ROBBINSVILLE: State title for 9/10s softball

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
   The Robbinsville Little League 9/10-year-old all-star softball team is starting to hit its stride.
   The state was the latest to find out.
   Robbinsville outscored Section 2 champion Wallington, Section 1 champion Hanover and Section 4 champion Waterford Township, 33-0, in its three games to capture the state championship.
   ”They performed well once again,” said Robbinsville manager Jon Iorio. “They’re a special team.”
   Robbinsville was pushed to the limit in District 12 play, started to distance itself from the competition in Section 3, and then was hitting on all cylinders from the start of the state tournament to the finish.
   ”It is a combination of playing better and having gone through the very difficult District 12 sets the stage for the ensuing tournaments,” Iorio said. “To me, District 12 is one of the best in the state, not just for softball, but for baseball. Anyone that comes out of District 12 has a good chance of going far in the Little League tournament. East Windsor came out of District 12 and won the region last year. History shows that District 12 is a breeding ground for a lot of good baseball and softball talent.”
   The latest collection of Robbinsville 9/10s is proving it. They fought through their district and section, and with the state win, they have their shot at an Eastern Region title. They open play in Old Forge, Pa., at 2:30 p.m. Saturday against Delaware. They play Sunday at 4 p.m. against Maryland. Monday, they take on the Pennsylvania champion at 8 p.m. They close pool play Tuesday 12:30 p.m. against New York. The semifinals of the elimination round are next Thursday with the finals Friday. The team is looking forward to staying together in a hotel and playing for another title.
   ”It’ll pull them together even more than they already are,” Iorio said. “They have really special team chemistry, as do the families. It’s a tightly knit group. This experience will bond them together even more. It’s great for how they perform on the field.
   ”And they’re having fun,” he added. “You can tell. They enjoy each other’s company. It translates out on to the field, which make it great. It makes it easier for the coaching staff when the girls get along as well as they do. They’ve made our job easy as coaches with the way they carry themselves on the field, the way they perform. They’re really in tune with what we’re trying to teach them and it shows out on the field.”
   The state run put on display all of Robbinsville’s hard work. They opened with a 10-0 win over Wallington. They followed it up with a 10-0 win over Waterford Township. In the championship, they defeated Hanover, 13-0.
   The offense clicked right from the start in the final game against Hanover. A bunt by Becca Siracusa scored Ella Iorio with the only run that Robbinsville would need behind another strong pitching performance by Brynn Hopkins. Shea Krebs made it 2-0 in the first inning when her single scored Mackenzie Martin. In the second inning, Jillian Hutt bunted home Kailey Pacifico. Gwen Wells drove in a run in the third inning, and the offense then scored in bunches. Hutt had a two-run single, Iorio’s grounder scored another, Hopkins doubled home a pair of runs and Siracuso would triple later in the game to give Robbinsville double digits before the game ended by the mercy rule.
   ”Everything was coming together,” the elder Iorio said. “The pitching with Brynn Hopkins and Shea Krebs has been phenomenal. Defensively, we came up with plays when we needed to. The bats have come alive — finally. They’ve come alive and it’s up and down the lineup. The substitute players are contributing tremendously.
   ”It’s a total team effort. With the great pitching we’ve had with the defense and the hitting now coming around where it is, they’re really playing at the top of their game.”
   Robbinsville was able to give each of the teams in the state tournament a little look at just how well they are playing. Robbinsville took on all of their challengers.
   ”The interesting part about that is there were four teams in the tournament,” the elder Iorio said. “It worked out that we played all three opposing teams. The team that we beat, Hanover, lost to Waterford Township on the opening night. That Hanover team ended up beating Waterford to face us. That was kind of cool for the kids.”
   Robbinsville is hoping it can continue to play this well as it heads into pool play where it will face another assortment of opponents. They will get a chance to take on a Robbinsville team that is gaining momentum with every tournament. They have had solid pitching and defense and the state run showed that the offense is also in full swing.
   ”They’ve had an excellent run all spring and summer long,” Iorio said. “And they’re really starting to peak now. Any one of them can come through with that big hit at this point, which makes it a headache for the opposing team.”