West Milford It’s been 10 years since a Babe Ruth softball title has been brought home to West Milford. But on July 13, eleven dedicated and hard-working youngsters proved they had what it takes on the softball diamond to be crowned champions. The West Milford Girls’ 14U Xtreme softball team captured the Babe Ruth District 3 title in a come-from-behind, never-give-up challenge during the Babe Ruth championships. Closing out a very busy season that included Spring League, numerous tournaments around North Jersey, and finally the Babe Ruth districts, the team has been practicing together since November and throughout the winter, playing more than 50 games since early April. The girls committed themselves to working hard and developing into a team that could play hard when they needed to. At the onset of the district tournament, the team got off to a slow start in Game 1 and lost to the Lenape Blazers. But they battled their way back and found themselves one game away from the championship against the NJ Spirit. The NJ Spirit came with an undefeated record so far in the district tournament play, and at stake was a one game walk-off victory for the Spirit, or for the Xtreme to put the pressure on to force’ Game 2, in a doubleheader that would determine the championship. Early in Game 1 the Spirit took a 2 run lead, and the Xtreme found themselves pretty much hitless through the 5th inning against the Spirit’s pitching and aggressive fielding. However, the girls from West Milford were not going down without a fight. In the 7th inning, the Xtreme pushed ahead with a 3-2 advantage as they caught a break with some strategically placed bunts, follow-up hits and base running. As the Spirit stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 7th, West Milford held them, with the final score, West Milford 3, NJ Spirit 2. After a short break, it was on to Game 2 for the championship. West Milford Xtreme came out strong early. Their momentum did not let up as Xtreme jumped ahead of NJ Spirit with a 10 run lead, and held out against a scoreless Spirit. At the end of five innings, West Milford still held a 10 run advantage over its opponents, and under Babe Ruth rules, the game was declared over under the Mercy Rule. Up until that point, it seemed many of the girls and parents didn’t know what was at stake. So when the Babe Ruth commissioner called head coach Robbie Bordino out onto the field along with the team, and presented him with a plague and a banner, declaring the West Milford 14U Xtreme as the District 3 champs, the atmosphere became electrifying. The team screamed, danced, cheered, and it was high-fives’ and singing into the night. The next step, the Babe Ruth States, were played the following Saturday in Hoboken. For the state playoffs the Xtreme came ready and willing, and fought hard but lost in the Double Elimination tournament, They did manage to keep the score close in both games before it was all over. The team; Hailey “Wick” Wicker, Lauren “Bogie” Bogart, Amanda “Bull” Morgan, Christina “Boo-Boo” Siesta, Bianca “Binky” Stevens, Erica “Mickey D” Cochenour, Megan “Nutmeg” Johansson, Veronica “Chica” Richardi, Carly “Doctor B” Bordino, Robyn “Smiley” Jirouschek, Harley “Sunshine” Masiello; Head Coach Robbie “Girls! Girls!! GIRLS!!!” Bordino, Asst Coach Frank “Let Me Tell You Somethin” Richardi, Asst Coach Vicki “You’re Killin Me” Siesta, Asst Coach Mike “Somebody Get that Bat” Henry.