North Farmington-West Bloomfield Little League All-Stars are a Hit

An event meant to showcase the best  of North Farmington-West Bloomfield (NFWB) Little League baseball and softball didn't disappoint Sunday afternoon, as 60 All-Stars in the mustang- and junior-level division came together at . 

In one of two mustang-level games, with the score tied at five entering the bottom of the sixth, the team comprising the Reds, Dodgers and the other two Mets held their opponent scoreless, ending the game with a strikeout. 

"This was by far the best game of the year," coach John Fellows said. "Each team hit the ball well, the pitching was fantastic and the weather was great. It was also great how our team was able to hold them off in the last half of the sixth, we played some good defense."

If defense was the marquee attraction of the junior division showcase, offense prevailed in the other mustang division game.

The lone All-Star squad to come away with a victory Sunday included the Blue Jays, Indians and two Tigers as they defeated the combined talents of the Cardinals, Cubs and two Mets, 17-5.

"This is all about showcasing the best we have to offer," said the victorious coach, Jeffrey Cohen. "It's not about winning, it's about rewarding these kids who have worked so hard and showcase their skills."

The junior division (softball) game featured a seven-run rally in the bottom of the sixth by Team A (Marlins, Diamondbacks, Cardinals) to pull even for a 17-17 finale.

Non-all stars get a chance to shine in skills competition

While 60 players competed in the All-Star game, many of the non All-Star teammates got to showcase their skills in a series of competitions for earlier in the afternoon. 

Mia Hirsch, a novice-level softball player, was one of the more decorated award winners of the afternoon, winning the roadrunner competition —a timed run around the basepaths — and combined with her Orioles teammates to win the around the horn competition, a timed throwing exercise between five teammates in the infield. 

"It was fun and I like competing against the other teams," Hirsch said. "I'm going to put (the trophies) in my room when I get home."

In the junior division edition of around the horn, the Cardinals just beat out Marlins by a less than a second. 

The Cubs won the mustang division title for around the horn, as the only team who didn't bobble or overthrow a teammate in the drill. 

"They [my team] did a good job, they all caught the ball and threw really well, so it was nice," Cubs coach Kevin Yee said. 

Yee's son, Jackson, finished second in the All-Star division of the king of swat competition — essentially a homerun derby from 15 feet from the outfield fence — just behind the Red Sox Ben McColl, who hit a pair of balls over the fence. 

The Diamondbacks' Samantha Buyers won the queen of swat award, as she was the only player to get the ball over the fence. 

"I got one over the fence and I hit three to the fence," Buyers said. "It felt good."

In a drill focused on fielding the golden glove, which had players field three different ball from the shortstop position, featured one of the few perfect performances of the day. 

Buyers' Diamondbacks teammate, Cassidy Schultz scored a perfect 30 out of 30 for the drill, while Maddie Schultz and Leah Goldlcyzyk each scored 29 out of 30 on the drill. 

"It feels really good, I thought I was going to finish second for sure," Schultz said. "There are a lot of good girls in this."

Kelly Simpson won the novice-level event, while the Tigers Andrew Harb defeated Jared Kraft and Cole Arnold.

Featuring four players from each of the teams in the league, the three All-Star games capped a weekend full of them as the pinto, pony and bronco leagues held their showcases on Saturday.