Win some, Lose someWestpine finishes second – Team plays awesome
The Pioneer Middle School girls’ softball team wasted little time in showing why it has won seven consecutive Broward County Middle school championships.

In a match up of undefeated teams, the Lady Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 first inning lead and coasted to a 10-3 victory over Westpine Middle to win the title October 25 at Tequesta Trace Park in Weston.

It was the Eagles’ 21st consecutive victory dating back to an 11-1 loss to Pembroke Pines Charter in the third game of the season last year.  Pioneer has won 52 of its past 53 games and is 78-3 during Bryan Cook’s seven seasons as head coach.

“The main thing we work on is hitting.  I have always said if you score 10 runs, you win the game.  When we got seven in the first, I felt great,” said Cook, who is coach, athletic director, team bus driver and sixth-grade math teacher.

Behind 7-0, Westpine rallied in the second inning as Celeste Bradshaw walked four batters – including two with the bases loaded to trim the lead to 7-2.

But Pioneer scored three more runs in the sixth inning behind a two-run single by eighth grader Karina Rios, who was named the tournament MVP.

Westpine got a run back in the top of the seventh when Britnee Malloy drove in Miranda Delaware to close out the scoring.

“It feels good to beat an undefeated team and know we are the only ones that are undefeated at the end of the season,” Rios said.

Westpine’s Britnee Malloy, Samantha Krevalin and Kristen Petela were the team’s top players this season.

“If it wasn’t for that first inning, it was a very tight game,” said Westpine Middle’s Candy DiMaggio, who coached the team with fellow school cafeteria manager Alexis Bompadre.  “The girls have a lot to be proud of.  They finished second to a very good team, and the only thing better than that is first.  They played awesome.”

Westpine defeated Seminole 10 years ago for its first and only county girls’ middle school title.  The Lady Panthers lost in the playoffs four seasons ago in its last postseason appearance.

“It wasn’t disappointing,” Bompadre said.  “It was an awesome season and we were 11-0 until today.  They are not only good players, they are also model students.  We are going to miss them.”

By Gary Curreri, Sun-Sentinel Special Correspondent

Westpine Roster
Megan O’Connor, Taylor Lipp, Samantha Krevalin, Miranda Delaware, Megan Ginter, Samantah Iglesias, Kayla Tuarez, Kristen Petela, Britnee Malloy, Kelsey Larkin, Kelsey Johnson, Giovanna DiCicco, Briasnna Boykin; coaches Candy DiMaggio and Alexis Bompadre

Sawgrass mows unbeaten – Peter Marino named MVP
When Larry Bremner arrived at Sawgrasss Springs Middle School, he learned the Gators didn’t have a boys’ softball coach.

“I said, ‘If you need somebody, I’ll help out,’ “ Bremner said.  “About a half-hour later, I had all of the information in my box.  At first, I wasn’t sure if I had what it takes, but I had a talented group of young men, a supportive school and that made it so easy for me to focus on bringing them together as a team.”

Mission accomplished.

The Gators’ Peter Marino hit a bases-loaded triple and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning as Sawgrass Springs won its sixth consecutive game and rallied to defeat Indian Ridge 4-3 to win the Broward County Middle school softball championship October 25 at Tequesta Trace Park in Weston.

“I am very excited,” said Marino, a seventh grader, who was named tournament MVP after going 3 for 3 with a triple, run scored and three RBI.  “I think it is great to knock off a team that was undefeated.  I was just looking to hit the ball hard and I did.  This is one of the best feelings ever.”

Brandon Roberts walked with one out before Garrett Kennedy and Ricky Riera hit back to back triples and Kyle Perry lined a single to left center to give Indian Ridge (10-1-1) and a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.  Sawgrass Springs (9-3) seized a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth when Jesse Feyers reached on an error and Oliver Christenson and David Ravdin followed with singles to load the bases for Marino who drilled Perry’s pitch down the left field line for a triple to tie the game at 3.  Brandon Texiera then hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Marino with the go ahead run.

“We squeaked into the playoffs with a 5-3 record, which was second in our division, and took down 8-0 teams and it was no longer a fluke, “ Bremner said.

On the road to the title, Sawgrass defeated Westpines and Pompano Beach, both of whom were undefeated.

The Jaguars were led by Riera, Kennedy, Kyle Walker and Anthony Favata throughout the year.

“This has been an unbelievable season and I still believe that this is the best defensive team by far in Broward County,” said Indian Ridge coach Brian Levine, who is in his second year as the boys’ coach.  “We were just a couple of plays away.”

Bremner said the championship is secondary to the lessons learned.

“It is about teamwork…never giving up...living up to your potential.  Those are lessons that are going to follow them in everything they do,” Bremner said.  “A county boys’ softball championship is a wonderful thing and we are going to celebrate it, but what they learned in this journey is going to serve them better than any trophy or banner or certificate every will.

By Gary Curreri, Sun-Sentinel Special Correspondent

Sawgrass Springs Roster
Alex Kline, Oliver Christenson, Billy Carr, Brandon Weber, Matt Watkins, David Ravdin, Jarred Paurowski, Jonathon Lipinski, Jesse Feyers, Peter Marino, Brandon Texiera; team managers Marc Weiner and Ricardo Guerrero; coaches Larry Bremner and Andrew Watkins