Westwood 16U Select team wins Smithfield Tournament

The Westwood 16U Select Softball Team defeated Westland Hills, NY 3-2 in the championship game to win the 37th Annual Firecracker Tournament in Smithfield, RI on July 17.

Westwood finished off a 5-0 weekend, during which they outscored their opponents 36-3, with a riveting win in the tightly contested final. Sasha Marino broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to center, knocking in Erika Sabatino with the go-ahead run.

Bridget Mulkeen, who was 3-0 on the weekend with 31 strikeouts while allowing only two runs, retired Westland Hills in order in the top of the seventh and the Westwood girls celebrated as Ava Themistocles recorded the game's final out with a pop-out to second base.

Westwood clinched the top seed in Sunday's elimination tournament with a 3-0 record in round-robin play on Saturday. Both Mulkeen and Addy Keaveney pitched no-hit shutouts, while Mary Stronach allowed just one run in her pitching appearance.

Alaina Martin, who caught four of the five games for Westwood, was the hitting star of the weekend, collecting seven hits, including a massive home run to left center in a 12-1 win over the Blackstone Valley Venom Saturday afternoon. Martin also doubled twice in the championship game.

Stronach was a rock at third base when not pitching and three of her five hits on the weekend were doubles.

Marino's bat heated up Sunday, with the shortstop going 4-6 with three RBIs and a run scored in two games. Amelia O'Neill and Dahlia Leyden each collected four hits over the weekend, with Leyden scoring four runs. Themistocles played solid defense and also gathered three hits, with an RBI single in the semifinal.

It was a true team effort from start to finish, with Kate McLeish, Mia Poles and Abby Johnson all contributing in many ways to the winning weekend.