North Reading Hornets Win Massachusetts Junior Olympic ASA 10U State Softball Championship
On June 26, the North Reading Hornets 10U Girls Softball Team traveled to Taunton, MA to take part in the Massachusetts Junior Olympic ASA (MA JO ASA) 10U State Tournament. The girls entered the State Tournament with very strong performances in their recent tournaments and with their confidence growing.
North Reading had a very successful first day and started to build momentum by staying in the winner’s bracket of the double elimination tournament. The Hornets had 3 victories and 1 loss overall for the day.
The Hornets entered Championship Sunday against the Swansea X-Treme, the team that had edged them out to a 6-4 win in pool play on Saturday. North Reading returned the favor in a well played 8-0 shutout win. The girls dominated on both sides on the ball with a one-hit shutout win by Brianna Rivera and an offensive barrage lead by the middle of the order, Tara Driver, Brianna Rivera and Julia Perrone, with multiple hits each.
This was not the last time the Hornets and X-Treme would see each other. Because of the double elimination format, the two teams met again to determine the MA JO ASA 10U State Champion. The next game would be a dramatic victory for the Hornets. North Reading trailed 2-0 through 5 innings and could not put together an effective offensive rally. With 1 out at the bottom of the 6th inning, the Hornets went to work. The top of the order, Abby Paine, Brianna Lundin and Tara Driver, had consecutive singles and pushed 1 run across the plate, making the score 2-1; X-Treme leading. With runners on 2nd and 3rd base, the X-Treme tried to intentionally walk the hot hitting, Rivera. She would not be denied her swing and connected with a hard hit ball to right field that scored 2 more runners. North Reading led for the first time, 3-2, with only 3 outs remaining for the State Championship.
The Hornets did not squander the chance to win the game and showed that they could play defense. The game ended with a strike out, a circus catch by the pitcher, Rivera, on a pop fly and an unassisted ground ball put out by the 1st baseman, Perrone.
The entire tournament was marked by significant contributions by the entire team; Baylee DeMild, Tara Driver, Cassidy Gaeta, Brianna Lundin, Bridget McDonough, Abby Paine, Guiliana Peppe, Julia Perrone, Brianna Rivera, Caroline Sablone, Nicole Shedd, Christina Simblaris and Vimary Vega. It was a tremendous weekend and a State Championship earned by a 10U North Reading Hornets team that played together and supported each other through it all.
