STORRS – The Sheehan softball team lost to Woodland last year in the state high school tournament quarterfinals. Woodland was the two-time defending Class M champion.Saturday at the UConn softball complex, the story played out the same way again. Woodland won its third straight title, beating Sheehan 7-1 for the Class M championship.Junior pitcher Ella Van Alstyne, who had three hits, two RBI, scored a run and had six strikeouts, was named the MVP. Catcher Julia Rowley had two doubles and scored three runs and had a big pickoff play at third in the second inning.
Woodland wins Class M, 7-1 #ctsoft pic.twitter.com/SoRFIC9ce1
— Lori Riley (@lrileysports) June 8, 2024Reilly Hunter had two hits and scored Sheehan’s only run in the sixth inning when Ivie Asher hit a sacrifice fly.“I think it’s a great team we played,” Sheehan coach Sarah Miller said. “I have a lot of respect for Woodland. They’re a great program. There’s a reason why they’ve won it three times in a row.“Today just wasn’t our day. I think some mental mistakes were costly. We were putting the bat on the ball right at the beginning and getting runners on base and making things happen, being able to string those hits together and making sure they’re falling in the right spots – they just didn’t fall for us.”Woodland got three runs in the second inning when Van Alstyne hit a two-run single and Rowley drove home another run with a double. Woodland picked up another run in the third, two in the fourth and another in the fifth when Rowley doubled and scored on a single by Van Alstyne.With no outs and runners on first and third, Rowley picked off a Sheehan runner at third in the second inning and after a flyout and a single to Rylee Brunelle, Van Alstyne got a strikeout to end the inning.
Woodland catcher Julia Rowley with a nice pickoff move in the second, 0-0 heading to the bottom of the second #ctsoft pic.twitter.com/jbbYLe2ac6
— Lori Riley (@lrileysports) June 8, 2024It was the first time Sheehan had been to the championship game since 1979.“I think we had an incredible season,” Miller said. “I think it will make a huge impact on the future of the program.”