The undefeated Bombers rallied for a 7-5 victory over the Blue Thunder to capture the Under-10 Division championship in the Boca Raton Softball League at Memorial Park.
“As a coach, It is really special to see a group come together as not only teammates but as a family,” said Bombers coach Ryan Benson, who is also the league president. “I was so proud of these girls, they worked hard on and off the field, it was a pleasure to coach them.”
The Blue Thunder (7-3) wasted little time in seizing the lead in the top of the first inning. Mia Rojas scored on a fielder’s choice by Aubrey Minadeo. Minadeo stole third and scored on a hit by Stella Grogan to make it 2-0. Grogan scored on an RBI single by Mila Wirth to make it 3-0 and Bailey Harfmann drove in Wirth with a base hit to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Bombers (10-0) managed to tie the game with two outs in the bottom of the first. After the Blue Thunder’s pitcher Minadeo started the game striking out the first two batters she faced, she ran into some trouble.
Mia Carl scored on a double by her twin sister, Sienna Carl, to give the Bombers their first run of the game. Sienna Carl scored on a double by Riley Longo to cut the deficit in half. Longo scored on a base hit by Maya Hunter and Hunter came around to score on a single by Noa Slivka.
The Blue Thunder took a 5-4 lead in the top of the second on a single by Lauren Holt that scored Brinley Ramsburg.
In the bottom of the second, Lane Claussen stole third and scored on a single by Isabelle Jaffee to tie the game at 5-5. The Bombers took the lead at 6-5 when Jaffee scored on a double by Arabell Benson. Mia Carl then lined a triple to right-center field to score Benson with the final run of the night.
Minadeo and Grogan pitched well this game and throughout the season for the Blue Thunder. For the Bombers, Mia Carl pitched two solid innings supported by a stellar third inning of pitching by Arabell Benson.
“These two teams battled hard against each other all season,” Benson said. “The future is bright for all of these girls. It was an absolute pleasure to have the opportunity to coach them.”
The teams faced each other twice during the 10-team league and the Bombers prevailed 7-2 and 8-5. Blue Thunder coach Marta Wirth thought they would come out on top this time around.
“It was extremely thrilling,” said Wirth, who has coached in the league for five seasons. “The other team had beaten us twice during the season, but we felt very strongly on we would be able to perform in the game. It was a tough loss with a couple of mistakes here and there, but overall, I was really proud of the girls. They probably played the best they have all season. It is amazing to see all of the growth.”
“I have always believed I wanted my kids to play team sports because they forge these friendships and they are rooting each other on,” Wirth said.
The league, whose players range in age from 4 to 16, play in the following age divisions — 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, and 16U. There are 180 players in the program, and they are gearing up for the start of the spring season. The evaluations are Jan. 7 and 8, and the game begin on Feb. 13.
“I am proud of all of the players and look forward to their growth not only in the game of softball but in life,” Benson said. “I am also appreciative of our board of directors, our amazing coaches and volunteers.”
Sign-up for the spring season is open at bocasoftball.com.
