WINDSOR — The power button eluded Windsor High softball coach Heather Stearns on Tuesday.
Through the early between-innings breaks of the Yellowjackets’ home opener with Springfield, Stearns repeatedly sought ways to energize a team that seemed to be running on low. Despite manufacturing the game’s first run, the Jacks couldn’t tap the electricity needed to avoid a 6-2 loss to Springfield at Windsor High.
A Windsor error set up the three-run rally for the Cosmos (2-1) that reversed an early 1-0 deficit. Springfield pitcher Izzy Belisle kept things under wraps from there, limiting the Jacks to two hits and five walks against eight strikeouts.
“Springfield always comes and plays us real strong,” Stearns said. “I thought they would have a good pitcher. We’ve been really aggressive swinging the bats and putting the ball in play real well against some other really good pitchers. For some reason today, we came in a little bit flat. And when we seemed to get a solid hit, it was right to them.”
Windsor (2-2) struck first in the home first. Leadoff hitter Adi Prior singled, advancing on a stolen base and a wild pitch.
Hannah Wood’s grounder to third gave Prior enough of an opening to dash home before the throw to Cosmos catcher Megan Stagner.
An error opened the door for Springfield in the third. Belisle’s RBI force grounder plated Molly Leonard to tie the game. Back-to-back two-out RBI singles from Tori Otis and Jill Muther put the visitors ahead to stay.
Leonard made it 4-1 in the fourth, scoring on a passed ball. Windsor’s Jenna Hood drew a run back a half-inning later thanks to an outfield error. Springfield tacked two more runs on Yellowjacket pitcher Peyton Richardson in the seventh as Maddie Clark singled, Belisle tripled her home and then scored on a Haley Strecker RBI single.
The visitors touched Richardson for seven hits. The Windsor pitcher fanned two, walked four and fielded her position well, with two assists and two putouts.
Richardson also had Windsor’s other hit, a two-out single in the fifth that ended with the bases filled with Yellowjackets.
Fungoes: The Jacks sang Happy Birthday to scorekeeper Phil Hathorn after the contest. Hathorn, whose birthday was Monday, received green-frosted cupcakes as a treat. … A former Windsor head coach, Hathorn returned to the Jacks this spring to take over for Mark Curtis, who died in September after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Curtis’ daughter, Katelyn, is a Windsor assistant coach. The Jacks are wearing the initials MC as a T-shirt sleeve tribute. … The Yellowjackets visit Hartford for a 7 p.m. game at Maxfield Sports Complex on Saturday night.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.