Rams, Lajoie Continue Tourney Dominance with Win Over Bristol Eastern

The Rockville High School softball team scored five runs in the second inning and Kaitlyn Lajoie pitched a complete game as the Rams posted a 7-0 win over Bristol Eastern at home on Wednesday in the second round of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class L tournament.

The Rams put together four RBI hits in the second.

Christina Pettengill led the inning off with a triple. The next batter, Lajoie, drove Pettengill home with an infield single to make it 1-0.

After two successful bunt hits by Megan Gardiner and Jackie Ose, senior captain Brianna Levick was at the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Levick hit a hard grounder that went right through an infield gap at second, which scored Lajoie and Gardiner from third and second. 

Levick landed on second after a wild throw home went over the head of Bristol Eastern catcher Michaela Roche.  The next two batters, Sarah Carpenter and Emily Burg, each hit an RBI singles to close out the inning.  On Burg’s RBI hit, Levick beat the throw home and slid safely across the plate.

After a short rain delay in the top of the fifth, Lajoie picked up where she had left off ever since the state tourney started.  Lajoie ended the game with 13 strikeouts and allowed just three hits.  In Tuesday’s first round game against East Lyme, Lajoie struck out 12 batters to get a shutout win. 

Rockville head softball coach Frank Levick gives a lot of credit to Lajoie for the Rams’ playoff success.

“I was joking around with her before today’s game saying that she had to improve on yesterday’s 12-strikeout performance,” he said. “The fact that she actually got 13 today is just really impressive.”

In the bottom of the sixth, the Rams added some insurance when pinch hitter Michelle Correia tried a bunt hit.  The throw to first went over the first baseman’s head and Ose easily scored from third.  Emily Burg closed out the scoring with another successful bunt single that scored Brianna Levick from third who slid under the tag to safely reach home.

Levick talked about how well his young players were executing and staying humble.

“These kids are just executing extremely well,” Levick said. “Bunts, suicides, hits - they are just doing it all.  And the best part is, is that they are not getting ahead of themselves.  They aren’t getting a chip on their shoulders because they are playing for the love of the game.  We have a big challenge on Friday but we will be ready for it.”

In the first two playoff games of the state tournament, the Rams have outscored their opponents 11-0.

Bristol Eastern threatened in the top of the seventh to break the shutout streak when the Lancers got back to back hits from Sarah Beliveau and Roche.  With runners on the corners and no outs, Lajoie took it upon herself to strike out the next three batters and end the game.

Rockville will play in its biggest game of the season on Friday when the Rams travel to Colchester to take on the No. 1 seed, Bacon Academy.  Bacon Academy finished the season with a 19-2 record and defeated Bunnell High School on Wednesday 8-3.