Championship Little League Team Is Led by a Secret Weapon — You Won’t Believe Who
Boy, oh, boy can this girl play baseball.
Sure, girls have played the national pastime before, but few have had the impact Kayla Roncin has had.
Kayla, 12, is the breakout player on the Little League team from Toms River, New Jersey that recently won the state title and advanced to the regional tournament in Connecticut for the right to compete in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Kayla certainly did her part in the state title-clinching game, blasting a two-run home run to snap a tie (which you can see above) and throwing one pitch to end the nail-biting contest by retiring the opposing team's big hitter with the bases loaded and Toms River clinging to a 7-6 lead (which you can see below). The homer was just what Kayla needed. “It felt great just to get a hit,” she said. I have been in a slump during the whole tournament and I really wanted to help the team.”
The dinger and the big out to seal the victory was probably sweet vindication for Kayla, since she was reportedly teased during warmups.
Yup, not since Tatum O'Neal lit up the screen in 'The Bad News Bears' has a girl so captivated people with her talent on the diamond.
The magical run may just beginning for Kayla and her teammates, who are representing a town with some serious Little League history -- Toms River won the Little League World Series in 1998 and advanced to Williamsport as recently as 2010.