By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

The girls on Scarborough’s 11-12 Little League All Stars returned home this weekend after being crowned New England Softball Champions, but missing out on the Softball World Series in Oregon.  

The team had been in Albany, N.Y. since July 25, representing Maine and hoping to win their way into the Softball World Series.

In order to make it to New York, the girls had to play 10 teams within District 6 to be named district champions, then six district champions from across the state to win the state title. 

Coach Bob Williamson estimated since the beginning of districts, the team has scored 80 to 85 runs, but only allowed 10 from the opposing team. 

During the week, the girls played Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island in the New England regional championship. Of the five games, the team suffered their first loss since districts against Rhode Island.

On Aug. 1, the girls played Rhode Island a second time for the New England Little League Championship. This time, they won the game with a score of 4 to 3 to earn the New England Softball Championship title.

Former Scarborough little league coach Derek Volk said this is the first Maine team to ever win the New England Little League Softball Championship.

“They battled right to the end, but could not defeat the Mid Atlantic Champions who went 6 and 0 in the tournament,” Volk said. 

Saturday, they played New Jersey, the Mid Atlantic Champions, to determine which team from the northeastern coast would go to Oregon for the Little League Softball World Series, tentatively scheduled to begin Aug. 9. The girls lost 7 to 0. 

Erin Giles, 13, pitched the entire game against New Jersey and said New Jersey was a “really tough team to play.”

“It was wet, and after the first inning, we got our heads down because we let two runs in. And their pitcher, she was really good, not too many people could get hits off her,” Giles said. 

“It was a learning experience,” said Alyssa Williamson, 12, first base. 

She said the team made it to the championships because of lots of practice and having played together before. She said it was great to know out of six teams they were number one as well as one of the top 10 teams in the nation. 

Despite Saturday’s loss, catcher, Paige Moore-Haskell, 12, said it was great to share the moment of making history being crowned New England champions. She said she knows Scarborough has one of the best teams in the country. 

Williamson said the girls were one step away from making it as far as the Westbrook boys did a couple years ago. 

“When you think about how many All Star teams play little league throughout Maine, New England and the Mid-Atlantic states you can start to appreciate this incredible accomplishment.  All of Maine, especially Scarborough, should be very proud of those girls,” Volk said.