Waterford's top pitcher Brittany Connors kept the Edgewood hitters guessing for most of the game, allowing just two hits while striking out 11 batters; but she also walked eight, giving Edgewood some key opportunities to score in the late innings.

Waterford coach Don Connors said he was impressed with Connors' performance, especially since she was feeling slightly ill before the game.

"To have her step up like that and get that kind of job done is amazing," he said.

Edgewood pitcher Melanie Bush was mostly effective, allowing six hits with five strikeouts and three walks; but six Edgewood errors helped lead to five unearned runs that ultimately made the difference in the game.

Four of those runs came during a two-out rally in the top of the fifth inning.

After Bush struck out the leadoff hitter and first baseman Tracy Burkhardt made an excellent catch on a pop fly while backpedaling, it appeared that Edgewood, trailing 1-0 at the time, would enter the final inning of the game down by no more than that single run.

Then Brittany Connors reached first on an infield error and Anna Levesque followed with an RBI triple.

"That was a big hit into the corner, and after that everybody started putting the bat on the ball," Don Connors said.

The rally continued as Kate Murphy hit an RBI single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored as Emily Haire reached first when her slow-rolling dribbler down the first base line hit the bag and bounced over the fielder's head. Haire went on to score on a passed ball and an infield error, giving Waterford a 5-0 lead.

"Those four runs after the error really came back to bite us," Edgewood coach Tony Mattioli said. "I definitely think we could have won this game. ... Tonight was just an off night."

After Waterford took the lead on Danyle Abate's double and an RBI single from Brittany Connors in the first inning, Edgewood had plenty of chances to rebound, loading the bases three times in the final four innings.

Still, Edgewood's only runs came on the final play of the game.

Brittany Connors walked Edgewood's No. 7-9 hitters to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The bottom part of the Edgewood order kept its bats shouldered for most of the game, giving the team most of its offensive punch via the free passes to first.

"(Brittany Connors) didn't have good control, and I didn't want them swinging at bad pitches," Mattioli said.

Two straight infield fly outs left Edgewood needing a base hit to stay alive in the game, and Sara Mattioli delivered with a double into left field that rolled past the outfielder. The first two runs scored, but Mattioli was tagged out trying to reach third base to end the game just before the runner from first base reached the plate.

"It's hard for kids at this age to make that play, but we worked on it," Don Connors said, referring to the relay throw to third.

"I think tonight's outcome was the function of some mistakes and lack of hitting," Mattioli said, adding, "I think we showed at the end there we can hit as well as they can."

The second game of the series is scheduled for tonight in Naugatuck. Game three, if necessary, would be played on Wednesday night. The games would be pushed back one day in the event of a rainout.

"We told our girls, 'We'll be here Wednesday,'" Mattioli said.