Rachel Keshin went 2-5 for the Rams as they beat Greenwich 15-3, April 8, 2016. Credit: Chris Gambino
After three rainouts and nearly a week removed from the scheduled start of the season, the New Canaan Rams softball team could hardly contain its excitement to get out on the field Friday afternoon at Greenwich High School.
It didn’t take long for New Canaan to release some of that pent-up exuberance, as the Rams scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back en route to a 15-3 six-inning win over the Cardinals.
“It’s huge,” New Canaan head coach Danielle Simoneau said of New Canaan’s fast start. “Practicing is good, but being able to practice and executing is huge and they did it. And once they realized, ‘Oh, we can do this’ they just let their ability do the rest.”
Eight Rams had at least one hit as New Canaan rapped out 15 hits in total. Leading the way was junior Molly Rochlin, who went 3-for-3 with six RBI, a double and a run scored.
“I was just seeing the ball well,” Rochlin said. “I’ve been working in the offseason and the speed was good for me today, and I was just able to connect.”
The Rams picked up all the runs they would need in the first as sophomore Gillian Kane led the game off with a single and moved to second after freshman Kara Fahey was hit by a pitch. With one out, junior Molly Keshin loaded the bases with an infield hit before Rochlin drove in the game’s first two runs with a single down the left field line.
Freshman Bridget Cleary kept the scoring going with a two-out, two-run single to center to give New Canaan a 4-0 lead. Junior Eliza Haney made it 5-0 with an RBI single, giving Kane plenty of breathing room before even throwing a pitch.
“It was huge to bust out with a few runs so that Gill could just settle in and pitch her game,” Simoneau said. “And defensively we played well, so I think we were going to be fine with being loose.”
The same could not be said for Greenwich, who appeared to be tight in the field and at the plate in key situations. The Cardinals left nine runners on base and committed several errors to help New Canaan extend to a 10-1 lead after three innings and 14-1 entering the fifth.
“We just made way too many mistakes today,” Greenwich head coach Mary Beth Fratello said after seeing her team fall to 0-2 on the young season. “We made a lot of errors the first game and we still battled. This game we had a lot of errors again and it was just not a good performance. Take nothing away from New Canaan, but I don’t think we played up to our potential.”
Emma Beinstein was one bright spot for the Cardinals, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Freshman Julie Gambino was also impressive with a double, RBI and one run scored. She also pitched two-thirds of an inning with a strikeout and a walk.
For New Canaan, Kane pitched all six innings of the run-ruled game, giving up six hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts. She also helped herself with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with a double, three RBI and a run. Junior Rachel Keshin was 2-for-5 with three runs and an RBI while twin sister Molly went 2-for-4 with two runs. Junior Sophia Welch was 1-for-2 with three runs and narrowly missed clearing the fence on a double to left in the fifth inning.
New Canaan’s newest players were also major offensive factors. Cleary went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI and Fahey went 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI for the Rams, who won their first season opener since 2013—the same year they last won the FCIAC Championship.
“It’s a pleasure to have [the freshmen],” Simoneau said. “It’s just a great group of girls and they contribute, and that’s all we can ask for.”
