Masuk softball team compiles wins and earns No. 3 seed in tourney

MONROE, Conn. — Masuk High’s softball team will host its playoff opener today at 4:15 p.m. as the No. 3 Panthers host No. 6 Pomperaug in the South-West Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Masuk has just one loss since a 2-0 setback to top seed New Milford on May 4.

The Panthers beat host Newtown (No. 5) 14-4 on May 13, won their fifth straight in a 19-0 victory over visiting Bunnell (No. 7) on May 15, edged visiting Bethel 10-8 on May 16, lost 13-3 at Brookfield (No. 2) on May 18, and defeated nonconference team Foran 7-3 in Milford on May 20.

Highlights from the late-season games are as follows:

Masuk 14, Newtown 4: Grace Ely and Ciena Perpetuo both doubled, had two hits and drove in three runs. Peyton Webb had two hits and two runs batted in. Pitcher Mary Saunders helped her own cause with a home run. Lexa Dizon collected two hits and scored three times and Izzy DeBernardo had three hits, an RBI and two runs scored. Saunders allowed four earned runs and struck out 10.

Masuk 19, Bunnell 0: Peyton Webb went 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run, triple and a single. Grace Ely went 4-for-4 with two home runs and two singles. Mary Saunders went 2-for-3 with a home run and a triple. Izzy DeBernardo had a triple, and Junianna Falcone went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a single. Josie Lieto had a double. Ciena Perpetuo went 2-for-4 with two singles and two RBIs. Peyton Webb, Grace Ely, and Mary Suanders each contributed with 4 four RBIs. This was Ely’s senior night, which was a special day celebrating Masuk’s lone senior. Saunders pitched the five-inning mercy-rule game, recording 14 strikeouts.

Masuk 10, Bethel 8: Masuk had three home runs in succession starting with Grace Ely, then Josie Lieto, and concluded by Ciena Perpetuo, who was 4-for-4 at the plate with three singles in addition to her homer. Lexa Dizon contributed with a big single that scored two runs. Mary Saunders pitched three innings with two strike outs, then Grace finished the game with three-plus innings, recording eight strikeouts and no walks.

Brookfield 13, Masuk 3: Grace Ely was 2-for-4 with a single and a double and Peyton Webb contributed with a double. Mary Saunders recorded six strikeouts in four-and-two-thirds innings pitched; only seven of Brookfield’s runs were earned.

Masuk 7, Foran 3: Peyton Webb went 2-for-4 with a triple and a single. Grace Ely blasted a two-run home run to bring Masuk back and tie the game 3-3 in the third inning. Josie Lieto contributed with a squeeze bunt, scoring the run to put the Panthers in the lead. Ciena Perpetuo then tripled, scoring two runs to increase that lead. Mary Saunders was 2-for-4 with two singles. Julianna Falcone and Gianna Moretti also contributed with a single each. Saunders did not allow a walk and fanned three batters.

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