U10 Softball Team Begins Season 1-1

On Thursday, June 16, the summer travel league started for our U10 division team, and they won the home game at Westvale Park, 13-10 over Hillsdale.

Although many of these girls played in a summer tournament last year, this is the first time this group of girls is competing in a travel softball league, organized through Midland Park Softball. Our all-Westwood team consists of nine fifth-graders, three fourth-graders and one third-grader (the U10 division is made up of players who are 10 years old or under as of Jan. 1 of this year).

While Westwood only tallied three hits in scoring its 13 runs, the team showed plenty of patience in taking advantage of 20 walks issued by Hillsdale pitching. After Hillsdale took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the bottom half of the frame featured Westwood batting around its order, with Katie A. drawing the last of nine free passes which netted six runs. In the second, Ally D. drove home Jillian P. with an RBI groundout to give Westwood a 7-1 lead. Hillsdale inched closer with a run in the third, but Westwood scored four more in the bottom half thanks to seven more walks and an RBI groundout by Delaney F. After single runs in the fourth (Kaitlyn K's RBI single drove in Lauren B.) and fifth innings (Molly M. scored while her teammate was caught in a rundown), it was 13-3 Westwood. Hillsdale made it interesting with seven runs in the sixth, but it wasn't enough. Westwood held on for the victory.

Westwood's defense in this first game was stellar, with nice plays by Sam L., Shannon M., Tina F., Annaliese G., Ally D., Jillian P. and Crystal G. Tina F. and Sam L. also combined to pitch 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball.

On Monday June 20, at Highland Field in Harrington Park, the U10 team came away with a moral victory, losing to a top-ranked Northern Valley team by a score of 6-5.

Things looked good early on as Westwood tallied a run in the first (RBI walk by Ally D. drove in Jillian P.) before exploding for four more in the third (with the bases loaded, Tina F's fielder's choice scored Crystal G., before Sam L. smashed a bases-clearing double) to take a 5-0 lead. However, Northern Valley responded with a big inning of its own in the fourth, scoring five runs to tie the game. After a tight, scoreless fifth and sixth innings, Northern Valley benefited from a leadoff triple in the seventh on their way to the walkoff win via a base hit.

Tina F. pitched three scoreless innings and the game featured stellar defense by Annaliese G., Tina F., Sam L., Jillian P., Lauren B. and Shannon M.

Although the Westwood girls evened their record, they move on to their next game with their heads held high. They stood toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the U10 league. They are definitely going to make waves on the diamond this summer!