard practice ahead of them, as they prepare to take on Canterbury at home this coming Saturday. Game time is 2:30pm.

4/7/2012

H vs NMH School

12-0 W

Watertown, CT- The Big Red pulled out a victory against NMH on Saturday in their season opener, defeating the Hoggers 12-0 in seven innings. Taft got off to a quick start, scoring three runs in the first inning, thanks to hits by Rhydian Glass '12 and Audrey Quirk '14. Rhydian Glass '12 also came through with a tripe in the third inning, earning her three RBI's. On the field, Katie McLaughlin '13 and Audrey Quirk '14 put up a strong defense at short stop and third base. Rhydian Glass '12 had a fine game on the mound, striking out 10 batters. All in all, a fine first game for the Taft Rhinos. The team travels to Sheffield, MA, on Wednesday to take on the Berkshire Bears. Game time is 2:30pm.

3/28/2012

2010-11 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

5/25/2011

A vs Hopkins School

9-0 W

New Haven, CT- Taft traveled down to New Haven to take on Hopkins on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Taft managed to win the final game of their season, defeating Hopkins 9-0.

Although Taft was slow to put up some runs on the board, the Rhinos had a big inning in the sixth, as they managed to score nine runs off of 10 hits that inning. Cassie Ruscz '13 had a single and a triple that inning, earning her four RBI's for the game. Rhydian Glass '12 had two doubles the same inning, allowing three runs to score for the Big Red.

On the mound, Rhydian Glass pitched a shut-out for Taft, as she earned nine strike-outs in seven innings. Lizzi Pelletier '13 made her debut at second base, with a stellar play in the bottom of the seventh. Taylor McGee '12 continued her role as the backstop of the team, throwing a runner out a second at the start of the game.

Taft ends its season 11-3, and came in third place in the league. The team would like to thank all of the support it received from their fans, and they look forward to another successful season next year.

5/22/2011

3-1 L

Simsbury, CT-Taft traveled to Westminster's beautiful campus Sunday afternoon to compete in the championship game of the Western New England Tournament. It was a competitive game with two well matched teams, as Westminster took the title, winning 3-1.

Taft faced a tough Westminster pitcher, as the Big Red struggled to get their bats on the ball during the first half of the game. Taft managed to get a rally going in the top of the sixth inning, as Kate Moreau '11 and Katie McLaughlin '13 both got on base. An over thrown ball to second allowed Moreau to score, but it would not be enough for the Rhinos to take the title.

Rhydian Glass '12 pitched a strong game for Taft, earning six strike-outs in six innings. Kate Moreau '11 had another strong showing at short, as she threw out six runners at first. Ultimately, errors in the field and smart base-running gave Westminster the lead the entire game.

Taft will travel to New Haven on Wednesday to play Hopkins for their final game of the season. Game time is set for 3pm.

5/21/2011

H vs Choate Rosemary Hall

4-0 W

Wallingford, CT- The Taft Rhinos traveled to Wallingford to take on the Wild Boars of Choate Rosemary Hall in the semi-final game of the Western New England Tournament Saturday afternoon. It was a tough match, as Choate had a strong offensive team, while Taft's solid defense was able to shut out the boars 4-0.

Offensively, the Big Red continued to show their strength at the plate, earning nine hits in seven innings. Cassie Ruscz '13 hit a triple in the top of the first to put Taft on the board, 1-0. Audrey Quirk's '14 double in the top of the fifth put Taft ahead 3-0, as the freshman continued to show improvement at the plate. All in all, Taft's offense had another strong showing on Saturday.

Rhydian Glass '12 only gave up six hits in seven innings against 26 batters. Taft put up an extremely strong defense, with Kate Moreau '11 throwing out five players from short.

Tomorrow Taft will travel to Simsbury, CT, to take on the undefeated league champions, Westminster for the Western New England title. Game time is set for 2pm.

5/18/2011

7-1 P

5/16/2011

H vs Hotchkiss School

15-0 W

Watertown, CT- On a gloomy Monday afternoon, Taft took on the Bearcats of Hotchkiss. Superior pitching and great hitting earned the Big Red their eighth consecutive win of the season, as Taft defeated Hotchkiss 15-0 in 5 innings.

Cassie Ruscz '13 celebrated her 16th birthday by going 4-4 at the plate, including a home-run to deep center field in the bottom of the fourth, which earned her 3 RBI's. Rhydian Glass '12 and Jess Desorcie '11 both went 3-4, while Taylor McGee '12 and Katie McLaughlin '13 both went 2-4. Needless to say, the Rhinos continued to be aggressive at the plate today.

On the mound, Rhydian Glass '12 pitched a stellar game, earning herself a no-hitter in five innings. Of the 15 batters she faced, she struck out nine of them, helping secure another victory for Taft.

The Rhinos will face the Wild Boars of Choate (10-2) this coming Wednesday at home. Game time is set for 3pm.

5/14/2011

21-0 W

Watertown, CT-The Big Red took on the Gators of Greenwich Academy on Saturday afternoon at home. Between strong pitching and a lively offense, Taft defeated Greenwich Academy 21-0 in five innings.

Taft had a strong showing at bat, as the team earned 25 hits off of 38 at-bats in four innings. After putting up 8 runs in the first inning, the Rhinos continued to be aggressive at the plate, as every member of the varsity squad played Saturday, and the team truly showed how much they had improved since they first began practicing in March. Katie McLaughlin '13 went 4-5 with 4 RBI's, while Taylor McGee '12 went 4-4 with 5 RBI's. Caitlin Morton '12 and Audrey Quirk '14 both were 2-4 with 3 RBI's respectively.

Rhydian Glass '12 had another strong showing on the mound, striking out six batters in three innings. Sophie Kearney '11 finished the last two innings of the game, earning one strike-out. The combined efforts of the two pitchers earned Taft their first no-hitter of the season.

Taft will take on the Bearcats of Hotchkiss (3-6) at home on Monday, May 16. Game time is set for 4:30pm.

H vs Kingswood-Oxford School

5/11/2011

A vs Kent School

18-2 W

Kent, CT- The Big Red took on the Kent Lions Wednesday afternoon on Kent's campus. The bats were alive once again, as the Rhinos defeated the Lions 18-2 in five innings.

Taft had a strong showing offensively, earning 18 runs off of 15 hits and no strike-outs in five innings. Audrey Quirk '14 went 3-4 with two doubles and 2 RBI's, and Cassie Ruscz '13 went 3-5 with a triple and 5 RBI's. Taylor McGee '12 went 3-3-4 with three hits, and also threw a runner out going to second in the third inning. Sophie Kearney '11 started on the mound for the Rhinos, earning two strike-outs in four innings, while Rhydian Glass '12 closed the game in the bottom of the fifth.

Taft will host Greenwich Academy (8-6) this Saturday. Game time is set for 2pm.

5/2/2011

6-5 W

Watertown, CT- Taft took on a tough Kingswood-Oxford (2-5) team Monday afternoon. The Rhinos worked hard to come back in the fifth inning after being down 5-1, earning their sixth win of the season.

After getting out to a quick lead in the first inning thanks to smart base-running by Kate Morea '11, the Rhinos faced an offensively solid K-O team, who put up five runs off of five hits by the fourth inning. Determined to come back, the Rhinos had a big inning in the bottom of the fifth, thanks in part to a double hit to the left-center gap by Taylor McGee '12 with two outs and the bases loaded, tying the score at five even. Jess Desorcie '11 followed McGee with another clutch hit to right field, allowing the go-ahead run to score, putting Taft in the lead for the remainder of the game.

Sophie Kearney '11 made her starting debut on the mound, earning two strike-outs in five innings. Rhydian Glass '12 finished the last two innings of the game, earning three strike-outs and gave up no hits.

After a busy schedule, the Big Red will enjoy a much needed respite, as they will not play again until they travel to Kent next Wednesday. Game time is 2:30pm.

4/30/2011

A vs Loomis Chaffee School

9-3 W

Windsor, CT- The Big Red traveled to Windsor, CT to take on the Pelicans of Loomis Chaffee (0-5) on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The bats were alive again, as Taft pulled out their third victory of the week, defeating Loomis 9-3.

Cassie Ruscz '13 had another strong showing at the plate, going 4-5 with two doubles and four RBI's. Katie McLaughlin '13 and Jess Desorcie '11 each had three hits respectively and did an excellent job staying aggressive on the base paths. Defensively, Kate Moreau '11 held down the infield, while Caitlin Morton '12, Audrey Quirk '14 and Kano Kotaka '12 did an excellent job in the outfield. Rhydian Glass '12 struck out ten batters in seven innings, earning her fifth victory of the season.

Monday Taft will face Kingswood-Oxford (1-4) at home. Game time is 4:45pm.

4/27/2011

A vs Westover School

9-0 W

Middlebury, CT- The Taft Rhinos took on a good Westover Wildcats team Wednesday afternoon at Westover. Again, the bats were alive and the defense was on its toes, giving the Big Red a 9-0 victory over the Wildcats.

Rhydian Glass '12 had another strong showing on the mound, with 14 strike-outs and giving up only two hits in seven innings. Jess Desorcie '11 and Cassie Ruscz '13 did an excellent job holding down the right side of the field with solid defense. At bat, the Rhinos had 14 hits and were smart on the base path. Cassie Ruscz '13 led the team with five RBI's, going 4-5 with a two doubles. Katie McLaughlin '13 and Kate Moreau '11 both had two hits and did an excellent job base running.

Taft travels to Loomis Chaffee this Saturday to face the Pelicans (0-5). Game time is set for 2:30pm.

A vs Miss Porter's School

4/26/2011

5-0 W

Farmington, CT- The Taft Rhinos got a big win over an undefeated Miss Porter's team Tuesday afternoon. The bats were alive today, as Taft had 10 hits against the Fighting Daisies. Smart base-running and key hits helped the Rhinos secure a much needed victory today.

Defensively, Rhydian Glass '12 had a stellar performance on the mound, earning 9 strike-outs and only giving up 2 hits in seven innings. Taylor McGee '12 continued to protect behind the plate, throwing out a runner as she attempted to steal second in the bottom of the seventh inning. Offensively, Cassie Ruscz '13 earned three RBI's with a clutch hit in the top of the fifth to put the Rhino's in the lead 5-0. Kate Moreau '11 went 4-4 with three hits, while Jess Desorcie '11 went 2-4 with an RBI. All-in-all, Taft played a great game and worked hard both on defense and at bat.

Tomorrow Taft travels to Westover (3-3) to take on the Wildcats. Game time is 2:30pm.

4/23/2011

A vs Deerfield Academy

4/21/2011

9-3 W

Watertown, CT-Taft Varsity Softball defeated a good Berkshire team in their second meeting of the season at home on Thursday. The Rhinos were alive at bat, with Rhydian Glass '12 and Kate Moreau '11 earning 2 RBI's each. Jess Desorcie went 3-3 with solid hits to centerfield during each at bat. Defensively, the team continues to improve, as Taylor McGee '12 did a stellar job behind the plate, throwing out two players on the bases. All-in-all, the team looked very good on a cold and windy day.

On Saturday the Rhinos travel to Deerfield, MA, to face the Doors (0-3) at 3:00pm.

4/20/2011

H vs Westminster School

2-4 L

Watertown, CT- The Rhinos lost to a strong Westminster team on their first game of the week. Rhydian Glass '12 pitched seven strong innings for the Big Red, earning 8 strike-outs on the mound. However, the team was only able to put two runs on the board in the first inning, and struggled at bat against a tough Westminster pitcher. Despite a skilled Taft infield led by Kate Moreau '11, who made multiple tough plays during the came, Westminster came alive in the top of the fourth inning, scoring two runs, putting them ahead for the remainder of the game.

The team will be back in action tomorrow, as they take on Berkshire at home at 4:45.

4/16/2011

A vs Canterbury School

4-3 L

New Milford, CT- Despite being up 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Big Red gave up two runs in the last inning to fall to Canterbury on Saturday afternoon.

Cold and windy weather did not deter the Rhinos, who got out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a single to the outfield by Caitlin Morton ’12. Katie McLaughlin ‘13 hit in a run in the top of the fifth, making it 2-0, and the Rhinos loaded the bases and managed to score another run off of a dead ball the next inning, brining the score to 3-2 in the sixth. Although Rhydian Glass ‘12 managed to earn twelve strike-outs in seven innings, it wasn’t enough to pull out on top, as Canterbury scored two runs off of two hits in the last inning of the game.

With the loss, the Big Red are now 1-1 and will face a tough and undefeated Westminster squad (5-0) on Wednesday, April 20 at home.

