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LINCOLN — Cranston Western Little League Softball is Title Town.
It was a nervy route back to glory, but the 11- and 12-year-old all-stars just fueled their lineage. Aubrey Riker twirled a gem against Cumberland to force a winner-take-all doubleheader. A first-inning surge in the state-championship clincher then retained Cranston Western’s bragging rights as the state’s dynasty.
The 6-1 victory seized a fourth straight state championship for the District 1 program under hazy skies at Sullivan Field in Lincoln on Tuesday, July 14. Cranston Western staved off elimination with a 10-0 triumph in four innings after falling to Cumberland in the opening round of the tournament.
Cranston Western now advances to Bristol, Connecticut for the New England regional tournament. The all-stars open regionals with a bye and then meet the winner of Vermont-New Hampshire on Sunday, July 19 at 7 p.m. The second-round match will be streamed on ESPN+.
“We’re just so excited that we didn’t break [the streak],” catcher Mila Castillo said. “We just get to keep leading it on and we get to represent CWLL.
“I was just so excited to catch for [Riker] and just be there for her. We both had each other’s back and it was just awesome.”
CWLL scored five runs in the first inning of the opening match and four in the second meeting. It was plenty for Riker as the righty struck out 15 over a pair of complete-game finishes. Hayden Cerio was an impossible out in the leadoff spot as she reached safely in all six at-bats. And Castillo supplied the power in the first game, with four RBIs, that built the confidence Cranston Western needed to rally.
“I just wanted to come out on top and show that we could beat this team twice in a row and we did it,” Riker said.
The 30-minute break between games didn’t slow the bats as Cerio started the first-inning sequence with a triple to right-center. Chloe Whittenberger drove her in with a hit back to the circle. Emma Arrighie then added a walk and Riker helped herself with the second RBI knock of the inning.
Mackenzie Taviera delivered another hit into the gap, the same location that Cerio found, to score Arrighie and Riker for a quick 4-0 advantage.
“It’s exciting when you start the inning off really well,” Cerio said. “It just makes the whole game more fun. … I’m just excited to be at the dorms [in Bristol] with the girls.”
The 5-4 extra-inning loss to Cumberland that started CWLL’s tournament ignited the group. It returned with 16-1 and 15-1 victories over East Greenwich and Middletown to reach the championship round.
“I’m just feeling so excited,” Castillo said. “When we lost, I feel like it put us down, but it also made us angrier to come back and just win it all.”
Cranston Western has the hitting and pitching that’s needed at the regional tournament. It can keep relying on its past success — the 2024 iteration won the New England group to reach the World Series — to keep the summer spark.
“I’m most excited for — I know that we can make it,” Castillo said. “I know that we can just win it all.”
This was the second straight year Cumberland fell in the state-championship round. The all-stars from District 4 represented themselves well with back-to-back wins to start the finals run.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cranston Western Little League Softball continues its title run
Continue reading...
It was a nervy route back to glory, but the 11- and 12-year-old all-stars just fueled their lineage. Aubrey Riker twirled a gem against Cumberland to force a winner-take-all doubleheader. A first-inning surge in the state-championship clincher then retained Cranston Western’s bragging rights as the state’s dynasty.
The 6-1 victory seized a fourth straight state championship for the District 1 program under hazy skies at Sullivan Field in Lincoln on Tuesday, July 14. Cranston Western staved off elimination with a 10-0 triumph in four innings after falling to Cumberland in the opening round of the tournament.
Cranston Western now advances to Bristol, Connecticut for the New England regional tournament. The all-stars open regionals with a bye and then meet the winner of Vermont-New Hampshire on Sunday, July 19 at 7 p.m. The second-round match will be streamed on ESPN+.
“We’re just so excited that we didn’t break [the streak],” catcher Mila Castillo said. “We just get to keep leading it on and we get to represent CWLL.
“I was just so excited to catch for [Riker] and just be there for her. We both had each other’s back and it was just awesome.”
CWLL scored five runs in the first inning of the opening match and four in the second meeting. It was plenty for Riker as the righty struck out 15 over a pair of complete-game finishes. Hayden Cerio was an impossible out in the leadoff spot as she reached safely in all six at-bats. And Castillo supplied the power in the first game, with four RBIs, that built the confidence Cranston Western needed to rally.
“I just wanted to come out on top and show that we could beat this team twice in a row and we did it,” Riker said.
The 30-minute break between games didn’t slow the bats as Cerio started the first-inning sequence with a triple to right-center. Chloe Whittenberger drove her in with a hit back to the circle. Emma Arrighie then added a walk and Riker helped herself with the second RBI knock of the inning.
Mackenzie Taviera delivered another hit into the gap, the same location that Cerio found, to score Arrighie and Riker for a quick 4-0 advantage.
“It’s exciting when you start the inning off really well,” Cerio said. “It just makes the whole game more fun. … I’m just excited to be at the dorms [in Bristol] with the girls.”
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The 5-4 extra-inning loss to Cumberland that started CWLL’s tournament ignited the group. It returned with 16-1 and 15-1 victories over East Greenwich and Middletown to reach the championship round.
“I’m just feeling so excited,” Castillo said. “When we lost, I feel like it put us down, but it also made us angrier to come back and just win it all.”
Cranston Western has the hitting and pitching that’s needed at the regional tournament. It can keep relying on its past success — the 2024 iteration won the New England group to reach the World Series — to keep the summer spark.
“I’m most excited for — I know that we can make it,” Castillo said. “I know that we can just win it all.”
This was the second straight year Cumberland fell in the state-championship round. The all-stars from District 4 represented themselves well with back-to-back wins to start the finals run.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cranston Western Little League Softball continues its title run
Continue reading...
