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Norwalk's softball team saved its best for last in Monday's game against city rival Brien McMahon, rallying for six runs in the seventh inning for a 9-5 victory over the Senators.
Nicky Taliercio's two-run single drove in the tying and go-ahead runs as the Bears picked up a critical win to secure a berth in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference playoffs. Norwalk (11-7 overall, 9-7 FCIAC) entered the day tied with Stamford for the league's final playoff berth. There are two regular-season games remaining.
"I just needed my team to keep their heads in it,'' Norwalk coach Lauren DeLong said. "They kept their heads in it for the full seven innings." Taliercio delivered the big blow, a one-out single to center scoring Katie Schmidt and Patty Sciglimpaglia on the first pitch she saw from Katie Walsh. "I was looking for something middle in, and I got the ball right in the middle of the plate,'' Taliercio said.
Laura Knox pitched six innings for McMahon (2-16, 2-14) but left after issuing a leadoff walk to Laura Vallejo. Walsh retired the first batter, but Katie Schmidt walked, and Patty Sciglimpaglia singled. Jessica Schmidt's RBI single made it 5-4 before Taliercio delivered the game-altering blow. Norwalk added three more before McMahon finally retired the side. Taliercio pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh.
"They had a couple of well-placed hits and a couple of bloop hits,'' McMahon coach Paul Jacoby said. "For 18 outs we were fantastic. Our bugaboo this whole year has been one bad inning."
Norwalk took a 1-0 lead in the first, but McMahon scored three in the bottom of the inning, with Sam Bardo's two-run double the key hit. Knox and Lindsay Knoebel had two hits apiece for the Senators. Knox pitched well for six innings and the Senators played well defensively behind her until the Bears erupted in the seventh.
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