The Smithfield-based Rhode Island Storm 10U girls’ softball team recently won a Mother’s Day Tournament in dramatic fashion, collecting their first tournament victory of the young season.
The tournament was hosted by NESC (New England Softball Club) in Woonsocket. In the championship game against a solid NESC North team, Storm fell behind early, and trailed 6-1 after five innings.
Coach Stacey went into the 6th inning telling the girls, “The hitting needs to start now. It’s contagious, and we’re starting with Olivia Camara.”
And the girls delivered. They believed in themselves and refused to give up, mounting a comeback that began when they scored four runs in the 6th. Down one heading into the final inning, Storm got two more runs in the 7th to walk off with the win. In a thrilling conclusion, there were two outs and two runners on base when Lillian Jordan stepped to the plate with the championship on the line. She got down to her last strike against a tough opposing pitcher but kept her composure and smashed a double that drove in both the tying and winning runs Storm. The celebration that erupted from the players and Storm fans after the decisive run crossed the plate was a sight to see. It was certainly a memory that will last a long time, especially for Lillian, who went home with the “walk off” game ball.
“It was a great learning experience for the girls,” Coach Stacey says. “It was the first time they’d been down all season up to that point. They showed a lot of resilience. When you’re up against good pitching, the first two at-bats can be tough, but our girls stayed at it and kept attacking, and they were finally able to break through.”
Pitcher Ariana Iorfida chalked up the win for Storm, surrendering just five hits and one earned run over six and two-thirds innings. The championship game MVP award was shared by Ariana and shortstop Leah Tutt.
This thrilling finals victory was the fifth win of the weekend for Storm. It may have been the most exciting, but without winning the four previous games, the comeback wouldn’t have been possible. Storm reached the championship by playing a well-rounded game, which included consistent and timely hitting. Whenever a big run was needed, one of the girls delivered. In the field, Storm’s defense made all the plays they needed to make, along with some exceptional glove work, particularly by shortstop Leah Tutt, who received a Defensive Player of the Game award, and Alta Smith, who made a spectacular catch in left field and received a game ball. Storm also benefited from stellar pitching performances throughout and solid catching from Reina Boudreau, Ariana Iorfida, and Lucia Achilli. All these things were key in the tournament win. Pool play MVP was awarded to Milania D’Uva for her excellent pitching.
Head coach Stacey D’Uva with assistant coaches Darnel Tutt, Anthony D’Uva, and Mark Iorfida couldn’t be prouder of the girls.
After winning their first game Sunday the girls surprised their moms with flowers from Simply Elegant, a florist in Smithfield. The florist painted the tips of carnation flowers green to match Storm colors with gold glitter to top it off.
The Rhode Island Storm is made up of an incredibly talented group of girls. Though many girls are from Smithfield, the team consists of players from many other towns, including Lincoln, North Providence, Warwick, and Cranston. They all bring a unique set of skills and a love of the game to the field, and they play together as a unit. Many of the girls have played alongside one another for several years. One thing they share is the goal of winning the Rhode Island USA Softball Championship in June. The Mother’s Day Tournament victory was just one of many weekend tournaments the girls will compete in this summer on the way to achieving their dream, but they are well on their way, and we wish them continued success. We hope to report on a triumphant season in July.
The girls on this Storm 10U team include Reina Boudreau, Colby Santos, Olivia Camara, Mia Tavarozzi, Alyssa Carlson, Ariana Iorfida, Talya Passarelli, Alta Smith, Lillian Jordan, Milania D’Uva, Leah Tutt, Priscilla Stanley, and Lucia Achilli.