The members of Cherry Hill Atlantic Little League’s 10U girls softball team hold banners showing their two titles.
For the first time in more than a decade, a Cherry Hill Atlantic team has won the 10U district title.
The girls softball team – made up of players 8 to 10 years old – not only had a successful season, but won enough games to make it to the District 13 championship, where it won all four of its games.
“Effectively, it’s an all-star team of our little league,” said Nick Pacatti, a team coach who has worked with the girls for several years. “A lot of these girls have been playing together for close to four years, most of the team, not all of them.”
The District 13 victory took the team to the Section Four Tournament, where its record was 4-0, advancing the players to the state tournament for their age bracket in Pequannock. The Section Four contest marked the first time any Cherry Hill Atlantic softball team had taken home that title, a major achievement for the players.
“It’s a fun experience,” noted Pacatti, “very cool for the kids. It’s something that they won’t forget … They worked really hard to get there, so if anything, it goes to show you if you work hard at something, good things do happen.”
While the girls did not advance past their two games against District Seven’s Elmora and District One’s Hanover teams at the state tournament, they still appreciated the opportunity to represent their section.
“We didn’t win up there, unfortunately,” Pacatti acknowledged, “but it was just a great experience for the girls.”
Since the team has competed in the district for the last three years, the 10U district win was its last opportunity to secure titles for the players’ age division.
“This is our third go-round in the district,” Pacatti explained. “So we started, we kind of went in one year early, when we had the girls, just to give it a shot. And then this was our last chance at the 10U age group.”
Pacatti emphasized that the sense of closeness the girls had with their teammates was another major factor in making their achievement possible.
“I’ve been with these girls for so long, it was cool to just get that front-row seat and watch them develop into softball players, leaders and (see) the bond that they forged together, even welcoming in new girls,” he said.
That bond meant it was hard to tell the difference between the girls who had played together for four years and the ones who had just joined the team.
Though Cherry Hill Atlantic is best known as a baseball organization – with 80% of registrants playing the sport – Pacatti said the 10U league has been supportive of his softball team throughout the season.
“They were having watch parties for us when we were up there, watching our games, coming to our sectional games, district games,” he recalled. “So it was cool to see their classmates that are boys support these girls, too.”
Since softball is a growing sport in the township, Pacatti hopes his team’s efforts will increase its visibility.
“We’re primarily a baseball organization, and no baseball team got close to going to states,” he pointed out. “It was the girls … I’m very excited that these girls could set that blueprint and be that example for the younger girls in our league – and hopefully the surrounding leagues in Cherry Hill.”
