Eagles' Run Ends in Softball Quarterfinals

Tolland – the hottest team in the state – had its dream run through the Class M Tournament end on a cool, breezy day in Rocky Hill.

Erin Weber hit a wind-aided, two-run triple in a three-run fifth inning as No. 11 seed Rocky Hill bounced 19th-seeded Tolland 3-2 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

Tolland (15-8) had a chance to win it in the seventh, but Megan Ruonavaara finished what she started. One of the best pitchers in the state, Ruonavaara got Alex D’Aloisio to pop out with runners on second and third to end it.

Even with the thrilling conclusion, Mother Nature was an obvious topic afterwards.

“Very tough wind,” Rocky Hill coach Gil Gioia Jr. said. “We had the advantage. We practiced in a wind that was tougher than this yesterday. It gave us a little bit of an advantage, but it was a tough day to play.”

Rocky Hill (19-4) now advances to play Sacred Heart in the semifinals next week, while Tolland is left to reflect on an outstanding run that fell short. The Eagles knocked off defending Class M champion St. Joseph’s and Lauralton Hall – the fifth ranked team in the state – to reach this point.

“They were the hottest team in the state,” Gioia said. “No doubt about it. They beat St. Joseph’s and Lauralton Hall; they were the hottest team in the state.”

“I’m proud as (heck) of them,” Tolland coach Tom Drury said after the Eagles’ first loss since May 6. “We have two softball players and a bunch of great athletes and they didn’t quit.”

The crucial three-run fifth inning was aided by a two-out error by first baseman Jaqui Foreman, who dropped a routine throw from pitcher Jess Olson.

“Physical errors are part of the game; you have to live with that,” Drury said. “We gave them more outs than we should have today, but that happens. We’ve been on two, two-hour bus rides and played the best in the state and beat them. Maybe it just wasn’t our day.”

Apparently not. After Foreman’s gaffe, the flood gates opened and a 2-0 lead quickly evaporated. Erika Leonard followed with a bloop single that the wind pushed down the right field line and Emily Thompson reached on an infield single.

Then, the wind played tricks on Tolland again. Weber put Rocky Hill ahead with a high fly ball that curved away from right fielder Haley Provost, bounced inside the line and rolled into foul territory. Erika Vuernick scored and Leonard slid in ahead of the throw home.

“We made a mistake, and then the wind aided the next one,” Drury said. “We made a couple of mistakes and you can’t do that against a good team. And quite frankly, the wind helped us with a run, too.”

Drury was referencing the top half of the fifth, when Provost hit a lazy fly ball that got caught in the wind and ended up as a double. Provost later scored on Sam Olson’s second RBI single of the game.

But even after its lead had vanished, Tolland didn’t surrender. Olson hit a two-out single to center field in the seventh and, down to her last strike, Kelsey Lewis doubled to left center.

However, Ruonavaara got D’Aloisio on a soft popup to second and the Terriers mobbed the mound in celebration, while the Eagles turned away in agony.

Drury, who got choked up when asked about his final remarks to his team, concluded: “We come down to the last inning, two outs, the tying and go-ahead runs on base and our best hitter at the plate. You can’t ask for more than that.”