Sports

Undefeated Caldwell Chiefs 14U Softball Team Wins NJBSL Title

'The Caldwell youth softball program has a very solid foundation,' said coach Peter Frazza.

The Caldwell Chiefs 14U softball team finished its fall season undefeated 9-0-1  last week and won the New Jersey Baseball And Softball League's fall league. 

After completing very successful spring and summer seasons, where the 14U team went 28-2, it was thought that the fall season might be the start of a rebuilding process since eight new 7th-graders joined the five remaining 8th-graders from the spring and summer team.  

The new and very young 14U team bonded very quickly, and from the fall team’s very first practice they worked very hard with the goal of following in the successful footsteps of the spring and summer teams.

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Coach Peter Frazza commented said that, "The leadership of the 8th-grade girls was great, while the desire of the 7th-grade girls to compete at the 14U level was very impressive. 

"We could tell from the start that the team wanted to continue the success of the 14U team’s spring and summer seasons.” 

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Frazza added, "The Caldwell youth softball program has a very solid foundation and the girls learn the fundamentals of softball while playing at the 10U level for Coach Brandi Milano and at the 12U level playing for Coach Mike Giordano.”

As was the case with the spring and summer teams, the assistant coaches were Carl Lombardi and James Caldwell High School varsity softball player Valerie Murphy.

The highlight of the fall season was on Oct. 1 when the Chiefs played the very good hitting team from Cedar Grove. After six innings, the Chiefs trailed Cedar Grove 10-5. But in the top of the 7th inning, the Chiefs staged an incredible rally by scoring 5 runs and tied the score at 10-10.  

Cedar Grove in the bottom of the 7th inning loaded the bases with no outs, yet the Chiefs were able to record three outs to keep the score tied. The game ended in a tie because the lights at the field shut off within minutes of the 7th inning being completed.

The team's nine wins were against Montclair, Verona, Hanover Park, Cedar Grove, Millburn, Bloomfield twice and West Orange twice. 

The Chiefs 14U fall softball team's roster was comprised of:  

  • Carlie Corrigan
  • Taylor Stafford
  • Emma Saheed
  • Cassie Danton
  • Lauren Trusio
  • Devon Stafford
  • Jaci Murphy
  • Alexa Murray
  • Ashleigh Bryant
  • Victoria Nufrio
  • Nicole Tanelli
  • Samantha Vitiello
  • Vanessa Valle


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