League Holds First-Ever MSO Girls Softball All-Star Game

by Darrell W. Gunter

They say that if you build it, they will come. On Friday night, June 4, the slogan changed to "if you host it they will come."

And come they did! On a beautiful and warm Friday evening, the MSO Girls Softball league hosted its first All-Star event featuring two games with players from the Junior and Senior division. Each player was provided with a donation envelope for the American Cancer Society to benefit Breast Cancer Awareness. 

The festivities were kicked of with Siobhan Nolet singing the national anthem before the each game. The first game featured the Junior Division All Stars with teams in purple and pink.

The Junior game victory was captured by the Pink team. Both teams demonstrated their great softball skills. The Junior Division Purple team was comprised of players from Maplewood Patch, Roman Gourmet and Core Body and Mind. Coaching the Purple Team was Tom Fanneron, Chris Labat and Brian Waldron. The Junior Division Pink Team was comprised of players from Christopher Street Financial, Anthony Garubo and Investors Savings Bank. Coaching the Pink team was Kim Miller, Jen Thieroff, Elise Joy and Alan Finkleman.

The Junior Division's Pink Team was comprised of Mary Cronin, Denille Finkleman, Lexie Fox, Maya Goldner, Eleanor Jaworski, Allison Krause, Julia Rego, Sophia Salvato, Clementine Sherman, Jordan Stephan, Grace Turvey and Samantha Walden. The Purple Team was comprised of Emily Brown, Sophie Fox, Sophie Goldman, Phoebe Joseph, Kayla Kieffer, Natalie Kleppe, Connie Labat, Sydney Loh, Mariella McCool, Allison Pearsall, Olivia Smith and Lilly Young.

The Senior game was played under the lights and the Pink Team captured the victory in a game where the girls demonstrated some exciting hitting and fielding. The Senior Division Pink Team was comprised of players from Save our South Foundation, South Orange Lions Club and Valley National Bank.  Coaching the Senior Pink Team was Dave Garaban, Dave Ricci and Darrell Gunter (the author of this report). The Senior Division Purple Team was comprised of players from Mack Cali, Maplewood PBA Local #44 and Youth Net. Coaching the Senior Purple Team was Rene Conlon, Mark Casciano and John Grew.

The Senior Division playing was comprised of Pink Team members Julia Bataille, Kelly Brown, Cheyenne Caesar, Najyah Clark, Jenna Despotovich, Sofie Garaban, Mia Goldstein, Zhane Irby, Siobhan Nolet, Emly O'Connor, Bridget Sherman and Taryn Williams. The Purple Team was comprised of Sarah Bayless, Molly Brett, Sarah Casiano, MacKenzie Conlon, Claire Davenport, Lizzie Froelich, Lienne Harrington, Phoebe Labat, Zoe Labat, Grace Malloy, Teri Seelbach and Lane Williams.

"It is great to see the community to come out to support our girls in our first All-Star game," stated Gerry O'Connor, member of the MSO Girls Softball Committee. He continued, "It is so gratifying to see the girls develop over the years and to be able to showcase their talents to the family and friends in attendance."

The organizers of the All Star Game were John Grew and Robert "Rob" Salinardo. Rob also did the color and play by play of both games. Student umpires were Sarah O'Connor, Ashley O'Conner, Brian Lerner and Patrick Hartnet. According to Patrick, the attendance at the All-Star game was the most he has ever seen at any game whether it was softball or baseball. 

The All Star-Game will be an annual event so if you missed it this year make sure you catch next year. 

The MSO Girls Softball league closes out it season this weekend with the Championship games to be held on Softball Day, Sunday, June 13, at Maplecrest Park in Maplewood with the first game at 9:30 a.m. and the Senior Division Championship game beginning at 3:30 p.m. Softball Day will include softball, food, fun, music and table for donations to the food pantry. For more information, please go to http://bit.ly/csXJM8.,