The date was July 20, the site was the Mount Olive softball complex and the scenes that mirrored each other were symbolic of why the Hamilton Girls Softball Association is so successful.
On one field, the Hamilton 10U Hurricanes were taking on the Orange County All Stars in a Babe Ruth Mid-Atlantic Region championship game. On the adjacent field, the 12U Hurricanes were battling Sacred Heart, also in the regional title game.
As if joined by the hip, each Hamilton team lost the first game of the day to their respective opponents, which forced winner-take-all finals. And as the squads concentrated on beating their opponent, the managers also couldn’t help but sneak peeks toward the other game to see how things were going.
“I was coaching third base, and as my team was getting ready to bat, I’m trying to look through the fence,” 10U manager Steve LaFisca said. “I’m hearing highlights, I’m hearing cheering. I’m watching and rooting and at the same time trying to win our game.”
“I give (LaFisca) a lot of credit for watching us,” 12U manager Joe Cerasi said with a laugh. “We scored 11 runs in the first inning so my game was a little more comfortable. After we were winning, I would glance over the fence and see how they were doing, and it was nothing-nothing. If our game was nothing-nothing, I don’t know if I could have looked over.”
The whole thing brought into focus how close the teams, players and coaches are with each other.
And in the end, it was happy endings all around as both squads claimed regional crowns, making it two straight for the 10Us and retribution for the 12Us after finishing second last year. The younger squad did it with speed while the older girls displayed more power. Both were linked by standout pitching.
Since the 12s finished their game a bit earlier, LaFisca told his team to go watch them accept their medals before they received their own awards. The 12s, of course, came over to watch that.
“It was just a great way to close out the season,” LaFisca said. “Playing side by side and them winning a regional championship one inning before we did.”
Actually, it only closed out the season for the 10s, since that age group does not have a World Series. But the 12s are headed to the Babe Ruth World Series in Alachua, Fla. from Aug. 6-13.
It is HGSA’s first trip to the 12-year-old Series since a star-studded squad went in 2010; and its fifth overall.
While the regional winner gets an automatic bid to the World Series, Hamilton had already punched its ticket by winning a qualifier at the HGSA complex in May.
“Last year, we came in second in regions and didn’t go, and we found out a team we beat (Mount Olive) was going to the World Series because of a qualifying tournament,” Cerasi said. “We didn’t know about that, we did our research over the winter, hosted a qualifier and won it, so we knew we were going in May.”
That meant nothing to the Canes, however, once the regions started.
“We wanted to go down there holding the regional champion banner, not holding a state qualifier banner,” Cerasi said. “What we preached to the girls as a staff, is that we wanted to show everybody that we really earned that spot by winning the region; not just because we played a tournament in late April.
“We wanted to be worthy of being there. We wanted to win them all. I told them I play every game to win, whether it’s rec league softball or a qualifying tournament. So it meant a lot to win that regional tournament.”
The 12s also won the Babe Ruth District One and Southern New Jersey State titles, and have won 10 championships this spring and summer. Cerasi noted that after winning the states, the celebration was extremely low key.
“They didn’t go crazy,” he said. “They’re young, but they don’t want to flaunt it. We have a good organization, a good team, but we kind of kept them grounded all year. They worked hard this weekend (at regionals).
“Sacred Heart is our biggest rival. After we lost to them in the championship round we had to come back and beat them and I asked them to give me everything they have in the final game. I said ‘Come back and give me some runs in the first inning.’ I didn’t expect 11.”
That’s what he got, as HGSA jumped to an 11-0 lead after one inning and rolled from there. What makes the Hurricanes effort so impressive is that the roster contains just three 12-year-olders and only two returnees from last year’s team.
“I expected to be good,” Cerasi said. “I didn’t expect to be this good.”
The team’s veterans and captains are Cerasi’s daughter, Nicole, and Kaylee Whittaker, who the manager said would be the team MVP if he was forced to pick one.
“Everyone has contributed from one through 12 in some way,” the manager said. “But Whit put it on her shoulders and as our number one pitcher, she’s delivered everything she has. What’s really been a blessing is the way her bat has come around. She has been swinging the bat awesome.
“Nicole is hitting .400. She’s our leadoff batter and things really happen when she gets on base. She’s our catalyst and picks things up and it goes through everybody else throughout our lineup.
“I can’t say enough about the way those two are stepping up. I’m not always a fan of captains but with the group we had this year I thought we needed captains. They talk to the girls before every game, telling them how they have to re-focus. They get a different voice, and then my voice works even better.”
