Defending champ Cumberland stops West Side’s run

Posted 7/10/14

After round one of the Little League softball state tournament, Warwick West Side was in a better position than Cumberland. But when the teams ended up in the same spot Tuesday – the loser’s …

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Defending champ Cumberland stops West Side’s run

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After round one of the Little League softball state tournament, Warwick West Side was in a better position than Cumberland. But when the teams ended up in the same spot Tuesday – the loser’s bracket final – it wasn’t hard to see who had the upper hand.

Cumberland, coming off a win to stay alive, rode momentum to a fast start and West Side, fresh off a disappointing loss, couldn’t overcome an early deficit. Cumberland won 11-6 to clinch a spot in the championship round and eliminate West Side.

“Sometimes, I think when you’re in that particular game, the team coming out of the loser’s bracket actually has an advantage,” said West Side assistant coach Carlos Rodas. “They were coming off a win and they were riding high and we were coming off a loss. That’s a big difference psychologically.”

The loss ended a strong summer for the West Side squad, which won another district title and knocked off the same Cumberland team in its state tournament opener. But a 6-0 loss to District 1 champion Cranston National Budlong on Sunday set them up for another tough one in the rematch against Cumberland.

Cumberland, the four-time defending state champs, won its first loser’s bracket game 9-0 against East Providence and wasted no time staying hot on Tuesday, with three runs in the first inning.

“We were behind the eight-ball right off the bat,” Rodas said.

And it was tough to escape. In addition to a 15-hit attack, Cumberland played strong defense, which meant West Side didn’t get many gifts.

“I will say, they made some great plays,” Rodas said. “They were just outstanding.”

The West Side stars kept battling, rallying from an 11-2 deficit to make it 11-6. In their last at-bat, they made one final push when they loaded the bases for their hottest hitter, Taylor Suffoletto. But Cumberland got out of the jam to seal the victory.

“The girls kept fighting,” Rodas said. “We rallied back but we just couldn’t get over that hump.”

The loss marked the end of the road in Little League softball for the team’s 12-year-olds. They were a big part of a resurgence for the league’s softball program and won four district championships.

Still, it was tough to see the run end.

“That’s the thing I’m heartbroken about,” Rodas said. “The 11’s on this team won a state championship last year. We really wanted to get one for our 12-year-olds. But like I told them, they have been the building blocks. They’re the reason the 9/10’s won states last year, because those girls came before them.”

And despite Tuesday’s loss, the team’s run was another feather in the cap for an ever-improving program.

“I think we were light years behind the upper echelon teams a few years ago,” Rodas said. “I don’t think that’s quite the case anymore. The program has come a long way.”

West Side still has its 9/10-year-old squad alive in the district tournament, and the 12’s will be watching.

“Hopefully, the girls will be rooting them on,” Rodas said.

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