4/13/2011

4/9/2011

A vs NMH School

15-6 W

Mount Hermon, MA- Taft varsity softball opened its 2011 season with a defeat against Northfield Mount Hermon Saturday afternoon. The Big Red got out to an early lead in the top of the first with the help of a triple to left field hit by Katie McLaughlin, who had 3 RBI's on Saturday. Rhydian Glass pitched six innings and recorded six strikeouts, and Sophie Kearney pitched the final inning to record the save for Taft. Offensively, the Rhinos were stellar at the bat, with Jess Desorcie and Cassie Ruscz each recording 2 RBI's. In addition to a fierce showing on the mound, Rhydian Glass hit both a homerun in the top of the fifth and a grand slam in the top of the sixth. Defensively, Kano Kotaka made her debut at shortstop, as she put up an iron curtain on the field. Both good pitching and excellent hitting earned Taft its season-opening win.

2009-10 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

5/19/2010

5/13/2010

4-1 W

In the first round of the New England Playoffs, Taft was able to squeeze by an incredibly talented and well-coached Hopkins team. Hopkins rolled in with just 10 players, and they all came ready to play! But Taft did what they have been doing for the past few weeks, which is keeping the pedal to the metal, and playing hard-nosed softball. Taft put Hopkins down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, and came out with hot bats at the plate. Jess Desorcie earned the game's first hit with a bloop single to left field. Cassie Ruscz then drew a 4 pitch walk, which was followed by a seeing eye single between first and second base by Meg Boland. With two outs and bases loaded, Rhydian Glass hit one right on the nose to deep Left field. The Hopkins Left Fielder made an incredible play, "snow coning" the ball on the run to end Taft's threat. In the third inning, Kate Moreau led off the inning with a double down the third base line. Taylor McGee then ripped a ball to third base, and an overthrow allowed Kate Moreau to score on the play. Later in the inning, Taylor McGee stole third, and was able to score on the overthrow on the play. So Taft was able to get two unearned runs on the inning. Taft added to their lead when Katie McLaughlin earned a base hit. Shelby Meckstroth followed McLaughlin's hit with a hit of her own. And then Captain Kate Moreau hit her second double of the game allowing both runners to cross the plate. Hopkins would get a run back in the top of the seventh when their leadoff batter hit a deep double to center field. Hopkins next batter was able to hit a deep fly ball to Right Field, which was caught by Lizzi Pelletier, but the runner was able to advance on the play. Hopkins' next batter hit a deep fly to center, but the throw that attempted to double up the runner sailed over third, and allowed Hopkins to score their run. Rhydian Glass was able to get the next runner out on a come-backer, to end the game. Rhydian Glass pitched another brilliant game. As usual, she got better with each pitch she threw. She faced 25 batters over 7 innings, striking out 12, walking 1 and surrendering just 3 hits. Taft will face New England Powerhouse Westminster on Saturday in the New England Semi-Finals. Westminster has surrendered only 2 runs all season.....both to Taft in their first meeting. Let's hope Taft can pull off the Miracle in Simsbury!!

5/10/2010

26-0 W

On this cold and windy day, the Taft bats went to work as they scored 26 runs in 5 innings of play. All 16 girls contributed to the winning effort today. Rhydian Glass pitched wonderfully for the first 3 innings of the game. Glass faced 10 batters, struck out 4, and gave up only 3 hits. In fact, in the third inning, Glass struck out the side on 9 total pitches!! Sophie Kearney finished off the game in the circle, as she faced 7 batters and gave up just one hit, and closed out the win for Taft. Taylor McGee had a career day, both behind and at the plate. She picked off a runner at first and at third in the 2nd inning. At the plate, she went 5 for 6 with 4 runs scored, 2 doubles, a homerun and 6 RBI. Kate Moreau was solid once again as she went 3 for 4 with 5 runs scored, and played a terrific shortstop for the Big Red. Other notable performances are as follows: Jess Desorcie - 3 for 6, 3 runs, HR, 6 RBI Meg Boland - 2 for 3, 3B, 3 RBI Shelby Meckstroth - 3 for 4, 3 runs, 2 doubles, 3 RBI Amy Feda - 1 for 1, 1 Run Clement Perkins - 1 for 1, 3 runs, 2 BB Cassie Ruscz - 2 for 2, 1 Run, 1 RBI Katie Carden - 1 for 2 Katie McLaughlin - 1 for 1, 2 Runs, 1 double, 1 SB Lizzi Pelletier - 1 for 2, 2 runs, 2 BB Kano Kotaka - 1 BB, 1 Run It was a great win for Taft. They will face New England Powerhouse Choate Rosemary Hall on Wednesday.

5/8/2010

5/5/2010

24-0 W

Taft was able to string together 17 hits against a rebuilding Kent team, as they came out on top 24-0. Amy Feda pitched brilliantly in her first start of her Taft career. Feda pitched 3 innings, facing 11 batters, and struck out 3 in her winning effort. Sophie Kearney pitched the last 2 innings of the game and struck out 5 of the 6 batters she faced. Clement Perkins had a career day at the plate as she went 3 for 5 with a double and 5 RBI. Katie McLaughlin almost matched Perkins' effort with 2 hits and 4 RBI in the game. Rhydian Glass and Meg Boland had 3 RBI each. And the rest of Taft's supporting cast played wonderfully. Taft will face Greenwich Academy on Saturday.

4/29/2010

H vs Loomis Chaffee School

9-0 W

For the first time in over a decade, Taft topped Kingswood Oxford by a margin of 9-0. With some early runs coupled by great pitching and a strong defense, Taft was able to keep a good hitting squad at bay. Taft drew first blood in the top of the 1st inning, when Kate Moreau earned a four pitch walk. Moreau was moved to second on Jess Desorcie's infield single. Backstop, Taylor McGee followed with an RBI single of her own, loading the bases for Cassie Ruscz. Ruscz earned a four pitch walk and an RBI. Meg Boland followed with an RBI of her own when she hit a soft ground ball to first base. Sophie Kearney added an RBI in the inning and all told, Taft got the game started with 4 runs. In the field, Sophie Kearney took the hill and pitched marvelously. She faced 13 batters, surrendering only 2 hits and 2 walks. Rhydian Glass closed out the game Jonathon Papelbon-style, as she faced 6 batters and struck out 3. Shelby Meckstroth and Meg Boland made some key catches in the outfield, and Clement Perkins made some nice plays at third base. Taft would add an insurance run in the 3rd, 4th, and 3 in the 7th innings to preserve the win. Cassie Ruscz had a huge day at the plate, going 3 for 3 with 2 triples and 2 walks. Taylor McGee had a triple of her own in her 3 for 5 afternoon. Taft will play Kent next Wednesday.

4/24/2010

3-0 W

Taft walked away with a huge win on Saturday afternoon as they beat the Lady Pelicans of Loomis Chaffee 3-0. Loomis has long been one of the strongest teams in New England, so this was a very important win for Taft. The Rhinos have succeeded in keeping their opponents off the board for 14 consecutive innings. Rhydian Glass and Taylor McGee were sensational as a pitching-catching duo, as Glass struck out 9, walked 1 and surrendered only 3 hits. At the plate, Taft got on the board quickly, when Kate Moreau led off the game with a double down the left field line. Three batters later, Cassie Ruscz hit a shot that may have cleared the fence at Fenway! Her homerun cleared the centerfield wall by about 20 feet! With the score 2-0, Taft scored their third run in the second inning, when Katie McLaughlin reached base on her first of three hits of the day. McLaughlin was then moved to second base when Captain Katie Carden hit a slow roller to first base. Kate Moreau then ripped a single to center field which allowed McLaughlin to score from second base. That would be the end of the scoring for Taft, but it was all they would need to secure the win. In the top of the seventh, Loomis would challenge one more time, when their leadoff batter hit a bloop single to right center field. Their next batter would then rip a slicing ball down the right field line, but it was played perfectly by Lizzi Pelletier who snagged the line drive, and would keep the Pelican rally at bay. With disaster averted, Glass would go on to strikeout the next two batters and end the game. Taft will face K-O on Monday afternoon

4/21/2010

16-0 W

The Varsity Softball Team had a solid win against a young and developing Westover squad. All three of Taft's pitchers did a great job of keeping Westover's bats at bay. In fact, only 3 hits were surrendered by Taft. Rhydian Glass started the game, and pitched 2 innings, struck out 4 of the 6 batters she faced, and gave up just one hit. Following Rhydian, Sophie stepped in and pitched two flawless innings of her own. Kearney faced 8 batters, struck out 2, and allowed two hits. Amy Feda closed the game out from the pitching circle, and shut Westover down 1-2-3, with 1 K.

Taft was able to put 16 runs up, with everyone on the team chipping in. The hardest hit ball of the day came off the bat of Captain Katie Carden who one-hopped the fence with an RBI double. The rest of the score sheet looked like this:

Kate Moreau - 2 for 5, 1 BB, 2 RBI

Jess Desorcie - 1 for 2, 2 BB, 1 RBI

Katie McLaughlin - 1 for 3, 1 BB, 3 RBI

Taylor McGee - 1 for 3, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Rhydian Glass - 2 for 3, 5 RBI

Emily Blanchard - 1BB

Katie Carden - 2 for 3, 2 RBI

Clement Perkins - 1 BB

Caitlin Morton - 1 for 2, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Meg Boland - 0 for 1

Lizzi Pelletier - 0 for 0, 2 BB, 1 RBI

Sophie Kearney - 0 for 0, 1 BB

Amy Feda - 1 Run

Kano Kotaka - 1 for 2, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Shelby Meckstroth - 0 for 1

Taft will need to play their best game yet on Saturday when they face one of the league's best; Loomis Chaffee.

4/19/2010

4-0 W

Taft came away with a win against a very formidable Miss Porter's team, on the shoulders of a no-hitter pitched by Rhydian Glass. Glass was sensational, as she pitched 7 scoreless innings, walked 3, and struck out 13 Miss Porter's batters. As usual, Glass got stronger each inning and was able to throw water on the fire each time Miss Porter's threatened to score.

Glass had some help behind her, as her defense came through with some great plays to preserve the "No-No". The most notable play was when Taft's 2nd Baseman, Jess Desorcie, made a diving stop on a hard hit ball, and threw the runner out to end the 6th inning.

Taft opened the scoring in the 3rd inning when Shelby Meckstroth earned Taft's first hit of the game up the middle of the infield. Kate Moreau then got on base, when a Miss Porter's fielder unsuccessfully attempted to get the lead runner on a ground ball. A wild pitch, allowed both runners to advance to 2nd and third base, with Jess Desorcie coming to the plate. Desorcie roped a shot over the right fielder's head, and legged out a 2 RBI triple to give Taft a 2-0 lead. Desorcie would score Taft's third run of the inning on a passed ball.

In the 4th inning, Meg Boland, led off the inning with a base hit up the middle of the infield. Rhydian Glass put the ball in play, and moved Boland to second base. Katie McLaughlin earned a hit of her own, and moved to second on some savvy baserunning. With runners in scoring position and one out, Clement Perkins earned an RBI by putting the ball into play to the right side of the infield, which allowed Boland to cross the plate and cap off the scoring for the afternoon.

Miss Porter's was a very solid team, and Taft should feel really good about that win. Taft will face a strong opponent in Westover on Wednesday

4/17/2010

19-1 W

On Saturday, Taft took on a young and developing Deerfield squad on the Softball diamond. Despite the cold, rainy and windy weather, Taft brought their hot bats. Taft scored 4 runs in the first inning, 3 in the second, 5 in the third, and had a big 4th inning as they capped off the game with 7 runs. It was an exciting game, as everyone joined in on the hit parade.

Some of the highlights are as follows:

Jess Desorcie hit her first career homerun, as she went 1 for 2 with a walk, stolen base and a RBI. Cassie Ruscz was 2 for 2 with a double and 4 RBI. Katie Carden, Clement Perkins, and Kano Kotaka were all 1 for 1 and all hit RBI doubles. Rhydian Glass was 3 for 3 with 3 doubles a walk and a RBI. Katie McLaughlin was 2 for 3 with a double that one-hopped the fence and 3 RBI. Sophie Kearney was 1 for 1 with a RBI single. Shelby Meckstroth was 1 for 1 with 2 walks, 2 runs scored and a RBI. And Emily Blanchard scored her first run of her Taft career.

It is also important to note the incredible performance that Rhydian Glass displayed in the pitching circle. Glass pitched 5 innings, gave up just 2 hits, and struck out 13 of the 18 batters she faced. It was a masterful outing.

It was a great win, as everyone contributed to the effort.

We will need the same effort when we face a top rated Miss Porter's team on Monday.

