The following was written by a team parent.
L to R:
Sydney Rednik, Olivia Miller, Julia Ethan, Paige Carlson, Hudson Hassler, Lucy Gagne, Zoe Kalebota, Amelia Sherman, Sunny Jo Kern, Sydney Waldon, Annie Turvey, Alexa Stephan. Not pictured: Hazel Allison-Way (credit Steve Miller)
The MSO 12U Villagers Red team had a very successful summer. The team of thirteen girls, comprised of rising 7th and 8th graders, completed their season with an overall record of 24-10. The team played in six tournaments and competed in the Parkway Invitational Softball League 12U American Division over the summer.
Coaches selected the team in November, and the girls trained together through the winter. After a rough start to their season at an indoor tournament in Pennsylvania in March, things started turning around for the Villagers. They competed in tournaments in May and June, building skills and team camaraderie along the way.
At the end of June, the girls and their families traveled to Albany, New York to compete in the Miss Shen Tournament against club softball teams from New York State. The Villagers returned home to New Jersey to play in the North Edison Fastpitch Firecracker Tournament over the July 4th weekend. After losing the first game early on Saturday morning, the team buckled down and won five games in a row on Saturday and Sunday, ending the weekend with the championship trophy. This is the first tournament win for this group of girls, many of whom have been playing together since they were eight-years old.
In addition to playing in tournaments on weekends, the Villagers also played nine Parkway Leagues games in June and July. They completed the regular season in second place with a record of 6-3 in the most competitive division in the league. Their season ended on Monday, July 27th with two exciting Parkway League playoff games at New Waterlands Fields in South Orange. In game one, the Villagers beat Elmora 10-0 to move on to the championship game against Colonia Navy. With spectacular defense and a few well-time hits against the very talented Colonia team, the Villagers came out on top 3-1 to win the Parkway League 12U American League Championship trophy. The softball players will not have much time to relax and enjoy the spoils of their successful summer, however; Fall try-outs are on Saturday, August 1st.
All photos credit Steve Miller. To view photo gallery, click on any photo to begin.
