East Windsor's Season Ends in Mid-Atlantic Title Game

The season came to an end for the East Windsor 12-year-old softball team in the title game of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Playing at the host site of Bristol, Conn., East Windsor was defeated by New York, 5-3, on Friday night.

"New York was a very good team," East Windsor Manager Bill Giampolo said. "Honestly, I feel like we were the better team. When you play in a one-game elimination, anything can happen. It happened."

East Windsor defeated New York in pool play earlier in the tournament. It appeared like it might also rally back for a victory in this contest, but New York was able to make the plays on several hard-hit balls in the bottom of the sixth.

"We hit the ball hard all night," Giampolo said. "We made a lot of loud outs."

Samantha Dolan lined to center for one of those outs. That left East Windsor with two outs and no one on base in the sixth. Fortunately, Chrissy Mayer and Angela Giampolo singled. When the throw went to third to try and get Mayer, Giampolo advanced to second as the potential tying run.

"We were a hit away from tying it," Bill Giampolo said. "Ally Huelbig hit the next ball hard. It was a one-hopper right to the second baseman."

East Windsor put at least one runner on base in every inning. It stranded eight runners and also had one thrown out at the plate.

New York scored twice in the top of the first, but East Windsor tied the game in the bottom of the frame. Nicolette Garthe scored one run with a groundout. Brighid Douglas followed with a run-scoring single.

East Windsor placed three runners on base in the second but did not score. The team also stranded runners in the third and fourth.

New York took the lead with a run in the second. It also added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-2 advantage.

In the last of the fifth, East Windsor scored. Angela Giampolo doubled. An out later, Holly Bridgman and Garthe singled.

The loss left East Windsor two wins away from a spot in the Little League World Series in Oregon.

"It was a lot of fun," Bill Giampolo said. "It was a great experience for the kids, the coaches, the whole families . . . everyone."