Eighth Graders Capture "Bittersweet" Championship

For the 13 members of the township rec department’s 14U travel softball team, last week’s championship game win was a bittersweet victory.

“Many of the girls have been playing together since they were in third grade. Now that they are moving on to high school, and many of them are going to different parochial schools, they will actually be playing against each other next year,” said Coach Tom Durso, who ha been with the girls all six years.

Last week, the uncertain future of the team didn’t matter. The girls played like they were defending their team’s legacy.

The Midland Park League Championship game, won against the team from Maywood, came down to a double play in the final inning. “We beat Maywood, 6-5. It was a very close game. The girls played really well,” Durso said.

The girls also made it to the finals of four other tournaments they competed in, and won two of them. Durso said many of these girls were also members of the this winter that took this year’s Northwest Bergen Passaic Girls Basketball League championship as well.

“They have been really successful,” Durso, who hopes the girls may be able to play recreationally together next summer, said.

Whether they do reconvene in future seasons or not, Durso said he is proud of the girls’ achievement.

“Winning was like  great ending to a really long story,” he said.

The girls on the championship team are: Alyssa Baldi, Deanna Burbridge, Nicole Curley, Julia Decandia, Caitlin Doyle, Madeline Durso, Meghan Hollins, Alexandria Mesropyan, Sarah Moritz, Anna Marie Nielsen, Stephanie Olear, Tiana Perini and Taylor Ziman.