Submitted and written by Joe Cappello
Rutherford Girls' Softball Team, 11 and 12 year old All Stars, won the District 5 Championship on Saturday, June 29th. The team posted a 3 and 1 record, with their only loss coming at the hands of Wallington. Rutherford faced Wallington in a best of three finals and was backed by a solid defense led by Ariana Tomlinson. Giana Yaniero pitched a gem while striking out 7 batters in Game 1. Down 1-0 with two outs in the fourth, Lexi Cappello singled to drive in the tying run. Madison Lewis hustled home on a passed ball to score the winning run to give Rutherford the 2-1 victory.
Game 2 was another nail biter with Wallington coming away with a 2-0 victory. In decisive Game 3, Rutherford's offense came alive batting around in the first two innings with 10 hits and scoring 13 runs. Abby Moller (triple, 3 runs), Leah Finelli (double, 2 runs), Giana Yaniero (3 hits, 2 runs), Ayla Hernandez (2 hits, 2 runs) and Vita Waddell (2 hits, 2 runs) led the offensive attack to defeat Wallington by 14-1 in 4 innings. Other key contributors were Coda Mearizo and Mia Luciano who roamed the outfield, Sofia DeRosa played a solid shortstop, Hanna Caceras was outstanding behind the plate, and Katrize Castillon provided a powerful bat in the lineup.
More impressive than winning the district championship for the first time in four years was watching this group of athletes come together and gel as a solid team. Expect to see great things from these girls as they continue to grow!
Coach Corrie Lewis explained, "All of the girls on the team are very talented. They are dedicated to learning and improving their skills. They are very supportive of one another. They always complimented one another and cheered for each other."
Coaches Corrie Lewis, Joe Cappello, and Anthony Finelli thoroughly enjoyed coaching this group of girls who played hard, supported each other and displayed a sense of pride in representing the town of Rutherford.
The team roster:
Hanna Caceras
Lexi Cappello
Katrize Castillon
Sophia De Rosa
Leah Finelli
Ayla Hernandez
Madison Lewis
Mia Luciano
Coda Mearizo
Abby Moller
Ariana Tomlinson
Vita Waddell
Giana Yaniero
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