Fairfield Warde's softball team was expected to challenge for the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference title this season. Some eyebrows were raised around the league when the Mustangs got off to a 1-3 start. But after consecutive wins, including a 3-1 victory Friday over previously unbeaten Staples, the Mustangs (3-3) are playing like the team most observers expected.
"This was a really big win for us,'' said winning pitcher Heather VanDerheyden, who threw a complete-game six-hitter. "When we beat Greenwich on Thursday, it helped us get our mojo back. It carried over into today and now we're playing like the team we know we are."
Leadoff hitter Stacey Dileo had two hits, scored two runs and was on base all four times to spark the Mustangs' offense. She also added an RBI single in the sixth to give VanDerheyden a critical insurance run.
VanDerheyden helped herself with an RBI single in the first, and Alyssa Borowy added a sacrifice fly to drive in a run in the fifth.
VanDerheyden did the rest. She struck out five and walked two. Warde made just one error behind her.
"Every time I pitch, my dad says focus on throwing strikes and work on your mechanics,'' VanDerheyden said. "They have a good hitting team. I just tried to throw strikes and let my defense make the plays behind me."
Warde struck in the first when Dileo singled, stole second and scored on VanDerheyden's single to center. Warde never relinquished the lead. Borowy's sacrifice fly made it 2-0 in the fifth. After Staples got a run in the bottom of the inning, Dileo's RBI single drove home freshman Michele Treglia.
The victory was a typical winning softball performance. Strong pitching, timely hitting, productive outs. That was hardly the case in the first four games for the Mustangs, who lost to Stamford, Norwalk and Wilton by a total of four runs. The team that beat Greenwich on Thursday, 13-5, and Staples is the team coach Gary Quiricone expected all along.
"I'm not really sure why it took us a little time to get our mojo,'' VanDerheyden said. "Maybe it was because were expected to be a good team and we let our guard down a little bit. We have it back now."
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