Two Teams Crowned Milton Youth Softball Champions

Two teams can call themselves champions of Milton Youth Softball after the spring championships were decided on the weekend of June 19th.

In the Lennon Senior Division — which is comprised of sixth, seventh and eight graders — the Diamondbacks made good on their first trip to the championship game with a 5-1 win over the Rockies.

The Diamondbacks may have had the No. 1 seed coming into the playoffs, but it was the No. 3 Rockies that had all the championship pedigree on their side. The Rockies were the defending champions and missed out on the top prize two years ago in the title game.

It was Rebecca Olivieri's first time on the big stage for the Diamondbacks, according to her father and head coach Kevin Olivieri, and she didn't disappoint. She struck out 13 batters and only gave up a run in a complete-game effort.

"She doesn't throw that fast," said Kevin, who is in his third year of coaching the Diamondbacks. "But she's consistently throwing strikes."

The younger Olivieri got solid run support with three runs in the first two innings, and helped herself by scoring on a Maeve Westwater RBI single. Kristina Hill got the two-run second inning going with a double.

As important as the offense was in this one, it was all about the pitching and some spectacular defense. The key defensive sequence, according to Kevin Olivieri, came late in the game when Westwater snared two sharp line drives hit to center that ended a Rockies threat.

"It was a real turning point," he said of the plays.

The Rockies only got one run in the top of the fourth, but the Diamondbacks quickly struck back with two of their own in the bottom of the frame.

The Junior Division — which is made up of fourth and fifth graders — championship was played on June 18th between the two most consistent teams in the division. It was a rubber match between the Dodgers and Pirates, but the Dodgers would claim ultimate bragging rights after a 14-6 win.

"The score didn't indicate it, but the game was close for a while," said Kevin Olivieri, who was at the game and helps out Milton Youth Softball.

The Pirates actually held a 6-3 lead, but it was the Dodgers whose offense came to life with a six-run third inning. The Dodgers would tack on three in the fourth inning and two in the fifth to keep the offense rolling all the way to a title.

Fifth-grader Kate Freeman pitched well for the Dodgers in the victory and Kevin Olivieri said the game was all about "the early offense" for the Dodgers.