A historic run for Eastchester Little League came to an end on July 19, as Eastchester’s 12u softball team bowed out in the semifinal round of the New York State tournament with a 12-6 loss to Massapequa International. But even if the Eagles’ summer ended just shy of a trip to Williamsport, PA, the softball team provided no shortage of thrills for local fans over the last few weeks.
Winning both the District 20 and Section 3 titles, Eastchester finished as one of the top three teams in New York State, no small feat considering the size of the town, explained head coach Eddie Reardon.
“We started with these girls four years ago, and even though we had high expectations, you just can’t dream it up with a small town like [Eastchester] being one of the top three teams in the state,” Reardon said. “We played these big cities, big towns, and I don’t know if Eastchester softball has ever won a Section 3 title, so it’s all really kind of hard to believe.”
Eastchester advanced to the semifinals with a stirring win over Plainfield earlier in the day, as the Eagles topped the Hawks 5-4 in a two-and-a-half-hour extra-innings affair, with the winning runs coming around to score on a hit to left field by Kate Atwood.
According to Reardon, in a summer filled with dramatic finishes, the Plainfield win might have been the best.
“They were all exciting, every single one of them,” he said. “This is a hard game and these are young kids, but the whole experience of that game, where the loser goes home, that makes it even more special.”
The Eagles had just twenty minutes to regroup after the walk-off before squaring off against a waiting Massapequa club in another elimination game, something Reardon acknowledges was a potential factor in the outcome of the the day’s second contest.
“It was hot and that didn’t help either; these girls are 12 years old,” said Reardon. “Massapequa was a tough team, and I think we could have beaten them, but that’s just how things go.”
Overall, Reardon added, the entire experience has been unforgettable. The Eagles finished third in the state out of an initial field of over 300 other clubs, and the support from the town—with fans flocking to New City to watch the girls compete—made the run even more memorable.
“Honestly, that made the difference; I know how I felt and how the girls felt,” said Reardon. “I don’t know how many people came up [on Tuesday] but seeing all those people out there cheering for the team, I think it really made the kids feel special.”
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