Claremont — Stevens High, still trying to pick up the pieces after a winless season a year ago, dropped an eight-inning 6-3 game to Monadnock on Wednesday in a New Hampshire Division III contest at Veterans Park.

Most of the Cardinals’ 16 losses last year were mercy rule defeats, so Missy Nichols, coaching the team again after a one-year absence, was not disappointed.

“Hey, we’re a team with no seniors and three freshmen pitchers and I can see we’re showing we can compete,” Nichol saids. “They weren’t even in a game last year. I’m starting to see where we are turning this thing around. The kids are beginning to believe in themselves.”

Monadnock went home with the win because not only did the Huskies get a big hit in the eighth inning, but they played solid softball with just one error and had a pitcher, Hannah Coppo, who did not issue a walk.

“You give your team a chance when you don’t hurt yourself,” Monadnock coach Ashlee Nicholson said. She was particularly pleased with Coppo, who threw 97 pitches, 68 for strikes.

The deciding blow was a big one. Monadnock’s Hannah Gaillardetz, with runners on second and third with one out in the eighth inning, stroked a three-run homer over the right fielder’s head.

Stevens (1-3) came to bat in the last of the seventh inning needing a run to win, and got the first two batters on with bunt singles. The Cards tried to bunt the runners over, but Coppo got one of her four strikeouts and the runners stayed put. A fly ball to right and an infield grounder ended the threat.

The Cardinals trailed for most of the game until the sixth, when they caught a break to get a couple of runs and take a 3-2 lead. No. 9 hitter Ryllie Brown, who had homered earlier in the game, singled to center and came around to score when Marti Milan tripled to to right-center. Milan was given home when the throw from the outfield to third base eluded the infielder and trickled under a closed gate and out of play. It was the only opening in the left side of the field.

Monadnock (1-4) tied the game in the seventh on a walk, an error and a bunt single.

Stevens used two freshmen pitchers, Jenna Pond and Madison Lapsley. Pond went the first two innings and was charged with two runs. Lapsley went the next six innings.

She shut the Huskies down for four innings before the unearned run in the seventh and three-run blast in the eighth. She struck out five.

Stevens goes to Franklin on Friday.