4/14/2010

2-3 L

The Taft Varsity Softball Team laid it all on the line Wednesday afternoon, as they battled against back-to-back New England Champs, Westminster. Taft and Westminster have had some great games in recent history, and this meeting would prove to be no different.

Neither Taft nor Westminster would get past second base through the first 3 innings, as both team's pitchers and defenses played flawlessly. Westminster struck first blood in the 4th inning, when a lead-off bunt single led a rally of 4 consecutive hits, and resulted in 2 runs for the home team. Taft would get runners into scoring position in the 5th and 6th innings, but were unable to get the key hit to narrow the gap in the score. However, despite giving up two runs, Taft would not surrender. Rhydian Glass continued to throw smoke from the Pitcher's Circle, and her defense continued to make good plays behind her.

In the top of the seventh inning, with their backs against the wall, Taft delivered with the tying runs. Sophomore backstop, Taylor McGee, got things going by beating out a dropped third strike play to lead off the inning. Meg Boland would then put the ball on the ground, which moved McGee over to second base. Katie McLaughlin, who had been sharp all day, delivered with a one out single, moving McGee to third. McLaughlin stole second base on the next pitch, giving Taft two runners in scoring position, and two outs to spare. Taft would strike out on the next at bat, which put Taft's Shelby Meckstroth in the tenuous position of being either the hero or the goat with two outs. Fortunately, Meckstroth has ice in her veins, and delivered a two out, 2 RBI single to center field which knotted the score at 2 runs apiece.

Taft would shut Westy down, 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 7th, giving themselves a shot at the win. In the 8th inning, Jess Desorcie produced a lead-off single. She then stole second base, giving Taft 3 chances at a base hit for the go ahead run. Rhydian Glass put the ball in play which allowed Desorcie to advance to third. Unfortunately Taft would strike out twice more to end the inning, without crossing the plate. In the bottom half of the 8th inning, and untimely error on a fly ball, allowed Westminster's leadoff batter to round the bases and end up on 3rd base with no outs. Their next batter laid down a beautiful bunt for the suicide game winning squeeze, which sent Westy into a frenzy.

It was a great game all around, and everyone in the game should feel proud of their efforts. Taft will take on The Big Green of Deerfield Academy on Saturday.

4/10/2010

H vs Canterbury School

4-2 W

Taft 4, Canterbury 2

Taft earned their second win in as many games on Saturday afternoon, this time against the tough Canterbury Saints. Canterbury had two big wins before coming to Taft, so this game promised to be a good battle. We had a good start to the game, as we sent Canterbury down in order in the top of the first. At the plate, Taft was able to threaten to get on the board first, as Shelby Meckstroth earned a walk to start the game, and then Jess Desorcie followed up with a single through the left side of the infield. Unfortunately, Taft would be unable to string any more hits together to get the early lead.

Canterbury put a scare into Taft in the top of the second inning, when a base hit and bunt single landed runners on first and second to start the inning. However, Rhydian Glass would rear back and deliver two strikeouts, and would get the final out by inducing a high pop-out to Jess Desorcie at shortstop. The next four innings would be quiet for Canterbury at the plate, as Glass and her defense put the Saints down in order 3 of the 4 innings, and would only allow one baserunner on an error. Taft looked rock solid.

Taft got the bats going in the 3rd inning when Shelby Meckstroth started the inning off with an infield single. Meckstroth went on to steal second base, and moved to third on Jess Desorcie's hit up the middle. Desorcie stole second base, and Taft stood ready to strike with no outs. Rhydian Glass would put the ball on the ground, which scored Meckstroth from 3rd, and moved Desorcie over to third base. Cassie Ruscz would then knock Desorcie in with an RBI single.

Katie Carden would score Taft's third run of the game in the fourth inning, when a Shelby Meckstroth grounder to second eluded Canterbury's fielder. Taft's final run of the game came at the hands of Taylor McGee, who transfered to Taft from Canterbury this fall. So, the hit was especially sweet for McGee. Cassie Ruscz got on base with a sharply hit single to center field. McGee would then take a belt high fastball, and drive it over the leftfielder's head and one hopped the fence. Ruscz would score, and McGee slid in safely at 3rd with a triple.

In the top of the 7th, Taft earned two quick outs before the wheels seemed to fall of the bus for a few minutes. The third batter of the inning drew a walk. The next batter would get on base with a bloop single. Canterbury's 8th batter would hit a fly ball, which seemed to be the final out, but an error allowed a runner to score, and for Canterbury to have runners on 1st and 2nd base. Canterbury's 9th batter then hit a bloop single to make the score 4-2, with the top of the lineup coming to the plate. But the drama would end there, as Shelby Meckstroth put out the fire and caught a fly ball in center to end the game.

Rhydian Glass got stronger and stronger as the game went on from the pitcher's circle, as she fanned 12 batters, and only gave up only 1 walk, and allowed only 4 hits.

Taft's next game will be against powerhouse Westminster on Wednesday.

4/7/2010

H vs Northfield Mount Hermon School

6-1 W

On a beautiful hot and sunny day in the Berkshire Mountains, the Rhinos took on the Bears of Berkshire in what was a tightly contested game. Taft prevailed by a margin of 6-1, but the game felt close all the way through.

Taft's bats were hot right off the bus, as the first 5 batters earned a base hit. Shelby Meckstroth got the game going with a single up the middle, and then stole second base. Jess Desorcie moved her over to third with a base hit. Rhydian Glass followed that hit, with one of her own, that earned her an RBI. Taylor McGee loaded the bases with a hit, and Clement Perkins brought in a run with a bloop single to center field. Meg Boland put the ball on the ground, which brought in the 3rd run of the inning for Taft. Unfortunately, we were unable to cause any more damage in the inning, but it was a great start for Taft.

Although Taft threatened on several more occasions in the 2nd and 3rd inning, they would have to wait until the 4th when Jess Desorcie got us going with a deep drive over the left fielder's head, and legged herself a triple. She would then cross the plate when Rhydian Glass ripped a single through a hole in the infield for her second RBI of the game.

Berkshire got a run back in the bottom of the 5th, after a player reached on a dropped third strike. She would go on to round the bases after Berkshire strung together 2 hits through the right side of the infield. But the scoring would end there, as Taylor McGee through out a runner trying to take an extra base on the play for the third out of the inning.

Taft would put the nail in the coffin in the top of the 7th inning. Cassie Ruscz earned her second walk of the day and was moved to third base on a Meg Boland single. Cassie Ruscz went on to score when Amy Feda ripped an RBI single in her first at bat in a Taft uniform. Not a bad start! Meg Boland reached third on the base hit, and would capitalize on a passed ball and scored Taft's 6th run.

It was a terrific game for Taft all around, as everyone contributed to the winning effort. Rhydian Glass got stronger with each inning as she posted 15 strikeouts in 7 innings. Taylor McGee was rock solid behind the plate, and threw out 2 of the 3 players who attempted to steal second base.

Taft's next game will be against a formidable Canterbury Saints squad on Saturday.

4/3/2010

0-3 L

Taft opened up the 2010 Softball season with a very tough NMH squad. Northfield Mt. Hermon is just coming off a terrific year in which they were 1 of 4 teams to make the New England Tournament. This year's team was just as strong. The game was scoreless through the first 2 innings, as both pitchers made quick work of opposing batters. In the top of the 3rd inning, a Hit Batter for the Hoggers turned into a run, as she was moved over to second on a well placed bunt. Shortly thereafter, a base hit, brought the first run of the game across the plate. Taft would try to match that run in the bottom half of the inning, when Shelby Meckstroth got aboard with a base hit. Kate Moreau would follow that at bat with a hit of her own. Unfortunately Taft was unable to convert despite having runners on 2nd and 3rd. Rhydian Glass and the Taft defense would keep the game close over the course of the next two innings, as they put together a pair of "3 up and 3 down" innings. However, the Hoggers would add a pair of runs in the 6th to extend their lead. Two seeing eye singles were converted into runs when NMH's clean-up hitter rocked an opposite field triple. The Rhinos never quit. In the Bottom of the seventh, Taylor McGee would leg out an infield single to start the inning. Meg Boland would follow with a single of her own to right field. Both players would then move to second and third on a passed ball. Unfortunately Taft would not be able to turn those runners into actual runs, and the game ended 3-0. Although disappointed, Taft should feel good about their effort today. They earned 6 hits against a tough pitcher, and had multiple opportunities to score runs. There are a number of players who should be recognized for their efforts. Kate Moreau and Meg Boland were both 2 for 3 on the afternoon. Shelby Meckstroth and Taylor McGee each had a hit, and Sophie Kearney earned herself a 9 pitch walk in a crucial situation. Rhydian Glass pitched a terrific game as she struck out 8 in 7 innings, and only surrendered 7 hits. Taft will face a good Berkshire Bears team in Sheffield, MA next Wednesday

2008-09 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

5/15/2010

A vs New England Tournament

0-1 L

In an incredibly exciting and well-played game, Taft was defeated in the Class A Western New England Semi Finals by Westminster. Both teams hit the ball hard, and fielded the ball well, but in the end Westminster's run scored in the bottom of the first inning proved to be enough to send them on to the Championship game. Westminster scored their run when their lead-off batter, Amanda Boulier, ripped a double down the third base line on the first pitch of the game. Shortly thereafter, Boulier reached third base on a sac fly to center field. A pick off attempt that squeaked by third base allowed Boulier to scoot down the line and narrowly beat the throw home on the play. Only two Westminster batters reached base all game, but unortunately this one was the deciding factor. Taft on the other hand was able to threaten on several occasions, but was unable to get the clutch hit necessary to knot the score. Jess Desorcie, Cassie Ruscz, Rhydian Glass, and Clement Perkins all had base hits for Taft. Rhydian Glass was once again absolutely fantastic for the Big Red. She faced 20 batters, struck out 11, walked none, and allowed only two hits. While the loss was incredibly disappointing for the girls, the game was a culminating experience of the wonderful journey they have taken together. They should be very proud of their efforts, and encouraged about the seasons that lay ahead for Taft Softball.

5/20/2009

A vs Hopkins School

0-1 L

Taft lost a heartbreaker of a game to end their season, as they fell 1-0 against Hopkins. It was a game that showcased great defensive play by both teams, so it was only fitting that there be just one run scored in the game.

Taft certainly had their chances to score some runs. In the third inning, Taft had the bases loaded twice, but was never able to earn the big hit to bring in a few runs. Kate Moreau started the inning off with a bunt single. Elena Stein was then hit by a pitch, and Rhydian Glass followed that up with a walk of her own. Therefore, Taft had the bases juiced with only one out. But Hopkins turned a ground ball into an out as they threw Moreau out at home. And they were able to induce another ground ball out to end Taft's scoring threat. In the sixth, Taft again threatened to score with two runners on, but again were unable to get a key hit to put themselves ahead.

On the defensive side of the ball, Taft was tremendous. Rhydian Glass pitched a whale of a game once again as she struck out 10 Hopkins batters and surrendered only 3 hits. All balls put in play were kept in the infield, and Geneva Lloyd, Kate Moreau, and Meg Boland all made great plays on some tough grounders. Katie Carden made a brilliant play inducing a double play as she snagged a sharply hit line drive, and then with nifty footwork was able to tag first before the runner was able to make it back to the bag.

Hopkins would score the lone run of the game in the bottom of the 7th inning. It was a tough way to go down, but it doesn't mitigate the incredible progress the girls made this season.

Thank you to all of the seniors for their great effort over the past couple of years, and another thank you to all of the fans who came out to support the Softball Team this year. We look forward to a bright future!

5/16/2009

5/13/2009

H vs Choate Rosemary Hall

5/11/2009

H vs Hotchkiss School

8-2 W

The Taft Varsity Softball Team kept their winning streak alive with a quality win over Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss had a pretty good pitcher, and a field full of sound defenders, so the game remained fairly even until the 6th inning, when Taft broke out with 4 runs to solidify the victory. Sophie Kearney started the game for the Rhinos and pitched brilliantly. She struck out two batters in each of the first two innings to keep the game scoreless. Taft had an equally difficult time at the plate. The Hotchkiss pitcher shut Taft down 1-2-3 in the first two innings of the game.

In the 3rd inning, Hotchkiss struck first blood. Hotchkiss' leadoff hitter bunted for a base hit. The next batter walked, and with two runners on, Hotchkiss' third hitter roped a ball over Hannah Vazquez's head in centerfield. The runner from second scored easily, but a good relay throw from Vazquez to Kate Moreau, and from Moreau to Jess Desorcie at the plate, combined with a great tag kept the game at 1-0. Hotchkiss would get their second run on a fielder's choice play.

