Friday, July 14, 2023

Windham Little League 9-10 All-Star softball pulls together for big win over Westbrook

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Little League’s 9-10 All-Star softball team had a solid run during their double elimination tournament season, which sadly came to an end after losses to Bonny Eagle and South Portland. However, in between those games was a stellar 17-4 win over the Westbrook Minors All-Stars on Wednesday, July 5 at the American Legion Softball Field in Falmouth.

Windham Little League 9-10 Softball All-Star and fifth grader
Ella Higgins keeps her eyes on the ball while batting during
a tournament game against Westbrook on Wednesday, July 5
at the American Legion Softball Field in Falmouth.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA
Windham pitcher and fifth grader Brooke Legere pitched and struck out 5 batters in 4 innings, only allowing 1 hit.

Legere said she started out a little nervous but as the innings progressed, she began to feel more comfortable. She had more control of the ball during the game, and her release point was better. The team worked hard, stayed together, and didn’t get down on one another.

In the first inning, Legere was hit by a pitch. There was little to no hesitation as she stole base after base and scored on a wild pitch. Fifth grader Lily Nickel walked, sixth grader Julia Leach singled and Nickel stole home. Fifth grader Ella Higgins singled and Leach scored. Fifth grader Ava Kostopoulos walked, and Higgins scored on a passed ball. Fifth grader Avary Caiazzo singled which brought in Kostopoulos. Caiazzo later scored on a wild pitch. Windham led 6-2 after one inning.

Windham added four more runs to the scoreboard in the second inning and their defense kept Westbrook scoreless in the second. Kostopoulos stopped a run headed home after a throw from Higgins. In the bottom of the third inning, Nickel caught a pop fly.

The top of the fourth inning was another big inning for Windham. After sixth graders Brielle Duffy and Leah Ronfeldt were both hit by pitches, sixth grader Aubrey Bell walked. Both Duffy and Ronfeldt scored on wild pitches. Legere singled and Belle scored. Leach walked and Legere scored on a wild pitch. Nickel walked and later scored. Higgins walked and Leach scored. Higgins scored on a passed ball before the end of the inning.

Windham’s lead was massive, and Westbrook could not catch up.

Kostopoulos said Windham tried their hardest and got the bat on the ball. She thought defense and the fact that they made a lot of good plays contributed to the win.

As Higgins reflected back on this season, she said that she was excited to play on the Windham All-Star team and they put in a lot of work.

As Caiazzo looked back on the season, said she was also excited to be on the team. She thought the season went great, it was fun, they all tried their best and she’s proud of the whole team.

“At the start of the season most of the girls had not played together,” said Windham Little League 9-10 All-Star softball coach Ronnie Higgins. “It was great to see them learn new concepts and develop as players. By the end of the season, they were clicking as a team and making some great friendships as well.”

They wanted to compete and enjoyed the game. When the season ended, Windham wanted to keep practicing and do more. For Higgins, that’s a win. <

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