Another leader is catcher Alex Haley, “who has really stepped up and become a leader for the rest of the 11-year-olds,” according to Cerasi.
Playing first is Ciara Donaldson, with Cerasi at second, Gabbie Fonollosa at short, Haley Lestician or Whittaker on third, Natalie Kozemchak in left, Grace Gaskill in center and Christina Weil, who plays right and is actually all over the lineup. Whittaker, Lestician and Gaskill are the pitchers, while valuable contributions also come from Sophia DeFrank, Maddie Zeleznik and Delaney Misier.
As they get ready for their trip to Florida, Cerasi is hoping for two things—victories and good times.
“We definitely want to play every game to win,” he said. “But it’s really a life experience for the girls, that’s the most important part. We’re there to play softball but we want to keep them grounded and enjoy the fun that comes along with it.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for myself, for my kid, for all the kids. They should enjoy and embrace the moment, and when they’re on the field, give it their all. We’ll finish as strong as we can. I told them it’s been a journey to this point and when we got our (regional) trophies we weren’t done yet.”
Unlike the 10-year-olds, who are done without playing a World Series. But that doesn’t mean they could not have been in a couple.
LaFisca’s squad qualified for two World Series – in Pony play and in United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) play. But they both fell during the times of the Babe Ruth districts, states or regionals, and Babe Ruth is always the first priority for HGSA teams.
“I would have loved to take these girls somewhere for a World Series,” LaFisca said.
And with good reason, as their season was nothing short of remarkable. Entering the Sid Lee Tournament in South Brunswick in late July, the 10-year-olds had won all 13 tournaments they entered this season and had an overall record of 72-7.
“My mantra for the girls all year was if they played hard and played together and had each other’s backs, no one could beat them. I told them they are the best twelve 10U softball players out there.”
The 13 titles is by far a league record for one season. LaFisca was unsure if the old record was eight or nine, but it’s moot now as they shattered the mark. The manager was quick to point out, though, that 10 years ago some very talented teams were not playing close to as many tournaments so it would be unfair to compare eras.
“It’s like comparing Super Bowl champions,” he said. “I’m not about all that.”
It’s not unfair to state that this group has had one of the league’s best seasons at any level. LaFisca was hoping to win eight tournaments this year and they surpassed that easily. But as the 10s entered the regionals, when asked by assistant coach John Stetzick if 12 championships would make it a successful year without winning a region title, LaFisca said it wouldn’t be.
“At first I thought winning eight titles and winning the regionals would be an accomplishment,” LaFisca said. “When John asked me after we won our 12th, if we didn’t win a regional would we fail; I said I would feel like we failed. But I never said that to the girls of course.
“This has the potential to be the league’s greatest 10U team just by sheer numbers alone. Typically these teams stay on the Babe Ruth circuit, but we played other competition. But after winning regions last year, not winning it this year would have felt like we failed.”
The team was led by three pitching aces – Johnna Filipponi, Becca Bocock and Skyler LaFisca.
“They carried the brunt for the entire year on their shoulders and did a great job,” Steve LaFisca said.
Kelsey Smith did most of the catching, backed up by Tina Fedor. Filipponi and Bocock shared first base, LaFisca was at second, Lizzie Kelly was at short, Mia Land was on third, Ayanna Stetzick played left, Cierra Acevedo was in center and Avery Kontura played right. Carly Lederman was designated hitter and Gianna Casale rotated into left field.
Land, Kelly and Filipponi were the team’s top hitters.
It was a group that had just two weekends off since the fall—Thanksgiving and Christmas—as they either practiced or played games throughout the year.
“We as coaches can only do so much, it’s all about the girls, obviously,” LaFisca said. “They never stopped working at it. Their heart was unbelievable.
“We haven’t lost (a tournament) in over 80 games. These girls carried themselves as winners. They played hard, they picked each other up on the softball field. Five of them (Kelly, Bocock, Filipponi, Kontura, Land) have won back-to-back regional titles – one as eight year olds and two as 10s. It is truly about these 12 girls.”
The 10U Hurricanes All-Stars display their Middle Atlantic Regional banner July 20, 2014. Pictured are (bottom) Lizzie Kelly, Mia Land, Cierra Acevedo, Avery Kontura, Skyler LaFisca, Ayanna Stetzick, (top) Tina Fedor, Johnna Filipponi, Gianna Casale, Carley Lederman, Becca Bocock, and Kelsey Smith.,
