WOODBURY—The Northwestern Regional Highlanders won the 2025 Berkshire League tournament championship on Wednesday, scoring a run in the top of the sixth to defeat undefeated Nonnewaug 7-6.
It was the first time the Berkshire League has ever held a postseason league softball tournament.
Pitcher Maribelle Roach battled tough for seven innings, giving up 11 hits and walking 5, but she didn’t give a single earned run and struck out nine in leading the team to the title.
Tied up at 6-6 in the top of the sixth, Northwestern Regional found one extra run.
Taylor Kelley led off the sixth with a single to right field. Mackenzie Janco then singled on a ground ball to the shortstop, giving the Highlanders (19-3) runners on first and second with nobody out.
Mollie Spencer grounded into a fielder’s choice, which forced Janco out at second, but Kelley advanced to third on the play putting her 60 feet away from putting Northwestern into the lead.
Makenna Blische then plated her teammate with an infield hit, giving Northwestern that 7-6 lead.
Over the final two innings, Roach retired six of the seven batters she faced.
In the bottom of the seventh, Nonnewaug’s Jade Rinaldi did single with one out and went all the way to third before Roach induced a fly ball out to end the game, giving the Highlanders the league title.
Northwestern recorded 10 hits against Berkshire League Pitcher of the Year Scarett Ivey, who only gave up four earned runs.
Janco was 3-for-4 with three runs scored an an RBI on a solo home run. Kelley was 2-for-5 with three runs scored, as well.
Spencer plated two runs with her hit while Blische, Ryane Longhi (1 RBI0, Sandra Carfiro and Laney Hayes all had hits, as well. Hayes and Longhi both had doubles.
For Nonnewaug, the unbeaten Berkshire League regular season champs, which suffered its first loss in 22 games this season, Gianna DeLorenzo was 3-for-3 with a run scored while Jade Rinaldi was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Lila Farrelly also had two hits and two RBIs.
DeLorenzo and Ashlynn Blum (1 run) both had doubles.
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