STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Sometimes a simple text can go a long way.
Following its loss two weeks ago to East Lyme in the second round of the Connecticut State 10U Softball Tournament, the Bristol All-Stars were on the brink of elimination. One loss and their softball summer was over. Morale, as expected, was lower than usual.
And then came a much-needed jolt.
“Looking back to the states when we lost that game, this team was down a little,” noted Bristol manager Anthony Lefurgey. “The coaches were down at that moment, but we had one text from a parent, Taryn Yopp, which had the lyrics from the song (“I Believe that We Will Win” by Pitbull). She then sent that out before every game and it sparked the coaches, it sparked the parents, everyone. It gave a spark to the whole team, from that next game until the end of the season. We were riding high on that.”
The spark led to a run that those involved will never forget. Bristol, against steep odds, fought itself out of the loser’s bracket to capture the Connecticut state championship. It then headed off to Staten Island last week, where the girls competed for the New England Division title and the Eastern Regional championship at the Snug Harbor Little League Complex.
In New York, Bristol showed states from Maine down to Maryland that its arrival was no fluke. The girls picked the best time to play their best softball of the year.
Representing Team Connecticut, Bristol rattled off five straight wins in dominating fashion, outscoring opponents 61-10 on its way to capturing the New England Division title. The title-clincher came Sunday when Bristol defeated Rhode Island, 5-0.
Bristol finished second overall in the Eastern Regionals after falling to New Jersey, 8-1, in the event finale.
New England Division champions and second overall in the Eastern Regional, to go along with District, Sectional and State titles. A memorable run and an immense accomplishment.
“I told the girls when we won states that we accomplished everything we could want,” Lefurgey said. “I said going into regionals that this was a bonus and just to go have fun. I had no clue what kind of competition we would see and how they would handle it. I really didn’t set high expectations for this team going into it. They were relaxed, had fun and took it all the way until the end. I am super proud of this team.”
Here’s a rundown of Bristol’s games at the regionals:
Pool Play
Aug. 1 – Connecticut 8, Rhode Island 2: Ava Lefurgey tossed a no-hitter, striking out 13 as Bristol began its time in New York with a dominating victory. Mary Thompson led Connecticut with three hits, while Lefurgey, Keeva Knowles and Ellie Tiscia recorded two hits apiece. Makinnley Whitlock reached based twice with a single and a walk and added an RBI.
Aug. 1 – Connecticut 21, Maine 4: Ava Lefurgey had another strong game with three hits and four RBI as Bristol rolled to its second win on the day. Knowles, Maddy Yopp and Lucy Kalat, the defensive hero of the state tournament, also registered three hits apiece, while Tiscia had two hits for the second straight game. Dakota Green walked four times and Lucy Bastiaanse reached base three times and scored three runs.
Aug. 2 – Connecticut 12, Pennsylvania 4: Knowles continued her hot hitting with three hits, four RBI and a triple as Bristol held off a strong Pennsylvania squad. Bastiaanse had two hits and scored two runs. Green also finished with two RBI and a single.
Elimination Play
Aug. 3 – Connecticut 15, Vermont 0: Bastiaanse threw Bristol’s second no-hitter of the tournament, striking out four, and adding two hits and four RBI at the plate. Tiscia reached base in all three of her plate appearances and scored three runs. Whitlock walked twice, scored a run and delivered an RBI. Thompson shook off two hit-by-pitches and scored following each of those beanings. Kalat also scored twice.
Aug. 4 – Connecticut 5, Rhode Island 0: In the New England Division championship game, Lefurgey was dominant in the circle, allowing just two hits, while striking out 11 and walking only one. Knowles broke the game open with a bomb to right-center near the fence, scoring three runners in the third inning. Bastiaanse had two hits and two RBI. Green had a huge run-scoring single and Tiscia reached base all three times with a single and two walks.
Aug. 4 – New Jersey 8, Connecticut 1: In the Eastern Regional championship game, Bristol’s magical run came to an end against a very strong New Jersey team. Yopp and Green notched Bristol’s only two hits. Tiscia walked twice and scored Bristol’s only run. Thompson also reached base via a walk. Bastiaanse pitched strong in relief, allowing only one earned run in three innings.
Bristol had some top-notch individual performers throughout its week on Staten Island. Ava Lefurgey and Bastiaanse combined to strike out 43 hitters in Bristol’s wins. Showcasing its depth, Bristol had two pitcher-catcher combinations involved in no-hitters (Lefurgey-Yopp and Bastiaanse-Tiscia), which is a rarity on any level.
Tiscia led Bristol offensively with a .583 batting average, 10 runs scored, and a .737 on-base percentage during the regionals. Knowles, a force at the plate, finished with seven of Bristol’s 20 extra base hits during the All-Star season, and had three triples alone at the regionals to go with her .579 batting average.
She also paced Bristol with five stolen bases on the week, with Kalat and Ava Lefurgey swiping four bags apiece. Whitlock and Green led Bristol with seven walks each. Yopp, Thompson and Green all finished with strong .526 on-base percentages. Bastiaanse was second on the team in both runs scored (8) and RBI (7).
For a team to go this far, it needs contributions from everyone. Bristol received that, thanks in part to its calm demeanor, according to Anthony Lefurgey.
“This team was so relaxed,” Lefurgey said. “They loved getting interviewed (by the press). They loved going to the games early to get extra hitting in. They were very relaxed going into every single game. For being a 10-year-old team, they were not stressed out at all playing in these big games, which is really, really impressive. They handled themselves so well.”
Lefurgey, who is in his 14th season of coaching little league softball, also credited his coaching staff, which included Kevin Kalat and Mike Bastiaanse. It was the first time all three officially worked together.
“Putting three coaches together who haven’t worked together all year could be hard, but coaching with Kevin and Mike was great,” Lefurgey said. “They are two top-notch coaches. We hit it right off the bat from game one until the end. I absolutely loved coaching with them.”
It’s now time for Bristol’s victory tour. The girls finished 14-2 in All-Star play.
“It was a fun ride. I am looking forward to seeing this team recognized,” Lefurgey said. “I am looking forward to going to the Mayor’s office. We’re going to be honored at the (Little League boys) Regionals here in Bristol this week. It’s huge for these girls. This was not just a regular game. It was not like a travel tournament.
“They represented Bristol and the state of Connecticut so well and to the fullest,” Lefurgey continued. “They showed great sportsmanship. They carried themselves awesome. It’s just not a Bristol thing, but a state of Connecticut thing, too.”
Bristol Girls Little League President Adam Whitlock was blown away with what he witnessed over the past six weeks.
“They handled themselves very maturely for 10-year-olds. They represented themselves and the state very well. It’s very impressive,” Whitlock said. “If you had to paint the picture on what softball on Staten Island is, it’s touching down on the hotels, being on non-stop go for a week. Along the ride of undefeated pool play, from knocking out a Mid-Atlantic team (Pennsylvania), to playing for a New England championship to playing for an East Regional championship, they squeezed in a skills competition, they saw the Statue of Liberty, they had a parade at a minor league ballgame (Staten Island Ferryhawks).
“What an experience.”
This past week capped months of hard work, exceeding everyone’s expectations.
“The kids are just amazing,” Whitlock said. “With the goals we had, I am beyond impressed that those goals were achieved. The ratio of that happening is just so wild to me.”
They believed they would win, and they did–big time.
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