Softball returned to the South Baltimore Little League (SBLL) last year for the first time in decades, and year two saw a huge boost in enrollment and a region championship for the 8-10 Year Old All-Star team.
SBLL’s 8-10 Year Old softball team knocked off Arbutus in the District 4 Region Championship in two straight games, winning 20-0 and 24-3. Notably, in the first game pitcher Zoe Wirth threw a no hitter with seven strikeouts and Nyla Harris hit a grand slam over the right field fence.
Head Coach Eli Wirth, who restarted the softball program at SBLL, said the athletes were pretty pumped to win the region championship.
Following the region championship, the team headed to the Maryland Little League State Tournament in Brunswick and were knocked out in two games, but Eli Wirth noted the team was in the games until the end and improved so much overall from the previous year.
SBLL’s 8-10 Old softball team played in the state tournament last year, but was unopposed in District 4.
SBLL also put together a 10-12 Year Old softball team that competed for a District 4 championship. The team fell to South Maryland Little League in Game 3 of a three-game series. SBLL won Game 2.
Doug Beizer was the head coach of the 10-12 Year Old softball team. He described how the team pushed through really hot weather over a three-day span, which included a game on Saturday getting suspended and getting finished on Sunday.
“They did great,” said Beizer. “We had a lot of girls without a ton of experience in that type of competitive play. I was really impressed with all of them.”
“We pushed teamwork, sportsmanship, and effort,” he added.
Beizer noted that all of his players seem “really interested” in continuing with softball. He also said a couple of the players are from Canton and said they are hoping to recruit more players from that side of the harbor.
Enrollment in SBLL softball surged from 60 athletes in 2023 to about 110 athletes in 2024. Eli Wirth noted there was a big jump in players this year between the ages of six and eight.
In 2024, SBLL softball had a Machine Pitch level and a Majors kid-pitch division with athletes from the age of nine to 12. Next year, Eli Wirth is hoping for three softball divisions with Machine Pitch for athletes eight and under, a Modified division for athletes 10 and under, and Majors for athletes 12 and under. SBLL is also looking to put together a 13-14 Year Old team that will compete against other Little League teams in the area as part of a regular season schedule.
“The level of coaching also took a jump this year,” said Eli Wirth. “We had a lot more parent volunteers. They helped accelerate the girls already playing and were a good foundation for the girls that were new.”
Along with baseball, SBLL fielded more than 500 total players in 2024. Eli Wirth noted the organization is “busting at the seams at all levels” and looking to incorporate some of the neighborhood parks into the programs.
2024 featured two renovations at the SBLL complex to accommodate the growing softball program. A fence was added to Field 3 to add homeruns to the mix, but also separate the field from the adjacent fields that are used for Coach Pitch and T-Ball games. Field 2 had its mound removed with a portable mound added. This allows the league to remove a mound for softball, and move the mound to different distances for three different levels of baseball.
SBLL also hosted a “Girls Try Softball” event in June to introduce more players to the sport.
Softball is continuing on in South Baltimore as Fall Ball signups are coming. Fall Ball will offer a skills and drills night, as well as a pitchers and catchers nights.
SBLL also has a partnership with the SoBo Baseball Club and SoBo Softball Club. The SoBo Softball Club will be playing in some tournaments in the fall.
Below is a recap of the 8-10 Year Old Softball District Tournament from Eli Wirth:
District Tournament-
6/22- 20-0 SBLL over Arbutus in 3 innings. Zoe Wirth- 3IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 7K. Nyla Harris, Grand Slam. Vivienne Higley, catcher, threw out the two girls who had walked when they tried to steal.6/23- 24-3 SBLL over Arbutus in 2 innings. Arbutus forfeited after an injury left them with not enough players. Sam Rosch 4RBI, Nyla Harris and Zoe Wirth 3 RBI each, Vivienne Higley 2 hits and 2 RBI, Saranac La Noue and Vivienne Martinez 2 SB’s each. Vivian Jones 3BB and 3 runs scored, Annabel LaMason, Paige Mason, and Gia Lloyd 3BB and 2 runs scored each, Gia Lloyd and Zoe Wirth combined No-Hitter.
State Tournament-
7/6- St. Mary’s Little League over SBLL 13-1
7/7- North East Little League over SBLL 14-0Great team effort against amazing competition.
Roster-
Nyla Harris
Vivienne Higley
Vivian Jones
Annabel LaMason
Saranac La Noue
Gia Lloyd
Vivienne Martinez
Paige Mason
Emma Mulligan
Samantha Rosch
Zoe Wirth
SBLL’s 10-12 Year Old Softball Roster:
Abbey Perando
Addison Lucas
Camille Cooper
CeCe Couteau
Eloise Pearlman
Emilia Smith
Gloria Aguilera
Madeleine Basl
Mariana Phipps
Matilda Beizer
Quinn Johnson