Taft anwered right back however. In the bottom half of the inning, Hannah Vazquez got Taft's first hit with a single up the middle. Sophie Kearney then helped herself out with a bomb of a hit over the centerfielder's head. Hotchkiss tried to throw Vazquez out at third, but an errant throw allowed Vazquez to score, as well as Kearney on the free base awarded. So now, the game was tied 2-2. Kate Moreau, then followed that play with a hit of her own. She then preceded to steal 2 straight bags, to put herself on third. Rhydian Glass, then hit a double of her own to bring in the go-ahead run.

Rhydian Glass would then come in to close out the game in the Pitcher's Circle. She simply blew Hotchkiss away. Of the 12 outs she recorded, 10 of them came by way of strikeout. She gave up 3 hits and no walks in the endeavor.

Taft added a run in the fifth when Kate Moreau, who was 3 for 4 on the day and scored 3 runs, earned a bunt base hit. She then stole second base for her third SB of the game. Another bunt single by Elena Stein moved Moreau over to third. And then Rhydian Glass brought Moreau in with a base hit of her own. Taft would put the game out of reach with a 4-run sixth inning. Meg Boland started the inning with a rip into left-center field, and was awarded a ground rule double (although if the ball hadn't gone under the fence, she easily would have been in at third base). Katie Carden then put the ball into play, and was aboard after an errant throw by the shortstop. Sophie Kearney kept the hit parade going with an RBI single. Kate Moreau, Elena Stein, and Rhydian Glass all followed up with hits, and when it was all said and done, Taft was ahead 8-2.

It was a great win for Taft as they start their final week of games. They will face one of the top teams in New England at home aginst Choate on Wednesday.

5/9/2009

H vs Kingswood-Oxford School

5-0 W

Despite being a bit sluggish at the plate, Taft was able to beat Greenwich Academy 5-0 on Saturday afternoon. After earning 20 hits in 5 innings against Kent, Taft was only able to put together 9 hits in 7 innings against GA. Nevertheless, Taft scraped a run in the first, another in the third, and the final three in the fifth inning to pull off the win.

Taft's Elena Stein got the game going with a double, and was knocked in by an RBI single from Rhydian Glass. Katie Carden scored Taft's second run when she reached on a single. Carden moved to third on Rhydian Glass' second hit of the day, and then scored easily on Jess Desorcie's RBI single. Taft put the game away in the 5th, when Kate Moreau (who had been robbed in two previous attempts on great hits) reached with a base hit. Moreau stole two bases in a row, and scored on Rhydian Glass' third hit of the ball game. Jess Desorcie then reached on an error, putting her on second with Glass on third. Geneva Lloyd put the capper on the game with a 2 RBI single through the middle of the infield.

On the other side of the plate, Taft was virtually flawless. Rhydian Glass struck out 8, gave up only one hit, and walked just one. There were great plays in the field by Taft as well. Meg Boland was busy at second and made outs on all three balls hit to her. Geneva Lloyd made a nice play on a weakly hit ball down the line and gunned out the runner. It was a good win, and Taft will try to build on their three game win streak against Hotchkiss on Monday.

5/6/2009

A vs Kent School

17-0 W

Taft's Varsity Softball Team won their second straight game on Wednesday, this time against a Kent team that is in a rebuilding stage of their program. Taft had their bats going right from the opening pitch. Taft's first 5 batters all reached base with a hit, and they exited the first inning with a 3-0 lead. Meg Boland started on the mound and pitched around trouble for two innings, and recorded 2 strikeouts. Sophie Kearney then pitched the final 3 innings, facing the minimum number of hitters (9) to polish off the shutout.

Notable hits for Taft were: Geneva Lloyd, 4 for 5 with a 3-run Home Run, Hannah Vazquez 1-2, 2BB, and a 3-RBI Triple. Kate Moreau was 3 for 4 with a double, Elena Stein was 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored. Jess Desorcie and Rhydian Glass were both 2 for 3, and both scored 2 runs.

In the end, Taft came away with a 17-0 victory. Taft will play Greenwich Academy this Saturday at home.

4/28/2009

A vs Canterbury School

11-5 W

Taft finished off their stretch of 4 games in 5 days with a win over the Saints from Canterbury on Tuesday afternoon. This was a tight and exciting game all the way through, but Taft was able to earn 2 runs in the 6th and 3 runs in the 7th to run away with the win.

Taft got on the board in the top half of the first inning when Kate Moreau ripped a single through a hole in the defense. Moreau would then steal 2nd base on the next pitch and was standing on second base waiting to be driven in. Jess Desorcie, batting clean-up, would drive Moreau in with a single of her own. Canterbury would answer right back with 3 runs in the bottom half of the first, when they strung together 3 straight hits. However, Sophie Kearney maintained her composure on the mound and earned three straight outs to exit the inning without significant damage.

Taft added a run in the second when Captain Hannah Vazquez earned herself a walk. Clement Perkins would get a hold of a pitch and drove it into right field for a single, allowing Vazquez to reach third. Then Kate Moreau added an RBI double to bring the game within 1 run. Sophie Kearney would work a 1-2-3 second inning to keep the game close.

In the third, Jess Desorcie would add her second hit of the game, this time over the head of Canterbury's shortstop. Desorcie would then steal second base with an unconventional slide, putting herself in scoring position. Captain Geneva Lloyd moved Desorcie over to third base with a single. Lloyd then stole second base, which allowed Sophie Kearney to help herself out with a 2 RBI single down the right field line.

At this point, Taft had the lead, but Canterbury was a good hitting team. Canterbury regained the lead in the third, when their 3rd and 4th hitters earned walks, and then were driven in with a 2 RBI single from their 6th batter. This hit made the score 5-4, with Canterbury holding the edge.

Taft never relented however, and Clement Perkins started the 4th inning out with her second hit of the game. Kate Moreau reached again, as did Captain Elena Stein, as Taft continued to apply pressure on Canterbury. Jess Desorcie then hit a high pop that Canterbury's Defense couldn't handle, which brought in a few runs, giving Taft the lead. Sophie Kearney worked a perfect 4th inning, keeping Canterbury off the bases. Kearney struck out 3 and allowed only 4 hits and 4 walks.

Rhydian Glass replaced Kearney in the 5th to try and close out the game. That is exactly what she did. Taft needed 9 outs to close out the game, and Glass needed only to face 10 batters, as Canterbury earned just one hit. Glass struck out 6 in the 3 innings she pitched.

Taft earned 2 runs in the 6th with an RBI double from Meg Boland and an RBI single from Geneva Lloyd. Taft would add three more runs in the top half of the 7th when Kate Moreau led off with a triple (leaving her only a HR shy of the cycle). Elena Stein then added an RBI single, followed by a single by Rhydian Glass. Geneva Lloyd finished off the hit parade with an RBI double.

It was an all-around great win for the Taft Softball team as they head into Long-Weekend with a 4-3 record against 7 great teams.

4/27/2009

3-4 (8th) L

Despite a valiant comeback, the Rhinos lost in extra innings to Kingswood Oxford. These were two evenly matched teams, but K-O got the hits when they needed them and earned themselves the victory.

K-O's senior star pitcher, Springer, was the difference as she fanned 13 and went 3 for 4 at the dish. K-O got on the board first when Springer led off the inning with a double in the gap. She was brought across the plate on an RBI single 2 batters later. The visiting team would increase their lead by 2 in the 4th inning, when Springer again led off with a hit, and was able to take second when a bad hop allowed the ball to get by the Taft outfielder. She would again score on a base hit two batters later. And another hit would bring the third K-O run across the plate.

However, Taft did not give up. In the 5th inning, Sophie "The Warrior" Kearney battled off 18 tough pitches, to earn herself a walk. She would then steal 2nd base. Kate Moreau then got a hold of one and ripped a ball down the third base line, scoring Kearney. Now, it was just a 2-run game. Again, with great fortitude, Taft overcame the 2-run deficit in the bottom of the 7th inning. Meg Boland led off the inning with a blast into right field. Sophie Kearney again fought off 8 or 9 pitches to earn a walk. So, with two runners on base, Taft was in a position to do some damage. Pinch Hitter, Caitlin Morton also had a great fight at the plate and earned a walk for Taft. Now the bases were loaded with no outs. Clement Perkins put the ball in play, which scored Meg Boland from 3rd. Now with 1 out, and two runners in scoring position, Taft had a chance to pull off a miracle. Elena Stein put a charge into the ball, but K-O's 2nd baseman made a great catch, but Taft's Caitlin Morton was able to cross home plate to tie the game at 3.

IN the 8th, it was Springer again who would do the damage when the 3rd batter from K-O reached on a Taft error. Springer then earned her 3rd hit of the game, moving the runner over to third. K-O's catcher then just needed to put the ball into play to score the go-ahead run, which is exactly what she did.

Taft would again battle to the end, when Jess Desorcie dug out a dropped third strike, and plowed over the first baseman in her way to get on base. But Springer was too tough on the mound, and Taft could not answer their 8th inning run. A great game all the way around for both teams.

Taft will try to bounce back Tuesday against Canterbury!

4/25/2009

A vs Loomis Chaffee School

21-0 W

Taft caught perennial powerhouse, Loomis Chaffee on a bad day Saturday afternoon. Loomis has been one of the strongest teams in New England regularly, but were subject to crucial injuries that allowed Taft to hit the ball like they had never done before. All 14 girls on the Taft roster recorded a hit, which is incredible in itself. Rhydian Glass had a terrific day on the mound, striking out 7 batters in 5 innings, and surrendered only 2 hits. As Loomis was an incredibly skilled hitting team, the success in this game was due to a terrific team effort, as there were some great plays in the field. Clement Perkins made a great play on a sharply hit ball to first. Meg Boland snared a tough hop at second and threw out the runner. And Jess Desorcie was a great backstop, as she controlled the game from behind the plate.

Here is what the scorebook looked like for Taft:

Name                        AB   Runs   Hits   RBI
Kate Moreau                3       2          2   1
Leighanne O'Mealia   1       1          1   1
Elena Stein                  3       2          1   1
Gen Bleidner               1       1          1   1
Rhydian Glass            5        4          3   4
Geneva Lloyd             4        1          2   1
Jess Desorcie            3         2          1   2
Meg Boland               5         2          4   2
Hannah Vazquez       4         2          2   1
Caitlin Morton            1         0          1   1
Annie Cantwell          1         0          1   1
Sophie Kearney        3         2          1   1
Clement Perkins       3         1           2   2
Katie Carden             1         1 1   1

Total           38        21        23   20

4/24/2009

A vs Miss Porter's School

1-2 L

The Rhinos lost a heartbreaker on a day made for Softball. It was a bluebird day, and we had two teams that battled until the last out. Miss Porter's, as always, had a very strong and disciplined team. The difference in this game between the two teams was Porter's ability to execute "small ball". Taft's freshman pitcher, Rhydian Glass, held Miss Porter's to only 2 hits...both of them coming in the form of the bunt. Unfortunately, both of those bunts led to the runs needed to pull off the victory.

Miss Porter's got on the board first, when they got their leadoff man aboard with a walk. A sacrifice bunt moved her to scoring position, and then two passed balls resulted in the first run of the ball game. Taft answered right back with the tying run, when Geneva Lloyd earned herself a leadoff walk. Two wild pitches later, Lloyd found herself on third base. Elena Stein put the ball on the ground, which earned her an RBI.

The rest of the game would be a pitcher's duel, as the Miss Porter's Ace struck out 12 Taft batters. And Rhydian Glass answered with 10 K's of her own. Kate Moreau would earn Taft's only hit of the game as she legged out an infield single.

The game winner would come in the bottom of the 6th inning, when Porter's was able to lay down a beautiful push bunt. She then stole second base, and in the end scored on a passed ball.

A tough loss for Taft, but a great game to be in. Taft will try to get back on the bike and ride against a talented Loomis team on Saturday.

4/22/2009

4/18/2009

A vs Deerfield Academy

18-5 W

The Taft Softball team put together 19 hits, and was able to pull off a big win against the Big Green of Deerfield Academy. Deerfield is in the process of rebuilding their storied program, and Taft was able to put together 7 fine innings and achieve their second win of the season.

Sophie Kearney was the ace for Taft, as she surrendered only 5 hits, while striking out 6 and walking only 3. Sophie had some great team defense behind her, as they committed no errors in the effort.

