SOUTH ORANGE/MAPLEWOOD – The South Orange Maplewood 8U Summer Baseball team won the Cal Ripken Northern New Jersey District 12 Championship July 5 in Warren, beating the Chatham team, 4-2. The team will move on to the Cal Ripken states portion of the tournament next week. These games will take place in Hazlet, beginning July 15.
The team is off to a great start in both league (New Providence Green and Gold) and Cal Ripken tournament play. After losing the initial Cal Ripken pool game to Chatham, the team was undefeated in all remaining district games, beating Summit, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Long Hill, Mountainside and then finally Chatham to secure the championship.
Excellent fielding, great pitching, smart batting, and having fun are key elements to the team’s success.