World Series winners enjoy local eatery
By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
CRANBURY — Two separate communities, separated by about 10 miles on Route 130, took some time on Saturday to honor the World Champion Robbinsville Girls Softball Little League Team.
The team of 12-year-old girls won the annual tournament in Portland, Oregon on Aug. 13, besting thousands of teams throughout the world.
In addition to a ceremony in Robbinsville Saturday afternoon to salute the team, relatives in Cranbury also held a celebratory breakfast at Teddy’s Restaurant on Main Street.
Coach Scott Veisz said that the team represented more than just Robbinsville in the tournament, but also represented its northern neighbor.
"Cranbury is like our sister league," Mr. Veisz said. "It is part of (our) district 12."
Cranbury Mayor Susan Goetz said that some of the girls on the team had either relatives in the township, or had parents with a business in the community.
She also said she was "honored" to have the team in the community.
"What they did was pretty amazing," she said.
This summer’s Robbinsville contingent went 22-0 in Little League play. Their final two wins came on ESPN with the country watching. Robbinsville finished off its semifinal matchup with Tallmadge, Ohio, in five innings, 11-1. Alexa Petito had two hits and three RBI, and Robbinsville took advantage of six walks and four errors.
It was the first-ever championship in three tries for the team.
Parents and townspeople were there to greet the players and coaches when the team returned on a red-eye flight. Signs in Robbinsville celebrate the team’s accomplishments.
"It hasn’t hit me that we won the World Series," player Devon Witt, whose father Ron owns a business in Cranbury, said. "It’s been so amazing."
Robbinsville had sent two previous teams to the World Series, and they had come close to winning the title. This year’s group finally earned the long-awaited championship.
"(Winning) is very hard," Mr. Veisz said. "The other teams were great teams too."
He said that the support shown for the team was "amazing."
Ron Witt, also a township councilman in Robbinsville, said he was very proud of the team and his daughter.
"It gives me goose bumps every time I tell the story (about winning the championship)," he said. "They worked hard, they earned every single thing they achieved."
The girls were both excited about being world champions and yet a bit sad that they were at the end of their Little League careers.
"We have been working hard this whole summer," first baseman Olivia Moser, 13, of Robbinsville said. "This has always been a goal for us."
She said the team’s effort led to the victory, and that ending the season was like the "closing of doors" on her Little League playing days.
"It was amazing," she said.
Devon Witt, 13, said it was great returning to Cranbury and seeing her grandparents, Nancy and Ron Witt, Sr.
"I wasn’t able to see them this summer (because of playing)," she said.
Alyssa Whitman, 13, of Robbinsville said that she felt satisfaction that all of the hard work paid off as the team fielded the final out in the championship game, but she also felt sad that it was over.
"We had a lot of fun together, but it was really sad that it was over," she said. "It feels amazing (to win). Not a lot of people get to do that."
Alyssa’s favorite team is the New York Yankees and her favorite player was Derek Jeter, who she can now actually relate to a little bit as both have won World Series titles.
"He was probably very happy that he got to play, but sad that his career was over," she said of his last game at Yankee Stadium last week.