The real story of the afternoon for Taft was their performance at the plate. Taft was able to string together 19 hits, and 7 of them were of the extra bases variety. Middler, Kate Moreau, had a career day as she was 4 for 5, and scored 3 times. Both of Taft's catchers earned hits, as Jess Desorcie was 2 for 3, and Leighanne O'Mealia was 1 for 3 (but was robbed on two other well-hit balls). Captain Geneva Lloyd was 3 for 4 with a double and 3 runs scored. Meg Boland had another strong performance at the plate, as she batted .500 on the afternoon. First Baseman, Katie Carden earned herself a double as she ripped a ball over the center-fielder's head. And ninth grader, Rhydian Glass, did something that no Taft player has done in at least 10 years. She hit for the cycle, as she had a single in the second inning, a 3-run homer in the third inning, a triple in the 5th, and a double in the 6th. She had 5 RBI on the day.

It was a great hitting display for Taft. They will try to build off the win, as they face a VERY strong Miss Porter's team on Tuesday 4/21

4/15/2009

H vs Westminster School

1-3 L

Taft suffered their first loss of the 2009 season against a very tough Westminster team. Prior to the matchup, Westminster was last year's Class B Champs and had compiled a 46-6 record over the previous 3 seasons. Therefore, Taft knew exactly what they were up against. Despite the reputation of their opponents, Taft never balked. They battled until the bitter end.

The Rhinos had a shaky start. Westy's first batter reached base on a bang-bang play at first. She then stole second base, and on the next pitch was moved over to third with a dropped third strike. An unfortunate throwing error back to the pitcher after the play was made at first allowed her to take home on the same play. Westy was up 1-0. Westminster's clean-up hitter was a killer, and acquired 2 of Westminster's 4 hits of the day. The first one was a bomb, that she legged into a triple. An over-throw on the relay allowed her to score on the play. Therefore, Taft went into the bottom half of the 1st inning with a 2-run deficit.

From there, it was a pitcher's duel. Westminster's fireballer, pitched a wonderful game and kept Taft off the basepaths until the 3rd inning when she issued her first walk. She had 10 strikeouts on the afternoon. Taft's very own freshman phenom, Rhydian Glass, was equally impressive. She struck out 9 on the day, and kept the game within striking distance. A feat almost no other team has done in a long time. She was helped out by some great defense. Jess Desorcie called a great game behind the plate. Kate Moreau had three put-outs to first, and made a great catch on a line drive to end a Westminster rally. Most impressive however, was the triple play Taft pulled in the 4th inning. Westminster strung two hits together, and were threatening to add to their 2-run lead. A double steal was in place, when Westy's 5th batter lined out to Meg Boland at 2nd base. She then turned and threw out the runner who dove back to first. Clement Perkins completed the triple play by throwing the ball to Kate Moreau who was standing on second base.

Aside from the triple play, Taft had a few moments of brilliance. Rhydian Glass roped a shot to left field that one-hopped the fence. She thought triple from the moment the ball left the bat, but unfortunately, Westminster made two perfect throws to gun her out at third base. Furthermore, when Westy tacked on a third run, Taft refused to go down quietly. In the bottom of the seventh, Kate Moreau got a rally going for Taft as her speed forced an errant throw from Westy's shortstop. She was then knocked in to score Taft's first run when Jess Desorcie hit a fly ball between the 2nd baseman and right fielder. Jess Desorcie made it to third, on a passed ball, and Taft was threatening to make the game interesting. But Taft could not catch a break to extend the game, and lost a tough one.

All-in-all, Taft can feel good that they played a great Westminster team to a close game. It is certainly something to build off of. Taft's next game is Saturday at Deerfield Academy.

4/8/2009

A vs Northfield Mount Hermon School

5-4 W

The Varsity Softball Team gutted out a come-from-behind victory today against a very disciplined and very well-coached Berkshire squad. These two teams squared off in a scrimmage a week ago, however there was little evidence of the jovial spirit of that game. This game was all business.

Berkshire got on the board right away. After the leadoff hitter earned a walk, it looked as though Taft would get out of the inning unscathed as Meg Boland got the next two batters out with ground balls to short. But Berkshire's cleanup hitter belted a shot (into the wind) that one-hopped the fence for an RBI double. Berkshire added another run in the second on a Passed Ball. At the plate Taft could get nothing going in the first few innings. They went down 1-2-3 in the first. Elena Stein ripped a single in the second, but we could not string additional hits to bring her in. In the third inning, Taft ran (literally and figuratively) into some bad luck. Kate Moreau earned her way on base with her great speed, and then when Sophie Kearney walked, Taft was poised to strike back with a little two out thunder. Rhydian Glass roped a shot up the middle, but unfortunately Kate Moreau in her haste to move on to third base, ran into Berkshire's shortstop and was called out for interference. Meg Boland did a good job in the Pitcher's Circle, as she gave up only 2 hits and surrendered only 2 runs.

Sophie Kearney came in to relieve Boland in the third inning, and did a masterful job. Meg Boland came up with a HUGE play in the field as she put out Berkshire's slugger as she tried to turn another shot that one-hopped the fence into a triple. Berkshire would add their third run in the 4th inning, when Berkshire's #9 hitter reached base on a throwing error. She would make her way to third base on a passed ball, and would ultimately come around to score, when Berkshire made a successful squeeze bunt play. Sophie Kearney did a great job as well, as she surrendered only 2 hits in her two innings of work.

Berkshire would add their 4th and final run in the top of the 6th inning, when again Berkshire's #9 hitter reached base on an error, and would score on a passed ball. But Rhydian Glass all but shut down the Bears when she came in to close out the game. She pitched the 5th, 6th and 7th innings, and recorded 6 of the 9 outs by way of strikeout.

Taft made everyone watching in the freezing cold (and snow) wait until the 6th inning, before they had anything to jump up and down to scream about! 9th Grader, Caitlin Morton, got things started as she reached base by taking one for the team...in the foot to be precise. Jess Desoricie would score Morton from first with an RBI double into the gap. Desorcie would then steal third with some heads up baserunning. And then would score Taft's second run on a Wild Pitch. With the bases now empty, Elena Stein would work a clutch walk, and get the rally started again. She was then worked over to second base on Geneva Lloyd's ground out. Stein would make it to third on a wild pitch, and would score when Meg Boland knocked her in with an RBI single.

Now, one run off Berkshire's lead, Taft could almost taste it! Boland made her way to third on a couple of wild pitches. and would score when new 11th grader, Clement Perkins, put the ball on the ground for an RBI. Again, the bases were cleared, and Taft would have to keep the rally going with 2 outs. That is exactly what Kate Moreau did. She earned herself a walk. Then, she stole 2nd and 3rd base to give herself a chance to score the game winner. That opportunity came with another pitch that got by the Berkshire cather, and Moreau took advantage to score the go-ahead run.

With a run in hand, Rhydian Glass closed out the game "Papelbon-style" 1-2-3!

It wasn't a pretty win, but Taft showed they had the grit to battle back from a 4 run deficit.

The next game is against Canterbury this Saturday. Thank you to everyone in attendance.

4/4/2009

2007-08 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

5/21/2008

4-10 L

The Taft Varsity Softball team had a disappointing loss in their last regular season game yesterday against Hopkins. After falling in the New England game against Choate last Saturday, the whole feeling around the Softball field was rather flat. Hopkins jumped out to an early lead when in the first inning, a hit batsman and a single from the first two Hopkins hitters set the tone. Then a single by the Hopkins 6th batter scored both of those baserunners. Hopkins would add to the lead, when an inopportune error, put a baserunner on 3rd with 2 outs in the inning. That player would then score on a basehit. Taft answered in the 3rd inning, when they Kailey Nash led off the inning with a single. Kate Moreau followed with a single of her own. Both players were moved over on a fielder's choice hit by Elena Stein. Then Hannah Vazquez's single scored Kailey Nash from third. Taft would go on to load the bases, but were unable to capitalize on the situation, and did no more damage in the inning. The 4th inning was a nightmare for Taft, as Hopkins started hitting the ball. Taft unfortunately didn't help themselves by committing 2 errors on the inning which contributed 3 of the 5 runs in the inning. 8 straight Hopkins batters reached base before Taft recorded their first out. When the half-inning mercifully came to an end, Hopkins held an 8-1 lead. Taft showed a little life at the end of the inning, when Jess Desorcie started things off with a single. Desorcie then stole 2 consecutive bases on the next two pitches to put herself at third base. Kelly Collins' ground ball to third base, allowed Desorcie to score Taft's second run of the game. In the next inning, Taft scored their third and fourth runs when Annie Cantwell ripped a base hit, and then scored on Kate Moreau's basehit. Elena Stein knocked a single, and then reached 2nd base on an overthrow. Stein then scored on Meg Boland's basehit up the middle. Unfortunately that was the last run Taft would muster, after leaving 11 runners on base. A disappointing end should not cloud the wonderful job the girls did all season. Taft outscored opponents this season 93-37, as they went on to earn a 9-4 record on the season. It was a huge turnaround from the 1-25 record over the previous 2 seasons. The Varsity Softball Team should be Extremely pleased with their accomplishments and look forward to a successful spring of '09! Thank you to all the parents and fans who supported us this season. We appreciate everything you did for us!

5/17/2008

H vs Convent of the Sacred Heart

2-9 L

Taft was fortunate to be 1 of 4 teams selected this season to participate in the New England Tournament for Softball. After going 1-31 in the previous 2 seasons, Taft had a 9-3 Regular Season, and earned a 4th seed in the tournament. It was a beautiful day on Saturday, and Taft was up and excited for the matchup. Choate had topped Taft only 3 days before in a regular season game, 6-5...so we were ready for another close game. That said, Choate was ready for the challenge. They came to the field with some big bats and an attitude. They were simply spectacular. Taft held Choate off the board in the first inning, however, in the second inning 4 hits were converted into 3 runs. Then an untimely error for Taft led to 2 more runs in the inning. Meg Boland and the Rhinos bounced back in the 3rd inning and recorded a 1,2,3 inning shutting down the Wild Boars in order. Choate struck again in the 4th. Freshman Phenom Meg Boland struck out the first batter. But two hits later, and another untimely error, Choate was able to tack on another 3 runs in the inning. That said, Taft was in a real bind, but Annie Cantwell made an ESPN highlight reel diving catch in right field to end the inning and end the bleeding for Taft. Down 8 - 0 after 4 innings, it was pretty clear that Choate had the game in hand. However, Taft's character became incredibly evident. The Rhinos never laid down for Choate. They battled back against very strong pitching to score 2 runs. Ches Fowler earned a full-count walk, after fowling off 3 or 4 pitches with a 2- strike count in a great at bat. Then Annie Cantwell ailing an injured hand did the same. Then with 2 outs in the inning, with two runners on base, Kate Moreau had a fine piece of hitting as she ripped a ground ball down the third base line that scored Ches Fowler from second base. Then, Jess Desorcie had an RBI single up the middle to score Annie Cantwell from 2nd. Choate would ultimately add one more run to their score, but Taft fought valiantly against a great Choate team that would go on to win New England's the next day. Taft will play their final game of the season against Hopkins on Wednesday.

5/17/2008

5/14/2008

6-5 L

The Taft Varsity Softball Team played probably the best hitting team they have faced all season in Choate, but battled valiantly throughout the 7 innings in a very tight game on Wednesday. Taft jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Kailey Nash and Kate Moreau got on base early with a couple of hits. Then Hannah Vazquez reached base with a walk, and Taft was threatening early with the bases loaded and only 1 out. Kailey Nash would score on a Fielder's Choice hit by Elena Stein, giving her an RBI. Then Kate Moreau would score on a passed ball. Meg Boland then pitched an almost perfect first inning. Except for a Choate Player reaching on an error, Boland was able to strike out one, and get thenext two batters to ground out, to get out of the inning. Choate would get one run back in the 2nd inning, when Choate's first baseman ripped a single, and then the next batter hammered an RBI triple. However, Boland battled back to get the next batter to foul out to the catcher to end the inning. Choate would go on to take the lead in the 3rd, when a couple of base hits by Choate were converted into 3 runs, as Vitale (Choate's catcher), ripped her second three bagger of the game. Again, freshman Phenom, Meg Boland bounced back from the adversity to strike out the next batter to end the inning, and prevent any more runs. With a show of great resilience, Taft would take back the lead in the 4th inning when Kailey Nash, Kate Moreau and Ches Fowler ripped base hits, and ultimately stepped across the plate. With a 5-4 lead, Taft was feeling good about their chances. However, an Out of the Park bomb by Choate's 3rd hitter put the Wild Boars up by one, and shocked the Rhinos. Unfortunately Taft was unable to even up the score in the next two innings, so they lost in a heartbreaker. But Taft should be proud of the great work they put into this game.

