By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

TURNER – Just two batters into the game, Pete Higgins already saw signs of trouble.

So the Leavitt softball coach went to the pitcher’s mound, rounded up his Hornets and hoped to turn things around Monday.

“I was trying to settle them down a little bit,” said Higgins. “Probably four of our losses this year have been in the first inning because something went wrong in the first inning. I just didn’t want it to get too much out of control.”

The Hornets soon settled down and escaped the first stanza down just 2-0, but it was still too much for Leavitt to overcome in a 6-1 loss to Cony.

“We give them too many chances,” said Higgins. “It’s a matter of if we don’t play defense well, we’re not going to be in the game. That’s what happened today.”

Leavitt (5-6) got off to a shaky start, allowing four runs in the first two innings. The Hornets had three errors in the game while the Rams had none.

Leavitt couldn’t muster a comeback as the offense was held to just two hits.

“It’s a matter of confidence,” said Higgins. “I think some of the girls need to work on the confidence part a little bit, and that’s where we’re at.”

The Rams (7-4) started the game with a leadoff single. Though Kristi Albert was out trying to take second on the hit, she was ruled safe because of obstruction at first. A walk and a wild pitch enabled Albert to score. Amanda Mason followed with an RBI double that plated Megan Stiman.

“Once you get a couple runs, it takes the pressure off the kids,” said Cony coach Rocky Gaslin. “They’re more relaxed at the plate and hit the ball better. Getting runs in the first inning is the key to high school ball.”

Cony added two more runs in the second. Albert singled in Liz Adams. Albert scored on a two-base error when Leavitt tried to catch her stealing second.

That was all Cony needed. Monica White no-hit Leavitt for the first four innings. The Hornets didn’t get a hit until Beth Burgess led off the fifth with a single. Caroline Bochtler had the Hornets only other hit, a double in the sixth.

“She’s kept us in every game,” said Gaslin. “She’s only given up two earned runs in nine games.”

Cony made it 5-0 when Molly Hopkins scored on an error in the fourth. Leavitt’s only run came in the bottom of the inning when Bochtler scored on an Emily Page ground out. The Rams added another run in the seventh on a Natalie Fecteau single.

“Amanda Mason had some big hits for us, and Kristi Albert had three hits,” said Gaslin. “Freshman Natalie Fecteau had a single up the middle and knocked in a run. That’s good for a freshman.”