For the third year in a row, The Downtown Revolution girl’s fast pitch softball team won city championships Sunday.
The Junior team fought off Peter Stuyvesant Little League 6-5 in nine innings July 12. In the nightcap, in front of 200 plus fans at the team’s home Battery Park City fields, the Senior division team edged out Yorkville 5-4.
The Juniors got off to a quick start. Isabel Zelter led off with a walk, a bunt by Amy Lischin, hits by Tess Fonteberry and Paloma Rivera and the Revolution took a commanding 4-0 lead.
“I knew we could use our speed and experience to blitz them. I tried to get their defense on their heels right from the start,” said the Revolution’s manager, Chris O’Mara. Stuyvesant scored a run of their own in the bottom of the inning.
The game would stay that way until the top of the third when Kayla Albano hit a sacrifice fly, scoring pitcher Jamie Morrison, a call up from the league’s majors division.
At this point, Morrison was cruising along in the circle. In the bottom of the fourth, Stuyvesant bats started to come alive. Downtown was up to the challenge as outfield plays by Lischin (in right), Rita Feder (center) and Cate Albright (left) all made outstanding grabs on long fly balls. The score would stay 5-1 until 2 outs in the bottom of the seventh.
After three consecutive two-out singles in the inning and two walks, Peter Stuyvesant finally started getting to Morrison. One player’s two-run tying single up the middle.
The inning would end, but not before the damage was done and the game would go to extra innings.
“Morrison was rattled a bit, but I knew she could gather her composure. Ali Bianca, the team captain, had her arm around her in the dugout and I knew things would be okay,” said O’Mara.
The game would go to the ninth when Fonteberry again singled, stole second and scored on a Maya Albano’s game-winning R.B.I single. Morrison would take the mound again in the bottom of the ninth frame and this time close Stuyvesant Little out for good 1-2-3.
After 145 pitches and 11 strikeouts, the Downtown Revolution Juniors won their fifth City championship in a row.
As for the Seniors, the girls played under the lights to win their third straight championship. Sophia Marino and Ava O’Mara combined on allowing five hits, four runs and 5 K’s over seven innings.
Yorkville came on with the hot bats early and racked up two runs in the top of the first. Downtown came right back with two of their own in the bottom of the first as O’Mara tripled to drive in Georgia Kamm and Morgan O’Mara.
The score would stay that way until the third when Yorkville cashed in on some sloppy defense to take a 3-2 lead. But again, Downtown would storm back.
After Marino tripled to right, Emily Samar tripled to center scoring Marino and later scoring on a passed ball to take a 4-3 lead. In the top of the fourth, Yorkville would score its final run of the game to tie the score 4-4.
Zoe Morrison led off with a bunt single and after a fielder’s choice by Annalisa Valdivia, Julia Winnick doubled down the left field line to drive in Valdivia for what proved to be the winning run.
The game would go to the fifth inning with O’Mara in the circle and an amazing defense behind her. With George Kamm’s diving catch in center, Naiomi Picayo made a spectacular play at second base, capped off by a heads up play by right fielder Ava Villalba.
Downtown Little League had an unbelievable team this year. Some of the girls have played together for over six years and were strong at every position. Veterans Ava Cutler, Brooke Kirwin and Blaise Behar helped preserved the win for Downtown Little League Revolution Sr.’s with great defense.
It was a historic night all around on Sunday and amassed perhaps the largest crowd ever assembled for a B.P.C. game.