5/12/2008

8-5 W

On a cold and windy day, Taft was able to hold on to the win against arch-rival, Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss' team was much stronger than their 3-7 record would indicate. They had very strong fielders, a pitcher who could throw strikes, and a pretty solid lineup. Taft would certainly be forced to earn this victory. Taft would struggle at the plate early. Jess Desorcie earned a walk in the first inning. After being moved over on Kate Moreau's ground ball, and making it to third on a wild pitch, Elena Stein's single drove her in. However, with two runners on base, taft would be unable to cause any more damage. Kelly Collins scored Taft's second run when she also earned a walk, and was able to advance to to third on 2 more walks in the inning. However, with bases loaded and no outs, Taft was only able to score one run to add to their lead. Hotchkiss would narrow the lead with a run in the third inning with 3 singles. Taft would finally get their bats working in the 5th inning when Ches Fowler had a 2 out pinch hit double that scored two runs. Taft added to the lead Annie Cantwell ripped an RBI single through the infield. With a five run lead, it appeared that Taft had some breathing room. However, Hotchkiss never quit. And with a leadoff double, they started a rally that would bring the game to 6-4 in the 5th inning. When Taft had a Homerun appealed and called out Taft was sent into a frenzy. However, Taft regained their compsure and scored 2 runs in the 7th to seal the win. Hannah Vazquez hit a single, and then scored on Meg Boland's double. Boland was moved over on a ground ball. And then scored on Elena Stein's sac fly to center. It was a crazy one, but Taft prevailed with a score of 8-5. Taft's next game will be at Choate on Wednesday

5/10/2008

5/7/2008

7-1 W

The Varsity Softball Team picked up their 7th win of the season against a solid Kent team. Kent had a pitcher who could throw strikes, an infield that didn't make mistakes, and an outfield that would prove capable of running down some very tough catches. The Rhinos brought their big bats in this one, as 10 of the 25 Taft batters drove the ball into the outfield. However, only 3 of them fell for hits. Katie Carden was particularly robbed, as she ripped three bombs into Left field all of which would certainly go for extra bases. While one dropped in for a double, two of the hits were run down by a great Kent left fielder. Taft's first inning was their best inning. Jess Desorcie, Kailey Nash, Hannah Vazquez, and Kate Moreau all touched home plate to give Taft a 4-0 lead. Kent would answer back with a run of their own in the top of the second when the leadoff batter, ripped a double into the gap. She would then be moved over to third on a fielder's choice. Then a soft hit down the third baseline would move her in to make the score 4-1. Taft added to their lead in the third inning, when Elena Stein hammered a double to lead off the inning. She was moved over on a fielder's choice, and then Annie Cantwell would score her on a hit. Meg Boland and Kailey Nash would score Taft's final two runs in the bottom of the 6th to give Taft a comfortable lead. Kelly Collins would earn her first RBI of the season as she moved Kailey Nash in from 3rd base. Meg Boland continued to do a good job on the mound as she scattered 5 hits over 7 innings and struck out 7 batters! Jess Desorcie was as solid as I have ever seen a catcher to be behind the plate, preventing any past balls in the game. Taft's next game will be at Greenwich Academy on Saturday 5/10 at 2:30pm

4/28/2008

4/26/2008

H vs Loomis Chaffee

2-4 L

Taft dropped their second game of the season against a VERY strong Loomis squad. Loomis has been in the upper tiers of Prep School Softball for many years, and this team was no different. They had a very solid pitcher who struck out 11 batters. A flawless infield. And some kids who could really swing the bat. That said, Taft showed that they should be regarded as one of the stronger teams in the league as they kept the game interesting all the way through. Taft struck early, when Kailey Nash earned a walk with two outs in the inning. Nash then advanced to second on a Wild Pitch. Then a Hannah Vazquez single scored Nash from Second Base. However, that lead was short lived, as Loomis bounced back in the top of the second, when a walk and a hit batsman proved deadly. Two hits meant two runs, and Taft was playing from behind. Loomis would add to their lead in the third inning, when they worked their players over with two hits. Now with the score 3-1, Taft would tighten the score in the 5th when Kailey Nash again earned her way on base. Nash's Stolen Base put her in scoring position. Then Geneva Lloyd would rip a single to score Nash to make the score 3-2. Unfortunately, on the next play, Geneva would injure her leg sliding into second base, sidelining her for the season. Geneva was Taft's most productive hitter with a .475 batting average and 19 RBI. Taft gave up one more run in the top of the sixth, and would be unable to score again throughout the game. It was an unfortunate loss, but a great game to watch. Freshman star, Meg Boland continued to shine as she struck out 5 very tough Loomis Batters.
View Photo Gallery

4/23/2008

A vs Westover School

20-0 W

The Taft Varsity Softball Team pulled everything together today to win their 6th game of the season at Westover. All 17 players contributed in a big way today. Frosh Phenom Meg Boland pitched a 1 hitter, and struck out 3 of the 17 batters she faced. Both Jess Desorcie and Leighanne O'Mealia did a fantastic job behind the plate catching for Boland. Desorcie broke her mini-slump by going 2 for 3 with 3 runs and 3 RBI. Kate "Chief" Moreau was 1 for 2 with 3 RBI. Newcomer to the team (and the sport of Softball), Kelly Collins had two plate appearances and drew 2 walks with the bases loaded, earning her first RBI's of the season. Annie Cantwell was 1 for 1 with 2 RBI, and played great in right Field. Gen Bleidner was 1 for 1 as well, and scored a run. Ches Fowler contributed a LONG double and 2 RBI. Bridget Sylvester had a great eye at the plate earning a walk, and eventually scored a run. Each and every player on the team played great. And it should be noted that the game was dedicated to Coach Lehner who was sick and could not attend the game. We all love you Coach Lehner. Feel better! The next game for the Rhinos will be a big one against a very strong Loomis team on Saturday.

4/22/2008

10-3 W

Taft pulled off their 5th win of the regular season today against a hard hitting Miss Porter's squad. Taft had not beaten Miss Porter's in more than a decade, so this win was well over-due. Miss Porter's came out swinging from the first pitch, as their leadoff hitter earned a base hit right away. After their second batter was beaned, Taft was in a hole. However, with crafty pitching from Meg Boland, Taft was able to escape unscathed. In the second inning, Taft was able to get a rally started, and put up 5 runs (4 of which were scored with 2 outs). Geneva Lloyd, Ches Fowler, Meg Boland, Katie Carden, Kate Moreau and Elena Stein all had base hits in the rally. Kailey Nash cleared the bases with a her 3rd triple of the season to finish off the rally. Miss Porter's got a run back when some small ball moved their leadoff runner to second with a sac bunt. Then a base hit to left field scored the runner from second. However, in the bottom half of the inning, Taft answered back with 2 runs of their own. A single by Geneva Lloyd led to a run when Katie Carden was able to bring her in with a base hit. Then, a sac-fly by Jess "The Machine" Desorcie gave Taft a 7-1 lead. Miss Porter's was able to add two more runs in the game, with 2 long balls. A triple and a homerun yielded their runs. However, Taft had the game in hand as they were able to contribute 3 more runs in the 5th inning. Kailey Nash, Geneva Lloyd, and Becca Hazlett (running for Meg Boland) all scored to bring the grand total to 10 runs on the afternoon. It was a great game. Taft will face Westover tomorrow at Westover.

4/19/2008

7-3 W

Taft Softball pulled off their 5th win of the season on Saturday against Deerfield Academy. According to their record, it appears that Deerfield is having a "down" season, however, you would not have guessed it from the way they played. Deerfield brought their Big Bats right from the start of the game. On the first pitch of the game, DA's leadof hitter ripped a single right through the middle of the infield. After a walk to the second batter, Deerfield's clean-up hitter knocked in two runs with a single to right field. However, after a shaky start, Taft's Phenom Freshman Meg Boland found her groove and started getting DA batters out. On the day, she struck out 6, while only giving up 5 hits, and walking 1. Deerfield's only other run came in the 5th inning, which tied the game at 3. Taft started slow at the plate, as they went down 1,2,3 in the first. In the second inning, Taft earned a few runs when Co-Captain Hannah Vazquez reached on an error. Then Silky-Smooth swinging Geneva Lloyd knocked her in with a stand up triple. Lloyd was then brough in with an RBI single from Co-Captain Elena Stein. Taft took the lead in the third inning when three consecutive hits from Kailey Nash, Hannah Vazquez, and Geneva Lloyd yielded a run. However, with bases loaded, Taft was unable to bring anyone else home in the inning. Taft then took the lead again in the bottom of the 5th inning, when walks to Hannah Vazquez, Meg Boland and Elena Stein turned into a bases loaded opportunity for Liz Van Pelt. Van Pelt took a 3-2 count and ripped a 2 RBI single through the infield. Katie Carden then added to the lead with an RBI single of her own. Taft's final run came at the hands of Geneva Lloyd when her single allowed Kate Moreau to score from 3rd base. Although it was a frustrating game at times because Taft left 14 runners on base through the 6 innings they came to the plate, Taft certainly had fine performances from the usual suspects. Geneva Lloyd finished her day going 3 for 4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI. Elena Stein, newly off the IR had a 1 for 2 day with a walk and a run scored. Hannah Vazquez was 2 for 4 with an RBI and Liz Van Pelt was 1 for 3 with an RBI. The next game will be against Miss Porter's on Tuesday at home.

4/16/2008

1-5 L

The Taft Varsity Softball team dropped their first game of the season tonight against a stacked Westminster squad. Westy featured a fire-baller on the mound, who prior to our game, had struck out 40 batters in 3 games. Well, she added 12 more in our matchup....and she's only a freshman! Beyond their star pitcher, Westminster had a lineup that was solid from the number 1 hitter, all the way through to the number 9 hitter. That said, the Rhinos never balked. Lower-Mid Phenom, Meg Boland, had her best performance of the season, as she struck out 5 very talented hitters. She gave up only 7 hits and walked just 2. A truly tremendous performance. Taft actually recorded the first run of the game, when Kailey Nash sent out a bomb faster than it came in. Nash finished rounding the bases before the Westy outfielder ever reached the ball. It was Taft's first homer of the season, and sent the bench into a frenzy. However, Westminster would tie the score in the bottom of the same inning. Then in the fifth, Westy starting hitting the balls where Taft was not, and they managed 4 more runs in the inning, and at that point, the Rhinos were cooked. Nevertheless, Taft had some great performances by many. Kailey Nash finished 2 for 3 with two stolen bases. Kate Moreau had a bunt single and a stolen base. And Geneva Lloyd had a good eye at the plate, as she walked twice. A tough loss...but a valiant effort. The girls should be VERY proud. Taft's next matchup will be this Saturday against Coach Aroesty's alma mater: Deerfield

4/12/2008

H vs Canterbury

8-1 W

The Taft Varsity Softball Team displayed another wonderful performance on Saturday with an 8-1 victory over a very strong Canterbury team. On a day in which storms were expected, we were fortunate to have warm temperatures and a slight breeze. Once again, Freshman sensation, Meg Boland pitched a gem against a big clubbing team in Canterbury. She faced 30 batters, gave up only 5 hits, struck out 1 and walked only 3. The field was ready to get the rest done. Kailey Nash dominated the game from all angles. She factored into 10 of the recorded outs for Taft. She also hit the games longest drive and while probably could have rounded all the bases was held to a triple by Taft's Third Base Coach. 9th Grader Kate "Chief" Moreau was outstanding as she went 3 for 3 with an RBI. Jess "The Machine" Desorcie, Hannah Vazquez and Geneva Lloyd were all 2 for 4. Ches Fowler, Annie Cantwell, Liz Van Pelt, and Elena Stein also recorded hits. As you can see, it was an entire team effort. Credit certainly has to be given to Canterbury, as they had pressure on Taft the entire game. Twice they had bases loaded...but Boland and crew were able to hold them at bay. The next game will be against Softball Powerhouse Westminster on Wednesday.

