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Date: 8/3/2023
LONGMEADOW — It was a momentous occasion for Longmeadow’s 2023 10U All-Star team, who won a historic state championship, marking the first for the town. The victory was bittersweet, as the team’s joy was shadowed by vandalism on their past championship banners.
Shawn Schrager, president of the Longmeadow Softball Association, detailed the team’s journey to victory. “They went undefeated, almost to the state championship,” he said, praising the girls who pulled off a nearly flawless season.
Schrager further narrated the team’s path to the state championship, a journey that saw the team face off against tough local teams in District Two in New England, eventually securing the number one seed for the sectionals.
The final challenge came from the Worcester team, known as Joe Schultz, a formidable team that had clinched the state championship in previous years. The Longmeadow All-Stars played the Worcester team three years back.
Though a close score throughout, the Longmeadow team held firm, beating Worcester and securing the championship banner.
“Our pitching is one of our strengths through the entire season. Few runs were scored against us the entire time,” he emphasized. “Being in a competitive game and coming out on the other side helps contribute to the feeling of accomplishment,” he said.
An act of vandalism tainted the victory. Less than 24 hours after winning their third consecutive district championship, the previously won banners were destroyed at the team’s home field. “We got a phone call the next morning,” Schrager said.
On an adjacent field, the perpetrator targeted and sliced up a banner secured by the 11U baseball team that was won in a district competition.
The act left the community in disbelief and shock, Schrager said. He questioned the motive behind the vandalism, trying to understand why anyone would choose to hurt a group of 10-year-old girls.
Schrager noted the incident was reported to the police, but the progress has been disappointing, with no significant leads. He felt the acts were explicitly targeted at both teams, as other signs were left intact.
Plans are already underway to replace the destroyed items. The association intends to replace the fabric banners with more durable metal ones, secured higher up on the backstop.
Rivals East Longmeadow sent a letter to the association, expressing their sympathy, and wrote a $50 check to replace the destroyed banners. “That meant a lot to us. It was not expected or necessary,” Schrager said.
He underlined that despite the rivalry, both towns share a common goal: to create an excellent environment for kids to play, learn, and have fun.
Despite the troubling incident, the team’s victory remains a source of pride for Longmeadow. “The silver lining is that the girls persevered. They went out, came in, replaced the damaged banners with a state championship,” said Schrager.