Atlee wins Little League Majors softball title By Dave Lawrence Sports Editor HENRICO – Atlee Little League’s Majors softball team is the champions. Atlee, led by pitchers Julia Mardigian and Kelly Ayer, dominated the competition in sweeping all comers to claim the District 5 Majors softball title at Tuckahoe Little League. Atlee’s victories included a pair of wins over local rival Mechanicsville, including a 10-0 win over Mechanicsville in the championship game Thursday. Atlee advances to the Virginia Little League Majors tournament, which begins Friday at Olive Branch Little League in Portsmouth. “All the girls have been working hard. They all do their job. They know they’ve got a job to do. They all take ownership of it,” said Atlee manager Scott Currie. He also said their hitting was key. “When we hit the ball well, it makes things easy,” Currie said. Atlee began and ended the tournament with wins over Mechanicsville. Their first game began on July 1, but was suspended because of lightning and completed the next day. Atlee next defeated Tuckahoe’s All-Stars Tuesday and got a break while Mechanicsville had to win two more games – one
Dave Lawrence/The Local
Left, Atlee’s Julia Mardigian dominated opposing batters in leading her team to the Little League District 5 Majors softball championship. Right, Mechanicsville Little League’s Logan McKinney slides into home safely on the first night
likewise completed over two nights because of weather – to advance to the final. “They had some time off, some time to relax, stay out of the heat,” Currie said of his team. Mardigian pitched both games against Mechanicsville, handily keeping its hitters in check.
“They’re just a good team – well rounded,” said Mechanicsville manager Steve Harmon. “They’re coached well. Scott Currie does a great job with them. And they know how to win, and that means a lot with younger kids. They know how to take it to them and keep going after it. They know how to keep fighting to
keep winning.” Harmon had a lot of good to say for his team, too. “Our kids played well. Our pitchers did great,” Harmon said. “We hit the ball well against Tuckahoe and against Huguenot. We just couldn’t get around on Julia Mardigian.” Currie said Mardigian has earned her success.
“She’s been working very hard this whole spring to get where she’s at,” Currie said. “She’s put a lot of effort into it and she’s reaping the benefits of her hard work.” Dave Lawrence can be reached at dlawrence@mechlocal.com.
MAYERS
“I gave it a shot and the Nats liked me, but they saw better things for me so they’ve got me going into kind of a coaching role now,” he said. “Hopefully it pans out at the end of the season. Nothing is legit yet but hopefully it works out.” Not only would the job keep Mayers in AAA baseball but being in Syracuse would allow him to stay close to his wife and
home in New York City. “It’s an awesome set up,” he said. “I really thought about where I could be close to home, too, and this role was really nice about that.” While the transition in positions came quickly, coaching has always been in the back of Mayers’ mind. “The coaching thing, my wife, my father and my mother,
they’ve always said I’d probably be a good coach just because I retain information well and I just get along with everybody,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to coach at some point … literally teaching the game I played my entire life, so it’s just easy. It’s all about making connections with the guys.” Likewise, Mayers sees his current situation as education-
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Mechanicsville’s seven-inning 7-6 victory over Huguenot in the Little League District 5 softball tournament at Tuckahoe Little League on July 5. The game was interrupted by lightning and completed the next evening.
got called up to the Nationals, a door opened for Mayers. “This position opened up so they offered me this position,” he said. “It was pretty quick turnaround so I said I’d definitely do it. It would keep me in the game.
The Mechanicsville Local
July 13, 2016
At Tuckahoe Little League From Thursday, July 7
M T
A M
Mechanicsville 6, Tuckahoe 2 004 011 — 6 7 0 020 000 — 2 3 0 Highlights: M — Lilly Lutton 2B Atlee 10, Mechanicsville 0 432 1 — 10 9 0 000 0 — 0 0 0
From Tuesday, July 5 Atlee 10, Tuckahoe 0 A 107 11 — 10 10 0 T 000 00 — 0 2 0 Ayer 5. Ray 5 W: Ayer L: Ray
al. “These guys are my age or older and been in the game about the same number of years or more than I have, so I’m learning from them as well,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of knowledge and a lot of these guys have big league time so I’m just like, ‘I’m going to learn see MAYERS, pg. 4