Greenwich had an opportunity to take a first inning lead against visiting FCIAC softball foe Ridgefield and the game was scoreless through three innings.

Yet the Cardinals couldn’t tame the Tigers in the fourth inning.

Ridgefield capitalized on several Greenwich errors to score eight runs in the fourth inning on its way to upending the Cardinals, 16-0.

Most of the Tigers’ runs in the fourth inning came with two outs.

“The mistakes hurt us,” Greenwich coach Mary Beth Fratello said. “That fourth inning it was 0-0, we had two outs and we gave up eight runs and you can’t do that. Once you get two outs, you have to get that third out.”

In the bottom of the first inning, Greenwich freshman Cameron Clark, who plays first base, led off by reaching base safely on an infield error. Clark wound up advancing to third base with no one out in the inning, but Ridgefield pitcher Yael Everett escape the jam without allowing a run.

“The first inning we had a runner on third base with no outs,” Fratello said. “That’s huge, the first inning you have to push that run across. It can be a momentum-builder.”

Everett was outstanding on the mound for the Tigers striking out 12 batters, while allowing only three hits in six innings. The game was stopped after six innings due to the 12-run rule.

Ridgefield put runners on base in the first three innings, but Cardinals freshman right-hander pitched out of trouble each time. Sophomore right fielder Gia Elezaj’s diving catch in right field with out one helped keep the Tigers off the scoreboard. In the third inning, Ridgefield’s Madeline Munch and Everett each singled, but a nice running catch in left field by junior Ciarra Castro kept it 0-0.

The Tigers’ fourth inning began with Madelen Brown drawing a walk off Blois, then stealing second base. She scored on a double to left field by Riley Keane, as the ball was jarred loose from Greenwich catcher Campbell Clark’s glove on the play at the plate, making it 1-0.

Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Everett helped her own cause, singling sharply through the left side of the infield, scoring two runs and giving Ridgefield a 3-0 lead.

Madeline Pickett followed by reaching on an infield error, bringing two more runs home and putting the Tigers on top, 5-0. Ridgefield scored another run on an error in the inning, Keane drove in a run with a single and the Tigers’ eighth run came home on a wild pitch.

“The first four innings we looked really good,” Fratello said. “It’s always that one inning. We have to work better defensively, we have to be a little bit better with our pitch selection and we have to be more aggressive at the plate.”

Muncy hit an RBI single off Blois during the Tigers’ two-run fifth inning and Caroline Imbrogno keyed the visitors’ sixth inning with a two-run double.

Everett was sharp on the mound for the Tigers, pitching a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts. Sophomore Kate Friedman doubled, while sophomore Megan Geiger and freshman Gianna Toscano each hit a single for Greenwich (2-12).

The Cardinals will look to get on the winning track Friday when its hosts Bridgeport Central at 4:30 p.m.