Westfield Little League team preparing for section championship

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - The Westfield All-Stars 10-year-old Little League team has had an incredible year, reaching double-digit wins and recently winning the Section 2 championship. Now, they are one win away from the state championship game.

The group of 10-year-olds is all hyped up, all because their remarkable season continues this weekend as they are in the state’s 10U semifinals and players told Western Mass News that they are ready for action.

“This is my first year on the team because I didn’t play last year. It’s just been a really good year playing with people that I know and to know that we made it this far, it’s pretty fun,” said second baseman Jonny Yvon.

Manager Bill Daley has been coaching the All-Stars for a couple of years now. He said the 12-player team is special because they put in the hard work and never give up.

“It’s been a fun group of kids. You just like seeing them getting better,” Daley said. “We were able to kind of watch the kids from last year a little bit get this far. We’re just hoping we go one more step that they went last year.”

What Daley meant was last year’s 10U team made the state championship, but did not win it all, so how did this squad get here? Well, the team is currently 11-1, including seven straight wins over local teams to clinch the District 2 championship. On Tuesday, down 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning against Holden in sectionals, Westfield scored five runs for an incredible 6-5 comeback win to punch their ticket to the state’s final four.

“Me and a couple of my teammates thought the game was over and there was no shot we were coming back, but then we got bases loaded and one of our best hitters came up and we knew he was due for something. He hits a moonshot over the right fielder’s head,” said center fielder Eric Dean.

The players said they have lots of confidence about winning it all and one of their keys to success is their unbreakable bond.

“Before games, we’ll always do chants and stuff. It gets us fired up,” said second basemen Jackson Daley. “We’ll have team parties and stuff and it definitely helps.”

No matter what happens in the end, Bill Daley said he is proud of his group.

“Extremely (proud). I think it goes without saying…They show up, they do what is asked, they get the job done, they listen, and they’re just a fun group of kids to be around,” Bill Daley added.

The Westfield All-Stars will take on Reading over in Milton at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, with the winner taking on either Bridgewater or Melrose in the state championship on Sunday.

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