Lady Warriors Remain Unbeaten as Shemanskis, Tessier Shine

This story was posted by Julian McKinley. It was reported and written by Ted Glanzer.

The Windsor High softball team continued its hot start to the season, running its record to 5-0 with a 5-1 victory over Central Connecticut Conference rival South Windsor on Wednesday afternoon.

Predictably, at the heart of the Warriors’ victory was the senior battery of pitcher Sierra Shemanskis and catcher LaRessa Tessier.

“They’ve been together for a long time,” Windsor head coach Bill Alexander said. “They work well together.

Shemanskis was at her overpowering best, allowing one unearned run on four hits in seven innings, while striking out 13. She walked five batters.

“She has confidence in what she’s doing,” Alexander said of Shemanskis. “She has been fantastic.”

In addition to a strong effort behind the plate, Tessier, did plenty of damage with her bat, giving the Warriors a 2-0 lead with a first-inning triple that scored two runs.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the fifth inning, when South Windsor leadoff batter Alex Gosslin (2-for-3, walk, stolen base) scampered home on a fielding error to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Through six innings, Shemanskis and South Windsor pitchers Maddy and Peyton Silverman engaged in a taut duel.

Maddy Silverman allowed just those two runs over four innings pitched.

Peyton Silverman also pitched well, striking out eight in three innings. But she was touched for three Windsor runs in the seventh inning, though two were scored as a result of a couple of errors.

Shemanskis, for her part, was able to work out of jams in the first (runners on second and third, one out), fourth (first and second, no outs), sixth (first and second, no outs) and seventh (first and second, no outs).

“Senior leadership,” Alexander said of Shemanskis’ knack for working out of trouble. “Our mantra is, no matter what happens defensively, just make the next pitch.”

South Windsor head coach Mandy Roczniak said that the Bobcats’ inability to push across runs in those tight situations was the key.

“There were some offensive opportunities we didn’t take advantage of,” said Roczniak, noting the first inning in particular. “I’ve found through the years that when that happens, [you have to prepare yourself] that it’s going to be one of those games.”

Still, she told her charges to take the loss in stride.

“I told them at the beginning of the season, it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Roczniak said. “One play doesn’t make a game and one game doesn’t make a season. [Still] it was a tough loss, because it was our first conference game and Windsor has been a pretty good rival.”

Mitchell agreed that his team shouldn’t put too much on the one game, the rivalry notwithstanding.

“This is kind of early for a divisional game between South Windsor and Windsor,” Mitchell said. “There’s history that goes back to Little League, summer league. A lot of these kids face each other on travel circuits so I told them don’t put too much emphasis on it. It’s a big game, but it’s not a big game. But it’s a way that both teams can measure themselves. This is a fun rivalry.”

South Windsor fell to 2-1 on the year. It will play Platt at home at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Windsor will next take on Glastonbury at home at 3:45 p.m.