Fittingly, Mia Gangi’s final at-bat in her last home game as a member of the Greenwich High School softball team sailed high over the fence for a home run in Saturday’s game against Norwalk.

Gangi’s home run was the first of her career for the Cardinals and was the highlight of the seventh inning for the team against a formidable Norwalk squad.

A senior captain, Gangi’s homer was the highlight in Greenwich’s four-run seventh inning in its 9-5 loss to Norwalk in an FCIAC matchup. The Cardinals celebrated their Senior Day on Saturday, holding a ceremony prior to the game, honoring their seniors – Campbell Clark, Gangi, Quinn Gavin, Megan Geiger and Valerie Lemus.

In a game that was closer than the final score indicated, the Cardinals faced a 9-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning, then rallied to score four runs. Gangi began the four-run rally by leading off the bottom of the seventh inning by hitting a home run over the left field fence off Norwalk sophomore right-handed pitcher Alexa Lacomis.

A captain and four-season member of Greenwich’s varsity squad, Gangi homered on a 3-2 pitch.

“It was my first one too, so it was extra special,” Gangi said. “I was working the count and that last one I hit it out and it was really exciting.”

Gangi wasn’t sure if the ball was going to go over the fence, but it made it over by a good distance.

“I wasn’t looking at it, I just kept running, because I thought it was going to drop and then I heard that it was out and I got really excited,” she said.

Junior Casey Natale followed Gangi’s homer with a single, then stole second base. She scored on an RBI single to left field by No. 3 hitter, junior Gianna Toscano, making it 9-2. Cameron Clark, a junior outfielder and Geiger, who plays first base, each singled for the Cardinals, who added two more runs in the inning to close to within 9-5. Lacomis retired the final two batters she faced in the seventh inning to close out the game, sealing the win for Norwalk (9-9 overall record).

“That last inning showed everything that we’re capable of – being able to string hits together and fight back,” said Campbell Clark, a catcher and captain. “I thought we did put up a great fight. I know it was hard with that one inning, but at bat we had energy, we were attacking the pitches and we kind of knew when to lay off. We knew that she was throwing at a few wild pitches here and there.”

Gangi had two hits, including the home run, Casey Natale had one hit and one run scored, Toscano, who plays third base, had one hit and scored a run, Cameron Clark went 2 for 4 with a run scored, Geiger totaled two hits, Campbell Clark had a hit, as did Sydney Coyne, a freshman and freshman Jesse Natale for Greenwich (5-13 record).

For the game, Greenwich had 11 hits. Norwalk also finished the FCIAC matchup with 11 hits. Junior right-hander Sophia Blois pitched a complete game for the Cardinals, who improved their win total from one season ago.

Norwalk took a 2-0 first-inning lead on a run-scoring single by junior Maddie Collins and an RBI double by Lacomis, who helped her own cause with the hit. The Cards cut the Bears lead to 2-1 when Jesse Natale drove in Cambell Clark, who singled, with a ground ball. Blois pitched a scoreless second and third inning, before Norwalk added four runs in the fourth inning.

Blois nearly escaped the inning unscathed, but Norwalk’s Kailey Forger just beat out an infield hit on a close play, allowing a run to score and giving the visitors a 3-1 edge. With two outs and the bases loaded, Hailey Wilcox followed by hitting a three-run double to center field, scoring three runs and extending Norwalk’s lead to 6-1.

“That one inning, if we get out of that inning sooner it’s a completely different game,” said Greenwich first-season coach Alexyss Conley, who credited Blois’ performance on the mound. “She’s been doing great all year, she did well focusing on the strike zone.”

The victors added three runs in the seventh inning to go ahead 9-1, before GHS tallied four times in the bottom half of the final inning.

“It was a very close game, it was 2-1 for most of it and then we had one bad inning, where they kept hitting it and getting the gaps,” said Gangi, a shortstop. “We have to pull it more together in the beginning, instead of the end. But we got it together and it shows that we have improved.”

Said Geiger, a captain, who plays first base: “Norwalk had a bunch of good hits, props to them and I’m proud of our team for fighting back and making it a close game.”

“It was a very special season, I love being with these girls every day and I’m grateful to have been a part of it,” Geiger continued. “It was special to be a representative of this team, I love all these girls so much and knowing that they have my back and I have theirs is important to me.”

Indeed, coach Conley has seen her squad steadily make strides over the course of the season. The Cards have two games remaining on their schedule – road games this week.

“Overall, from the start of the season these girls have improved tremendously,” Conley said. “In the beginning of the year a lot of teams counted us out and didn’t really expect much from us.”

“We had a lot of close games this year against good teams like Westhill and Trumbull and I don’t teams were expecting that coming into the season,” Conley continued.

The Cardinals coach is especially grateful to the seniors on the team.

“This group of seniors have made it easy for me to transition into my new role as a head coach,” she said. “All five seniors have been great leaders on and off the field. They have been an extension of the coaching staff. Anything that we’ve asked them to do, they’ve done it.”

Indeed, Saturday’s game was especially significant to the seniors who have put in a lot of time and effort for the team over the past several seasons.

“It is really exciting being a captain, but it’s really sad leaving all of these girls but I know they’re going to do great next season and I’m really proud of them,” Gangi noted.

“I have played with most of these girls for nine years so to see each player grow individually and to help that growth was really special to me,” Campbell Clark said.