All hail the champions! Massapequa 12 and under team wins Little League Softball World Series
MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. -- Congratulations are in order for the new Little League softball champions.
The Massapequa International 12 and under girls team just won the World Series.
CBS New York went to a watch party in Massapequa Park on Sunday.
"World champion" has a nice ring to it for New York for the first time in Little League Softball World Series history.
Family and friends packed the Brady Park field. They were jumping and cheering while watching their girls beat North Carolina 5-2. It was also the first time Massapequa girls had ever made it into to the tournament. Talk about winning big.
Some of the team members' friends told CBS New York about how hard the girls worked this summer to get there.
"All summer, like, missing some of the hangouts to go to practices. Like, it all pays off. They work their butts off and they absolutely deserve this," Kyra Maddock said. "We're so proud of them. Like our emotions, like our hearts were pounding just as much as theirs."
Maddock and her friends watched intently as the final moments of the game unfolded. It has been a busy summer for the 12 and under team, sacrificing time with their friends. However, they said it was all worth it.
"It's just an incredible feeling because I've always dreamt of this and to have it happen is just insane," catcher Sienna Erker said.
"Are we the best team in the world? I don't know. But we are the champions," manager Rich Eaton said.
Surreal is the only way Eaton could describe the feeling of having coached world champions, and let's not forget to mention the girls had an undefeated run throughout the tournament. The team celebrated with dinner after the game and had a chance to speak with CBS New York.
"We trained like a professional team. We worked out five days a week, two hours a day. We are the number one Little League team in the world ... in the world! That's just unheard of to me," Eaton said.
The girls and their manager credited the team's close-knit relationship for the historic win. Their mantra is not to chase wins, but to chase excellence.
"They're the ones who want to practice, not the coaches forcing them to practice. That's what makes this group so special," Eaton said.
Added Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino: "When you see them out on the field, they're just regular kids, but you can see something in there eyes, that they are mature. They're cool-headed. They think carefully. They work hard and they earn all the accolades that they received, including now the title of world champions."
The Massapequa Park community is planning a parade for the girls when they come back from North Carolina.