4/9/2008

H vs Northfield Mt. Hermon

6-1 W

The Taft Varsity Softball Team defeated Berkshire for the first time in over two decades this afternoon. While it was a 6-1 final, the score does not properly reflect the team we faced. Berkshire was QUITE good. They could hit, they could field, and they had a pitcher who could throw smoke. However, much has to be said for Taft, as they did not back-off an inch in the face of this strong team from Berkshire. The Rhinos received great pitching once again from Lower-Mid Meg Boland. She gave up only one run and six hits in her second victory of the season. Furthermore, she struck out 5 and walked only 1 batter. Meg was able to be as productive as she was, because there was a great fielding team behind her. Kailey Nash turned a crucial inning-ending double play in the fourth to prevent Berkshire from putting up any more runs. Kate Moreau, Geneva Lloyd, and Katie Carden also did a great job throwing the Bears out, when balls were hit at them. And lastly, Taft was hitting peas at the plate. Catcher, Jess Desorcie, was 2 for 3 on the day (8 for 9 on the season). She hit a BOMB of a triple, and scored 2 runs on the afternoon. Kailey Nash was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Silky Smooth Geneva Lloyd was 1 for 3 but scored two runs because of some heads up baserunning. Annie Cantwell, Kate Moreau, and Hannah Vazquez also contributed a hit in the effort. It was a fantastic game, on a beautiful day. Taft's next game is scheduled for Saturday 4/12.
View Photo Gallery

4/5/2008

9-0 W

As the skies cleared up, it was as though God shined down upon Taft Softball. The Rhinos won their first regular season game in well over a year today. The real story today was the No-Hit Shutout pitched by 9th Grader Meg Boland. Boland featured some nasty stuff as she moved the ball all over the strike-zone, and kept her opponents off-balance throughout the game. While Boland certainly deserves a great deal of praise, this win was truly a team win in every sense of the word. Meg Boland recorded 7 strikeouts, however, the infield proved to be sensational, as they successfully put out 12 of the 14 other batters. Annie Cantwell made a great catch in left, and Ches Fowler made a great catch in right field to retire the two other batters. Offensively, the ball was jumping off the bat! Jess Desorcie was 3 for 3. Meg Boland had two hits, one of which was a double. Kailey Nash was also 2 for 3. Hannah Vazquez, Katie Carden, and Ches Fowler had RBI's. From top to bottom of the lineup, Taft had a great day at the plate. Their next opponents will be the Berkshire Bears, on Wednesday April 9th. Thank you to everyone who supported the team!!

2006-07 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

5/23/2007

A vs Hopkins School

5/19/2007

A vs Convent of the Sacred Heart

5/16/2007

H vs Choate Rosemary Hall

0-16 L

Taft was blanked by the Wild Boars of Choate this afternoon. Taft was hitless until the 4th inning when Steph Schonbrun had a well hit single. She then stole second base to put herself in scoring position. However, with only one out and a runner at 2nd, Taft was unable to bring her around to score. Taft would get two more hits in the game. One from old Faithful Geneva Lloyd to left field, and another hit from Genevieve Bleidner who hit one deep into right field. Unfortunately these singles never produced any runs for the Rhinos. Except for a 10 run 4th inning, Taft was able to make each inning a competitive one.

5/14/2007

H vs Hotchkiss School

14-23 L

A very good opportunity for Taft's first victory dissolved after a very tough 6th and 7th inning. Taft led 3-1 after the first inning and 10-7 after the second. We had singles from Elena Stein, Steph Schonbrun, Gabby Peters, and Genevieve Bleidner in those innings. Hotchkiss slowly crept back. They scored 3 runs in the 4th to tie the score at 10. Then they would score 3 more in the 5th to move ahead for a brief period, before Geneva Lloyd had a 2 run double, and Liz Van Pelt's RBI single tied the game at 13. However, at this point the bats fell silent for Taft, and Hotchkiss found a way to score 5 runs in the 6th and 5 runs in the 7th to bring the score out of reach for Taft. It was an unfortunately ending for what could have been a very exciting game for the Rhinos.

5/12/2007

H vs Kingswood-Oxford School

3-19 L

Taft was simply outmatched against a superior Softball team in Greenwich Academy. They threw the ball around the infield like the Boston Red Sox. They had a pitcher who threw fire, and an outfield that covered more ground than a circus tent. So it is with great pride for me to say that we were able to score three runs against a wonderfully coached and talented team. Taft scored their first run when Geneva Lloyd drew a base on balls. Then, Leighann O'Mealia had simply the best hit that any Taft Softball Player has had all year as she rocketed a double into the gap in Right Centerfield. The hit brought Geneva al the way around from first base to score. Unfortunately, Leighann managed to break her leg as she slid into second base, which has prematurely ended her season behind the plate. But her team and her coaching staff could not be more grateful for all of the wonderful work she has put forth this season. Shortly thereafter, Steph Schonbrun drew a walk. She managed a stolen base, and then scored easily when an errant throw to first base squirted into right field. Taft's final run came at the hands of Elena Stein who hit a double. She was moved to third on a ground ball by Liz Van Pelt. And Stein would score on Steph Schonbrun's Sacrifice flyball. A tough game, but a moral victory was achieved by scoring those 3 runs.

5/9/2007

A vs Kent School

7-9 L

Taft lost a tight game over at Kent today. Although we struck out three times to start the game, Taft was able to get on the board in a big way in the third, when after 3 straight walks, Hannah Vazquez hit a 2 RBI single. That hit along with some good eyes at the plate led to 3 more walks, and 2 more runs. Ches Fowler's single to right scored the final 2 runs of the inning, which gave Taft a 7 to 2 lead. However, Kent was able to battle right back and scored 5 runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie up the score. From that point onward, Taft's bats fell silent. Aside from Geneva Lloyd's double in the 6th, Taft was unable to produce any more hits in the game. Unfortunately for Taft, Kent scored 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth, and we were unable to answer. It was a tight game...and we had our chances, but the bounces did not seem to go our way. We will try to rebound against Greenwich Academy.

4/30/2007

0-16 L

For the second game in a row, Taft was up against what may as well have been an all-star team. Kingswood Oxford's pitcher Nicole Springer threw absolute Gas on the mound. K.O. has had a history of being one of the best in New England, and this year is certainly no different. But it is a beautiful thing to see a team that talented, be so sweet and humble. Taft played another very strong game against a strong opponent. A moment of pride occurred when Geneva Lloyd broke the no-hitter with a double to Left-field. Elena Stein followed suit with a single of her own. Therefore, despite seeing a pitcher throwing 65-70mph (equivalent of 90mph in baseball), Taft was able to pull through for a couple good hits. In the field, Taft was equally strong. When KO wasn't ripping shots off the wall, Taft was able to make some very strong defensive plays. Today's game as well as the Loomis game, could have been disasters, however, I could not be more proud of a Taft team that instead of being intimidated by the strength of these teams, came ready to put forth their best effort. Hopefully we will be able to continue this effort as we head into our next game against Kent.
View Photo Gallery

4/28/2007

A vs Loomis Chaffee

0-15 L

Despite some disappointing losses in the recent past, Taft came ready to play one of the strongest teams they had seen all season. Loomis had a pitcher and catcher, both of whom seemed ready to take on the Yankees. They could, pitch, hit, run, field, and throw. They could do it all...and they did it classy. That said, it must be understood that Taft performed extremely well against a more experienced team. Taft didn't make errors, they didn't throw the ball around, and Hannah Vazquez pitched strikes. Unfortunately for Taft, Loomis was simply a more superior Softball squad. Captain Steph Schonbrun reached base on a base hit, as did Elena Stein. Liz Van Pelt reached base when hit by a pitch, and Sarah Albert also reached base when she was plunked in the head. Although it was a one sided game, the Taft softball team truly came together and put together a great effort.

4/25/2007

A vs Miss Porter's School

2-15 L

Taft faced a very strong Westover squad, as they were defeated 15-2. Taft recorded both of their runs in the second inning. Lower-Mid Katie Carden reached base on an error to start off the inning. A walk by Bridgit Sylvester set the stage for Sarah Albert, who hit a bomb of a shot into the right-center gap, which allowed Katie Carden to score, as well as Sylvester to score all the way from first base. This hit made the game 2-2. The score would remain 2-2, until the fourth inning. Hannah Vazquez who has been nothing short of a saint this season for her willingness to pitch (despite not being a natural pitcher), had been doing a superb job on the mound. However, she lost the strike zone a bit, and Westover was able to capitalize. Westover scored 7 runs in the 4th, and added 3 more in the 6th and 7th innings. The girls should be proud of their efforts.

4/24/2007

2-19 L

Taft followed one of the most competitive games of the season against Deerfield, with one of their worst. In a game that Taft certainly could have competed in, we had difficulty making outs in the field as well as getting on base when we had our chances at the plate. Taft accumulated only 5 hits in 5 innings of play. Taft's runs came in the 2nd inning, when Hannah Vazquez had a leadoff double, which was followed by a single by Gappy Peters. Geneva Lloyd racked up an RBI single, which was quickly followed by an RBI single by Sarah Albert. Miss Porter's was a talented and classy team as usual. They put the game out of reach right from the first inning. Their first 6 batters crossed the plate successfully. The deficit seemed to put Taft on their heels immediately, and we never seemed to recuperate. Nevertheless, Taft will come out ready to play against Westover on Wednesday.

4/21/2007

A vs Deerfield Academy

13-14 L

Taft had their second devastatingly narrow defeat of the season against Deerfield on Saturday. Deerfield is in a similar position of rebuilding as Taft, and therefore it lead to a wonderfully competitive game between both teams. Taft jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, when 3 consecutive hits by Elena Stein, Liz Van Pelt, and Steph Schonbrun turned into runs for Taft. Hannah Vazquez knocked two in with a base hit to left. Deerfield answered right back with 4 runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Alexis McNamee, and Geneva Lloyd had base hits to start off the second inning. Liz Van Pelt And Steph Schonbrun would add more ducks to the pond with walks, and would ultimately score on hits from Hannah Vazquez Gabby Peters, and Katie Carden. Taft held an 8-4 lead after 1 and a half innings. Deerfield came back and knotted up the score, as Taft struggled to close them out of the inning. Taft was able to get Deerfield's first two batters out in the inning, but struggled getting a handle on the ball, as they committed 4 errors in the inning. All four of those errors were converted into runs for Deerfield. Taft would score 4 more on the inning by the usual suspects; Stein, Van Pelt, Schonbrun, and Vazquez. Katie Carden's bomb to right field was responsible for two RBI in the inning. Taft held a 12-8 lead after 2 and a half innings. Deerfield would get 2 back, but Taft played extremely strong defense, as Elena Stein had to cover about 30 feet to make an incredible catch over her shoulder in Left Field to save the inning for the Rhinos. Taft seemed to be on a roll as the held the outright lead for the first time in the game at 12-10. However, Deerfield's defense began to take over. Over the course of the next 3 innings, Deerfield COMPLETELY shut Taft down. 3 "1,2,3" innings in a row. Deerfield went on to score 1 run in the 4th, 1 in the 5th, and 1 in the sixth to take a 14-12 lead after six innings. Taft had a chance to answer right back, to keep the game alive in the top of the 7th inning. Taft's first batter, Gabby Peters singled to left. Sarah Albert followed her Peters' lead with a single of her own. Now with 2 runners on base, you could taste the comeback! A single by Katie Carden scored Gabby Peters, bringing the score to 14-13 DA. However, Deerfield was able to preserve the win with three strait outs. A strikeout, ground out and fly out sealed the deal for Deerfield as they walked off the field with a win. An incredibly close game that Taft should definately build off of.

4/18/2007

7-22 L

Taft struggled early in this one, and the game was out of reach before they could mount a comeback. Westminster had a ton of firepower as usual, and it came through in the first 3 innings. They scored 6 runs in the first, 5 in the second, and another 5 in the third to jump ahead 16 to 0. Taft would take advantage of some key walks in the 4th inning as the bats came alive. Elena Stein and Liz Van Pelt would walk in the top of the inning, and both would score on a Hannah Vazquez single. Vazquez was knocked in on an RBI single by Gabby Peters. Katie Carden, Alexis McNamee, Geneva Lloyd, and Ches Fowler also found a way to cross the plate, to give Taft 7 runs. However, Westy would regroup and kill the rally with strong defense. Westminster would ultimately add 6 more runs to their lead which ended in an eventual mercy rule win in the 6th inning.

4/14/2007

A vs Canterbury

12-13 L

Taft experienced an extremely competitive game for the first time this season against the Saints of Canterbury. In the first inning, Taft was able to load the bases, but to no avail. The Saints escaped the inning without injury. However, Taft was able to keep Canterbury off the board as well. In the second inning, Alexis McNamee walked on her first at bat. She would then score on a Liz Van Pelt single. Van Pelt would score a run of her own on a Hannah Vazquez RBI. Canterbury would get a run back in the inning to make it 2-1. Taft would score 2 in the third, and 1 in the fourth. However, Canterbury was able to answer right back each time. In the fourth inning, Canterbury took advantage of struggles on the mound and would score 5 runs to take the lead for the first time. Taft trailed until the 6th inning when they knocked in 4 runs to take the lead. Stein, Schonbrun, Peters, and Sarah Albert all had hits in the inning. Up by 3, Canterbury would tie the score with three runs of their own. It all came down to the 7th inning. Taft put up 3 runs as Hannah Vazquez had a 2 RBI double, and was knocked in herself on a grounder by Geneva Lloyd. Only needing 3 outs to take home their first win, Taft was unable to hold onto the lead, as Canterbury put up some great at bats to secure the win. It was a disappointing loss for Taft, but it was a great opportunity to be involved in such a close game. Taft's next game will be against Westminster (if the weather holds up) on Wednesday.

