Confident Lewis Mills softball squad tops Hall for seventh victory

From left, the four captains of the Lewis Mills softball team: Michaela LaRose, Brooke Martineau, Jillian Tiso and Anna Henry. (Photo courtesy Steve Barlow)

By STEVE BARLOW
Special to The Collinsville Press
BURLINGTON, April 23, 2026  – As the season nears the midpoint, the Lewis Mills High School softball team is 7-1 after a 14-0 dismantling of Hall in five innings Thursday – and no one on the team is surprised one bit.

“I thought it was a possibility. We have a good team and we work well together, so it was always a possibility,” said senior co-captain Jillian Tiso.

“I think we have really good chemistry. Our fielding and our hitting are both strong. I don’t think we have many weak points,” said another senior co-captain, Anna Henry.

“I saw us being able to compete and play well, whether that meant 7-1, 6-2, 5-3,” said coach Chris Sawyer. “It’s confidence. I believe in our team.”

Certainly, there is plenty of reason for the Spartans to believe. They graduated only one starter, pitcher Eliza Criss, from last year’s squad 12-8 team that lost in the Class M first round. Everyone else is back, and a bumper crop of freshmen has strengthened the roster even further.

About the mound duties: Junior Liza Putnam gets the nod in most games. She’s the ace. But there’s also sophomore Megyn LaRose, who pitched against Hall to give Putnam rest for Friday’s showdown with Bristol Central.

In five innings, LaRose allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out six.

“They’re not super strikeout pitchers, but if they can pitch to contact and use the defense, they’re going to keep us in the game,” Sawyer said. “More games in softball are lost sometimes than won.”

Tiso, who patrols center field, collected her 100^th career hit with a single in the third inning Thursday. She also scored three runs from her leadoff position.

The other seniors on the team are Henry at third base, Michaela LaRose at second base and Brooke Martineau at first. Martineau is at her fourth position after playing shortstop, second and catcher in previous seasons.

“She’s the proverbial utility woman,” said Sawyer.

The lefty-swinging Martineau can move to her natural spot because freshman Kendall Buthe has taken over at catcher. The other member of the infield is junior shortstop Calleigh Lok.

Alongside Tiso in the outfield are sophomore Keira Vigue in right and either Megyn LaRose or sophomore Gabby D’Iorio in left.

The Spartans rapped out 10 hits against Hall (5-4, 0-1 CCC Central). Lok led the attack with a pair of doubles and three RBIs, while Buthe singled, doubled and drove in a run, and Martineau had a two-run single.

Mills was ahead, 4-0, after two innings thanks to walks, errors and a hit batter. In the third, Megyn LaRose had an RBI single and scored on a fielder’s choice, and Lok doubled in another run.

Lewis Mills pitcher Megan LaRose struck out six in Thursday’s CCC Central win over Hall in Burlington. (Photo courtesy Steve Barlow)

The Spartans blew the game open in the fourth, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring seven times. RBI doubles by Buthe and Lok were the big blows, and Martineau singled in two runs.

Earlier this month, the Spartans took a six-day trip to Florida, where they played several exhibitions along with Central Connecticut Conference games against Newington (an 18-5 win) and Maloney (the only loss, 11-3).

“Going to Florida was definitely a bonding experience,” said Henry.

Mills (6-1, 1-0 CCC Central) competes in the CCC’s Central Division. The season goals are to reach the eight-team CCC tournament in addition to, in Sawyer’s words, “doing some damage” in the state tournament. Class M, though, is loaded with powerhouses such as Foran, Nonnewaug, Woodland and Seymour.

“I like our team,” Sawyer said. “If we can hit and play defense, we’ll always be in the game. If the pitchers do what they’re capable of doing – throw strikes, pitch to contact, mix up speeds, mix up spots – we’re going to be there.”

“The (state) final is always the goal,” Henry added. “I don’t think we want to set the standard at anything less than that.”

After Friday’s home game against Bristol Central (8-1), Mills will host Glastonbury on Monday afternoon.

Lewis Mills 14, Hall 0 (5)
At Burlington
Hall (5-4)                  000  00  — 0-2-2
Lewis Mills (7-1)      313  7x  — 14-9-2
Leung and Molly Grove; Megyn Larose and Kendall Buthe; WP: Larose; LP: Leung; 2B: Calleigh Lok (LM) 2, Buthe, Molly Grove (H); 3B: Larose; Of note: Larose went the distance, allowing 2 hits and striking out 6. She walked 2. Jillian Tiso (LM) 1-1, 3 walks, 3 runs, one RBI, collected her 100^th career hit; Lok 2-2, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Buthe 2-3, double, 3 RBI