Editor’s Note: Every Monday, freelance contributor Tessa Quinn will take a look back at a piece of Connecticut softball history. With former Westhill softball coach Tom Pia recently taking the job at Trumbull, we look back at one of the biggest wins of his coaching career.
Date & Venue: June 12, 2010 — DeLuca Field, Stratford
Final Score: Westhill 4, Newtown 2
Champions: Westhill Vikings (Stamford)
Runner-up: Newtown Nighthawks
A Championship Built on Contrast
The 2010 CIAC Class LL softball championship had everything: an undefeated team chasing perfection, a challenger hungry for a title, and a dramatic finish on one of the sport’s most storied diamonds.
Newtown entered the final at a perfect 26–0, making its first-ever appearance in a state championship game. The Nighthawks had dominated all spring with pitching, defense, and timely hitting, led by ace pitcher Kate Bowen and standout catcher Ashley Kuligowski, two names synonymous with Newtown softball success.
Waiting for them was Westhill of Stamford — the No. 2 seed at 25–1, a program steeped in tradition but looking to capture its first state title since 1992.
Early Fireworks, Then a Duel
Newtown wasted no time, plating two runs on two hits in the top of the first inning to seize early momentum. But Westhill answered immediately in the bottom half, tying the game 2–2.
From there, it became a battle of nerves.
Westhill’s ace Jennifer Joseph shook off the early trouble and took control. After allowing those first-inning runs, she retired 18 of the final 20 batters she faced, giving up only four hits total and walking none.
Bowen, who had thrown two perfect games, a no-hitter, and struck out over 200 batters during the season, kept Newtown close as the game turned into a tense pitcher’s duel.
The Turning Point
With the score still tied in the bottom of the 5th inning, two outs, and runners on base, Westhill’s Allison Macari delivered the moment that changed everything — a two-run single up the middle to give the Vikings a 4–2 lead.
It was the hit that finally cracked the scoreboard after four scoreless frames and proved to be the difference.
A Final Out Full of Legacy
When center fielder Allie Souza hauled in the game’s final out, the victory carried more than just a title for Westhill.
Souza’s family had deep ties to Westhill softball history. Her aunt Lynn Souza played on Westhill’s 1992 championship team, while her mother Nancy starred in the school’s first-ever state final back in 1977.
Even her name carried meaning: Allie Souza was named after Allyson Rioux, her mother’s best friend and a Connecticut Softball Hall of Famer who once starred at Westhill before becoming a legend with the Stratford Brakettes — the very team that made DeLuca Field famous.
So when that ball settled into Souza’s glove, it wasn’t just the final out of the 2010 Class LL championship. It was a moment that tied generations of Connecticut softball history together.
Aftermath & Legacy
Westhill players erupted as Jennifer Joseph fell to her knees on the mound, the program’s first state title in 18 years secured in storybook fashion.
For Newtown, the perfect season ended in heartbreak, but the Nighthawks’ 2010 run remains one of the program’s greatest accomplishments, with Bowen and Kuligowski cementing their places in school history.
The 2010 Class LL final remains one of the most memorable games in Connecticut high school softball — a night of upsets, clutch plays, family legacy, and a championship moment that tied decades of softball history together on one field.
New to sports writing, Tessa Quinn brings fresh eyes and a knack for uncovering stories that almost seem to write themselves, capturing the drama, legacy, and heart of Connecticut softball.
Leave a Reply