WW 12s improved as a team
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Following its second loss in the best-of-three finals of the District 12 Little League softball tournament, West Windsor’s David Vena had one big regret.
The West Windsor manager won’t be able to coach the group of 12-year-old all-stars anymore. His daughter, Emily, ages out of the Little League division.
”I had a ball doing it this year,” Vena said. “They’re all great kids.
”I’m very proud of them,” he added. “They really stepped up. One through 12, they all stepped up and they contributed.”
Vena was an assistant coach last year when West Windsor won just one game in pool play, 13-12 over Lawrence, and didn’t make the finals. This year, they went 4-0 in Pool B to advance to the finals.
”West Windsor softball is back,” Vena said.
After allowing 48 runs in four games last year in pool play, they were more than twice as strong defensively in pool play this year with giving up just 22 runs in four contests. Then they ran into juggernaut Robbinsville in the finals. Robbinsville claimed its fourth straight District 12 crown with Monday’s 17-4 win, a win that followed their 10-0 win over West Windsor on Sunday. The four runs scored Monday by West Windsor were more than Robbinsville had allowed in the rest of the tournament combined.
”To have the opportunity to play these (Robbinsville) guys, they’re phenomenal,” Vena said. “It’s poetry in motion watching these guys. I understand out of all the games they played in Pool A, they only allowed two runs. So to score four, I know that 17-4 is kind of ugly, but the girls still reacted well.”
To their credit, West Windsor battled from start to finish. Down, 10-0, after two innings, the underdogs got on the board by putting the ball in play in the top of the third inning. Emily Vena and Alyssa Schiera reached on errors, Shannon Radey walked and Lindsey Hinczynski singled home a run. Another error on a hit by Gillian Adair allowed two more runs to score.
”Most of the kids put wood on the ball,” David Vena said. “They didn’t hit it too far, but they got the bat off their shoulder. That’s part of life — get your hacks because you never know when you’re going to be able to swing.”
Robbinsville answered with seven runs in its half of the inning, but there was no quit in West Windsor. Rachel Goldner singled to open the WW fourth, and then down to their final out, Vena walked after fouling off a pair of pitches that could have ended the game. Schiera reached on error to score another run to make it 17-4.
”I got a little excited,” the elder Vena said. “You have to keep on believing. We figured one at a time, one at a time. The clock struck midnight and that was it, but the kids were great.”
Schattin and Adair picked up the only hits on Sunday against Robbinsville ace pitcher Hannah Olshevski. West Windsor had to turn around to come back Monday to try to force a third and deciding if-game.
”It hurt a little bit going into this morning after yesterday’s loss,” Vena said Monday. “That took a little air out of us, but it was Fourth of July, and they went to barbecues and did stuff you do on Fourth of July and came back this morning to play. I’m really proud of them. They came back and gave it another shot.”
West Windsor, which won three straight district crowns before Robbinsville started its recent run, understood what it was going up against in the finals.
”We have two travel girls, and they play more travel B,” Vena said. “They interact with these (Robbinsville) kids. So coming in we just knew it was going to be David and Goliath. They have an unbelievable program. Like anything, though, you have to be positive.
”I think there were a lot of nerves,” he added. “There’s a reputation here. These guys have a winning program. I look at it as an honor for my kids to be on the field with them. Just to make it this far and be able to play with them, I think it’s good for them.”
The matchup has given West Windsor’s players some inspiration. Some of Vena’s players, including his daughter, are interested in playing more after seeing Robbinsville’s high level.
”She said, ‘it’s some of the best ball I’ve seen,’” Vena said. “Now she’s saying, I want to play travel ball.”
Playing year-round is part of the same formula that helped Robbinsville develop into the district champion. Just getting back to the finals was a big first step for West Windsor.