Warwick North 11/12s defeat CNB twice for state crown

By Matt Metcalf
Posted 7/19/16

For the second year in a row, Warwick North is the 11/12-year-old Little League softball state champion. It earned the title over the weekend after defeating Cranston National Budlong twice - a team that had previously

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Warwick North 11/12s defeat CNB twice for state crown

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For the second year in a row, Warwick North is the 11/12-year-old Little League softball state champion.

It earned the title over the weekend after defeating Cranston National Budlong twice – a team that had previously mercy-ruled Warwick North in the winners’ bracket final.

North forced a winner-take-all game with a 10-8 victory over Budlong on Friday night. And, on Saturday, it kept its momentum rolling, as Emily Tow provided an RBI double in the top of the fifth to produce the game’s lone run in a title-clinching 1-0 win.

Warwick North head coach Brian D’Amato was impressed with his team’s ability to bounce back and defeat Budlong twice following a lopsided loss in their first meeting.

“I think they learned a lesson that day – that they’re not just going to show up and roll over teams,” D’Amato said of that loss last Monday. “Honestly, they came with a different mindset [over the weekend], and it obviously showed. They took this very serious, especially after getting the big win [Friday].”

After a scoreless first frame in the decisive game on Saturday, Budlong had its best chance to score against Warwick North starting pitcher Kelsey Burr in the bottom of the second.

Catcher Emily Durigan led off the inning with a double, and she moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Ava Brandow.

After Emily Lewandowski walked and stole second, Budlong had two in scoring position with one down, but Warwick North would escape without any damage.

Emily Bessette came to the plate looking to break the stalemate. However, she chopped one back to Burr for a 1-3-2 double play, as Durigan was thrown out at the plate trying to score.

Budlong had second and third with one out in the fourth as well, but D’Amato pulled Burr after 3 1/3 scoreless innings and brought in Tow, who struck out pinch-hitter Georgi Edwards and got Lewandowski to pop out to shortstop Bryanna Rastella to keep the game scoreless.

That wouldn’t be the last time that Tow would come up big.

In the ensuing half-inning, Amelia Murphy led off the fifth with a single, advancing to second on an errant throw.

After a sacrifice bunt from pinch-hitter Sydney Suffoletto advanced Murphy to third, the lineup turned over for Tow, who roped a double into right center field, easily scoring Murphy to give Warwick North a 1-0 lead.

That would be all the insurance Tow would need in the circle, as she worked 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth frames, en route to tossing 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief to earn the win.

“She’s been building,” D’Amato said of Tow. “She’s a young pitcher, and her confidence builds each time she goes out there. And, obviously, she got a pitch to hit in the fifth and did really well. For [Burr and Tow] to go in and shut down a team like that, it’s a tribute to all of their hard work.”

Warwick North has now won back-to-back state championships in its first two seasons since merging Warwick West Side and Warwick National.

“It feels great,” D’Amato said. “Last year, we more or less expected it. We had girls that were together since they were 6 or 7 years old. This year, it was a challenge because we had to acclimate some girls who had never played in big games to playing in big games. I’m very proud of them.”

Warwick North will now move on to the East Regional in Bristol, Connecticut, where it will open up play against Vermont on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

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