Westfield Senior League All-Star pitcher Samantha Schieppe eyes a Quaboag batter during last night’s game at Lewis Field in Brookfield. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
BROOKFIELD – The first real game of any season can be an unnerving experience, especially when entering the contest with a young roster.
In what may have been the upset event of the summer, Westfield’s Little League Softball All-Stars made the hike on the Pike eastbound to Brookfield, and easily beat the All-Stars from Quaboag 27-8 last night at Lewis Field.
As if the victory’s football-esque final score wasn’t impressive enough, Quaboag entered the game with a respectable record of 11-6 and a roster full of fifteen and sixteen year old veterans.
Westfield, who advanced to the All-Star tournament due to a forfeit, entered the game with no wins nor losses, and a roster composed of fourteen, fifteen and sixteen year olds.
Many were expecting to witness a mercy-rule type contest and a subsequent early evening at Lewis Field, but few, if any, expected it to be Westfield on the winning end.
Westfield Senior League All-Star starting pitcher Samantha Schieppe delivers to a Quaboag batter during last night’s Game 1 District 3 Tournament at Lewis Field in Brookfield. Westfield went on to win in a mercy-ruled game 27-8. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
After a first inning which saw Quaboag race ahead 6-1, Westfield settled in and notched six runs of their own, reclaiming the lead with a single from Erica Wolfe.
In the bottom of the second Westfield Pitcher Sam Schieppe settled in and proceeded to induce a series of groundouts, and a dramatic tagout at the plate of a Quaboag baserunner.
Back on the offensive side, Westfield continued to wear Quaboag’s pitching staff down, tacking on a whopping twelve runs in the top of the third before finally racking up three outs.
By the bottom half of the third inning, the Quaboag batting order that seemed so formidable in the first inning was nowhere to be found, wilting under the heat of Schieppe’s underhanded delivery from the mound.
Scoring remained stagnant until the top of the fifth when Westfield kicked it into another gear, adding on eight more runs for good measure thanks to RBI’s from Carlan Gideon, Ashlie Baker, Mahlia Reyes ane Kelsey Kiltonic.
Westfield Senior League All-Star shortstop Kelsey Kiltonic, left, makes the out on a Quaboag runner during last night’s game at Lewis Field in Brookfield. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Quaboag scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth before Schieppe induced their third out, a groundball that was promptly scooped up and tossed to first, slamming the door on the first game of the series.
After the contest, Westfield coach Keith Raymond addressed his team.
“We’ve been pushing you really hard in practice,” he said of his staff. “And you came out today and executed everything we’ve been working on.”
Westfield assistant John Deland was equally excited about the victory.
Westfield Senior League All-Star Mahlia Reyes, right, smiles to the crowd after Westfield won 27-8 in a mercy-ruled game over Quaboag. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
“We knew it would be a battle, and when we were able to score first, it was a confidence booster, and that confidence grew every inning.”
Every Westfield player registered a hit on the evening, but perhaps no one was more responsible for the win than Schieppe, the youngest player on the roster, who Raymond awarded the game ball to in the dugout postgame amidst cheers from her teammates.
“I’m just happy we got the win,” said Westfield’s ace. “I just wanted to get (my teammates) up to bat.”
When asked of what was going through her head after giving up six quick runs to the opposition, Schieppe responded in a manner that indicates wisdom beyond her years.
“I just took a breath,” said the pitcher, who will be entering her freshman year of high school this fall. “I just hope we can continue to hit Saturday like we did today.”
While it is unlikely that we will see another Westfield victory like yesterday’s again soon, it is safe to say that Westfield’s Little League Softball All-Stars have arrived, and area softball fans have taken note.
The girls will return to action in Brookfield Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
