HGSA 8U Blue Hurricanes headed for Babe Ruth World Series after repeating as Mid-Atlantic champ

Fish 4 Scores Sports
HGSA Softball

By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com

July 12: The Hamilton Girls Softball Association’s 8U Blue Hurricanes are headed for the big time.

The 8U All Stars remained undefeated in Babe Ruth play in 2017 by recently winning the Mid-Atlantic Regional championship to earn a berth in the Babe Ruth World Series. The girls from Christine Ave. are 26-2 overall and “are having a ball playing together,” according to coach “Irish” Mike Walsh.

In their run to the regional title, the 8s won the District 1 and Southern New Jersey State championships. In the regionals, they blew through Ridley, Pa., Antietam, Md., Spring Ford, Pa., Hilltop, Pa., and Audubon, Pa. This is the second straight year the Blue Hurricanes have won district, state and regional titles. They did so last year en route to going undefeated in Babe Ruth play and forging a 35-6 overall record.

The roster consists of pitcher Ellie Miller, catcher Francesca Castellano, first baseman Kennedy Daferede, second baseman Ryane Riddell, third baseman Danica Spak, shortstop Bianca “Little Irish” Walsh and outfielders Ashley Rivas, McKenna “Little Fish” Fisher, Charlize Taylor, Elia Castellano and Nikki Donovan. Walsh’s coaches are Chris Miller, Matt Donovan and Chris Riddell.

The World Series will be played July 28-Aug. 5 in Jensen Beach, Fla. To raise funds for the trip, the team will hold car washes at the Mercerville Fire Company on 5 points in Hamilton Saturday, July 15 from noon to 2 p.m.; and at Texas Roadhouse on Route 33 Saturday, July 22 from 9 a.m. to noon.

About The Author


Rich Fisher has been around the Hamilton Township sports scene for so long that he actually got Rich Giallella’s autograph when Giallella was still a player! Proud product of Hamilton YMCA and Lou Gehrig baseball leagues and former teammate of Jim Maher on a very average Barton & Cooney rec basketball team, Fish graduated from Nottingham Junior High and Steinert High school and has covered township sports since 1980. His goal in life is to convince Maria Prato that Jersey tomatoes are at least 100 times better than California tomatoes.