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MSO Villagers 10U Black Reel Off Nine Straight Parkway League Wins En Route to Third Place Finish, Really Gross Uniforms

MSO Villagers 10U Black took a lot of hits this spring and dished out plenty of their own this summer, capturing third place in the Parkway League with help from their lucky, if not smelly, uniforms. Off-season training began last January and the Villagers spent all spring fighting above its weight class in tournament play.

The hard work and early defeats paid off as the young 10U squad hit its stride shortly into the summer season. The Villagers opened league their schedule with consecutive losses, to Metuchen and Scotch Plains. Offered the reward of wearing their preferred black tops and striped socks until they lost again, the team never looked back, reeling off eight straight league wins to finish the regular season at 8-2. Having lost a tiebreaker that would have put them into the championship game, MSO settled for a 7-2 playoff win over Metuchen to grab third place. Eventual champion North Edison's only loss this season was a 9-3 defeat to the Villagers.

"I'm all for sticking with a lucky charm, but I'm darn tired of washing those black uniforms every night," said one anonymous parent, worn from a schedule that at one point included nine games in seven days. "And let's be honest. There were a few nights we skipped." Overall, the Villagers went 15-13-1 this year, with help from steady outings by starting pitchers Campbell Connell and Jordan Juter. Connell struck out 109 batters while walking just 55, while Juter displayed a nasty changeup, mixing in 85 strikeouts of her own. All the way through the 12-girl lineup, everyone contributed. Perhaps even more importantly, the entire team -- with four girls headed into 4th grade, four into 5th and four into 6th -- had a great time spending their spring and summers together. Picture attached: courtesy Lauren Rutkin