Freehold Township Little League

31

May, 2021

Recap: Girls Softball Home Run Derby

The derby, sponsored by T-Mobile, was based on a format where a player got 10 outs to hit as many home runs as they could. Any ball that they swung at that was not put over the fence, was an out. Those rules played a huge factor in determining the winner of the derby.

The softball players were broken up into age groups of 9-10 and 11-12, respectively. Olivia H. and Ava T. got the ball started, each hitting balls to the grass. Maia S., a 10-year old, hit one home run in the first round, as well as hitting a ball to the grass. Taylor G., a 12-year old, hit one of her own, as she and Maia S. were tied after the first round.

In the second round, Maia S. and Taylor G. kept swinging, as they each hit two more home runs, bringing each of their scores to three. The third round would determine the winner of the derby.

Maia S. was chosen to hit first, as she got onto a roll, clobbering three home runs in the third round, as she finished with a total score of six home runs.

Taylor G. hit next, and she was unfazed by the pressure, as she hit a whopping five home runs in the third round, winning the derby and bringing her total score to nine. After winning the derby, Taylor stated, “I was very surprised; I’ve been working on hitting a lot this year and I’m very happy that I won.” Taylor, a 12-year old, will be moving on to the sectional round, where she will compete against derby winners from other towns with a chance to move onto the state competition.

Taylor’s success was of no detriment to Maia S.’s performance, as she made it to the final round despite being only 10 years old. When asked about her night at the plate, she said, “I was very happy that I was able to get this far because I am only 10, and there are a lot of older girls out here, but I’m happy with getting as far as I did in the derby.”

Congrats to all of the players who competed in the derby, and good luck to Taylor, as she will be competing in the next competition very soon.

- Lex Nelsen

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP LITTLE LEAGUE

News Detail

31

May, 2021

Recap: Girls Softball Home Run Derby

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