4/11/2007

H vs Northfield Mt. Hermon

5-23 L

This game was all Berkshire from the first pitch. Taft struggled making outs in the first two innings which led to a 15-1 commanding lead by the Bears. It was not pretty. To give Berkshire credit, they hit the ball as well as any team this coaching staff has ever seen. Berkshire had 19 hits on the afternoon, with 7 of them extra base hits. 5 doubles and 2 legitimate triples on the day. Like the first game, Taft should be proud that they never gave up. After Elena Stein's run in the first inning, Taft was held off the board until the 5th inning, where they would score 4 runs in a row. It started with Liz Van Pelt's shot to Centerfield. Van Pelt would be moved over on Steph Schonbrun's walk, and then again after Hannah Vazquez's walk. Geneva Lloyd would then knock in an RBI on a single. Leighann O'Mealia would get an RBI single of her own. Geneva Lloyd would score the last of Taft's run on a wild pitch. Although it would be ended due to Mercy rule, the game had a positive end for Taft as they fought back valiantly

4/7/2007

4-16 L

The first game for Taft's Softball team was a great learning experience for the team. We started off pretty strong as we gave up only 3 runs through the first two innings. However, a bad inning in the third during which we gave up 12 runs forced the game out of reach. That said, the game was a great learning process, because despite the score we never gave up. We were facing a very strong pitcher as well as strong bats from NMH, but in the last 4 innings we were able to outscore our opponents 4-1. Captain, Steph Schonbrun scored our first run after she was hit by a pitch. A stolen base, and a passed ball later she found herself on third base. Steph later scored on another passed ball and forced the game into another inning (before the mercy rule took effect) Sarah Albert kept things going as she recorded Taft's first hit. On Genevieve Bleidner's ground ball, Sarah Albert rounded second and forced a throwing error into third base, allowing her to score on the play. Bleidner would score Taft's third run after an error in the field allowed her to take home. The last run of the game for Taft was scored by Shanika Audige who reached base after being hit by a pitch. But a Ches Fowler hit would score Audige from 3rd. It was a great first game in that outside of the 3rd inning Taft played very competitive Softball.

2005-06 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

5/24/2006

3-18 L

5/22/2006

12-4 W

The Varsity Softball team pulled off their first win of the season today against the Bearcats of Hotchkiss. On a super windy day in Lakeville, CT Taft had an incredibly solid game all around to secure their first "W". Ally Carr was the hero of the day, as she started on the mound for the first time in her career at Taft. She was nearly flawless. She pitched the ball over the plate, which ultimately led to outs with the strong fielding behind her. Taft was held off the board in the first two innings due to great plays by Hotchkiss as they threw 2 Taft players out at home plate. Hotchkiss then went on to score 3 runs in the first and 1 in the second to give themselves a 4-0 lead. However, the Rhinos did not give up. Taft would go on to score 4 runs in the 3rd inning, 2 runs in the 4th and 5th, and 4 more in the 7th inning. The final tally was 12-4. We had spectacular games from everybody involved. In her first game as a Designated Hitter, Spencer Barton reached base all 5 times she came to bat. She had 2 base hits, 2 walks, and reached on a Fielder's Choice. She went on to score 4 runs in the game. Ally Carr ripped the ball all afternoon, as she finished the day with 3 hits. Steph Schonbrun had two basehits and a stolen base. Gabby Peters rocked a shot over the leftfielder's head winding her up on second base with 2 RBI. Allyson Flores also had a great game at the plate with 2 hits and a walk. And Elena Stein who was hitting in the 7 Spot reached base 4 times with 3 singles. Taft was equally strong in the field. Arielle Palladino was superb. She turned a double play, and then caught a tough line drive in the same inning to notch 3 put outs in 1 inning. Jaime Albert was phenominal behind the plate, as she blocked a ton of pitches that could have found their way to the backstop. Gabby Peters stepped in at shortstop for Ally Carr who was pitching, and put out all batters who hit one at her. Allyson Flores was solid at third putting out 5 Hotchkiss runners. And Steph Schonbrun covered more ground than a circus tent in center. Taft committed exactly 0 errors in the game. I couldn't be more proud of the effort this team put in, and the progress that we have made since the beginning of the season. We will have our final game against Hopkins this Wednesday.

5/17/2006

6-16 L

Taft suffered a tough loss to Choate Rosemary Hall on Wednesday afternoon. Except for one bad inning, in which Taft gave up 10 runs, the Rhinos played some very good softball. The trend of 1 tough inning a game has been the daggar in the back for Taft all season long. On this day, it was the 2nd inning that gave us trouble. 9 walked batters led to 10 runs for Choate. Looking beyond the 2nd inning, Taft showed great mental toughness as we never gave up. Allyson Flores was a star for the day as she made 6 great throws from third to throw runners out. She also reached base twice with a Hit-by-pitch and an RBI single that continued the rally for 4 runs in the 7th. Ally Carr had a single and a double and scored two runs. Steph Schonbrun scored 2 runs and had a stolen base. Arriel Palladino had a rip to left field that landed her on second base. And Alexis McNamee had a phenomenal game behind the plate. There were a lot of positives that came from this loss. There is no doubt that we have progressed in a big way since the start of the season!

5/13/2006

2-21 L

5/10/2006

2-18 L

View Photo Gallery

5/1/2006

2-17 L

Today we faced the two-time defending New England Champs. Simply put, they were awesome. KO hit well, they fielded well, and they pitched darn well. Their pitcher Mary Gordon struck out her 500th batter in her career in our game. More importantly, they played with class. I could not have been more proud of our team on this day. Lauren McGowan had an incredible day on the mound. She got the ball over the plate, and fooled a few hitters. In the field, Taft did a wonderful job. Elena Stein and Sarah Albert kept busy tracking down fly balls in the outfield. And Steph Schonbrun made a phenomenal catch in Centerfield as she held onto a rocket of a line drive that seemed to lift her off the ground. Allyson Flores, Ally Carr, Arielle Palladino, and Hannah Vazquez saw a ton of action in the infield and played superbly. Behind the plate, Alexis McNamee was great! She blocked a ton of pitches from going to the backstop, and controlled the game very well. At the plate we were equally strong. In 5 games that KO has played this year, they had only given up 1 run. We scored 2!! That was like a win in itself! Despite the strength of their pitcher and the girls who backed her up, we made great contact with the ball, and got on base several times. Elena Stein got a hit her first time up. Ally Carr also ripped a shot through the infield, and reached second base on a Hannah Vazquez walk. Gabby Peters also had a nice single, and eventually scored our first run on a throwing error by KO. Spencer Barton had a great pinch hit base hit in the top of the 5th. Spencer has gotten a hit almost every time we have called on her. Spencer moved to second on a Gabby Peters walk. 2 Wild pitches later, Spencer Barton crossed homeplate for Taft's second and final run. It was a 17-2 loss, however it was the most enjoyable game we have played thus far. The girls from Taft should be extremely proud of the way they performed, and the acheivments they accomplished against a strong Kingswood team.

4/29/2006

H vs Loomis Chaffee

3-22 L

4/26/2006

A vs Westover School

3-16 L

The Varsity Softball suffered a difficult loss on Wednesday. In a game that we had every reason to be competitive in, we were blown out by Westover, 16-3. Getting through the first couple of innings has been our achilles heel all season. Against Westminster, we gave up 9 runs in the first 2 innings. Against Miss Porter's we gave up 11 in the first two innings. Once we got going, we have been GREAT. However, the damage has been done early. The game against Westover was no different. We gave up 10 runs in the first inning and 3 in the the second, putting us at a significant disadvantage. However, we played extremely well after our initial struggles. Many players had spectacular afternoons. Speedster Steph Schonbrun was 2 for 4 with 3 stolen bases. Elena Stein scored a run and had patience at the plate with 2 walks. Hannah Vazquez, batting clean-up had 2 very nice base hits. Furthermore, all 3 of our pinch hitters had wonderful at bats. Alexis McNamee forced the Westover pitcher to throw 7 pitches, fouling off a bunch of pitches before she eventually grounded out to first. Spencer Barton had a phenomenal at bat as she ripped a single between the shortstop and third baseman. Gabby Peters followed up that pinch hit with another pinch hit up the middle. We saw many great things throughout the game, however we need to find a way to start as strong as we finish. When we do that, watch out!

4/25/2006

1-18 L

In no other team sport can one player determine the outcome of game as much as a pitcher in a Softball game. Never was this more evident than the pitcher we faced today on Miss Porter's. Baily Sanders from Miss Porter's throws hard, throws accurately, and picks spots. She was flat out great today. Despite the odds, the Taft Softball team did not back down. Ally Carr ruined the chance of a no hitter early in the game, as she found her pitch, and ripped a shot through the infield to be Taft's first baserunner. Taft would score their run in the second inning when Allyson Flores laid down a perfect bunt and legged out a single. She then stole the first of her 2 stolen bases of the afternoon. She then took third on a passed ball, and made it home on a second passed ball. It was a great moment for Taft, as we escaped being shut out. Flores reached base once again in the the 4th, on a walk. Arielle Palladino also reached base on a walk. We didn't have many runners on base, but we earned each of them, which is something we should be proud of. Steph Schonbrun had another great day in the field as she caught a couple of sky high flys in center. A tough loss, but we are back out there tomorrow against Westover.

4/22/2006

4/19/2006

2-10 L

Taft faced the strongest hitting team they faced thus far in the season, as they dropped a tough loss 10-2 against Westminster. In the first inning, Westminster's clean-up hitter smashed a long fly that was still rolling as she came all the way around the bases to put Westy up 2-0. The drubbing of the softball did not end there. Westy's next two batters reached base by way of singles, and were eventually knocked in to give Westminster a 4-0 lead after the 1st. The 2nd inning was no better for the Rhinos. A couple of singles, and a couple of extra base hits turned into 5 more runs for Westminster. It was 9-0 after 2. As unforunate as this deficit was, there is much to be proud of. Despite being down 9 runs after 2 innings, Taft had a wonderful defensive effort from there on in. We only gave up 1 run in the final 5 innings of play. Great pitching by Lauren McGowan accompanied by strong defensive plays in the infield by Allyson Flores, Ally Carr, and Arielle Palladino kept Taft rolling. And with as strong of a hitting team as Westminster was, Elena Stein, Steph Schonbrun, and Sarah Albert had to be solid in the outfield...which they certainly were. On the offensive side of the plate, we saw some great things. The Westminster pitcher was very good. She had a good fastball, as well as a knee bending change-up that puts batters off balance. But the progress Taft hitters have made thus far has been tremendous. Hannah Vazquez, Elena Stein, Allyson Flores, Sarah Albert and Ally Carr all had great hits in the game. Ally Carr would score on Elena Stein's basehit for Taft's first run. And Sarah Albert would score Taft's second run when Arielle Palladino reached base on an error. It was a disappointing loss, because there were so many instances of greatness for Taft. Hopefully we will be able to put it all together as we face Deerfield on Saturday.

4/15/2006

H vs Canterbury

1-11 L

The Softball Team suffered a tough loss today, however there was a great deal to be enthusiastic about. Canterbury came with some serious firepower. They had a pitcher who resembled Roger Clemens. She was about 6'1" and had a flamethrower for an arm. She struck out the first 11 batters she faced. She had 15 strikeouts in total. So Taft was behind the eight ball from the start. That said, Taft's defense was stellar. Allyson Flores on the hot corner had a ton of action as she put out 7 runners on the afternoon. Elena Stein in Left Field had a great day as she ran down a number of well hit balls and got a base hit in the 7th. Steph Schonbrun controlled the game at Center. Arielle Palladino ended Canterbury's hope of a perfect game as she drew a walk in the 4th inning. Unfortunately we were unable to convert with a runner on base. In the 6th inning, Allyson Flores ended the No Hitter as she blooped a base hit over the first baseman's head. In the 7th inning, Taft got a bit of a rally going which was started by Ally Carr. Carr found a hole in the infield and wound up on first, for Taft's second hit of the game. Hannah Vazquez grounded out to first, which allowed Carr to reach second. A perfectly laid bunt by Gabby Peters, which accounted for Taft's third hit of the game put Carr on third. In the highlight of the game for Taft, a passed ball turned into a run as Ally Carr beat a throw from the catcher to the covering pitcher. It was Taft's only run, but with the adversity we faced, it felt like the game winner! The final score was 11-1, but the most encouraging aspect of the game, is that the girls never gave up. I think we learned a lot about ourselves as individuals and as a team.

4/12/2006